Her Last Breath: A Novel (Kate Burkholder Novels)
*Starred Review* A tragic case hits close to home when an Amish farmer and two of his three special-needs children are killed in a dreadful traffic accident, widowing Mattie Borntrager, the closest childhood friend of Kate Burkholder, police chief of Painters Mill, Ohio. When evidence indicates that the hit-and-run may have been premeditated, Kate’s probing for motive causes her to question whether beautiful, grieving Mattie, who was like a sister to Kate before she left the Amish faith, is being fully forthcoming. Diverting Kate from solving this all-consuming case is the discovery of the remains of the rapist she shot in self-defense 17 years earlier—an incident that was covered up by her family and now threatens her career, if not her life, plus her burgeoning relationship with FBI agent John Tomasetti, who wants a commitment from the skittish Kate. The Amish setting, an intrinsic aspect of these mysteries, continues to add depth and texture in the fifth entry (after Gone Missing, 2012). But it’s Kate Burkholder who’s the heart of Castillo’s masterful series, a rare protagonist who bares her soul in her first-person narration. This compelling mystery combines increasing nuance and complexity with heart-stopping action. --Michele Leber