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Kate Burkholder — by Linda Castillo
Kate Burkholder Series in Order: 29 books
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Sworn to Silence
Book - 1
A brutal serial killer once tore apart an Amish town. Sixteen years ago, a series of brutal murders shattered a peaceful farming community. A young Amish girl named Kate Burkholder survived the terror of the Slaughterhouse Killer...but fled to the s...
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Pray for Silence
Book - 2
One family. One horrific murder. An entire town under suspicion... The Planks moved from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to the small Amish community of Painters Mill hoping to resume the comforts of the Plain Life in Ohio. Less than one year later,...
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Breaking Silence
Book - 3
Amish parents Solomon and Rachael Slabaugh are found dead on their farm, leaving their four children orphaned. Initially, it appears to be a gruesome accident: methane gas asphyxiation caused by a poorly ventilated cesspit. But the deaths are soon re...
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Gone Missing
Book - 4
Linda Castillo's bestselling series continues with GONE MISSING -- a deeply chilling novel about a rite of passage gone horribly wrong. Rumspringa is the time when Amish teens are allowed to experience life without the rules. It's an exciting time...
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Her Last Breath
Book - 5
A rainy night, an Amish father returning home with his three children, a speeding car hurtling toward them out of nowhere What at first appears to be a tragic but routine hit-and-run accident becomes personal for Chief of Police Kate Burkholder wh...
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The Dead Will Tell
Book - 6
Everyone in Painters Mill knows the abandoned Hochstetler farm is haunted. But only a handful of the residents remember the terrible secrets lost in the muted/hushed whispers of time -- and now death is stalking them, seemingly from the grave. On...
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A Hidden Secret
Book - 6.5
When a baby-only hours old-is discovered on the Amish bishop's front porch in Painter's Mill, Ohio, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called in to investigate. The newborn is swaddled in an Amish crib quilt, and the only other item found with the ch...
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After the Storm
Book - 7
When a tornado tears through Painters Mill and unearths human remains, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is tasked with the responsibility of identifying the bones and notifying the family. When evidence emerges that the death was no accident, Kate soo...
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Seeds of Deception
Book - 7.5
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE DEAD WILL TELL comes a new short story offering a glimpse into Chief of Police Kate Burkholder's past and her Amish roots.It's autumn in Painter's Mill, and fourteen year old Katie Burkholder has been...
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Among the Wicked
Book - 8
Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called upon by the sheriff's department in rural, upstate New York to assist on a developing situation that involves a reclusive Amish settlement and the death of a young girl. Unable to penetrate the wall of silen...
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Only the Lucky
Book - 8.5
Bucolic Painters Mill is plunged into darkness in this new short mystery, from the New York Times bestselling author of Among the Wicked, featuring Chief of Police Kate Burkholder.It's Friday the 13th in Painters Mill and rumors of an Amish "rager" -...
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Down a Dark Road
Book - 9
Two years ago, Joseph King was convicted of murdering his wife and sentenced to life in prison. He was a "fallen" Amish man and a known drug user with a violent temper. Now King has escaped and he's headed for Painter's Mill. News of a murderer ...
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In Dark Company
Book - 9.5
From the New York Times bestselling author of DOWN A DARK ROAD comes Linda Castillo's IN DARK COMPANY: a short story about an injured young woman with amnesia who seeks Chief of Police Kate Burkholder's help to remember her identity -- and her attack...
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A Gathering of Secrets
Book - 10
A deadly fire exposes the dark side of Amish life in A GATHERING OF SECRETS, a harrowing new thriller in the New York Times bestselling series by Linda Castillo. When a historic barn burns to the ground in the middle of the night, Chief of Police ...
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In Plain Sight: A Novella
Book - 10.5
From Linda Castillo, the New York Times bestselling author of A Gathering of Secrets, comes a new Kate Burkholder short mystery, In Plain Sight: a story of star-crossed love and murder in Amish country.Seventeen year old Amish boy, Noah Kline, is str...
