49. The Hidden One (#14 Kate Burkholder) by Linda Castillo

listened on Audible

2022
320 pgs.
Adult Murder Mystery - Series

Finished 7/12/22
Goodreads rating: 4.35
My rating: 4
Setting: Contemporary Lewistown, PA

My comments: This episode takes Kate to just outside Lewistown, Pennsylvania, where she is investigating a murder charge that has been imposed on her first love/lover.  The story of their encounters when she was 15 and he was 19 are interspersed throughout the story.  The murder was of an 86-year old Bishop who was an over-the-top asshole and as she discovers more and more about him the pieces start fitting together. There were a lot of coincidences ... need to sharpen up the story and make it either more believable or less believable, right now I'm not sure!  Kept my attention, better than some of her previous ones.

Goodreads synopsis:  The discovery of an Amish bishop's remains leads chief of police Kate Burkholder to unearth a chilling secret in The Hidden One, a new thriller from bestselling author Linda Castillo.

Over a decade ago, beloved Amish bishop Ananias Stoltzfus disappeared without a trace. When skeletal remains showing evidence of foul play are unearthed, his disappearance becomes even more sinister.

The town’s elders arrive in Painters Mill to ask chief of police Kate Burkholder for help, but she quickly realizes she has a personal connection to the crime. The handsome Amish man who stands accused of the murder, Jonas Bowman, was Kate’s first love. Forced to confront a painful episode from her past, Kate travels to Pennsylvania’s Kishacoquillas Valley, where the Amish culture differs dramatically from the traditions she knows. Though Bishop Stoltzfus was highly respected, she soon hears about a dark side to this complex man. What was he hiding that resulted in his own brutal death?

Someone doesn’t want Kate asking questions. But even after being accosted and threatened in the dead of night, she refuses to back down. Is she too close to the case―and to Jonas―to see clearly? There’s a killer in the Valley who will stop at nothing to keep the past buried. Will they get to Kate before she can expose the truth? Or will the bishop’s secrets remain hidden forever?

68. Disappeared - Short Story by Linda Castillo

#12.5 Kate Burkholder

2021

54 pgs.
Adult mystery short story
Finished  6/24/2021
Goodreads rating: 4.22 - 908 ratings
My rating: 3
Setting: contemporary Painters Mill, Ohio

First line/s: "It had been a long time since he'd been this kind of scared."

My comments: A two-year old toddler has been "kidnapped" by his non-Amish dad, and kate has to figure it out by piecing bits of evidence together.  There were hardly any surprises, pretty straightforward, another almost-trite (but memorable) Kate Burkholder installment.

Goodreads synopsis:   Chief of Police Kate Burkholder races against the clock to find a missing child in this new original short story from New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo.
        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?

103. In Plain Sight by Linda Castillo

#10.5 Kate Burkholder, Ohio Amish Country Chief of Police
listened on my iPhone - own on Audible
narrated  by Kathleen McInerney
Unabridged audio (1:51)
2019 Minotaur Books
67 pgs.
Adult Murder Mystery in a series - short story
Finished 10/22/19
Goodreads rating: 4.01 - 954 ratings
My rating: 3.5
Setting: contemporary Painters Mill, Ohio

First line/s: "Darkness pressed down on him with an almost physical force."

My comments:
A straight-forward, simple-to-solve short story /novella set in familiar Kate Burkholder territory in Amish Country/Painters Mill, Ohio.  In this one it's nice to discover that the victim, for once, doesn't die, despite horrific injuries.  In this one, an Englisher high schooler and an Amish boy on rumspringa are dating.

Goodreads synopsis:  From Linda Castillo, the New York Times bestselling author of A Gathering of Secrets, comes a new Kate Burkholder short mystery, In Plain Sight: a story of star-crossed love and murder in Amish country.
          Seventeen year old Amish boy, Noah Kline, is struck by a car as he walks alongside a dark country road late one night in Painters Mill. Seriously injured, he lapses into a coma. Initially, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder believes it’s a straightforward hit and run, a driver that panicked and fled. But evidence soon emerges that the incident wasn’t accidental at all--and Kate uncovers a story of teenage passion and jealousy that may have led to attempted murder.

