New Release Books by Linda Castillo

The discovery of an Amish bishop''s remains leads chief of police Kate Burkholder to unearth a chilling secret in The Hidden One, a new thriller from bestselling author Linda Castillo. Over a decade ago, beloved Amish bishop Ananias Stoltzfus disappeared without a trace. The mystery of what happened to the esteemed old man has haunted his small Pennsylvania community for years. When skeletal remains showing evidence of foul play are unearthed and revealed to be the bishop’s, his disappearance becomes even more sinister. Unhappy with the local investigation, Amish elders arrive in Painters Mill and ask chief of police Kate Burkholder for help. Kate quickly realizes she has a very personal connection to the crime. The handsome Amish man who stands accused of the murder, Jonas Bowman, was Kate’s first love. Forced to confront a painful episode from her past, Kate travels to Pennsylvania’s Kishacoquillas Valley, an isolated area where the Amish culture differs dramatically from the traditions in which she was raised. Kate learns that Stoltzfus was charismatic and highly respected, but she soon hears about a dark side to this complex man. What was he hiding that brought a series of tragedies to his family and resulted in his own brutal death? Someone doesn’t want Kate asking questions. But even after being accosted and threatened in the dead of night, she refuses to back down. As evidence emerges, Kate must ask herself: Is she too close to the case—and to Jonas—to see clearly? There’s a killer in the Valley who will stop at nothing to keep the past buried. Will they get to Kate before she can expose the truth? Or will the bishop’s secrets remain hidden forever?

Chief of Police Kate Burkholder races against the clock to find a missing child in this original short story, "Disappeared," from New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo. As a violent thunderstorm rages in Painters Mill, Kate Burkholder receives a call from a frantic young Amish woman: her two-year-old son is missing. Kate and her officers brave the downpour to search for the toddler, fearing he may have been swept away in the rising creek waters. But an explosive family secret leads Kate to believe this disappearance may be more complicated than anyone is letting on. Can she find the boy and uncover the truth before darkness falls?

New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo is known as a “master of the genre” (People) for her pulse-pounding mystery series set in Amish country. Now, together for the first time in print, A Simple Murder features six original short stories starring whip-smart chief of police, Kate Burkholder. While on vacation with her partner John Tomasetti in LONG LOST, Kate discovers that the old house where they''re staying is haunted by a girl who disappeared decades before... An abandoned baby is discovered on the Amish bishop''s front porch in A HIDDEN SECRET, and Kate is called in to investigate. SEEDS OF DECEPTION unearths the secrets of Kate Burkholder''s own Amish past—and lays the groundwork for her future career in law enforcement. In the midst of a power outage in Painters Mill, a teenage girl is attacked at an Amish party in ONLY THE LUCKY. IN DARK COMPANY is the story of an injured woman with amnesia who seeks Kate''s help in trying to remember her attacker’s identity...and her own. IN PLAIN SIGHT leads Kate to what she believes is a straightforward hit-and-run accident—but she soon uncovers a story of teenage passion that may have led to attempted murder.

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?

Linda Castillo''s bestselling series has been called "gripping" [People] and "impossible to put down" [Bookpage] and the "teeth chattering suspense" [USA Today] continues with GONE MISSING—a deeply chilling novel about a rite of passage gone horribly wrong. Rumspringa is the time when Amish teens are allowed to experience life without the rules. It''s an exciting time of personal discovery and growth before committing to the church. But when a young teen disappears without a trace, the carefree fun comes to an abrupt and sinister end, and fear spreads through the community like a contagion. A missing child is a nightmare to all parents, and never more so than in the Amish community, where family ties run deep. When the search for the presumed runaway turns up a dead body, the case quickly becomes a murder investigation. And Chief of Police Kate Burkholder knows that in order to solve this case she will have to call upon everything she has to give not only as a cop, but as a woman whose own Amish roots run deep. Kate and state agent, John Tomasetti, delve into the lives of the missing teen and discover links to cold cases that may go back years. But will Kate piece together all the parts of this sinister puzzle in time to save the missing teen and the Amish community from a devastating fate? Or will she find herself locked in a fight to the death with a merciless killer?

