Part of Kate Burkholder, book 11
First published 2019
An Amish grandmother lies dead on an abandoned farm in Painters Mill, and her seven-year-old granddaughter has vanished. Chief of Police Kate Burkholder knows the statistics. Every hour that passes reduces the child's chances of survival. The victim's family appears to be model members of the Amish community, respected by everyone who knows them. Yet Kate senses they are concealing something important. Her search leads her to an isolated Old Order Amish settlement by the river, where family bonds run deep and traditions govern every aspect of life. The killer continues to strike, leaving behind mysterious notes at each crime scene. These clues point Kate toward a dark secret buried in the family's history. The truth she discovers will force her to question everything she believed about the people she is trying to protect. It will also challenge her understanding of the Amish community itself. As the hours tick away and the missing girl remains lost, Kate must make a terrible decision that will test her principles and alter one family's fate permanently.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, amish
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, missing-person
Setting: Painters Mill, Old Order Amish Settlement
Period: Contemporary
294 pages · Hardcover · Minotaur Books
Content warnings: death