The Hidden One by Linda Castillo
Series Name: Kate Burkholder Mystery #14
Genre: Suspense
Release: July 5, 2022
The discovery of an 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.
Over a decade ago, beloved Amish bishop Ananias Stoltzfus disappeared without a trace. When skeletal remains showing evidence of foul play are unearthed, his disappearance becomes even more sinister.
The town’s elders arrive in Painters Mill to ask chief of police Kate Burkholder for help, but she quickly realizes she has a personal connection to the crime. The handsome Amish man who stands accused of the murder, Jonas Bowman, was Kate’s first love. Forced to confront a painful episode from her past, Kate travels to Pennsylvania’s Kishacoquillas Valley, where the Amish culture differs dramatically from the traditions she knows. Though Bishop Stoltzfus was highly respected, she soon hears about a dark side to this complex man. What was he hiding that resulted in his own brutal death?
Someone doesn’t want Kate asking questions. But even after being accosted and threatened in the dead of night, she refuses to back down. Is she too close to the case—and to Jonas—to see clearly? 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?
Dru’s Short Musing:
When an old friend with a shared past is arrested for murder, Kate ventures out to find the person responsible for the crime. She is met with resistance from the local police, but her dogged pursuit puts her in the crosshair of a killer who wants this crime to remain as it is.
As always, Linda writes a drama that quickly became a page-turner as I couldn’t put this book down as I had to know how this was going to end. The tale moved at a frenetic pace with first the backstory of young Kate, then the present looking for clues and the discovery of a secret that sets the tone of the story moving forward. The author delivered one of the best books in the series and I can’t wait to see where we go next with Kate. As always, any appearance by Tomasetti brings a smile to my face.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
Me too, Dru. I think this is one of her best. I love your phrase “dogged pursuit.”