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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.
librarygirlreads's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rmarcin's review
4.0
In the latest installment of the Kate Burkholder series, a young former Amish woman, Rachael Schwartz, is found bludgeoned to death in a motel room. The vicious attack is so horrendous and terrible, and made worse since Kate knew the woman when she was a rebellious child. Kate knows that Rachael continued her wild ways as an adult, and asks Loretta, Rachael's childhood friend for help. Loretta tells Kate about an attack on Rachael when they were 17. To Kate's horror, she knows the person, but she doesn't realize until too late all the consequences.
This was another solid Burkholder story, I enjoyed the camaraderie of Kate and her staff, and her relationship with Tomasetti. My one issue was that there was a few repetitive parts of the book that could have been improved with editing.
This was another solid Burkholder story, I enjoyed the camaraderie of Kate and her staff, and her relationship with Tomasetti. My one issue was that there was a few repetitive parts of the book that could have been improved with editing.
devonsbooknook's review
4.0
Painter’s Mill Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called to a murder scene at a local motel. A woman was horrifically beaten to death and even more shocking—Kate knew her when she was young. She was a fellow Amish girl who also left the fold. When she was a kid she was rebellious but charming. What brought her back to Painter’s Mill? Did someone here murder her? And why?
Not much for me to say on this one. I always enjoy the Linda Castillo “Kate Burkholder” books. They are solid and easy to read.
Not much for me to say on this one. I always enjoy the Linda Castillo “Kate Burkholder” books. They are solid and easy to read.
mariasimson's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very hard book to put down. The plot was amazing and I loved getting to know the intricate secrets and lifestyles of the Amish community. This book is part of the Kate Burkholder series so there is a lot of repetition on who Kate Burkholder is and how she came to the position as chief. I also liked the way the author wrote because it held a lot of suspense. Overall, this book was amazing and the plot was something unexpected.
candaceross321's review
5.0
I picked this up for a book group with no idea what to expect. I certainly wasn’t expecting a brutal murder in Amish country, and in an area I’ve driven through just a few hours from home! I’ve been looking for a new series and look forward to going back to the beginning to get to know Chief Kate better.
reneesmith's review against another edition
5.0
Riveting & Entertaining. Why can't I make these Kate Burkholder stories last longer? They're just too good! Now I have to wait a year for another check in with Kate & Tomasetti.
brandy_reads's review
3.0
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC and Minotaur Books for the ARC.
Pub date July 6 2021
If you look this up on Goodreads you will see that it is book 13 in the Kate Burkholder series. Don't let that put you off, this still reads well as a stand alone novel.
I mostly listened to this and picked up the book here and there on an evening if I had finished the audio at the very end of a chapter. The narrator was good and the pace of the novel was perfect, it didn't skip over anything but also didn't get bogged down in tiny details.
I guessed the murderer early on just by chance, and I put thy "why" together before it was fully revealed too. This didn't affect my enjoyment of the novel because it still took a direction I wasn't expecting towards the end. What didn't work for me was I found certain things to be repetitive. For example, descriptions of Rachel's character, yes, she was wild, a troublemaker and quick to anger, all things that were very important to know about her, however, I didn't need to hear it from quite so many peope. Also Burkholder's vehicle, an Explorer, mentioned constantly.
This was an easy read/listen that I would recommend to fans of police procedurals and light suspense. I would be interested to start at the beginning of the series and work my way through.
TW (MILD SPOILER ALERT) -the description of Rachel's injuries was pretty gruesome, there is also an incident with sexual assault - it wasn't graphic but it was hard hitting especially as I didn't see it coming which just added to the shock.
Pub date July 6 2021
If you look this up on Goodreads you will see that it is book 13 in the Kate Burkholder series. Don't let that put you off, this still reads well as a stand alone novel.
I mostly listened to this and picked up the book here and there on an evening if I had finished the audio at the very end of a chapter. The narrator was good and the pace of the novel was perfect, it didn't skip over anything but also didn't get bogged down in tiny details.
I guessed the murderer early on just by chance, and I put thy "why" together before it was fully revealed too. This didn't affect my enjoyment of the novel because it still took a direction I wasn't expecting towards the end. What didn't work for me was I found certain things to be repetitive. For example, descriptions of Rachel's character, yes, she was wild, a troublemaker and quick to anger, all things that were very important to know about her, however, I didn't need to hear it from quite so many peope. Also Burkholder's vehicle, an Explorer, mentioned constantly.
This was an easy read/listen that I would recommend to fans of police procedurals and light suspense. I would be interested to start at the beginning of the series and work my way through.
TW (MILD SPOILER ALERT) -the description of Rachel's injuries was pretty gruesome, there is also an incident with sexual assault - it wasn't graphic but it was hard hitting especially as I didn't see it coming which just added to the shock.
constantreader471's review against another edition
4.0
4 solid stars for another excellent addition to this series.
All of Linda Castillo's books start off with a bang. This one is no exception. A violent, horrific murder starts off the book in the first chapter. My wife and I both enjoy this series. Kate Burkholder is the police chief in a fictional small town in Northeast Ohio, called Painters Mill. She has a small force of 5 and 1/2 (1 part timer) officers, including Kate. She was born Amish but left the congregation many years ago, after an incident explained earlier in the series. After spending several years with a big city police department, she accepts the Painters Mill offer to become Police Chief because of her Amish background. About half of the town population is Amish.
Kate is in a relationship with John Tomasetti, a detective with the Ohio BCI(Bureau of Criminal Investigation). Kate does solve the murder. There are some twists and turns in the plot. The plot moves along briskly, and I feel like the recurring characters are old friends after reading 15 books in the series, including 2 short stories.
I recommend that you read this series in order, as there are continuing plot lines that explain Kate's past.
One quote: "The death of a child is the worst news that a parent can receive. It's the kind of slow agony they take with them to the grave. It changes the order of their world. Steals the joy from their lives, their hope for the future."
Thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and Linda Castillo for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
All of Linda Castillo's books start off with a bang. This one is no exception. A violent, horrific murder starts off the book in the first chapter. My wife and I both enjoy this series. Kate Burkholder is the police chief in a fictional small town in Northeast Ohio, called Painters Mill. She has a small force of 5 and 1/2 (1 part timer) officers, including Kate. She was born Amish but left the congregation many years ago, after an incident explained earlier in the series. After spending several years with a big city police department, she accepts the Painters Mill offer to become Police Chief because of her Amish background. About half of the town population is Amish.
Kate is in a relationship with John Tomasetti, a detective with the Ohio BCI(Bureau of Criminal Investigation). Kate does solve the murder. There are some twists and turns in the plot. The plot moves along briskly, and I feel like the recurring characters are old friends after reading 15 books in the series, including 2 short stories.
I recommend that you read this series in order, as there are continuing plot lines that explain Kate's past.
One quote: "The death of a child is the worst news that a parent can receive. It's the kind of slow agony they take with them to the grave. It changes the order of their world. Steals the joy from their lives, their hope for the future."
Thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and Linda Castillo for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.