What the Bishop Saw

What the Bishop Saw by Vannetta Chapman is the first book in The Amish Bishop Mysteries. Bishop Henry Lapp lives in San Luis Valley, Colorado. Henry is awakened with news of a fire at nearby Vernon Frey’s house. When Henry arrives at the scene, he finds out that Vernon did not survive. It is disturbing to find out that the fire was set deliberately. Henry is asked to write a list of people who might have wished to harm Vernon. Within days a second fire breaks out at a construction site in town. Sam Beiler spots the fire and calls 911. Turns out that Sam also called in Vernon’s fire. Sam is soon arrested for arson and the murder of Vernon. Henry visited Vernon the day before the fire, and he has a gift that could assist the investigators. Henry has not used his talent in fifteen years. But it seems the time has come to use his God given gift once again. It could provide a helpful clue that will lead to the arsonist. Unfortunately, the fire bug is not finished and Henry’s workshop becomes the next target. Meg Allen, the arson investigator, works with Henry and the Amish community to ferret out clues. Will they be able to identify the arsonists before he claims more victims? What the Bishop Saw is well-written and is easy to read. The book has a good pace. The story has engaging characters. My favorite are Henry Lapp and Emma Fisher. They are adorable and nicely complement each other. They both have loving hearts and you can tell how much Henry cares for the people in his community. It was good to see growth in the characters by the end of the book. I loved the subtle, slow paced romance between Henry and Emma. I appreciated the author’s unique setting. I have not read an Amish novel set in Colorado previously. I found the scripture and prayer quotient to be medium level (it goes well with the book). I give What the Bishop Saw 4 out of 5 stars. The mystery was interesting, though, readers can easily identify the culprit based on the clues. There is a little suspense near the end that will have readers on the edge of their seats. I did feel that the book was a little long and some information was repeated. I liked the epilogue. It was a good ending to the story. What the Bishop Saw is the beginning of a delightful series.