Review: Long Lost

Review: Long LostLong Lost (Kate Burkholder, #4.5) by Linda Castillo
Series: Kate Burkholder #4.5
Published by Minotaur Books on May 7, 2013
Genres: Mystery
Pages: 58
Goodreads
three-half-stars

A Short Novella Better for Romance Than Mystery

FINAL DECISION: This was a nice little novella. There was a mystery, but it was a simple one without much drama or thrill. For me, the best part was the relationship between Kate and John and their inability to relax.

THE STORY: Kate Burkholder, a police chief and her lover John Tomasetti are taking a well deserved vacation at a bed and breakfast when a 20 year old mystery of a missing woman tempts them away from their relaxation into investigating what happened.

OPINION: Part of my favorite parts of this series is the interactions between Kate and John. Their dark pasts have made their relationship a rocky one. Here, Kate and John have a chance to relax, but their relationship remains tricky for them so they slide into an investigation rather than dealing with their relationship. For me, that was more interesting than the mystery here.

WORTH MENTIONING: This novella is very short. In my Kindle version, 25% was a preview for another book.

CONNECTED BOOKS: LONG LOST is book 4.5 in the Kate Burkholder series. It can be read as a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.

three-half-stars

Review: Gone Missing

Review: Gone MissingGone Missing (Kate Burkholder, #4) by Linda Castillo
Series: Kate Burkholder #4
Published by Minotaur Books on June 19, 2012
Genres: Mystery
Pages: 276
Goodreads
five-stars

Scary Heart Pounding Thriller Set in Amish Country

FINAL DECISION: This is one scary book with a ultimate reveal being quite surprising. Having Kate and John be able to spend more time together in a different location helps develop their relationship and shows a different side to Kate.

THE STORY: Something is happening to Amish teens, there have been some mysterious disappearances in Ohio. Kate, with her experience of having been Amish and also being police chief of a town with a significant Amish population is asked to consult on the cases. She will be working with her friend and lover John Tomasetti at his request. When one of the disappearances becomes a murder investigation, Kate fears for a missing teen in her own town.

OPINION: This was a thrilling book. Puzzling and then frightening with a mystery with many layers so that the ultimate solution was not predictable, this book was one that kept me switching between suspects until the end. I really liked that Kate is out of her element here. It allows her to have a different role that doesn’t get bogged down in the practicalities of her normal police work. It also allows her to have a different experience working with John. I am a big fan of the relationship between these two damaged people and I like to see how they are making halting moves towards one another.

The climax of this story was really scary and even though I knew that things would turn out okay (there are more books in the series after all), I still felt the danger that Kate was in.

WORTH MENTIONING: The personal relationship between Kate and John takes a new turn in this book.

CONNECTED BOOKS: GONE MISSING is the fourth book in the Kate Burkholder series. The book is a mystery crime thriller and can read as a standalone. It does, however, contain a continuing personal story about Kate’s reaction to her job and also her relationship with John Tomasetti that continues through the series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

five-stars

Review: Breaking Silence

Review: Breaking SilenceBreaking Silence (Kate Burkholder, #3) by Linda Castillo
Series: Kate Burkholder #3
Published by Minotaur Books on March 27, 2012
Genres: Mystery
Pages: 308
Goodreads
four-half-stars

Thrilling Mystery Based in Amish Country

“This was one of those times when justice will make for a very cold bedfellow.”

FINAL DECISION: Emotional, gripping and at times really scary, BREAKING SILENCE is a great addition to a fantastic series. Kate is a strong woman who can be admired even as her world is at times spinning out of control.

THE STORY: Kate Burkholder, police chief of a small town has seen the burden of recent cases beginning to wear upon her. She is drinking too much and has almost constant insomnia. A tragic accident on an Amish farm results in several children being orphaned. When what appears to be a horrible but routine accident turns into a murder investigation, Kate’s own past being raised Amish and her natural sympathy for the orphaned children make her determined to find out what happened to this family. A possible connection to a recent string of hate crimes against the Amish bring Kate’s friend and lover John Tomasetti to town.

OPINION: Every book in this series is compelling. The close emotional connection that Kate has to these cases makes the drama more immediate and also tears at Kate as a character. The reason I like these books is because the journey that Kate is on. I can read a standard mystery anywhere. What I like is compelling characters who I can care about. I am enthralled by Kate’s difficulties and her developing relationship with John. The mysteries drive the drama but I like these books because they give me more than a whodunnit. This book has a twisty mystery and more insight into Kate’s psyche.

