Wow! This book is hard to read in that it is graphic and somewhat disturbing to read, but you keep on reading it.
The Plank family moved from Pennsylvania, to join the small Amish community of Painters Mill less than a year ago and seemed the model of the Plain Life—until on a cold October night, the entire family of seven was found slaughtered on their farm. They were murdered (shot at point blank range) and two of the young girls were tortured and butchered. Police Chief Kate Burkholder and her small force have few clues, no motive, and no suspect. Formerly Amish, Kate is no stranger to the secrets the Amish keep from the English—and each other—but this crime is horribly out of the ordinary. During the course of the investigation, disturbing evidence is uncovered, this evidence is hard reading and I found myself feeling quite sad and sickened.
State agent John Tomasetti arrives on the scene to assist. He and Kate worked together on a previous case during which they began a volatile relationship. They soon realize the disturbing details of this case will test their emotional limits and force them to face demons from their own troubled pasts—and for Kate, a personal connection that is particularly hard to bear.
When she discovers a diary that belonged to one of the teenaged daughters, Kate is shocked to learn the girl kept some very dark secrets and may have been living a lurid double life. Who is the charismatic stranger who stole the young Amish girl’s heart? Could the brother—a man with a violent past, rejected and shunned by his family and the Amish community, have come to seek out revenge? As Kate’s outrage grows so does her resolve to find the killer and bring him to justice—even if it means putting herself in the line of fire. A powerful read that does keep you enthralled throughout. ( )

Ein amische Familie wird in einem brutalen Mord komplett ausgelöscht. Es stellt sich heraus, dass die fünfzehnjährige Tochter dieser Familie schlimm ausgenutzt, ja missbraucht wurde.
Das ist harter Stoff und auch insgesamt ist das Buch in erster Linie brutal. Ich mag sowas nicht mehr so gern lesen. ( )

When an Amish family – the entire family of 7! - is murdered in their home, Kate (formerly Amish herself), the local chief of (“English”) police, is horrified and, despite no initial leads, insists she will bring the killer to justice. The men of the family (dad and two boys) were all killed inside the house; mom and baby shot outside; and two teenage daughters were tortured and killed in the barn. The Amish are peace-loving people, so what could have been the motivation for this kind of carnage?

This was good, though be warned it’s also quite graphic. It’s a bit jarring, to be honest, reading about an Amish community and being faced with the violence. But it’s a good story. I’m not a big fan of the personal side of Kate’s life, though, at least not her relationship with Tomasetti. I just don’t “get” the connection there. So, the mystery/detective work is definitely the draw for me in this book (and series? I don’t recall the first in the series enough to say for sure). ( )

En kall oktobernatt mördas samtliga medlemmar av en amishfamilj på sin gård i Painters Mill. Familjen Plank hade flyttat in mindre än ett år tidigare, och var i samhällets ögon själva sinnebilden av det anspråkslösa amishlivet. Polischef Kate Burkholder och hennes kollegor har få ledtrådar, inget motiv och ingen misstänkt för det fruktansvärda brottet. Kate, som är född och uppvuxen som amish, är väl medveten om att amishsamhället bär på hemligheter som de inte vill dela med utomstående ibland inte ens med varandra. Men mordet på familjen Plank är ett brott som inte liknar något annat.

Ecco a voi i Plank, una delle famiglie della comunità Amish di Painters Mill, Ohio. Ecco a voi madre, padre, cinque figli: la loro vita è una litania di giorni tutti uguali, il lavoro nei campi, i riti che ne sostanziano la fede, le tradizioni della confraternita cui appartengono da sempre. Poi, nel corso di una notte, il loro piccolo paradiso va in frantumi. Qualcuno penetra all'interno della fattoria ed è un massacro, uccisi i genitori, lungamente torturate e uccise le ragazze, Mary e Annie, uccisi i bambini. Solo il buio chiude il sipario sui passi silenziosi dell'assassino: alle sue spalle, un lago di sangue. Kate Burkholder, capo della polizia della contea, viene chiamata a dirigere le indagini. Ma non ci sono indiziati, nessuna traccia, nessun movente che indichi una pista: il colpevole sembra venuto dal nulla, come un artiglio invisibile e crudele. Kate in passato è stata una Amish, sa che non possono esserci ombre nella vita delle vittime: eppure, nella vita di Mary Plank, qualcosa di oscuro iniziaa emergere, il peso di un segreto che a poco a poco si tinge di orrore... ( )