68. Shamed by Linda Castillo

# 11 Kate Burkholder, Chief of Police in Painter's Mill (Amish Country), Ohio
listened on Audible
read by Kathleen McInerney
Unabridged audio (9:14)
2019 Minotaur Books
304 pgs.
Adult Mystery
Finished 7/26/2019
Goodreads rating: 4.36 - 1699 ratings
My rating: 3
Setting: Contemporary Amish Country, Ohio

First line/s: "No one went to the old Shattenbaum place anymore."

My comments: It took me about 30 pages to figure out what was going to happen.  So formulaic.  So disappointing.  I still keep reading them because I love the setting and Kate Burkholder, but there's nothing new, no character growth, she even keeps saying the same things, book after book....

Goodreads synopsis:  An Amish grandmother is murdered on an abandoned farm, her seven year old granddaughter abducted. Chief of Police Kate Burkholder plunges headlong into a case that quickly becomes a race against the clock. She knows the longer the girl is missing, the more likely a tragic outcome. The family of the missing girl is well thought of—a pillar of the Amish community. Their pain is palpable and they cooperate in every way, but Kate soon learns they’re keeping secrets...
          The investigation takes Kate to an isolated Old Order Amish settlement along the river in southern Ohio. At first, the community seems upstanding and helpful. But when Kate starts asking questions, they stonewall her—and the situation soon becomes dangerous. What are they hiding and why?
          After an attempt on her life, Kate unearths a haunting and tragic secret that changes everything she thought she knew about the family for whom she is fighting, the Amish community as a whole—and everything she thought she knew about herself. Will she reach the girl in time to save her life?

88. In Dark Company by Linda Castillo

#9.5 Kate Burkholder aka Burkholder super-short story....
read on my iPhone
2018 Minotaur Books
60 pgs.
Adult Mystery Novella
Finished 8/31/18
Goodreads rating:  4.18 - 435 ratings
My rating: 2.5
Setting: contemporary Painters Mill, Ohio

First line/s:  "He was going to kill her."

My comments:  This one introduces Linda Castillo's reading community to the Hutterites, a division of Anabaptists like Amish and Mennonite.  About six months ago I watched a YouTube documentary about them which I found interesting and disconcerting.  The biggest difference between Hutterites and the Amish is that the Hutterites live communally and are mainly located in Canada.  This short story does not include a murder, but amnesia, assault, and robbery instead.  Very simplistic but interesting in its way.

Goodreads synopsis:  From the New York Times bestselling author of DOWN A DARK ROAD comes Linda Castillo's IN DARK COMPANY: a short story about an injured young woman with amnesia who seeks Chief of Police Kate Burkholder’s help to remember her identity—and her attacker. 
          It’s the middle of the night in Painters Mill, and Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called to a scene where a mysterious young woman, battered and terrified, has sought shelter at an Amish farmhouse. She can’t remember her name or where she’s from, but she knows one thing: someone was trying to kill her. Kate suspects that “Jane Doe” remembers more than she’s letting on, but when Jane is attacked again on Kate’s watch, Kate resolves to find the truth. As Jane’s memories start flooding back and Kate dives deeper into her murky past, they must race to discover what Jane was running from—and who is still pursuing her.

68. A Gathering of Secrets by Linda Castillo

Kate Burkholder #10
listened on Audible
2018 Minotaur Books
308 pgs.
Adult Murder Mystery/Police Procedural
Finished 7/23/18
Goodreads rating:  4.45 - 1047 ratings
My rating:  3
Setting:  Contemporary Amish Country, Ohio

First line/s:  "She didn't sleep.  Hadn't slept through the night in a long time.  There was too much darkness, not the kind that was restful."

