BIG thanks to St. Martin's Press, as well as to NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Hidden One.

How I love this series and have since the very first book! The Hidden One takes a step back to when Kate was a young Amish girl. Kate's first love has been accused of murdering an Amish bishop when the bishop's bones are discovered in a field and Kate vows to get to the truth.

I loved reading more about Kate's youth and how it shaped the woman she is now. The book moved along at a fast pace and I couldn't put it down! It seemed as though EVERYONE wanted to stop Kate from investigating the murder but NO ONE was going to succeed, including the local police force.

The ending was a shocker! I never suspected that culprit!! 😳

It's always interesting to read the way Ms. Castillo reveals Amish customs and culture in her books. She describes them with so much respect. (Even when they are driving Kate crazy!)

I especially loved the very end of the book, when Kate returned home to Painters Mill and the love of her life, Tomasetti.

I highly recommend this series!! If you are looking for a fascinating series to read, jump in!

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book.

This is a solid entry in the series. The setting was particularly attractive to me since it takes place largely in an area of PA with which I'm familiar. In this entry, Chief Burkholder travels to a Central Pennsylvania Amish community to solve a cold case involving a childhood friend accused of murder.

This was a huge page turner. Great, fast-paced plot with lots of action, wonderful character development, and a surprising reveal at the end. While I encourage you to read the series from the beginning to experience the larger world building, this could easily be read as a stand alone. Looking forward to the next one in the series already!

I love Linda Castillo books! The plot in this one was not my favorite, but I enjoyed it none-the-less. If Linda Castillo writes it I read it.

This was a very exciting book! I love the Burkholder series and was thrilled to get an ARC; I devoured the novel immediately, and found the plot very imaginative—I also loved that it filled in some gaps in Kate’s past. This series still has a lot of life left in it.

Linda Castillo's THE HIDDEN ONE is the 14th entry in her Kate Burkholder series set in the Pennsylvania Amish Town of Painters. Mill.
Kate is former Amish and so knows her way around their cultural complications. Elders from another Amish town ask for Kate's help. Amish bishop Ananias Stoltzfus has been missing for more than ten years, but his body, with two bullet holes, is discovered in a field along with a rifle. Jonas Bowman, originally from Painters Mill, admits to ownership of the gun. He is arrested, and all signs point to his being convicted.
Kate and Jonas have a history. When she was 15 and he was 19 they had a brief romance. Found out, Jonas's family is asked to leave the town. Now some 20 years later, the two meet again. Kate can't believe he is a killer and sets out to find the truth.
I have read this series from the beginning, and I like the setting and the cultural references about the Amish. I enjoyed the book, as I have all of them, but I wish we could see more of Kate's significant other John Tomasetti. He has an intriguing past and too much of the book is Kate soldiering on alone. I'd like to see them work and interact together more.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the copy of The Hidden One. I have loved this series from the first book and it continues to be great. I love how Kate is strong and fearless and she doesn’t need a man to save her, in fact she is usually the one doing the saving!
This book delves deeper into Kate’s past when a childhood friend is accused of an old murder. Through flashbacks we learn more about their relationship along with some of the events that shaped Kate. I loved the flashbacks and how they added to the story, evoked childhood, and gave insights into Jonas, Kate's friend and their relationship.
There was so much happening in the story, so many people with something to hide, the book was really exciting and moved along quickly. If you’re looking for a fast-paced, exciting red, try this one, but read the other books in the series first!

I just reviewed The Hidden One by Linda Castillo. #NetGalley. Linda Castillo never disappoints with her books. In this book, Kate travels to Ohio, to help a former Amish friend. This book was a nice change with Kate working on the outside of the law. I loved the reference to Lancaster, PA since I grew up in Lancaster county. I love the Kate Burkholder series and can't wait for the next one! Thanks again for the ARC.

An Amish Bishop's remains are discovered 18 years after his disappearance, and an old friend from Kate Burkholder's childhood and adolescence has been arrested for the Bishop's murder.
Three Dieners, church elders, come to Kate and ask her to investigate as they are positive that Jonas is innocent.

As always, I enjoy the way Castillo reveals Amish customs and culture and I enjoy the way Amish beliefs influence the plots. When I finished The Hidden One, I felt like this was one of my favorite books in the series.

The next morning, however, I had some questions... something that was not resolved. Doesn't change my overall opinion about the book because I was completely engaged throughout, but I am really curious about a couple of things that were not explained. Spoiler: Who called Kate and said, "They were all there!"? Were the Dieners there? Did I miss something?

I checked the reviews on Goodreads, and no one mentions the thing that is bugging me.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press

Mystery. July 5, 2022. Print length: 320 pages.

When I read this book I feel like I am reading about an old friend. This is a really good book. I loved it and the series. So good! I highly recommend.

5 past love stars

My favorite female and formerly Amish police chief is back for installment #14! I am amazed that Linda Castillo continues to find new adventures for her resilient chief!

This time Kate is headed to a small town in Pennsylvania because an old friend is in jail on murder charges. A body has been discovered from a cold case 18 years ago. The bones belong to an Amish bishop and Kate’s old friend Jonas had a very public fight with him shortly before he turned up missing.

Now that the body has been found and Jonas admitted that the gun next to the body was his as well, he’s been arrested and is now in jail. The local Amish leaders invite Kate to help her old friend as things are looking quite bleak for Jonas. The local Pennsylvania police force isn’t very cooperative with Kate, but soon she has stirred up enough trouble trying to unearth old clues that her life is in danger.

This one builds to a vintage showdown, and I was quite surprised at the real culprit. As usual, Kate ends up battered and bruised and two vehicles are damaged. Jonas is out of legal trouble and can return to his wife, kids, and cabinetmaking business.

My favorite part of this one was the last chapter when she returns home to Painters Mill and Tomasetti.

I'm sorry but you just cannot go wrong with a Kate Burkholder book! Linda Castillo is quality over quantity every time!

I still believe that this is one of the best mystery series involving the Amish and small town life that is written today. This newest addition is no exception.

Katie Burkholder dwells into her own past as she investigates a cold case involving a dear friend and a murdered bishop. As she probes deeper inside the case startling revelations are revealed that have their roots in the victim’s past.

Although I felt the beginning was a little slow, the ending all but made up for it. One of those heart pounding, adrenaline flowing endings you won’t want to miss.

This is my favorite series and this book did not disappoint. Interesting twist in this book. The only thing I would have bumped it up one more star was to read what was written in the diary.

Readers who enjoy this series will love this new addition. Readers will get a glimpse into Kate's early teens as she travels to Pennsylvania to help out a childhood friend. Jonas, her childhood friend is charged with the murder of the bishop when old bones are found in a field. Kate is determined to solve the murder but since it's out of her jurisdiction she needs to do so as a civilian. Many twists and turns leads Kate down numerous paths. The mystery to why the bishop was murdered will become the most important factor in solving the crime. As always, the author does a great job with keeping readers engaged to the end. I would have loved to know more about the bishop's true background. Readers will have wait again to see what the future brings Kate and Tomasetti... Recommended!