Part of Kate Burkholder, book 17
First published 2025
Three Amish children stumble upon a grisly discovery that shatters the summer calm in Painters Mill. Chief of Police Kate Burkholder arrives to find the mutilated remains of Samuel Eicher, a twenty-one-year-old who ran a thriving landscaping company. Before she can process the brutality, a second corpse surfaces miles away. Aaron Shetler, Samuel's closest friend, has been crammed into a barrel and abandoned in a ravine. Both young men died violent deaths, but Kate hits a wall of silence when she tries to investigate. The Amish community refuses to discuss what happened to Samuel and Aaron. A sweltering heat wave compounds Kate's frustration as leads evaporate. Then an unknown woman steps forward with crucial information. She reveals that the victims had recently connected with dangerous criminals tied to black market operations. Kate must navigate the seediest elements of her town to track down the killers. Her investigation puts her directly in their crosshairs. The murderers now want Kate dead. She races against time to uncover the truth before she becomes their next victim.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, small-town-secrets
Setting: Painters Mill
304 pages · Hardcover · Minotaur Books
Content warnings: murder, violence