My comments:   Hmmmm.  They're starting to sound more and more alike.  Similar phrasing, similar reflections, similar characters.  Maybe I should read the next one with my eyes, not listen with my ears.... I used to rush to read these the moment they came out, but that enthusiasm is waning, darn it... 2.5

Goodreads synopsis:   When a historic barn burns to the ground in the middle of the night, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called in to investigate. At first, it looks like an accident, but when the body of eighteen-year-old Daniel Gingerich is found inside—burned alive—Kate suspects murder. Who would want a well-liked, hardworking young Amish man dead?
          Kate delves into the investigation only to find herself stonewalled by the community to which she once belonged. Is their silence a result of the Amish tenet of separation? Or is this peaceful and deeply religious community conspiring to hide a truth no one wants to talk about? Kate doubles down only to discover a plethora of secrets and a chilling series of crimes that shatters everything she thought she knew about her Amish roots—and herself.
          As Kate wades through a sea of suspects, she’s confronted by her own violent past and an unthinkable possibility.

42. Down a Dark Road by Linda Castillo

Kate Burkholder #9
listened on Audible
2017, Minotaur Books
320 pgs.
Adult Murder Mystery/Police Procedural
Finished 7/23/17
Goodreads rating: 4.34 - 1207 ratings
My rating: 2.5
Setting: Contemporary Amish Country, Ohio

First line/s:  From Prologue:  "He waiting until the children slept."
From Ch. 1:  "The Tuscrawas Bridge is a Painters Mill icon."

My comments: I so loved her first books about Kate Burkholder and Amish country, Ohio.  I liked this one slightly better than the last one, but not much.  I'm starting to find the writing, as well as the thinking and actions of the protagonist to be repetitious to the point of being frustrating.  And there really weren't any surprises in this plot, everything could be figured out well in advance.  Interesting flashbacks helped the reader put Kate's feelings about the "bad" guy, her childhood friend, into perspective.  However, they were noted near the beginning of the book, but then lengthier descriptions were added later in the story about the same memories with only a little bit of extra description.  Unnecessary .  Kate really is impetuous and strong minded, almost to a fault.  I didn't even like her as much in this foray.   I'm disappointed, because this has gone from being my favorite series to one that is only "eh."  Darn.

Goodreads synopsis: In this electrifying new thriller in the New York Times bestselling series, a convicted murderer is on the run and Chief of Police Kate Burkholder must catch him before he strikes again.
          Eight years ago Joseph King was convicted of murdering his wife and sentenced to life in prison. He was a "fallen" Amish man and, according to local law enforcement, 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 and putting Chief of Police Kate Burkholder and her team of officers on edge. A nightmare scenario becomes reality when King shows up with a gun and kidnaps his five children from their Amish uncle’s house. He’s armed and desperate with nothing left to lose.
          Fearing for the safety of the children, Kate leaps into action, but her frantic search for a killer leads her into an ambush. When King releases her unharmed, asking her to prove his innocence, she begins to wonder whether the police are hiding something, and she embarks on her own investigation to discover the truth.

24. Seeds of Deception - Linda Castillo

Kate Burkholder #7.5
listened on Audible
Narrated by Emily Sutton-S
2016, Minotaur Books
ebooks 74 pgs.
Adult Mystery, short story/novella
Finished 4/23/17
Goodreads rating: 3.6
My rating: 2
Setting:  More-or-less contemporary Ohio

First line/s:  "Zimmerman's orchard was the last place 14-year-old Katie Burkholder wanted to be, especially with her older brother, Jacob.  He was bossy and about as much fun as a milk cow -- one that kicked."

My comments:  Another short story from Linda Castillo based on her Kate Burkholder series.  I have not particularly enjoyed previous short story/novellas by her and my opinion did not change with this installment.  This time Kate is 14 and the story is a little snipped of time with her more-than-mischievous best friend, Maddie.  It seems like it's written by a different author than the best-selling murder mystery series!  Two stars is being generous....and I love, love, love Linda Castillo's full length Kat Burkholder books!  Weird.