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Bestselling author Linda Castillo returns with Outsider, an electrifying thriller about a woman on the run hiding among the Amish. While enjoying a sleigh ride with his children, Amish widower Adam Lengacher discovers a car stuck in a snowdrift and an unconscious woman inside. He calls upon Chief of Police Kate Burkholder for help, and she is surprised to recognize the driver: fellow cop and her former friend, Gina Colorosa. Years before, Kate and Gina were best friends at the police academy and patrol officers in Columbus, but time and distance have taken them down two very different paths. Now, Gina reveals a shocking story of betrayal and revenge that has forced her to run for her life. She’s desperate for protection, and the only person she can trust is Kate—but can Kate trust her? Or will Gina’s dark past put them all in danger? As a blizzard bears down on Painters Mill, Kate helps Gina go into hiding on Adam’s farm. While the tough-skinned Gina struggles to adjust to the Amish lifestyle, Kate and state agent John Tomasetti delve into the incident that caused Gina to flee. But as Kate gets closer to the truth, a killer lies in wait. When violence strikes, she must confront a devastating truth that changes everything she thought she knew not only about friendship, but the institution to which she''s devoted her life.

In The Pact a gripping Kate Burkholder short mystery from New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo, a terrifying disappearance in Amish country reveals the power of friendship. Three days before Thanksgiving, two boys disappear without a trace. Eleven-year-old Aaron Kuhns is Amish. Kevin Dennison is twelve and “English.” They’re adventurers, explorers, and inseparable best friends. When they don’t return home from what was supposed to be a fun afternoon of fishing, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder must find the missing boys before the first winter storm of the season bears down on Painters Mill.

Don’t miss this classic tale of suspense from New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo! Lean, edgy former police detective Jack LaCroix had forty-eight hours to clear his name and keep his freedom. To do it, the escaped prisoner needed attorney Landis McAllister, the woman he’d once thought would share his life. The woman who thought he’d betrayed her. Landis had just pulled her life together. Now Jack was back, compelling her to believe in him despite the damning evidence, proving with a touch that the ashes of their fiery past still smoldered. With the law on their heels and bullets flying at their backs, could they rekindle their trust in each other and find the proof Jack needed before time ran out? Originally published in 2003

In this gripping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo, a devastating murder exposes an Amish family’s tortured past. The peaceful town of Painters Mill is shattered when an Amish grandmother is brutally murdered on an abandoned farm. When Chief of Police Kate Burkholder arrives on the scene, she learns that the woman’s seven-year-old granddaughter is gone, abducted in plain sight. Kate knows time is against her—the longer the girl is missing, the less likely her safe return becomes. The girl’s family is a pillar of the Amish community, well-respected by all. But Kate soon realizes they’re keeping secrets—and the sins of their past may be coming back to haunt them. What are they hiding and why? Kate’s investigation brings her to an isolated Old Order Amish settlement along the river, a community where family is everything and tradition is upheld with an iron fist. But the killer is close behind, drawing more victims into a twisted game of revenge. Left behind at each new crime scene are cryptic notes that lead Kate to a haunting and tragic secret. What she uncovers threatens to change everything she thought she knew about the family she’s fighting for, the Amish community as a whole—and her own beliefs. As time to find the missing girl runs out, Kate faces a harrowing choice that will test her convictions and leave one family forever changed.

From Linda Castillo, the New York Times bestselling author of A Gathering of Secrets, comes a new Kate Burkholder short mystery, In Plain Sight: a story of star-crossed love and murder in Amish country. Seventeen year old Amish boy, Noah Kline, is struck by a car as he walks alongside a dark country road late one night in Painters Mill. Seriously injured, he lapses into a coma. Initially, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder believes it’s a straightforward hit and run, a driver that panicked and fled. But evidence soon emerges that the incident wasn’t accidental at all--and Kate uncovers a story of teenage passion and jealousy that may have led to attempted murder.

