An extraordinarily beautiful Amish woman, a dangerous femme fatale, is the central figure in Linda Castillo's Her Last Breath , a story that reveals a dark side of Painters Mill and its seemingly perfect Amish world A rainy night, an Amish father returning home with his three children, a speeding car hurtling toward them out of nowhere. What at first seems like a tragic, but routine car accident suddenly takes on a more sinister cast as evidence emerges that nothing about the crash is accidental. But who would want to kill an Amish deacon and two of his children? He leaves behind a grieving widow and a young boy who clings to life in the intensive care wing of a hospital, unable to communicate. He may be the only one who knows what happened that night. Desperate to find out who killed her best friend's husband and why, Kate begins to suspect she is not looking for a reckless drunk, but instead is on the trail of a cold blooded killer amid the residents of Painter's Mill. It is a search that takes her on a chilling journey into the darkest reaches of the human heart and makes her question everything she has ever believed about the Amish culture into which she was born. "A fast-paced mystery that will leave readers stunned."--"Kirku"s (Starred Review) on "Her Last Breath" "Exciting . . . Castillo ratchets up the tension nicely before the disconcerting ending." --"Publishers Weekly" on "Gone Missing" "Castillo melds deeply flawed characters with a glimpse into a unique community in which isolation can hide a plethora of secrets." --"Publishers Weekly" on "Breaking Silence" "Shades of In Cold Blood . . . Another chilling thriller." --"People" on "Pray for Silence" "Compelling characters, excellent plotting and a hair-raising finale." --"USA Today" on "Sworn to Silence" "Absolutely stunning. . . . A perfectly crafted thriller." --Lisa Scottoline on "Sworn to Silence" "Exciting . . . Castillo ratchets up the tension nicely before the disconcerting ending." --"Publishers Weekly "on "Gone Missing ""Castillo melds deeply flawed characters with a glimpse into a unique community in which isolation can hide a plethora of secrets." --"Publishers Weekly" on "Breaking Silence ""Shades of "In Cold Blood" . . . Another chilling thriller." --"People" magazine on "Pray for Silence ""Compelling characters, excellent plotting and a hair-raising finale." --"USA"" Today" on "Sworn to Silence ""Absolutely stunning. . . . A perfectly crafted thriller." --Lisa Scottoline on "Sworn to Silence" "Exciting . . . Castillo ratchets up the tension nicely before the disconcerting ending." --"Publishers Weekly "on "Gone Missing ""Castillo melds deeply flawed characters with a glimpse into a unique community in which isolation can hide a plethora of secrets." --"Publishers Weekly" on "Breaking Silence ""Shades of "In Cold Blood" . . . Another chilling thriller." --"People" magazine on "Pray for Silence ""Compelling characters, excellent plotting and a hair-raising finale." --"USA"" Today" on "Sworn to Silence ""Absolutely stunning. . . . A perfectly crafted thriller." --Lisa Scottoline on "Sworn to Silence" Linda Castillo is the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Kate Burkholder mystery series, set in the world of the Amish. The first book, Sworn to Silence , was adapted into a Lifetime original movie titled An Amish Murder starring Neve Campbell as Kate Burkholder. Critically acclaimed as “the master of the genre” ( People magazine), Castillo is the recipient of numerous industry awards including an Edgar Award, the Sue Grafton Memorial Award, a nomination by the International Thriller Writers for Best Hardcover, a nomination for an Audie Award for best mystery audiobook, and an appearance on the Boston Globe’s shortlist for best crime novel. Her books have sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide. In addition to writing, Castillo’s other passion is horses. She lives in Texas with her husband and a menagerie of animals, and is currently at work on her next book. Her Last Breath A Novel By Linda Castillo St. Martin's Press Copyright © 2014 Linda Castillo All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-250-04265-1 Excerpt CHAPTER 1   When it rains, it pours. Those words were one of my mamm ’s favorite maxims when I was growing up. As a child, I didn’t understand its true meaning, and I didn’t spend much time trying to figure it out. In the eyes of the Amish girl I’d been, more was almost always a good thing. The world around me was a swiftly moving river, chock-full of white-water rapids and deep holes filled with secrets I couldn’t fathom. I was ravenous to raft that river, anxious to dive into all of those dark crevices and unravel their closely guarded secrets. It wasn’t until I entered my twenties that I realized there were times when that river overflowed its banks and a killing flood ensued. My mamm is gone now and I haven’t been Amish for fifteen years, but I often find myself using