
A Hidden Secret
A Kate Burkholder Short Story
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $1.88
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Kathleen McInerney
-
By:
-
Linda Castillo
About this listen
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 child is a hand-carved wood rattle, which Kate also recognizes as Amish.
The little girl seems healthy and whole, but who would abandon her and why? Though the quilt and rattle could have been purchased, Kate suspects the mother is Amish, possibly young and unmarried, both of which would be powerful motives for such a desperate act.
With the rattle and the baby quilt as the only clues, Kate must call upon her own Amish roots and, with the help of state agent John Tomasetti, search the Amish and "English" communities of Painters Mill for clues to unravel the poignant, puzzling mystery.
©2015 Linda Castillo (P)2015 Macmillan AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
Sworn to Silence
- A Thriller
- By: Linda Castillo
- Narrated by: Kathleen McInerney
- Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the sleepy rural town of Painters Mill, Ohio, the Amish and "English" residents have lived side by side for two centuries. But 16 years ago, a series of brutal murders shattered the peaceful farming community. Kate Burkholder, a young Amish girl, survived the terror of the Slaughterhouse Killer but came away from its brutality with the realization that she no longer belonged with the Amish. Now, a wealth of experience later, Kate has been asked to return to Painters Mill as Chief of Police. She's certain she's come to terms with her past - until the first body is discovered in a snowy field.
-
-
Surprised me!
- By karen on 09-07-12
By: Linda Castillo
-
Hallowed Ground
- A Kate Burkholder Short Story
- By: Linda Castillo
- Narrated by: Kathleen McInerney
- Length: 1 hr and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a family dog brings home a human bone, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder finds herself on a desperate search for answers. Where did the bone come from? Who does it belong to? And perhaps most importantly, are the bones a result of foul play? With Halloween approaching, the unsettling questions garner uneasiness, rumors, and macabre theories among the residents of Painters Mill.
-
-
The Kate Burkholder We All Know And Love!
- By acorley84 on 10-02-23
By: Linda Castillo
-
Disappeared
- A Kate Burkholder Short Mystery
- By: Linda Castillo
- Narrated by: Kathleen McInerney
- Length: 1 hr and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a violent thunderstorm rages in Painters Mill, Kate Burkholder receives a call from a frantic young Amish woman: Her two-year-old son is missing. Kate and her officers brave the downpour to search for the toddler, fearing he may have been swept away in the rising creek waters. But an explosive family secret leads Kate to believe this disappearance may be more complicated than anyone is letting on. Can she find the boy and uncover the truth before darkness falls?
-
-
Always Great
- By Judy Dalrymple on 08-26-21
By: Linda Castillo
-
The Shadow Side
- By: Linda Castillo
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee
- Length: 12 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cases of random violence have erupted across the country - murderous acts committed by previously non-violent people. Detective Adam Boedecker, grieving brother to one of the suicide-murderers, has discovered that all the suspects had taken a new breakthrough anti-depressant, Valazine. Elizabeth Barnes has devoted her heart and soul to pharmaceutical research. She's at the top of her game and slated to be awarded top honors for her latest breakthrough drug. Until a detective contacts her about a recent wave of homicides.
-
-
This is not a thriller
- By Rebecca on 06-13-19
By: Linda Castillo
-
A Killing in Amish Country: Sex, Betrayal, and a Cold-blooded Murder
- By: Gregg Olsen, Rebecca Morris, Linda Castillo - foreward
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 7 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thirty-year-old Barbara Weaver was content to live as the Amish have for centuries - without modern convenience - but her husband, Eli, wanted a life beyond horses and buggies. Soon he gave in to the temptation of technology and found ways to go Online and meet women. When Barbara was found dead, shot in the chest at close range, all eyes were on Eli... and his mistress, a conservative Mennonite named Barb Raber. Barb drove Eli to appointments in her car. She gave him everything he asked for: a laptop, rides to his favorite fishing and hunting spots, and sex.
-
-
Solid True Crime novel
- By justin on 06-05-18
By: Gregg Olsen, and others
-
Undercover Amish
- Covert Police Detectives Unit Series, Book 1
- By: Ashley Emma
- Narrated by: Callie Beaulieu
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Detective Olivia Mast would rather run through gunfire than return to her former Amish community in Unity, Maine, where she killed her abusive husband in self-defense and witnessed her family's murder. After an Amish man is murdered, the community will not answer questions from the police, so she begrudgingly dons her old prayer kapp and heads to Unity to investigate the murder undercover. To make things even worse, her captain also orders her to protect the man she dated as a teen: Isaac Troyer, who was attacked on the night of the murder but can't remember the incident.