In this classic from New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo, two people are destined to be together…if a killer doesn’t get to them first… Sara Douglas watched as Nick Tyson emerged from the heavy rain, broken and battered. She’d returned to Cape Darkwood, and the cliff side mansion that held her family’s secrets, to research her parents’ murder—and stop the nightmares. As chief of police, Sara knew Nick could help. But his mere presence had always left her breathless… Few people understood how much Nick had lost, but while Sara ran, Nick had nowhere else to go. Instead, he patrolled a divided town whose secrets lay dormant at the bottom of the cliffs. Nick wouldn’t let that be Sara’s fate, no matter how much it pained him to see her again. Their pasts linked by tragedy, the truth would finally give them a fresh start. But only if the keeper of that truth allowed it… Originally published in 2007

A forbidden love can no longer be denied in this reader favorite from New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo! Hardened hero Drew Evans thought his tragic past was behind him, until the woman he secretly loves—his best friend’s widow—steps back into his solitary life. But single mom Alison Myers is in need of his help to save her ailing son—and quench her own hidden longings. Alison never expected to see devastatingly handsome Drew again, the one man who makes her feel the forbidden stirrings of passion. But can she trust him with the two most precious things in her life…her son and her heart? Originally published in 2003

A couple must put aside the differences that tore them apart when their son goes missing in this classic tale from New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo… Search-and-rescue leader Buzz Malone thought losing the only woman he’d ever loved was the worst blow life could deal. He was wrong. Finding out he has a son—a son his ex-wife, Kelly, had kept secret—is worse. Especially when that child is lost in the Rocky Mountains, pitted against a raging forest fire. Tirelessly trekking through the mountains with Buzz by her side, Kelly soon realizes that the wilderness isn’t the only thing on fire. The passion that has always flared between them now burns hotter than ever. If they ever make it through this ordeal alive, Kelly vows to face an even greater challenge—convincing Buzz to give their love another try. Originally published in 2002.

Only one man can keep her and her baby safe in this classic book of heart-stopping suspense by New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo! Originally published as The Phoenix Encounter in 2003. Agent Robert Davidson never recovered from the horror of watching the woman he loved die in a war-ravaged country. But he thought he could handle returning to Rebelia on a mission. Only nothing could have prepared him for the shock of finding Lily still alive—with a child. With Lily’s and her son’s life in danger, Robert must set aside his jealousy—and desire—in order to protect her and the boy. Except there is one more secret yet to be revealed—which will change Roberts’s life forever.

A deadly fire exposes the dark side of Amish life in A Gathering of Secrets, a harrowing new thriller in the New York Times bestselling series (July 2017) by Linda Castillo. When a historic barn burns to the ground in the middle of the night, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called in to investigate. At first, it looks like an accident, but when the body of eighteen-year-old Daniel Gingerich is found inside—burned alive—Kate suspects murder. Who would want a well-liked, hardworking young Amish man dead? Kate delves into the investigation only to find herself stonewalled by the community to which she once belonged. Is their silence a result of the Amish tenet of separation? Or is this peaceful and deeply religious community conspiring to hide a truth no one wants to talk about? Kate doubles down only to discover a plethora of secrets and a chilling series of crimes that shatters everything she thought she knew about her Amish roots—and herself. As Kate wades through a sea of suspects, she’s confronted by her own violent past and an unthinkable possibility.

From the New York Times bestselling author of DOWN A DARK ROAD comes Linda Castillo''s IN DARK COMPANY: a short story about an injured young woman with amnesia who seeks Chief of Police Kate Burkholder’s help to remember her identity—and her attacker. It’s the middle of the night in Painters Mill, and Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called to a scene where a mysterious young woman, battered and terrified, has sought shelter at an Amish farmhouse. She can’t remember her name or where she’s from, but she knows one thing: someone was trying to kill her. Kate suspects that “Jane Doe” remembers more than she’s letting on, but when Jane is attacked again on Kate’s watch, Kate resolves to find the truth. As Jane’s memories start flooding back and Kate dives deeper into her murky past, they must race to discover what Jane was running from—and who is still pursuing her.