WORTH MENTIONING: I enjoy how the book moves between Kate’s first person narrative and the third party narrative of other characters. This is true throughout the series, but I think this technique gives Kate’s voice primary emphasis while including the views of other characters.

CONNECTED BOOKS: BREAKING SILENCE is the third book in the Kate Burkholder series. It can be read as a standalone although there are ongoing relationships and issues concerning Kate that are played out throughout the series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

four-half-stars

Review: Pray for Silence

Review: Pray for SilencePray for Silence (Kate Burkholder, #2) by Linda Castillo
Series: Kate Burkholder #2
Published by Minotaur Books on June 22, 2010
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery
Goodreads
five-stars

Everything You Could Want in a Crime Thriller/Mystery

“Some cases are more complicated than others.”

FINAL DECISION: A satisfying mystery combined with continued revelations and painful parallels to Kate’s past and those of her lover John. PRAY FOR SILENCE is a worthy sequel to the first book in this series.

THE STORY: Chief of Police Kate Burkholder straddles two worlds. Having grown up Amish, she understands and respects the people, but she also rejected the life and now lives apart from them. Ten months after the horrific events in SWORN TO SILENCE, things have returned to normal except that Kate has an on again off again lover in John Tomasetti and Kate’s own demons seem closer to the surface. Painters Mill is struck by another horrific event as a whole Amish family is brutally murdered. The Platt family had moved to Painters Mill only a year ago and now an entire family is wiped out. Although the family seemed normal, Kate knows that every family can harbor dark secrets.

OPINION: This is one scary book. There are many twists and turns which make is a great mystery. What makes is a great thriller is how haunted Kate is by her own past and how that intertwines and makes more immediate the murders here. Not only is there a difficult murder mystery to solve but readers also get more revelations about Kate’s own past, her shaky mental stability and the way that the past seems to bleed into Kate’s work. More about John’s own problems are revealed as he has weaned himself from his addiction to prescription drugs but instead suffers debilitating anxiety attacks. I loved how these two closed people warily circle one another wanting and fearing a connection between them. The emphasis in this book is always on the crime but it is always shown through the first person narrative of Kate. The personal connection is what makes these crimes especially relevant and keeps them from being intellectual exercises.

WORTH MENTIONING: There are some graphic depictions of violence involving murder and rape.

CONNECTED BOOKS: PRAY FOR SILENCE is the second book in the Kate Burkholder series. It can be read independent of the first book in the series, but there are ongoing stories that make this book richer and for that the books should be read in order.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

five-stars

Review: Sworn to Silence

Review: Sworn to SilenceSworn to Silence (Kate Burkholder, #1) by Linda Castillo
Series: Kate Burkholder #1
Published by Minotaur Books on May 25, 2010
Genres: Mystery
Pages: 368
Goodreads
five-stars

Compelling, Thrilling Mystery with a Touch of Romance

“I dream of death.”

FINAL DECISION: A good mystery mixed with a troubled and competent chief of police, secrets that threaten her career and perhaps her life and scary drama. Clear, well written and complex, this story kicks of the series and made me immediately want to read the next book.

THE STORY: Kate Burkholder grew up Amish in simple innocence until she was brutally attacked at the age of 14. The aftermath of her attack led her to rebellion and a crisis of faith and had her leave the Amish. She has now returned to her hometown — no longer Amish but now the Chief of Police. When a serial killer murders a woman in a way that is reminiscent of the Slaughterhouse Killer from sixteen years ago, the town panics that the killer has returned. Kate, however, knows that the Slaugherhouse Killer is dead, but can’t tell anyone else. What she doesn’t know is who is killing women now and why are the killings so similar to those of the Slaughterhouse Killer?

OPINION: I ended up buying this book on a lark because Amazon had it as a Daily Deal at a reduced price. I like tough women who solve mysteries so I decided to try this book out. I am incredibly glad I did because this book was fantastic. I immediately bought the rest of the series and plan on reading them soon.

Having grown up Amish and then rejecting that life, Kate lives with a foot in each of the worlds that collide in the town of Painters Mill, Ohio. A small town with a significant Amish population, she has to navigate the tricky politics and cultures that intersect in the town.

