Fallen
In New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo’s next thriller Fallen, a rebellious Amish woman leaves the Plain life, but the secrets she takes with her will lead Chief of Police Kate Burkholder down a dark path to danger and death.
When a young woman is found murdered in a Painters Mill motel, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is shocked to discover she once knew the victim. Rachael Schwartz was a charming but troubled Amish girl who left the fold years ago and fled Painters Mill. Why was she back in town? And who would kill her so brutally?
Kate remembers Rachael as the only girl who was as bad at being Amish as Kate was―and those parallels dog her. But the more Kate learns about Rachael's life, the more she's convinced that her dubious reputation was deserved. As a child, Rachael was a rowdy rulebreaker whose decision to leave devastated her parents and best friend. As an adult, she was charismatic and beautiful, a rabble-rouser with a keen eye for opportunity no matter who got in her way. Her no-holds-barred lifestyle earned her a lot of love and enemies aplenty―both English and Amish.
As the case heats to a fever pitch and long-buried secrets resurface, a killer haunts Painters Mill. Someone doesn’t want Rachael’s past―or the mysteries she took with her to the grave―coming to light. As Kate digs deeper, violence strikes again, this time hitting close to home. Will Kate uncover the truth and bring a murderer to justice? Or will a killer bent on protecting a terrible past stop her once and for all―and let the fallen be forgotten?
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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.
