Ruth Benziger

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. Castillo is the recipient of numerous industry awards including a nomination by the International Thriller Writers for Best Hardcover, a nomination for the Mystery Writers of America’s Sue Grafton Memorial Award, and a nomination for an “Audie Award” for best mystery audiobook. Her work has appeared on numerous bestseller lists and earned a spot on the Boston Globe’s shortlist for best crime novel.

In addition to writing, Castillo’s other passion is horses. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, three Appaloosas, and two feisty, but loveable Blue Heelers.

In this electrifying thriller by New York Times bestseller Linda Castillo, Kate Burkholder must uncover a family’s long-hidden past to solve a brutal murder

When a tornado tears through Painters Mill and unearths human remains, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder finds herself tasked with the responsibility of identifying the bones–and notifying the family. Evidence quickly emerges that the death was no accident and Kate finds herself plunged into a thirty year old case that takes her deep into the Amish community to which she once belonged.

Meanwhile, turmoil of an emotional and personal nature strikes at the very heart of Kate’s budding relationship with state agent John Tomasetti. A reality that strains their fragile new love to the breaking point and threatens the refuge they’ve built for themselves–and their future.

Under siege from an unknown assailant–and her own personal demons–Kate digs deep into the case only to discover proof of an unimaginable atrocity, a plethora of family secrets and the lengths to which people will go to protect their own.

My Review

Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder, investigates 30-year-old remains found after a Tornado rips through Painters Mill and the surrounding counties. The remains found are hard to identify other than a surgical plant. We later find the identity to be of a Mennonite man with a connection to a family with long-held secrets. Secrets that not only became manifest but also shocked me when they led to murder and a twisted sense of justice.

Kate is also on the case to find a man who threatens her after trying to save a tornado victim. It leads to death, and Kate has to try to come to terms with what happened. Though we learn that things aren’t as appeared. I was saddened, and it helped keep the mystery and the action at the forefront for the reader while the investigation heats up.

In Kate’s personal life, she’s been living with John Tomasetti, a BCI agent, and they have a great thing going. Something major happens to them, and I was thrilled for them. However, it drives a wedge between them when hard discussions are had and even harsher words are exchanged. Despite the rift between them and this huge change, they manage to bind together. The ending of this made me incredibly sad. If you know, you know. It made me sad. However, based on comments, there might be a future that will lead these two down that path again if it goes that way.

Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called upon by the sheriff’s department in rural, upstate New York to assist on a developing situation that involves a reclusive Amish settlement and the death of a young girl. Unable to penetrate the wall of silence between the Amish and “English” communities, the sheriff asks Kate to travel to New York, pose as an Amish woman, and infiltrate the community.

Kate’s long time love interest, State Agent John Tomasetti, is dead set against her taking on such an unorthodox assignment, knowing she’ll have limited communication – and even less in the way of backup. But Kate can’t turn her back, especially when the rumor mill boils with disturbing accounts of children in danger. She travels to New York where she’s briefed and assumes her new identity as a lone widow seeking a new life.

Kate infiltrates the community and goes deep under cover. In the coming days, she unearths a world built on secrets, a series of shocking crimes, and herself, alone… trapped in a fight for her life.

My Review

Kate Burkholder is asked to assist in New York at an Amish community where a young girl was found dead in the snow. Her partner and live-in lover, John Tomasetti, is dead set against it, but Kate usually gets her way. Kate goes undercover as an Amish woman to discern what is going on in the community that is averse to outsiders.

Let me tell you that I had a different idea of what was going on here than what ended up being shown in the light. I was maybe along the lines of a Bishop with strict rules and some kind of offhand personality. What we find is that there is much more going on in this community than meets the eye. Everyone is afraid to talk, and Kate poking around and asking questions doesn’t at all bode well for her.

I found this to be really interesting because we see Kate as an Amish woman, looking at a life that she would’ve lived had she not left the community as a young adult. But we also see her sense of right and wrong, and the ingrained part of her that is a cop. Her job is who she is, and in this story, it saves her life and the lives of others.

This was really good, and I found the storyline to be even better. I keep saying, “Be careful who you trust,” and I’m always right. Especially in a mystery like this. I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what was going on, and we don’t get the truth until the very end. It will leave you holding your breath and outraged when we find the truth!

Two years ago, Joseph King was convicted of murdering his wife and sentenced to life in prison. He was a “fallen” Amish man and a known drug user with a violent temper. Now King has escaped, and he’s headed for Painters Mill.

News of a murderer on the loose travels like wildfire, putting Chief of Police Kate Burkholder and her team of officers on edge. But this is personal for Kate. She grew up with Joseph King. As a thirteen year old Amish girl, she’d worshipped the ground he walked on. She never could have imagined the nightmare scenario that becomes reality when King shows up with a gun and takes his five children hostage at their Amish uncle’s farm. Armed and desperate, he has nothing left to lose.

Fearing for the safety of the children, Kate makes contact with King only to find herself trapped with a killer. Or is he? All King asks of her is to help him prove his innocence—and he releases her unharmed. Kate is skeptical, but when the facts and the evidence don’t align, she begins to wonder who she should trust. Spurned by some of her fellow cops, she embarks on her own investigation only to unearth an unspeakable secret—and someone who is willing to commit murder to keep it buried.

My Review

Chief of Police Kate Burkholder gets a call about an inmate who escaped. An inmate by the name of Joseph King, who two years prior had been convicted of killing his wife. Burkholder was informed because she was on the notify list, and his five children are staying with a family in Panters Mill. While on patrol near the Beachy family home, Kate is ambushed and taken hostage by King.

He tells her that he did not kill his wife and begs her to take a second look at his case. However, despite his request, Kate doesn’t believe him and has no intention of looking into it. Her only concern is getting the five children out of the home safely. Over and over, King tells her his story about him not being a good man but still being innocent of his wife’s murder.

After the situation unfolds and Kate is released, she starts asking questions, looking into files that are sanitized, and looking into the old case, only to find that something sinister is going on.

I wasn’t sure where this was going, even though I had my suspicions. There were too many things that didn’t make sense and things that seemed brushed off and swept under the rug. Only an investigator like Kate, a dog with a bone-mentality, could uncover the truth and the secrets that were buried.

I was rather entertained by the outcome of this story and the complexity. Of course, Kate puts her life on the line. And in true Tomasetti fashion, he’s there to talk things over, offer his perspective, and worry because he knows she won’t let it go until she finds the truth.

Well, she did. She found the truth, almost lost her life, and a BCI investigation ensued. I’m a little sad that I didn’t get to see what happened with a certain character, but I’m hoping it’ll be mentioned in the future. If not, I can draw my own conclusions on what will happen.

What is incredibly creative and uniquely Linda Castillo is that she manages to bring Kate’s past to the forefront. King lived next door to her when she was a child. This gives her a unique perspective, but it also has her constantly saying goodbye to parts of her past. I find that the full circle ending of parts of her leads us to the depth of the character and makes me respect and love Kate all the more.