-
-
The best example of an incompetent woman cop.
- By Glenda on 06-23-22
By: Ashley Emma
-
Sworn to Silence
- A Thriller
- By: Linda Castillo
- Narrated by: Kathleen McInerney
- Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the sleepy rural town of Painters Mill, Ohio, the Amish and "English" residents have lived side by side for two centuries. But 16 years ago, a series of brutal murders shattered the peaceful farming community. Kate Burkholder, a young Amish girl, survived the terror of the Slaughterhouse Killer but came away from its brutality with the realization that she no longer belonged with the Amish. Now, a wealth of experience later, Kate has been asked to return to Painters Mill as Chief of Police. She's certain she's come to terms with her past - until the first body is discovered in a snowy field.
-
-
Surprised me!
- By karen on 09-07-12
By: Linda Castillo
-
Hallowed Ground
- A Kate Burkholder Short Story
- By: Linda Castillo
- Narrated by: Kathleen McInerney
- Length: 1 hr and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a family dog brings home a human bone, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder finds herself on a desperate search for answers. Where did the bone come from? Who does it belong to? And perhaps most importantly, are the bones a result of foul play? With Halloween approaching, the unsettling questions garner uneasiness, rumors, and macabre theories among the residents of Painters Mill.
-
-
The Kate Burkholder We All Know And Love!
- By acorley84 on 10-02-23
By: Linda Castillo
-
Disappeared
- A Kate Burkholder Short Mystery
- By: Linda Castillo
- Narrated by: Kathleen McInerney
- Length: 1 hr and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a violent thunderstorm rages in Painters Mill, Kate Burkholder receives a call from a frantic young Amish woman: Her two-year-old son is missing. Kate and her officers brave the downpour to search for the toddler, fearing he may have been swept away in the rising creek waters. But an explosive family secret leads Kate to believe this disappearance may be more complicated than anyone is letting on. Can she find the boy and uncover the truth before darkness falls?
-
-
Always Great
- By Judy Dalrymple on 08-26-21
By: Linda Castillo
-
The Shadow Side
- By: Linda Castillo
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee
- Length: 12 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cases of random violence have erupted across the country - murderous acts committed by previously non-violent people. Detective Adam Boedecker, grieving brother to one of the suicide-murderers, has discovered that all the suspects had taken a new breakthrough anti-depressant, Valazine. Elizabeth Barnes has devoted her heart and soul to pharmaceutical research. She's at the top of her game and slated to be awarded top honors for her latest breakthrough drug. Until a detective contacts her about a recent wave of homicides.
-
-
This is not a thriller
- By Rebecca on 06-13-19
By: Linda Castillo
-
A Killing in Amish Country: Sex, Betrayal, and a Cold-blooded Murder
- By: Gregg Olsen, Rebecca Morris, Linda Castillo - foreward
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 7 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thirty-year-old Barbara Weaver was content to live as the Amish have for centuries - without modern convenience - but her husband, Eli, wanted a life beyond horses and buggies. Soon he gave in to the temptation of technology and found ways to go Online and meet women. When Barbara was found dead, shot in the chest at close range, all eyes were on Eli... and his mistress, a conservative Mennonite named Barb Raber. Barb drove Eli to appointments in her car. She gave him everything he asked for: a laptop, rides to his favorite fishing and hunting spots, and sex.
-
-
Solid True Crime novel
- By justin on 06-05-18
By: Gregg Olsen, and others
-
Undercover Amish
- Covert Police Detectives Unit Series, Book 1
- By: Ashley Emma
- Narrated by: Callie Beaulieu
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Detective Olivia Mast would rather run through gunfire than return to her former Amish community in Unity, Maine, where she killed her abusive husband in self-defense and witnessed her family's murder. After an Amish man is murdered, the community will not answer questions from the police, so she begrudgingly dons her old prayer kapp and heads to Unity to investigate the murder undercover. To make things even worse, her captain also orders her to protect the man she dated as a teen: Isaac Troyer, who was attacked on the night of the murder but can't remember the incident.
-
-
The best example of an incompetent woman cop.
