Part of Kate Burkholder, book 16
First published 2025
A midnight call pulls newly married Chief of Police Kate Burkholder from her bed to investigate a suspicious fire deep in the woods. At the scene, she discovers the charred remains of Milan Swanz, an Amish man who was chained to a stake and burned alive. The coroner confirms the horrific method of death. Swanz was a husband and father who had been excommunicated from his community, but the Amish refuse to discuss him or the circumstances of his death. Kate struggles to understand whether they protect his memory or hide something darker. The case becomes personal when her own brother faces suspicion. Kate finds herself fighting battles on multiple fronts as both the Amish community she once belonged to and her fellow law enforcement officers turn against her. A mysterious stranger threatens her life as the investigation intensifies. To solve Swanz's murder, Kate must examine the hidden corners of Anabaptist history and confront secrets that will transform her understanding of the Amish world and her own identity.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, small-town
Setting: Amish Community
Period: Contemporary
336 pages · Paperback · Minotaur Books
Content warnings: violence