Part of Kate Burkholder, book 2
First published 2010
Police Chief Kate Burkholder arrives at the Plank farm on a frigid October night to find seven family members brutally murdered. The Planks had relocated from Lancaster to Painters Mill's Amish community less than twelve months earlier, appearing to embrace the Plain Life completely. Kate, who left the Amish faith herself, understands the community's tendency to guard secrets from outsiders and each other. State agent John Tomasetti joins the investigation, reigniting their complicated relationship from a previous case. The crime scene yields minimal evidence and no clear suspect. Kate's investigation takes a shocking turn when she discovers a diary belonging to one of the teenage daughters, revealing the girl maintained dangerous secrets and lived a hidden life. Kate must determine whether a mysterious outsider who captivated the young woman or the family's violent, shunned brother seeking revenge committed these murders. Her determination to deliver justice intensifies even as the case forces her to confront painful memories from her own past.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: dark-past, reignited-relationship
Setting: Painters Mill, Lancaster, Plank Farm
Period: October
304 pages · Hardcover · Minotaur Books
Content warnings: murder, violence