An extraordinarily inquisitive ex Amish woman Kate Burkholder, is the central figure in a story that reveals a dark side of Painters Mill and its seemingly perfect Amish world. As Kate Burkholder delves into the investigation, she comes face-to-face with her own Amish past and memories of growing up with Mattie, an extraordinary beauty for whom trouble has never been far behind. A rainy night, an Amish father returning home with his three children, in their horse drawn cart, is killed along with two of the children by a speeding car hurtling toward them out of nowhere. What at first seems like a tragic, routine car accident suddenly takes on a more sinister cast as evidence emerges that nothing about the crash is accidental. Is there something more to this mysterious accident that killed Mattie’s husband? Who would want to kill an Amish deacon and two of his children? What is Mattie hiding―and who is she trying to protect? Meanwhile, Mattie’s son―the only one who really knows what happened―clings to life in the hospital, unable to communicate. He may be the only one who knows what happened that night. Desperate to find out who killed her best friend's husband and why, Kate begins to suspect she is not looking for a reckless drunk, but instead is on the trail of a cold blooded killer amid the residents of Painter's Mill. A search takes her on a chilling journey into the darkest reaches of the human heart and makes her question everything she has ever believed about the Amish culture into which she was born. ( )

Another solid entry in the Kate Burkholder series. A horrific collision between a car and an Amish buggy kills three people, and the investigation indicates it may not have been an accident. Kate’s childhood best friend Mattie is left widowed, and Kate struggles to balance her professional investigative responsibility with care and support for Mattie, especially when it appears Mattie may have knowledge to contribute towards solving the case.

As the investigation proceeds, two long-running plot threads also inch forward. Remains are found from a long-ago death described in the first novel, and Kate continues dithering over her relationship with John Tomasetti. The former added new interest to the series; the latter was just more “will she or won’t she” for no good reason. But there was ultimately progress on both fronts, and the crime investigation ended in a satisfying way, with unexpected and dramatic closure. ( )

This was a fun, quick mystery read. Kept me on my toes, kept me wondering, surprised me half way. ;) There were a few unbelievable parts. The "romance" was a little -- I dunno -- campy. Overall didn't feel like a waste of my time. ( )

Murder in Amish country

My rating would have been a bit higher if I hadn’t been so annoyed by how the author has Kate deal with her relationship. The mystery was interesting and well crafted. ( )