- By Glenda on 06-23-22
By: Ashley Emma
-
Stillhouse Lake
- Stillhouse Lake, Book 1
- By: Rachel Caine
- Narrated by: Emily Sutton-Smith
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Gina Royal is the definition of average—a shy Midwestern housewife with a happy marriage and two adorable children. But when a car accident reveals her husband’s secret life as a serial killer, she must remake herself as Gwen Proctor—the ultimate warrior mom. With her ex now in prison, Gwen has finally found refuge in a new home on remote Stillhouse Lake.
-
-
Outstanding book! A must for suspense lovers...
- By shelley on 07-02-17
By: Rachel Caine
-
Her Second Death
- A Short Story (Bree Taggert)
- By: Melinda Leigh
- Narrated by: Christina Traister
- Length: 1 hr and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a man is shot in the head, Bree Taggert and her new partner, veteran detective Dana Romano, respond to the call. They break the news to the victim’s ex-wife and learn the estranged couple’s five-year-old daughter was supposed to have been with him. What starts as a murder investigation quickly morphs into a desperate search for a missing child. The case stirs memories of Bree’s own traumatizing childhood. To find the little girl, Bree will have to relive her own terrifying past.
-
-
Unbelievable main character
- By Daune Robinson on 12-15-21
By: Melinda Leigh
-
Murder in Plain Sight
- By: Marta Perry
- Narrated by: Therese Plummer
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Did a sweet-faced Amish teenager brutally murder a young woman? To save her career, big-city lawyer Jessica Langdon is determined to defend him against the community's bitter and even violent outrage. Yet without an understanding of Amish culture, Jessica must rely on arrogant businessman Trey Morgan, who has ties to the Amish community and believes in the boy's guilt.
-
-
Awesome!!!
- By Hugsbie on 12-21-19
By: Marta Perry
-
The Every Amish Season Collection
- An Every Amish Season Novel
- By: Kelly Irvin
- Narrated by: Hayley Cresswell
- Length: 42 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From bestselling author Kelly Irvin, the compelling Every Amish Season novels are now available in one audiobook collection.
-
-
Predictable but enjoyable
- By kalesov on 05-24-24
By: Kelly Irvin
-
The Dispatcher
- By: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Zachary Quinto
- Length: 2 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Zachary Quinto - best known for his role as the Nimoy-approved Spock in the recent Star Trek reboot and the menacing, power-stealing serial killer, Sylar, in Heroes - brings his well-earned sci-fi credentials and simmering intensity to this audio-exclusive novella from master storyteller John Scalzi. One day, not long from now, it becomes almost impossible to murder anyone - 999 times out of a thousand, anyone who is intentionally killed comes back. How? We don't know.
-
-
IT'S HARD TO GET MYSTICAL ABOUT YOUR JOB
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 10-05-16
By: John Scalzi
-
One Left Alive: A Heart-Stopping and Gripping Crime Thriller
- Detective Morgan Brookes, Book 1
- By: Helen Phifer
- Narrated by: Alison Campbell
- Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the body of a woman is found hanging from a tree in her front garden, rookie Detective Morgan Brookes is first on the scene. But Olivia Potter is past saving. And when her husband and daughters cannot be traced, Morgan knows there is more to this tragedy. And then she finds them. Lying huddled together in the dark basement, each of their faces covered with a small cotton cloth, their bodies cold to the touch. But as Morgan kneels beside the family, she realizes that one of the girls is still breathing.
-
-
Barbie solves her first murder case
- By Amazon Customer on 01-25-21
By: Helen Phifer
-
The Witness
- By: Nora Roberts
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 16 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Daughter of a cold, controlling mother and an anonymous donor, studious, obedient Elizabeth Fitch finally let loose one night, drinking too much at a nightclub and allowing a strange man’s seductive Russian accent to lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive. Twelve years later, the woman now known as Abigail Lowery lives alone on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks.
-
-
Classic Nora - Outstanding!!!!
- By M. Davis on 04-20-12
By: Nora Roberts
-
In Cold Blood
- By: Truman Capote
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, four members of the Clutter family were savagely murdered by blasts from a shotgun held a few inches from their faces. There was no apparent motive for the crime, and there were almost no clues.
-
-
Still the Best
- By Lisa on 01-10-06
By: Truman Capote
-
The Life We Bury
- By: Allen Eskens
- Narrated by: Zach Villa
- Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
College student Joe Talbert has the modest goal of completing a writing assignment for an English class. His task is to interview a stranger and write a brief biography of the person. With deadlines looming, Joe heads to a nearby nursing home to find a willing subject. There he meets Carl Iverson, and soon nothing in Joe's life is ever the same. Carl is a dying Vietnam veteran-and a convicted murderer. With only a few months to live, he has been medically paroled to a nursing home after spending thirty years in prison for the crimes of rape and murder.
