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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review
4.0
Fallen by Linda Castillo starts off with a bang courtesy of a horrific, bloody murder. Even seasoned Police Chief Kate Burkholder has a hard time with the crime scene at the local motel. The victim turns out to be Rachael Schwartz whom Kate babysat as a child. Rachael left the community and became Englisch when she was seventeen. Rachael is the type of person who did not pull any punches. She pulled pranks, got into mischief, and managed to annoy most of the people she encountered. Rachael still did not deserve to die in that manner. Kate with help from John Tomasetti sets out to find Rachael’s killer. The characters in this series are complex, developed, and realistic. I especially enjoy Kate and John’s relationship. They are cute together and John understands Kate. I like the mix of Englisch and Amish. The mystery was well-done. It was well-plotted and a delight to solve. I enjoyed following Kate as she followed the clues, questioned suspects, and consulted with Tomasetti. There are subtle clues that can aid readers in identifying the guilty party. I did find the amount of violence (this one was a little extreme) and foul language to be a turn off (not enough to stop reading though). Fallen is the 13th A Kate Burkholder Novel. For those who are new to this series, Fallen can be read as a standalone. Personally, I have found it beneficial to read the series in order. Fallen is a complex whodunit with a motel murder, a rowdy rulebreaker, disappointed parents, severe violence, a cruel killer, and a committed chief of police.
theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
Fallen by Linda Castillo starts off with a bang courtesy of a horrific, bloody murder. Even seasoned Police Chief Kate Burkholder has a hard time with the crime scene at the local motel. The victim turns out to be Rachael Schwartz whom Kate babysat as a child. Rachael left the community and became Englisch when she was seventeen. Rachael is the type of person who did not pull any punches. She pulled pranks, got into mischief, and managed to annoy most of the people she encountered. Rachael still did not deserve to die in that manner. Kate with help from John Tomasetti sets out to find Rachael’s killer. The characters in this series are complex, developed, and realistic. I especially enjoy Kate and John’s relationship. They are cute together and John understands Kate. I like the mix of Englisch and Amish. The mystery was well-done. It was well-plotted and a delight to solve. I enjoyed following Kate as she followed the clues, questioned suspects, and consulted with Tomasetti. There are subtle clues that can aid readers in identifying the guilty party. I did find the amount of violence (this one was a little extreme) and foul language to be a turn off (not enough to stop reading though). Fallen is the 13th A Kate Burkholder Novel. For those who are new to this series, Fallen can be read as a standalone. Personally, I have found it beneficial to read the series in order. Fallen is a complex whodunit with a motel murder, a rowdy rulebreaker, disappointed parents, severe violence, a cruel killer, and a committed chief of police.
readwkatie's review
4.0
Kate Burkholder used to be a member of the local Amish community but left and became Chief of Police in a nearby town. When a woman turns up murdered, Kate recognizes her as Rachel, a little girl she used to babysit way back when. As Kate tries to uncover who could have done this and why, it becomes clear that Rachel had a major secret that someone is willing to kill for.
I really loved this read - especially the Amish aspects of it. I loved that we got to hear the traditional Amish vs. regular English language and the ways the society differs. To me, that was one of the most interesting parts about this read. I was pretty invested in the story line, but towards the end it felt a little bit dragged out for me. There was a twist at the end that I didn't see coming, which was a nice way to tie up the story. Overall, this was a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I really loved this read - especially the Amish aspects of it. I loved that we got to hear the traditional Amish vs. regular English language and the ways the society differs. To me, that was one of the most interesting parts about this read. I was pretty invested in the story line, but towards the end it felt a little bit dragged out for me. There was a twist at the end that I didn't see coming, which was a nice way to tie up the story. Overall, this was a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
anovelobsession's review
3.0
Another Kate Burkholder Amish mystery. I’ve read the whole series so far and I am invested in the main character - Police Chief of Painters Mill, Ohio, Kate Burkholder. Kate grew up Amish but left the fold when she was eighteen but her past helps her relate to the community which is predominately Amish. I have read so many of these that I literally knew why the victim was killed while I read the prologue
dixie1090's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
ehamlett's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
jacobra5's review
3.0
I appreciate that this book can be read as a standalone, despite being so far into a series. The minimization of explicit romance was refreshing, while showing more of the emotional connection between Kate (main character) and her SO.
