A formerly Amish police chief revisits earlier times to solve a brutal murder. On hearing that Rachael Schwartz has been found viciously beaten to death in a Painters Mill motel, Police Chief Kate Burkholder remembers her as an adventurous child she used to babysit and a rowdy teen unsuited for Amish life. Rachael had recently written a book on the Amish that added new enemies to the ones she'd made with her wild ways, but it's still hard to imagine who could hate her enough to batter her to death. Kate visits Rachael's childhood friend Loretta, who still kept in touch with her and whose horse-crazy daughter reminds Kate of Rachael. Even though Loretta always seemed too shy to make a good friend for Rachael, their youthful bond still endures, and Loretta's reluctant to talk about Rachael and their shared past. Kate enlists the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation for help in processing the scene and checking out all the leads. Rachael had done well for herself but seemed to be living above her means and certainly hadn't mellowed with age. Kate, who's fallen from Amish grace herself, identifies with Rachael in a visceral way that makes the case special for her. Acknowledging that someone from her present life may be the killer, she still believes the answer lies in the past, and her hunch is borne out when shocking secrets come to light that roil the community and put her own life in danger. Another dive into the past to solve crimes among the Amish that explores the group's tense relationship to the modern world. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In bestseller Castillo's exhilarating 13th Amish mystery (after 2020's Outsider), Painters Mill, Ohio, police chief Kate Burkholder investigates the murder of Rachael Schwartz, a young woman she once babysat, who was beaten to death in a local motel. Kate, who recalls Rachael's rebellious attitude as a child, isn't surprised Rachael, like Kate, left the Amish faith. Rachael lived in Cleveland, where she co-owned a restaurant, but Kate can't determine what brought her back to Painters Mill. As Kate speaks with Rachael's business partner, Andrea Matson, and Amish best friend Loretta Bontrager, she deduces Rachael made most of her money from blackmailing people, creating several Amish and "English" enemies along the way. Flashbacks to 2008, when Rachael and Loretta were in their late teens, showcase Rachael's free-spirited behavior and potential culprits. The tension rises as Kate narrows down the suspects and falls into danger at the climax. In addition to providing readers with plenty of Amish cultural context, Castillo adds surprising twists to the gripping plot and touches upon police brutality and Amish discrimination. This sterling entry can be easily read as a standalone. Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary. (July)

Kate Burkholder is police chief in Painters Mill, Ohio, in the heart of Amish country. Raised Amish, Kate found the sect too confining and left. After training as a cop, she returned to Painters Mill and took over as head cop. She loves her job, even though most of her cases involve traffic violations, car accidents, and drunk-and-disorderlies. So it's a shock when she's called to the Willowdell Motel, where a woman's body has been found beaten to death, her injuries so extensive that she's almost unrecognizable. But a bigger shock awaits Kate--the victim is her childhood friend Rachael Schwartz. Rachael was a rebel, and her refusal to abide by Amish rules eventually saw her excommunicated. She moved away, and no one had heard from her for years. So why did she return to Painters Mill? Who hated her enough to kill her so brutally, and what was the motive? As Kate investigates, she finds dark secrets from Rachael's past that almost certainly led to her death. But when Kate discovers the truth behind Rachael's murder, she finds herself in mortal danger from the killer. Castillo's latest in her acclaimed series offers a twisty, tragic plot and new insights into the savvy Burkholder. An absolute cracker of a book.

In the 13th "Kate Burkholder" mystery from Castillo (after Outsider), the badly beaten body of a woman is discovered in a local motel. Police chief Kate Burkholder is called in to investigate the heinous crime and is shocked to discover that she knows the victim, Rachel Schwartz, who grew up in the same Amish community as Kate. Kate remembers her as a free-spirited child who at 18 was ousted from the community. Kate also knows that she must solve this unsettling case and bring Rachel's killer to justice. Castillo gifts readers with a precise, clean narrative, expressing raw genuine emotions and incorporating a bit of the Amish Pennsylvania Dutch language for a more realistic feel. Her stable of returning cop characters are the real stars in this series installment, including Kate, her significant other Ohio BCI agent John Tomasetti, and the entire Painters Mill police force, who go above and beyond to solve this disturbing case. VERDICT This intense, suspenseful whodunit is full of twists and turns, red herrings, and an OMG ending, with a realistic mix of English and Amish cultures. Fans of this series, realistic crime drama, and multicultural or Amish literature will find this mystery unputdownable.--Debbie Haupt, St. Charles City-Cty. Lib. Dist., St. Peters, MO