Kate also has dark secrets that have haunted her and her family for years and which have caused a divide that along with her rejection of the Amish life, have left her alone even with her family living in the same town.

For a mystery novel, I ask that the solution not be obvious but also that once the reveal happens that the solution makes sense. This book meets that standard. Readers should also be aware that there are some graphic depictions of the crimes and some graphic violence during the novel. I didn’t think it was overly graphic and it was appropriate for the subject matter and not gratuitous.

There are some quirky secondary characters that bring necessary humor to the story without taking over. Also, readers are introduced to John Tomasetti, who works with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation. John is addicted to prescription drugs and alcohol after the murders of his wife and children and is sent to help with the murder investigation under the assumption that he will fail. His own dark past is also an issue here and readers are left to wonder if John will help solve the crime or destroy Kate’s career.

All the questions and problems with Kate and John’s pasts are not resolved in this book — neither is their relationship, but this is the first book in the series and it appears that more will be explored in future novels.

WORTH MENTIONING: After reading this book, I recommended it to my mother. I told her it reminds me of J.D. Robb’s In Death series (without the futuristic elements) and Kay Hooper’s SCU series (without the paranormal elements). So if you like either of those, try this.

CONNECTED BOOKS: SWORN TO SILENCE is the first book in the Kate Burkholder series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

five-stars

Review: A Gathering of Secrets

I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Review: A Gathering of SecretsA Gathering of Secrets (Kate Burkholder, #10) by Linda Castillo
Series: Kate Burkholder #10
Published by Minotaur Books on July 10, 2018
Genres: Mystery
Pages: 308
Goodreads
four-half-stars

 

“Some people say murder is a senseless act. I don’t agree. There’s no doubt murder is a brutal act. It’s a cruel act. An immoral act. It’s wrong in the eyes of the law. A sin in the eyes of God. Murder is an unthinkable deed in the mind of any decent human being. But murder is rarely senseless.”

FINAL DECISION: A great mystery that is deeply grounded in character and relationships rather than forensics and clues. Kate is deeply involved emotionally in this one and I really like seeing how her character has grown in the series. This one has lots of twists and turns and I couldn’t put it down.

THE STORY: The burning of an Amish barn brings Chief of Police Kate Burkholder to the scene, but the arson case turns to a murder investigation when the body of an eighteen year old boy is found inside. As Kate tries to determine who would want to kill a young man who by all accounts was a hard worker and a good person, Kate begins to discover that there are secrets that no one wants to talk about which might be a motive for murder.

OPINION: This one was a page turner. The book has lots of twists and things are not what they appear. This book is deeply entrenched in the personal. The secrets that people keep and the fears and shame and guilt that surround those secrets. As the story winds its way through to its conclusion, I liked that the sense of right and wrong is challenged on all sides. People who seem sympathetic might not be. People who seem good make terrible choices and take terrible actions.

These books work best for me when Kate is deeply involved not only on a professional, but also a personal level and this book succeeds in that. Kate is fully engaged as the mystery brings out many parts of her life. The story feels personal even if Kate doesn’t know the people involved.

I thought the mystery was very good and while I had glimpses of the ultimate resolution, I really didn’t put it together until the end. And there were plenty of shocking surprises along the way to keep me glued to the pages.

Beyond the mystery, there were also several developments with the ongoing characters that I enjoyed. And there is a real sense of growth of these characters which I appreciated. For readers of the series, it is nice to see that events and time change these characters and they are not kept in stasis to just solve crimes.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book has some good moments between Kate and Tomasetti for those who are interested in their relationship.

CONNECTED BOOKS: A GATHERING OF SECRETS is the tenth book in the Kate Burkholder series. This is a series of separate mystery stories. There are overarching character developments, but this book can be read as a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to prepare this review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

 

four-half-stars

Review: In Dark Company

Review: In Dark CompanyIn Dark Company (Kate Burkholder #9.5) by Linda Castillo
Series: Kate Burkholder #9.5
Published by Minotaur Books on May 29, 2018
Genres: Mystery
Pages: 60
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: A little mystery that is centered in the characters. I always enjoy seeing Kate doing her work. Wish there was a little more Tomasetti.

