Linda Castillo’s long-running Kate Burkholder series has always stood out thanks to its locale. Set amidst the Amish community of Painters Mill, Ohio, these beloved books not only have the feel of taking place in a foreign country, they depict a culture that harks back to a different era and may as well be set on another planet.

For the first time, Castillo thrills us with a collection featuring Chief of Police Kate Burkholder and Painters Mill, and it does not disappoint. Each short drama plays out like a mini-novel, and I firmly believe that any of these stories could have been developed into a full-length work without losing an ounce of its intensity.

Here are four pieces that I most enjoyed from a collection that has no weak spots.

"I so love spending time with Kate Burkholder in Painters Mill and enjoy her in the short form just as much as I do in her novels."

“The Pact”: Aaron Kuhns, an Amish boy, and his secret best friend Kevin Dennison, an Englischer, make a blood pact one day by cutting their wrists, which links them together. Bound by blood, they affirm that their friendship will never die. That, however, will be tested when something large bursts from the brush directly at them. With the boys missing, the search begins with a local pedophile, but Kate’s investigation will end with an explanation that no one could have predicted.

“Blood Moon”: Merle Beachy finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and ends up savagely attacked by a monstrous beast that tears a hole in his leg and nearly ravages him completely. His first thought is that this is the Devil. Kate and her husband, John Tomasetti, go all in as the attacks continue and each wounded victim comes away with a different description of the creature they encountered. Comparisons ranging from a small bear to a chupacabra are tossed around, as well as a demonic beast of legend that the Amish folk are plenty scared of. The story’s resolution is extremely memorable.

“Hallowed Ground”: Farmer Eddie Chupp is taking down some of his prized pumpkins when his loyal dog arrives with a bone in his mouth. Eddie immediately panics when he recognizes it as belonging to a human. Forensics and Kate’s team are called out to the farm where additional bones are uncovered. The medical team feels they are fairly recent, yet the area has no open missing-person cases. When these random bones become tied to an ancient cemetery that exists on a spot where the current landowner is running a bed and breakfast that does ghost tours, a battle between the B&B host and some very religious elders who worship the sanctified land is about to explode. Kate is caught directly in the middle.

“A Dark Path”: The story that bears the book’s title is worthy of that honor as it is centered on a deadly buggy accident on a dark path that leads to all sorts of issues and potential tragedy. An Amish-Englischer feud may be behind these deadly doings, and it will test Kate’s mettle to the very last page.

I so love spending time with Kate Burkholder in Painters Mill and enjoy her in the short form just as much as I do in her novels. A DARK PATH is not to be missed by any fan of the series or those looking for a mystery with a highly unique setting.