Seeds of Deception
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE DEAD WILL TELL comes a new short story offering a glimpse into Chief of Police Kate Burkholder's past and her Amish roots.
It's autumn in Painter's Mill, and fourteen year old Katie Burkholder has been tasked with picking apples in Zimmerman’s Orchard with her brother. It’s just another day filled with chores—until her best friend Mattie arrives to help. Somehow, boredom transforms into fun and games whenever the girls are together. The innocent fun comes to an end when Billy Marquardt and his gang of friends interrupts. Katie is no prude, but she knows better than to associate with the older English boys, especially since they’re known troublemakers. Mattie has no such compunction. Thumbing her nose at the Ordnung and all of the Amish rules, she disappears into the old barn with Billy.
Moments later, the Zimmerman’s barn is consumed by fire. Katie suspects Billy had something to do with the blaze, but he denies it. When the facts don’t add up, Katie begins her own investigation—and she doesn’t like what she finds. Will her friendship with Mattie survive the truth?
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Linda Castillo
Linda Castillo’s gripping, atmospheric thrillers have carved a space for themselves among the best in contemporary crime fiction. Known for her Kate Burkholder series, Castillo weaves tension, suspense, and emotional depth into every page, creating stories that haunt readers long after the final chapter. Set in the Amish community of Painters Mill, Ohio, Castillo’s work explores the complexities of faith, justice, and the darkness lurking beneath quiet, rural life.
Kate Burkholder
The Kate Burkholder series invites readers into a world where the lines between faith, justice, and morality blur, all set against the haunting backdrop of a small Amish town. With every twist and turn, this gripping crime series pulls you into the complexities of rural Ohio, where tradition clashes with the darker aspects of human nature. At the heart of it all is Kate Burkholder, an unflinching police chief whose Amish upbringing and gritty law enforcement career collide in powerful ways.
Kate Burkholder consists of seventeen primary books, and includes nine additional books that complement the series but are not considered mandatory reads and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
