Part of Kate Burkholder, book 1
First published 2009
Kate Burkholder stands over a body in a snowy Ohio field, sixteen years after she fled her Amish community. The brutal murders that once terrorized Painters Mill have returned. As the new Chief of Police, Kate must bridge two worlds that have coexisted for centuries but never truly understood each other. Her Amish upbringing gives her unique insight into the insular farming community, while her law enforcement training prepares her for the violence ahead. The killer who shattered her childhood has either returned or inspired a copycat. Kate survived the original Slaughterhouse Killer as a young Amish girl, but the experience drove her from her faith and family. Now she must investigate crimes that cut to the heart of both communities. To catch the murderer, Kate will have to violate the trust of her former people and confront secrets that could destroy everything she has built in her new life.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, secrets
Setting: Painters Mill, Ohio
Period: 16 years ago
336 pages · Hardcover · Minotaur Books
Content warnings: violence