2024 SUE GRAFTON MEMORIAL AWARD WINNER

Kate Burkholder investigates a young Amish man's brutal death in this gripping installment of Linda Castillo's bestselling series.

On a crisp autumn day in Painters Mill, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder responds to a call to discover a victim violently killed with a crossbow. Aden Karn was just twenty years old, well liked, and from an upstanding Amish family. Who would commit such a heinous crime against a young man whose life was just beginning?

As Kate delves into Karn's past, she begins to hear whispers about a darker side. What if Aden Karn wasn't the wholesome young man everyone admired? The case spirals out of control when an Amish woman comes forward with a horrific story that pits Kate against a dangerous and unexpected opponent.

When the awful truth is finally uncovered, Kate must come face to face with the terrible consequences of a life lived in all the wrong places.