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A Simple Murder: A Kate Burkholder Short Story Collection
Book - 12.5
New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo is known for her pulse-pounding mystery series set in Amish country. Now, together for the first time in print, A Simple Murder features six original short stories starring whip-smart chief of police, ...
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Disappeared
Book - 12.7
Chief of Police Kate Burkholder races against the clock to find a missing child in this original short story, "Disappeared," from New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo.As a violent thunderstorm rages in Painters Mill, Kate Burkholder recei...
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Blood Moon: A Novella
Book - 13.5
Chief of Police Kate Burkholder confronts a mysterious beast terrorizing the residents of Painters Mill in this new original short mystery from bestselling author Linda Castillo. On a foggy spring night, an Amish man crashes his buggy after a larg...
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The Hidden One
Book - 14
The discovery of an Amish bishop's remains leads chief of police Kate Burkholder to unearth a chilling secret in The Hidden One, a new thriller from bestselling author Linda Castillo. Over a decade ago, beloved Amish bishop Ananias Stoltzfus d...
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Hallowed Ground: A Novella
Book - 14.5
A troubling discovery leads Chief of Police Kate Burkholder on a strange investigation ending at a long-abandoned Amish farm in this short mystery from bestselling author Linda Castillo. When a family dog brings home a human bone, Chief of Police ...
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An Evil Heart
Book - 15
Chief of Police Kate Burkholder investigates the brutal death of a young Amish man in An Evil Heart, the latest installment of the bestselling series by Linda Castillo. On a crisp autumn day in Painters Mill, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder respon...
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Dark Storm Rising: A Novella
Book - 15.2
In this short mystery from bestselling author Linda Castillo, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder must race through a dangerous blizzard to save an elderly Amish woman from a sinister foe. Newlyweds Chief of Police Kate Burkholder and John Tomasetti a...
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The Burning
Book - 16
Chief of Police Kate Burkholder investigates a gruesome murder that reveals a little-known chapter of early Amish history in this next riveting installment of the bestselling series by Linda Castillo. Newlywed Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is awake...
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Series Premise
Each book centers on a new murder investigation that Kate leads, frequently involving tensions between the Amish and “English” worlds. Kate must navigate cultural differences, community secrets, and her own history while solving the crimes.
Kate Burkholder Series Reading Order
🔄 Best Read in Order · Start with Book 1: Sworn to Silence
Standalone stories, but characters and relationships develop across the series.
Publication order gives the best experience because character relationships and personal developments unfold gradually. Each book has a complete central mystery plot with its own resolution, but ongoing developments in Kate’s life carry across the series. Readers who read out of order miss important emotional context about Kate’s background and her evolving personal relationships.
Explanation of reading order types
Kate Burkholder Series Characters
Kate Burkholder serves as the determined chief of police, drawing on her Amish upbringing to understand the community. She works closely with state agent John Tomasetti, whose relationship with Kate grows significantly throughout the series, along with her small police department team.
Setting of the Kate Burkholder Series
The series is set in the fictional town of Painters Mill, Ohio, home to a large Amish population. Stories often move between Amish farms, rural roads, and the small-town police department, highlighting the contrast between traditional Amish life and modern society.
Tone & Themes of the Kate Burkholder Series
The books maintain a dark, atmospheric mystery tone with strong procedural elements. Central themes include cultural identity, the clash between tradition and modernity, justice, trauma, and the challenges of bridging two very different worlds.
Is the Kate Burkholder Series Worth Reading?
This series appeals to readers who enjoy police procedurals with strong cultural elements and character-driven stories. It suits fans of Amish mysteries or those who like layered investigations with personal stakes for the lead detective.
Content Warnings and Heat Level
The series includes moderate to graphic violence and descriptions of crime scenes. It contains adult language, emotional trauma themes, and some sexual content that becomes more prominent as the series progresses.
The Kate Burkholder series combines compelling murder mysteries with the unique setting of an Amish community. Following the books in order lets readers fully track Kate’s personal growth and key relationships. It offers a distinctive blend of procedural detail and cultural insight for mystery readers.
Books in this series fall into the following genres
Genres
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Top Series in Police Procedural