Kate Burkholder is the chief of police in the small fictional town of Painters Mill, located in very real Holmes County, Ohio. Painters Mill has a large Amish population of which Kate herself was once a part. She now straddles both the Amish and “English” cultures, often spending a good deal of her time explaining who she is and who she isn’t. Her connection to the Amish community is a mixed blessing, given that she speaks the language and understands the culture, but for the most part is shunned (or something like it) for having left the religion.

"DOWN A DARK ROAD is certainly one of the best installments of the series thus far and is a great place to start, given its strong characterization of Kate Burkholder past and present and the terrific mystery that forms the core of the book."

Linda Castillo has made the series extremely accessible for anyone who wishes to pick it up at any point, a factor that makes DOWN A DARK ROAD a must-read for both newcomers to the series and longtime fans. This latest installment finds Kate’s past and present colliding dramatically when a prisoner escapes from the nearby Mansfield Correctional Institution. The convict’s name is Joseph King, and he has a touching connection with Kate’s past. King’s family lived next door to the Burkholders when Kate was on the cusp of adolescence. King, who had roguish good looks and a touch of a rebellious streak, was Kate’s first crush. A family tragedy caused the Kings to move away while marking a change in King’s personality. He was subsequently arrested on a number of occasions for drug possession and domestic violence offenses, culminating in his conviction for the shotgun murder of his wife two years prior to the book’s present.

King’s five children are now living with his sister-in-law and her husband near Painters Mill. There are those who think King may return to the community that has turned its back on him in order to see them. But when Kate drives out to their farm to do a well-being check, she herself is taken hostage by King. During the siege that follows, King insists to Kate that while he is no saint, he did not murder his wife. King’s only corroborating witness is his younger daughter, who was three at the time and thus deemed unreliable. While the evidence against King is overwhelming, his insistence plants a small seed of doubt in Kate’s mind. That notwithstanding, the hostage situation resolves and the story concludes.

I’m just kidding about the story ending. Indeed, it’s only halfway finished. Kate begins an investigation of her own on a case that is not only cold but also closed in the mind of law enforcement. She naturally meets resistance, particularly from the department that investigated the murder, as well as from elements within the Amish community itself. As she gets closer to the truth, the resistance takes a more determined and forceful form, one that Kate may not be able to walk away from intact. She is undeterred, though, and as a result her pursuit of justice leads to an explosive conclusion that, ironically enough, becomes a conduit for redemption and reconciliation.

DOWN A DARK ROAD is certainly one of the best installments of the series thus far and is a great place to start, given its strong characterization of Kate Burkholder past and present and the terrific mystery that forms the core of the book. It’s a must-read for this summer.