Series: Kate Burkholder #14
Genre: Suspense
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Release Date: July 5, 2022
Order Link: Amazon
4.5 Hearts
Many thanks to Minotaur Books for an arc of this book
The discovery of a missing Amish bishop's remains leads chief of police Kate Burkholder to unearth a chilling secret in The Hidden One, a new thriller from bestselling author Linda Castillo.
Review:
In The Hidden One, readers get insight into Police Chief Kate Burkholder's youth - her time as a young Amish teen. She leaves Tomasetti and the crew behind and travels to Pennsylvania where she grew up to offer her help to the boy, now a man, who broke her heart when he abruptly moved away. Kate's always carried guilt over her role in his leaving town so when the elders of his community request her help in clearing him of a murder charge, she is compelled to answer the call. Jonas Bowman's bishop's skeletal remains have been discovered eighteen years after he disappeared. Evidence is stacking up against Jonas; however, Kate knows the boy she knew and once thought she loved would not commit murder. She isn't as clear about the possible deeds of the grown man. Since she has no jurisdiction there, she begins investigating on her own as a regular citizen. Unfortunately, local law enforcement do not welcome her into their fold and refuse to share information - especially with the ex-Amish police chief of Painter's Mill. Kate finds herself shut out every way she turns; however, it doesn't take her long to discover that the bishop had a sadistic streak and more than one person had reason to want him dead. It's soon clear she's making some people extremely nervous with her investigation. The closer she gets to some real answers, the more desperate someone becomes.
While I am not up to date in this series, I had no issues stepping ahead into this book. Castillo provides excellent backstory. I enjoyed the fact that this episode takes place out of Painter's Mill, carrying us back to Kate's childhood for some intriguing revelations. Readers get insight into Kate as a teenager and watch as she confronts and works through past issues that will surely have impact on her future. The intense memories she shares with readers are extremely emotional and gut-wrenching. This truly feels like a turning point for Kate and the series.
The mystery of who done it is not an easy one to figure out in this story, and it kept me guessing and changing my mind until the end. The dark atmospheric setting and tone are prevalent as always with Castillo's signature dimensional characters and complex plot line. Every twist and turn in this tense thriller proves to be dangerous and life-threatening to Kate. I found The Hidden One to be a multi-layered, complex suspense thriller that I highly recommend to fans of the series and thrillers. Outstanding characterization, plotting and delivery. This one is not to be missed. July 2023 and the next installment can't come soon enough!
Synopsis:
Over a decade ago, beloved Amish bishop Ananias Stoltzfus disappeared without a trace. The mystery of what happened to the kind old man has troubled his community for years. When skeletal remains showing evidence of foul play are unearthed and linked to the bishop, his disappearance becomes even more sinister.
Unhappy with the local investigation, Amish elders arrive in Painters Mill and ask chief of police Kate Burkholder for help. Realizing she has a personal connection to the crime, Kate travels to Pennsylvania’s Kishacoquillas Valley, an isolated area where the Amish culture differs dramatically from the traditions in which she was raised. Kate learns that Stoltzfus was charismatic and highly respected, but she soon begins to hear other things, too: that there was something ‘off’ about the bishop. He sometimes seemed unfamiliar with the local culture, and kept quiet about his past. Did this kindly old man have something to hide?
Someone doesn’t want Kate asking those questions. But even after being accosted and threatened in the dead of night, Kate refuses to back down. When an Amish woman with ties to the bishop turns up dead, the investigation reaches a boiling point. There’s a killer in the Valley who will stop at nothing to keep the past buried. Will they get to Kate before she can expose the truth? Or will the bishop’s secrets remain hidden forever?
Unhappy with the local investigation, Amish elders arrive in Painters Mill and ask chief of police Kate Burkholder for help. Realizing she has a personal connection to the crime, Kate travels to Pennsylvania’s Kishacoquillas Valley, an isolated area where the Amish culture differs dramatically from the traditions in which she was raised. Kate learns that Stoltzfus was charismatic and highly respected, but she soon begins to hear other things, too: that there was something ‘off’ about the bishop. He sometimes seemed unfamiliar with the local culture, and kept quiet about his past. Did this kindly old man have something to hide?
Someone doesn’t want Kate asking those questions. But even after being accosted and threatened in the dead of night, Kate refuses to back down. When an Amish woman with ties to the bishop turns up dead, the investigation reaches a boiling point. There’s a killer in the Valley who will stop at nothing to keep the past buried. Will they get to Kate before she can expose the truth? Or will the bishop’s secrets remain hidden forever?
No comments:
Post a Comment