THE STORY: Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is awoken with a call about a woman who has run out of the night fleeing a mysterious man. The woman claims to have amnesia but knows that someone is trying to kill her. Kate has to find out who the woman is and discover if she is the victim or a criminal herself.

OPINION: I enjoyed this story but I missed the interaction between Kate and Tomasetti. While I appreciate that she is the main character and I expect in the large books that she will be acting as Chief of Police and an independent woman, I’ve liked the short stories the best when we get to see the two of them working together.

The story was a well crafted mystery with a definite and clear arc in the story. The characters were well designed for such a short story.

WORTH MENTIONING: This is a short story that focuses on a mystery with no romance involved.

CONNECTED BOOKS: IN DARK COMPANY is book 9.5 in the Kate Burkholder series.  This is a standalone mystery can be read without knowledge of any of the other books.

STAR RATING: I give this story 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: Down a Dark Road

Review: Down a Dark RoadDown a Dark Road (Kate Burkholder, #9) by Linda Castillo
Series: Kate Burkholder #9
Published by Minotaur Books on July 11th 2017
Genres: Mystery
Pages: 320
Goodreads
four-half-stars

FINAL DECISION:  A strong mystery made important by the personal emotional journey of Kate makes this book compelling.  The force of the book comes not only from the twisty mystery but also the strength of Kate’s emotional involvement.  Plus some sweet time with John.

THE STORY:  As this story begins, the series heroine Kate Burkholder is still the chief of police of her small town in Amish country.  She receives notification that a man, Joseph King as escaped from prison.  An Amish man convicted of murdering his wife, police believe there is possibility he will come for his five children who are living in Kate’s jurisdiction.  Kate knows Joseph King.  He was her first crush when the two were children but they haven’t seen one another since Kate was fourteen.  When she is ambushed by King, who has taken his children hostage, she hears a tale of a man who claims he did not murder his wife but was framed.  At first, Kate doesn’t believe anything King says until things begin to seem strange in the supposedly straightforward story.

OPINION:  This book proves what I believe about this series — the best stories are ones where Kate is personally connected and invested in the outcome.  While the mystery is good on any level, her personal connection, the struggles the investigation causes for her are what kept me reading this book.

This case tests Kate on both a personal and a professional level.  Kate has so little space for innocence in her life that the corruption of one of her sweet childhood memories challenges her.  Her adult cop skepticism and her belief in her childhood friend clash dramatically as she struggles to reconcile what she knows the truth is and what her intuition tells her.  The complication here is that her police intuition keeps taking her in different directions.

The fascinating thing here is that this book is also a journey of innocence, loss of innocence and holding on to something pure in the past.  Although the lives of all those children have become more complicated, more nuanced and less pure and innocent, something of those people still remains in the adults they have become.

I don’t want to discuss any of the particulars of the mystery since that is the central part of the story, but I really enjoyed the interaction between Kate and the Amish community here as she navigates her investigation.  This book relies less on the Amish customs as a hook in the story.  Indeed, this book is of the Amish community without being about the community.  The story could have taken place anywhere with anyone.

There is a common theme of the dark underbelly of what appears innocent and good.  This series often uses this in terms of the Amish community.  The same appears here, but there is another twist that I really enjoyed.

This series continues to be a compelling read for me and I highly recommend it for those who love mystery with some romance on the side.

WORTH MENTIONING:  Although this book isn’t classified as a romance, I’m still compelled by the romance between Kate and BCI State agent John Tomasetti continues to pull me in although there is little drama between them and thus less “screen time”.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  DOWN A DARK ROAD is the ninth book in the Kate Burkholder series.  This is a self-contained mystery novel but, of course, there are recurring characters and relationships secondary to the mystery.  This book can be read as a standalone although it is better to be immersed in the overarching personal story as well.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4.5 stars.

NOTE:  I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions contained herein are my own.

four-half-stars

Review: Only the Lucky

Review: Only the LuckyOnly the Lucky (Kate Burkholder, #8.5) by Linda Castillo
Series: Kate Burkholder #8.5
Published by Minotaur Books on May 23rd 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery
Pages: 56
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION:  This is a nice short story in the Kate Buckholder universe. The story isn’t particularly complicated but gives a small sense of the overarching issues that are invested in the series — Amish-English relationship and conflict, Kate’s work as a small town police chief and her romance.

