The Hidden One: A Kate Burkholder Novel

Early in bestseller Castillo’s captivating 14th Amish mystery (after 2021’s Fallen), Painters Mill, Ohio, police chief Kate Burkholder learns her services are needed out of state. The remains of Kish Valley, Pa., bishop Ananias Stoltzfus have turned up in a field 18 years after his disappearance. Unsatisfied with the local police, the current elders of Kish Valley ask Kate for assistance, informing her that the police wrongfully arrested charming Amish cabinetmaker Jonas Bowman after his rifle, the murder weapon, was found at the crime scene. Unbeknownst to the elders, Kate had a secret relationship with Jonas as a teenager and doesn’t believe he’s capable of murder. Despite her whirlwind of emotions, Kate decides to help and unearths disturbing secrets about Ananias’s past. As she oversteps, she often falls into danger during the investigation, and old feelings resurface when she questions the now married Jonas. Memorable characters help keep the pages turning, though the plot is somewhat more predictable than Castillo’s usual, and not all questions related to the murder are answered. Series fans will look forward to Kate’s next case. Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary. (July)