The Hidden One

The Hidden One by Linda Castillo is the fourteenth novel in the Kate Burkholder series. It can be read as a standalone as the author provides Kate's background information for new readers. You will be missing out though if you do not read this series from the beginning. Kate travels from Painter's Mill, Ohio to Belleville, Pennsylvania where elders from an Amish community paid her a visit. Kate's first love, Jonas Bowman has been arrested for murder. Ananias Stoltzfus, the bishop of the community, disappeared eighteen years ago. His remains were found two months ago in a farmer's field along with a gun. The gun belongs to Jonas. Jonas and Ananias had been at odds at the time of the bishop's disappearance. Kate travels to Pennsylvania to see if she can prove Jonas' innocence. I thought The Hidden One was well-written with realistic, developed characters. I like that we get to learn more about Kate's past. I did miss Painter's Mill and Kate's significant other, John Tomasetti. I like how the author portrays the Amish people. We see them as they are (not sugarcoated). There are explanations for the way they live and how they do things. The mystery was intriguing (I love solving the mystery before the reveal) and well-plotted. It is a cold case which makes it more of a challenge. I liked all the action in the story. Someone did not want Kate to find out the truth. You can tell that they do not know Kate (she is tenacious). There are clues to help readers solve the crime (if you pay close attention). People were judging Jonas for his past actions and not the man he is now. There was one piece of the puzzle that gave me the answer to this clever mystery. I enjoyed the suspenseful reveal. The books ending was sweet. I enjoyed reading The Hidden One. This is one of my favorite books in the series. I am looking forward to Kate's next adventure. The Hidden One is a revealing suspense novel with a confusing cold case, an old love in jail, a beau's birthday, meaningful memories, perilous incidents, and one curious Kate.