The plot itself was perhaps not as believable as I would have expected. There are a few unanswered questions for me.
The plot itself was perhaps not as believable as I would have expected. There are a few unanswered questions for me.
stephshoff88's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
luciearan's review
4.0
*** Strmý pád ***
Autorce Lindě Castillo se nedá upřít, že pro své detektivní příběhy zvolila nejen výrazně osobitou hlavní hrdinku, ale i velice originální prostředí. A tak, a vlastně možná právě proto, se k celé sérii s láskou vracím. I přes to, že způsob, jakým jsou jednotlivé příběhy vystavěny, je v podstatě pokaždé stejný, dokáží samostatně pokaždé překvapit a vtáhnout do děje.
Tentokrát se příběh přeci jen poněkud lišil. Byl osobnější, méně předvídatelný, s ne jedním, ale hned několika překvapivými zvraty. Na čtivosti mu to rozhodně jen přidalo a ani to, že se romantická linka vinoucí se napříč celou sérií rozvíjí jen pozvolna, není ničemu na škodu.
Já si čtení jednotlivých dílů této série pokaždé užívám, a už teď se těším na díly.
Autorce Lindě Castillo se nedá upřít, že pro své detektivní příběhy zvolila nejen výrazně osobitou hlavní hrdinku, ale i velice originální prostředí. A tak, a vlastně možná právě proto, se k celé sérii s láskou vracím. I přes to, že způsob, jakým jsou jednotlivé příběhy vystavěny, je v podstatě pokaždé stejný, dokáží samostatně pokaždé překvapit a vtáhnout do děje.
Tentokrát se příběh přeci jen poněkud lišil. Byl osobnější, méně předvídatelný, s ne jedním, ale hned několika překvapivými zvraty. Na čtivosti mu to rozhodně jen přidalo a ani to, že se romantická linka vinoucí se napříč celou sérií rozvíjí jen pozvolna, není ničemu na škodu.
Já si čtení jednotlivých dílů této série pokaždé užívám, a už teď se těším na díly.
marisakucha's review
3.5
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one. It looked fairly interesting and it was something different than what I have been reading recently.
I liked that the detective was part of this community so there is still a bit of trust but people were wary. She has some insider knowledge, she remembers the victim from when she was a child so she’s close to the case but not directly involved.
The case exposed many secrets and numerous lives were impacted. It’s amazing that one event can change so much. The ending wasn’t that unexpected but it was decent. Mystery solved, everything was wrapped up and there’s a little to be determined ending.
There was a little romance/maybe it was to humanize the detective a bit more. It’s not the main focus of the story at all. It was more randomly brought up to show the support she had. Definitely a mystery book and I really liked that.
This is the first book I have read in the series and it can definitely be red as a standalone, I didn’t feel like I was lacking any information. I think I would read another book in the series. It was a decent mystery and easy read, and I like when things are all wrapped up at the end. It was slow at times but it’s not completely detrimental.
I liked that the detective was part of this community so there is still a bit of trust but people were wary. She has some insider knowledge, she remembers the victim from when she was a child so she’s close to the case but not directly involved.
The case exposed many secrets and numerous lives were impacted. It’s amazing that one event can change so much. The ending wasn’t that unexpected but it was decent. Mystery solved, everything was wrapped up and there’s a little to be determined ending.
There was a little romance/maybe it was to humanize the detective a bit more. It’s not the main focus of the story at all. It was more randomly brought up to show the support she had. Definitely a mystery book and I really liked that.
This is the first book I have read in the series and it can definitely be red as a standalone, I didn’t feel like I was lacking any information. I think I would read another book in the series. It was a decent mystery and easy read, and I like when things are all wrapped up at the end. It was slow at times but it’s not completely detrimental.