THE STORY:  It is Friday the 13th in Painters Mill and plenty is going wrong.  A “rager” is being held where both Amish and English are attending.  Drinking, drugs and all sorts of problems that young people can get into are expected and enough to give Kate a headache. At the same time, an accident causes a power outage in town.  When one of the Amish girls attending the rager is attacked and left for dead, Kate has to find out who wanted to hurt this young woman.

OPINION:  I enjoyed this story although the solution seemed pretty basic to me and I figured it out almost immediately.  I did like, however, this glimpse of Kate who seems much more settled and happy. I wish we had seen more of her and Tomasetti because I really love their relationship but we did see how peaceful they are right now which was nice.

Because of the length of this story, things happen pretty quickly. I also liked the secondary romance in the story and was surprised at how well everything dropped into place with all the moving parts of the story and the various characters.

The novels in this series tend to be much more angst driven so it was nice to see a more uncomplicated mystery for Kate to solve.

WORTH MENTIONING: This is a very short story and only gives a small taste of the series.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  ONLY THE LUCKY is a short story that is 8.5 of the Kate Buckholder series. This story is a taste and introduction to the series for new readers and a bridge story for readers of the series.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: Among the Wicked

I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Review: Among the WickedAmong the Wicked (Kate Burkholder #8) by Linda Castillo
Series: Kate Burkholder #8
Published by Minotaur Books on July 12th 2016
Genres: Mystery
Pages: 320
Goodreads
five-stars

“Maybe Tomasetti was right. Maybe I’d get up there and find myself in over my head. Then I thought of the dead fifteen-year-old Amish girl, the forty children at risk, and an Amish community that has fallen under suspicion, and I realize that I didn’t have a choice. All I can do is my best.  It’s all any of us can offer.  I hope it’s enough.”

FINAL DECISION:  I am in love with these books.  They satisfy my love for mystery and romance.  This book has a mystery that kept me guessing and even gave me a jolt of surprise at the end.  At the same time, I felt a deep connection with Kate as a character.

THE STORY: Police Chief Kate Burkholder is asked to take on a potentially dangerous undercover assignment.  She is to infiltrate an Amish community in New York to see what is going on in the reclusive group because there are hints that children may be at risk including a teenager recently found dead.  Kate’s background growing up Amish makes her the only reasonable option, but this assignment increases tensions with her live in lover.

OPINION:  I have become a big fan of the Kate Burkholder books.  They are a perfect melding of mystery with romance. This book allows Kate to consider her choice to leave her Amish community and explore a what-if life while aggressively pursing the mystery of what is happening in this New York state Amish community.

This case cries out for Kate’s particular talents since she grew up Amish.  There is something strange going on in this small Amish community and police need someone to go undercover.  With a charismatic and intensely conservative bishop, the community has shut itself almost completely from the surrounding community.  Kate is pretty happy in her current situation and so this assignment shakes up her life a bit.

Cut off from all that is familiar to her, Kate ends up emotionally shedding almost all that she believes makes her who she is.  Instead she has to confront everything that she left behind.  Sometimes when we are forced to leave, we don’t want to remember that there are things that we might miss. Thing that might be better even if we are doing the right thing.  Kate is confronted with that reality.  Apart from the complications and personal relationships in Ohio, she sees that there are parts of the Amish community that she misses.

The assignment also tosses a wrench into Kate’s relationship with her lover John Tomasetti.  John’s own past and losses make him overprotective of Kate. What I love about their relationship is that they talk and respect one another.  Despite them being apart, this book shows them growing even closer.

“Tomasetti knows me. He knows how my mind works.  He knows, better than anyone, that I’m driven and flawed.  That sometimes I try too hard and can be a sore loser. He knows that when I sink my teeth into a case, I can’t let it go, sometimes to my own detriment. He understands all those things. And yet he loves me anyways.”

This book ends up being the perfect balance between personal and mystery.  Kate’s journey makes the mystery relevant.  I also was surprised by the ultimate reveal in the story. I always respect a mystery that outwits me and yet makes perfect sense.

My only complaint is that now I have to wait for the next book in the series.

WORTH MENTIONING:  Trust no one.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  AMONG THE WICKED is the eighth book in the Kate Burkholder series.  Each of the books is an independent mystery book, but there are overarching story elements involving Kate’s life.  The book can be read on its own, however.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 5 stars.

five-stars