A dark memory from the past has come home to find revenge—or redemption—in Down a Dark Road from New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo. "Murder in Amish country has a certain added frisson, and Castillo’s the master of the genre.” —People magazine Two years ago, “fallen” Amish man Joseph King was convicted of murdering his wife and sentenced to life in prison. Now King has escaped from prison. . .and is headed for Painters Mill. For Chief of Police Kate Burkholder, this case is personal. As a thirteen-year-old Amish girl, Kate had worshiped the ground King walked on. Still, Kate never could have imagined the nightmare scenario that becomes reality when King shows up to take his five children hostage—armed, desperate, and with nothing left to lose. Fearing for the children’s safety, Kate agrees to meet King face to face. His only request: to help him prove his innocence. Though skeptical, she agrees—only to discover that the facts and the evidence of King’s case don’t align, and that someone may have set him up to take the fall for murder. Someone who wants to keep a terrible secret buried forever...and is willing to kill again. “Castillo weaves the particularities of the Amish mindset into a complex mystery that will leave you crying with pity or seething with rage.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred)

Marty Hogan was a good cop, until a shocking case sent her to the razor’s edge... A sadistic killer pushed Chicago cop Marty Hogan past her limits—and it was all caught on video. She lost her job, her sense of self, her entire world...until an open detective position in small-town Texas gave her a chance at redemption. But she’s about to learn that the past always catches up... Police Chief Clay Settlemeyer knows all about mistakes and second chances—he’s still earning his own, so he’s willing to give Marty the opportunity to prove herself. But when her ex-partner is murdered, it looks like Chicago is coming to small-town Texas with a vengeance! “Castillo’s novel resonates with its blend of stalking menace and rich characterization.” —Romantic Times, 4 Stars “Linda Castillo writes with power, passion, and a voice you’ll never forget!”—New York Times bestselling author Maggie Shayne “OVERKILL is another winner from Linda Castillo. Having a great conflict and creating great characters are just two of the reasons Linda Castillo is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors for romantic suspense. I can''t wait to read more.” —Romance Junkies “Ripped straight from the headlines and guaranteed to cause...There is a happy ending here, but Castillo makes them work for it. So when it comes, it’s worth it.” —Paperbackreader.com

She’s a target and he’s her only hope chance at survival in this classic book of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo She has no name, no memory, nothing but the knowledge that she’s pregnant and someone wants her dead. Her only hope is John—the rescue medic who saved her life, the Good Samaritan who vowed to keep her safe, the sexy stranger who’s stealing her heart. Her hero. Saving lives is his job, but John Maitland learned long ago the cost of personal involvement. Risking his life he could handle, risking his emotions—his heart—is out of the question. Until he rescues “Hannah,” battered, bruised and scared for her life, off the side of a mountain. Suddenly things are very, very personal.... Originally published in 2001

Working together to keep a deputy safe sparks an intense attraction in New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo’s classic tale of romantic suspense After nine years as one of Chicago’s finest, Erin McNeal has come to sleepy Logan Falls for a second chance, not to be watched over by a man as infuriatingly overprotective—and disarmingly attractive—as Nick Ryan. She’s no damsel in distress, but someone wants her dead, and it’s his duty to protect her. Whether she likes it or not. Before long, though, this chief of police and his newest deputy are butting heads over every detail of the investigation. And it seems the only thing they can agree on is the one thing they can’t resist—each other. Originally published in 2001 as Cops and…Lovers?

A classic tale of suspense from New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo, previously published as A Baby Before Dawn in 2007 Chase Vickers never knew a day of fear. From one secret mission to another he’d stared down danger—until the blackout hit Boston, and Chase’s only love became the target of revenge. Lily Garrett, the woman he’d loved and walked away from eight months ago. Finding her wasn’t difficult; finding her pregnant was. Lily had always hated Chase’s secret, dangerous life, but now, on the run in a dark city, Chase knew he was her only hope for survival. And their baby’s. For the first time, the daredevil-turned-daddy knew bone-chilling, pulse-pounding fear. This was one mission where he couldn’t fail. Not when his baby’s life was at stake....

A Colorado lawman finds himself doing more protecting than arresting when he rescues a beautiful fugitive in this classic tale of romantic suspense from New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo… When Deputy Sheriff Jake Madigan was called to duty to bring in an escaped convict, he thought it would be a routine search-and-rescue mission. He was wrong. Turns out capturing Abby Nichols was a cinch compared to hauling her out of the Rocky Mountains during a treacherous blizzard. His pretty-as-sin prisoner was not the hardened criminal he had expected but a violet-eyed seductress who could almost make him forget his by-the-book ways. Jake knew that come hell or high water he would turn this woman over to the authorities once the storm passed. So why was he dodging bullets on her behalf and buying into her claim of innocence? Why was he so willing to warm her shivering body with his heated caresses? Why was he foolishly falling for his fugitive? Originally published in 2002

