Kate Burkholder, Chief of Police in Painter’s Mill, Ohio, is surprised to receive a visit from two of the elders from the Amish community in the town of Belleville, the town where Kate grew up. Kate grew up Amish, but she left the community long ago and wonders why the elders are looking to her for help.
Ananias Stoltzfus, a respected bishop, disappeared over a decade ago. Now his skeleton has been recovered along with a rifle that points to Jonas Bowman as the killer. Jonas blamed Ananias for the shunning that he believes caused his father’s heart attack. That Jonas has been accused of the murder complicates the investigation for Kate. When she was a teenager in the Amish community, he was her first love.
This is another excellent Kate Burkholder mystery. It’s the fourteenth book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone. I think Kate is a great character. She’s tenacious and unafraid of danger. In fact, when someone breaks into her room, instead of being intimidated, it encourages her to pursue the case. I also liked Jonas. He seemed like such an upright person. I was glad Kate chose to help him.
I enjoyed the background of the Amish community. The enclosed nature of the community and the fact that secrets are kept for years made a perfect background for the long ago murder. The fact that Kate had once been Amish and left the community added to the interesting details of life in the sect.
I received this book from Net Galley for this review.
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