Search results for ""author linda castillo""

The discovery of an Amish bishop's remains leads chief of police Kate Burkholder to unearth a chilling secret in The Hidden One, the next 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?

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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 realises 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?

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In New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo's next thriller Fallen, a rebellious Amish woman leaves the Plain life, but the secrets she takes with her will lead Chief of Police Kate Burkholder down a dark path to danger and death. When a young woman is found murdered in a Painters Mill motel, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is shocked to discover she once knew the victim. Rachael Schwartz was a charming but troubled Amish girl who left the fold years ago and fled Painters Mill. Why was she back in town? And who would kill her so brutally? Kate remembers Rachael as the only girl who was as bad at being Amish as Kate was-and those parallels dog her. But the more Kate learns about Rachael's life, the more she's convinced that her dubious reputation was deserved. As a child, Rachael was a rowdy rulebreaker whose decision to leave devastated her parents and best friend. As an adult, she was charismatic and beautiful, a rabble-rouser with a keen eye for opportunity no matter who got in her way. Her no-holds-barred lifestyle earned her a lot of love and enemies aplenty-both English and Amish. As the case heats to a fever pitch and long-buried secrets resurface, a killer haunts Painters Mill. Someone doesn't want Rachael's past-or the mysteries she took with her to the grave-coming to light. As Kate digs deeper, violence strikes again, this time hitting close to home. Will Kate uncover the truth and bring a murderer to justice? Or will a killer bent on protecting a terrible past stop her once and for all-and let the fallen be forgotten?

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The peaceful town of Painters Mill is shattered when an Amish grandmother is brutally murdered on an abandoned farm. When Chief of Police Kate Burkholder arrives on the scene, she learns that the woman's seven-year-old granddaughter is gone, abducted in plain sight. Kate knows time is against her-the longer the girl is missing, the less likely her safe return becomes. The girl's family is a pillar of the Amish community, well-respected by all. But Kate soon realizes they're keeping secrets-and the sins of their past may be coming back to haunt them. What are they hiding and why? Kate's investigation brings her to an isolated Old Order Amish settlement along the river, a community where family is everything and tradition is upheld with an iron fist. But the killer is close behind, drawing more victims into a twisted game of revenge. Left behind at each new crime scene are cryptic notes that lead Kate to a haunting and tragic secret. What she uncovers threatens to change everything she thought she knew about the family she's fighting for, the Amish community as a whole-and her own beliefs. As time to find the missing girl runs out, Kate faces a harrowing choice that will test her convictions and leave one family forever changed.

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Chief of Police Kate Burkholder investigates the brutal death of a young Amish man in An Evil Heart, the latest installment of the bestselling series by Linda Castillo. On a crisp autumn day in Painters Mill, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder responds to a call only to discover an Amish man who has been violently killed with a crossbow, his body abandoned on a dirt road. Aden Karn was just twenty years old, well liked, and from an upstanding Amish family. Who would commit such a heinous crime against a young man whose life was just beginning? The more Kate gets to know his devastated family and the people-both English and Amish-who loved him, the more determined she becomes to solve the case. Aden Karn was funny and hardworking and looking forward to marrying his sweet fiancé, Emily. All the while, Kate's own wedding day to Tomasetti draws near... But as she delves into Karn's past, Kate begins to hear whispers about a dark side. What if Aden Karn wasn't the wholesome young man everyone admired? Is it possible the rumors are a cruel campaign to blame the victim? Kate pursues every lead with a vengeance, sensing an unspeakable secret no one will broach. The case spirals out of control when a young Amish woman comes forward with a horrific story that pits Kate against a dangerous and unexpected opponent. When the awful truth is finally uncovered, Kate comes face to face with the terrible consequences of a life lived in all the dark places.

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While enjoying a sleigh ride with his children, Amish widower Adam Lengacher discovers a car stuck in a snowdrift and an unconscious woman inside. He calls upon Chief of Police Kate Burkholder for help, and she is surprised to recognize the driver: fellow cop and her former friend, Gina Colorosa. Years before, Kate and Gina were best friends at the police academy and patrol officers in Columbus, but time and distance have taken them down two very different paths. Now, Gina reveals a shocking story of betrayal and revenge that has forced her to run for her life. She's desperate for protection, and the only person she can trust is Kate-but can Kate trust her? Or will Gina's dark past put them all in danger? As a blizzard bears down on Painters Mill, Kate helps Gina go into hiding on Adam's farm. While the tough-skinned Gina struggles to adjust to the Amish lifestyle, Kate and state agent John Tomasetti delve into the incident that caused Gina to flee. But as Kate gets closer to the truth, a killer lies in wait. When violence strikes, she must confront a devastating truth that changes everything she thought she knew not only about friendship, but the institution to which she's devoted her life.

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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?

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Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called upon by the sheriff's department in rural, upstate New York to infiltrate a reclusive Amish settlement where a young girl has been found dead under mysterious circumstances. Kate's longtime love interest, State Agent John Tomasetti, is dead set against her taking on the assignment, knowing she'll have limited communication - and even less in the way of backup. But Kate can't turn her back, especially when the rumor mill boils with disturbing accounts of children in danger. She travels to New York where she's briefed and assumes her new identity as a lone widow seeking a new life. Kate goes deep under cover. In the coming days, she unearths a world built on secrets, a series of shocking crimes, and herself, alone...trapped in a fight for her life.

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The peaceful town of Painters Mill is shattered when an Amish grandmother is brutally murdered on an abandoned farm. When Chief of Police Kate Burkholder arrives on the scene, she learns that the woman’s seven-year-old granddaughter is gone, abducted in plain sight. The girl’s family is a pillar of the Amish community, well-respected by all. But Kate soon realizes they’re keeping secrets - and the sins of their past may be coming back to haunt them. Kate’s investigation brings her to an isolated Old Order Amish settlement along the river, where tradition is upheld with an iron fist. The killer remains close, and one step ahead, drawing more victims into a twisted game of revenge. Left behind at each new crime scene are cryptic notes that lead Kate to a haunting discovery - one that threatens to change everything she thought she knew about the family she’s fighting for, her own Amish past, and time is already running out. . .

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It's a rainy night in Painter's Mill when, from out of nowhere, a speeding car comes hurtling toward an Amish man and his three children. What at first seems like a tragic but routine car accident becomes personal for Chief of Police Kate Burkholder when she discovers that the victims are the family of her childhood friend, Mattie. As Kate delves into the investigation, she comes face-to-face with her own Amish past and memories of growing up with Mattie, an extraordinary beauty for whom trouble has never been far behind. Is there something more to this mysterious car crash that killed Mattie's husband? What is Mattie hiding and who is she trying to protect? Meanwhile, Mattie's son - the only one who really knows what happened clings to life in the hospital, unable to communicate. Desperate for answers, Kate slowly uncovers the trail of a stone-cold killer - one who is likely living among the Amish, and calls into question everything and everyone Kate has ever known.

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