Bucolic Painters Mill is plunged into darkness in this new short mystery, from the New York Times bestselling author of Among the Wicked, featuring Chief of Police Kate Burkholder. It’s Friday the 13th in Painters Mill and rumors of an Amish “rager”—a huge outdoor party rife with underage drinking—puts Chief of Police Kate Burkholder and her small department on edge. To make matters worse, Painters Mill is in the midst of a county-wide power outage. At the height of the rager, a teenage Amish girl is attacked with a hammer and left for dead. Kate is called to the scene—an abandoned farm teeming with loud music and rowdy behavior—to find the girl unconscious and bleeding from a head wound. With the girl in a coma and an unknown attacker on the loose, Kate must discover who would want to hurt her, and why, before it’s too late.

From Linda Castillo, the New York Times bestselling author of SWORN TO SILENCE and AMONG THE WICKED, this collection of stories featuring Chief of Police Kate Burkholder combines three amazing novellas for the first time together at a discounted price. Long Lost After closing a difficult case, Kate Burkholder and John Tomasetti look forward to some down time, but their relaxation is cut short by rumors that the old house where they''re staying is haunted by a girl who disappeared twenty years earlier, leaving nothing behind but some bloody clothes by the river and rumors of a volatile relationship. Swept up in the girl''s story, and a need for justice, Kate and John begin looking into the mysterious disappearance. A Hidden Secret When a baby—only hours old—is discovered on the Amish bishop''s front porch in Painter''s Mill, Ohio, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called in to investigate. The newborn is swaddled in an Amish crib quilt, and the only other item found with the child is a hand-carved wood rattle, which Kate also recognizes as Amish. With the rattle and quilt as the only clues, Kate must call upon her own Amish roots, and with the help of state agent John Tomasetti, search the Amish and "English" communities of Painters Mill for clues to unravel the poignant, puzzling mystery. Seeds of Deception Readers get a glimpse into Chief of Police Kate Burkholder''s past and her Amish roots: Fourteen year old Katie Burkholder has been tasked with picking apples in Zimmerman’s Orchard with her best friend Mattie when a group of older “English” boys, known troublemakers, interrupt. Mattie, no stranger to trouble herself, disappears into the old barn with one of the boys, and moments after they both run out, the Zimmerman’s barn is consumed by fire. Katie suspects the boy 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?

Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called upon by the sheriff''s department in rural, upstate New York to assist on a developing situation that involves a reclusive Amish settlement and the death of a young girl. Unable to penetrate the wall of silence between the Amish and "English" communities, Kate infiltrates the community and goes deep under cover. In the coming days, she unearths a world built on secrets, a series of shocking crimes, and her, alone - trapped in a fight for her life. Print run 75,000.

Re-read Book 5 in the romantic suspense series Operation: Midnight by New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo. All Bo Ruskin wanted was to forget his tragic past and to reclaim his quiet cowboy life. Instead, he had orders to protect Special Agent Rachael Armitage. Furious and frustrated, Rachael would rather die than abandon her dangerous mission. For even in the safety of Bo''s Montana ranch, an international crime lord was out to grant her wish. Drawn to this mysterious, hardened cowboy from her past, Rachael was certain Bo was hiding something. But first she''d have to learn the lay of the land if she were to live to learn the truth. Riding horseback through the wilderness, would these two desperadoes go down in a blaze of glory—or passion? Originally published in 2007.

Re-read Book 3 in the romantic suspense series Operation: Midnight by New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo. When a federal transport was ambushed and overturned in the wilds of Montana, MIDNIGHT agent Sean Cutter was given forty-eight hours to track down a desperate woman. But falsely accused, Mattie Logan didn''t want to be saved. It was Sean''s job to convince her otherwise. A former Department of Defense scientist now targeted by the terrorist known only as the Jaguar, Mattie couldn''t risk betrayal again. But neither could Sean. Caught out in the blistering cold, Mattie sought shelter beneath Sean''s broad shoulders, each needing the other''s warmth to stay alive. But would trusting one another prove to be more difficult than clearing Mattie''s name? Originally published in 2006.