The Hidden One

Nothing says summer like the newest Kate Burkholder novel and a murder in Amish Country. Except this murder takes place in rural Pennsylvania, not Painters Mill Ohio, where Kate is Chief of Police. And the prime suspect, Jonas Bowman, is someone who Kate knew very well when she was a teenager, rebellious and traumatized by a recent rape but still part of the community.

As a favor to the church elders, Kate travels to Pennsylvania to look into the case. She has no authority there, so she has to piece together the clues without the local police department's help. In the midst of chasing suspects and putting her life in danger (honestly, she is injured more times than in any previous book in this series), Kate also has time to reflect on her previous relationship with Jonas. Is she trying to prove him innocent because of their history, or are there bigger and darker issues that the local police have missed?

I appreciated the different setting for this book, as it made things more challenging for Kate, although I missed Glock, Mona, and the rest of the Painter's Mill crew. There are also very few scenes with Kate's fiancé Tomacetti, but he is in Kate's thoughts frequently even when she is far away from him. The flashback scenes to Kate and Jonas' relationship help flesh out a character who, 14 books in, is still complicated and compelling.