-
-
Good listen!
- By Lori K. on 12-14-15
By: Allen Eskens
-
Dark Places
- A Novel
- By: Gillian Flynn
- Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman, Cassandra Campbell, Mark Deakins, and others
- Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in "The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas". As her family lay dying, little Libby fled their tiny farmhouse into the freezing January snow. She lost some fingers and toes, but she survived, and famously testified that her 15-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, Ben sits in prison, and troubled Libby lives off the dregs of a trust created by well-wishers who've long forgotten her.
-
-
Riveting but brutal
- By Gray on 12-09-12
By: Gillian Flynn
-
The Last Sister
- Columbia River, Book 1
- By: Kendra Elliot
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Mikael Naramore
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twenty years ago Emily Mills's father was murdered, and she found his body hanging in the backyard. Her younger sister, Madison, claims she was asleep in her room. Her older sister, Tara, claims she was out with friends. The tragedy drove their mother to suicide and Tara to leave town forever. The killer was caught. The case closed. Ever since, Emily and Madison have tried to forget what happened that night - until an eerily similar murder brings it all back.
-
-
It was ok
- By Kelly C. on 01-15-20
By: Kendra Elliot
-
One Last Child
- Tallman's Valley Detectives, Book 1
- By: Anni Taylor
- Narrated by: Caroline Lee
- Length: 15 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It was summer in the mountains when five small children vanished from their nursery school picnic. The heat was stifling that day, the tinkle of an ice-cream van in the air.... Three-and-a-half years later, in the dead of winter, the children are returned to their families...one by one. All except for Ivy - the granddaughter of Homicide Detective Kate Wakeland. The other four children say Ivy is dead.
-
-
Decent story racist narration
- By Charisma on 10-15-22
By: Anni Taylor
What listeners say about A Hidden Secret
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Trish
- 09-11-15
Great short story for kate burkholder fAns
Gripping yet smooth to hear story about a girl, an Amish boy, and an abandoned baby.
Kathleen mcinerney is a terrific narrator! Listen to the rest of the series-they are great!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- happyjo
- 08-29-17
a good detective
What made the experience of listening to A Hidden Secret the most enjoyable?
the story was interesting and had quite a few personalities involved.
Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?
no, not on the edge of my seat, but i stayed focused gathering clues right by the side of the detective. this was a comfortable story to read.
What does Kathleen McInerney bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
she was able to capture the feelings of the characters in a way that it enhanced the experience.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
yes when the female detective was handed the baby and she was mighty uncomfortable. it made me laugh several times.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Diane Schmitt
- 07-05-15
Good short story
It is entertaining and keeps the reader involved. Makes an interesting short story. Fine work.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lifeisshort
- 07-22-15
Really Liked the Pace
This was an excellent novella and has motivated me to begin reading the series. The book lasts only 105 minutes, so the pace is quick. I look forward to learning more about the background of the various characters in this book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jose Barillas
- 08-31-20
Excellent narration as always
Excellent narration I thought Kathleen was going to do an epilogue I guess not because it makes sense though because it’s one hour that makes sense if the books for longer she would’ve done an epilogue
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- Teresa Thompson
- 11-12-19
Uplifting
As always Ms. Castillo tells a poignant story with warmth and lovely characters who prevail.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Nicole Baldwin
- 07-12-23
A great book by Linda Castillo!
I love these short stories by Linda Castillo. I'm hooked on the Amish murder mysteries & so is my mom.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Quilter I Am
- 04-25-16
Kate Burkholder solves another one!
Short story that further develops the ongoing life of Chief Kate Burkholder life overlapping the Amish & the English & crime.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Aileen Arnold
- 06-08-18
I like a good mystery. very good story. Good one!
Most heartwarming part was the cemetery. She loved him so. I knew the grandparents would take Baby Doe.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Maine Knitter
- 06-09-15
Excellent short story
A very short story in the fabulous Kate Burkholder series and very well done.
Kate investigates an abandoned newborn. I was very thankful the story didn't involve murder - I was worried. Personal issues for Kate seem to be stable but where do they go from here?
A nice taste of what's to come in the next book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!