La ribelle

Another solid entry in the series that depicts the surprising number of murders that take place in Painters Mill, Ohio, a small town in the heart of Amish country. Kate Burkholder has left the Amish lifestyle but remains in the community as police chief, where her connections often give her insights and access not available to other cops.

This case is interesting in that the victim is a young woman who is described by Kate as “even worse at being Amish than I was.” Rachael Schwartz was charming but rebellious and angry, and there are any number of suspects, Amish and non-Amish, who held a grudge against her. The usual cast of secondary characters is around to help Kate, including her lover and sort-of fiancé John Tomasetti. There isn't much relationship growth in this installment, but there is a bit more gore and Kate-in-jeopardy than usual.

One thing that bothered me is that early on, Kate declares that she is devastated that there has been a violent murder in her community, as if the previous 12 books never happened. Oh well, maybe Castillo felt that she had to reintroduce the situation to new readers.