Down a Dark Road: A Kate Burkholder Novel

Kate Burkholder is back in her ninth adventure (after Among the Wicked) set in Ohio's Amish country. As chief of police of Painters Mill, and ex-Amish herself, Kate has had many encounters with the Amish community. This time the engagement hits close to home when Kate is alerted that former childhood friend Joseph King, convicted of the murder of his wife while their five children slept, has escaped from prison and could be heading her way. Kate warns the aunt and uncle who have custody of the children. On patrol soon after, she investigates a fire at a nearby farm and then checks on the King offspring, only to be taken hostage by their father. A desperate Joe tries to convince Kate of his innocence but is tragically cut down when the hostage standoff turns deadly. Kate, beset by guilt and nagged by Joe's certainty that someone else killed his wife, investigates and uncovers more than she had imagined.