Goodreads synopsis  From the New York Times bestselling author of THE DEAD WILL TELL comes a new short story offering a glimpse into Chief of Police Kate Burkholder's past and her Amish roots.
          It's autumn in Painter's Mill, and fourteen year old Katie Burkholder has been tasked with picking apples in Zimmerman’s Orchard with her brother. It’s just another day filled with chores—until her best friend Mattie arrives to help. Somehow, boredom transforms into fun and games whenever the girls are together. The innocent fun comes to an end when Billy Marquardt and his gang of friends interrupts. Katie is no prude, but she knows better than to associate with the older English boys, especially since they’re known troublemakers. Mattie has no such compunction. Thumbing her nose at the Ordnung and all of the Amish rules, she disappears into the old barn with Billy.
          Moments later, the Zimmerman’s barn is consumed by fire. Katie suspects Billy had something to do with the blaze, but he denies it. When the facts don’t add up, Katie begins her own investigation—and she doesn’t like what she finds. Will her friendship with Mattie survive the truth?

52. Among the Wicked by Linda Castillo

Kate Burkholder #8
listened to on Audible
publishing info
306 pgs.
adult murder mystery
Finished 9/30/2016
Goodreads rating:  4.21 - 3496 ratings
My rating:  2.5
Setting: Contemporary winter in rural upstate New York

First line/s:  "Dusk arrives early and without fanfare in northeastern Ohio in late January."

My comments:  To tell the truth, I was a little disappointed with this one....first reaction is that it was short and simplistic.  I didn't end up with the same feeling I usually have when I finish one of Linda Castillo's novels.  It was very predictable, the surprises weren't really surprises.  I'm left with the same feeling that I have when I finish one of her short stories about Kate - this felt more like a short story, it left me wanting more.  However, this doesn't mean I won't be holding my breath for number nine!

Goodreads synopsis:  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.

53. A Hidden Secret - Linda Castillo

Kate Burkholder #6.5
read on my iPhone
2015 Minotaur Books
74 pgs.
Adult Mystery Short Story
Finished August, 2015
Goodreads rating: 4.08
My rating: 4
Setting: Contemporary Ohio Amish Country

First line/s:  "She thought she'd be prepared.  What a fool she was to think she could do this on her own.  Stupid, stupid girl."

My comments:  Good plot, mystery, and setting for a short story....with the wonderful voice of Kate Burkholder holding it all together.  It did seem like Tomasetti was just stuck in here and there so he'd appear, and at times it seemed a little convoluted to include him, but for a short, satisfying Kate Burkholder "fix" this worked just fine for me!

Goodreads synopsis:  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 be 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.

48. After the Storm - Linda Castillo

listened to audio on Audible
audio read by Kathleen McInerney
2015 Minotaur Books
320 pgs. (11 hrs. 8 min.)
Adult Murder Mystery
Finished 8/1/2015
Goodreads rating: 4.11
My rating:  4.5
Setting:  contemporary Ohio Amish Country

First line/s: "I was eight years old when I learned there were consequences for associating with the English.  Consequences that were invariably negative and imposed by well-meaning Amish parents bent on upholding the rules set forth by our Anabaptist forefathers nearly 300 years ago."

My comments:  4.5  I really, really liked this book, as I have every one of the books in the series leading up to this one. I love peeking inside a little bit of the Amish life, gaining new insights into their religion and varying strictness of sects (well that's awkwardly worded....) and the lovely setting of rural Ohio that includes real towns and places.  I like that there were several subplots (of course all tied up well at the end) and I love the way Castillo balances really lovely writing with quite gritty goings-on.  An almost-perfect read for me.  However, since this book was just published, I'm going to have to wait an interminably long time for the next one.....

Goodreads synopsis:  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.

59. The Dead Will Tell - Linda Castillo

Kate Burkholder #6

2014 Minotaur Books

304 pgs.

Adult Murder Mystery

Finished 9/13/2014

Goodreads rating: 4.15

My rating: (5) Awesome, a great story

Setting: Contemporary small-town Painters Mill,  Ohio in Amish Country "

1st sentence/s: from Prologue:  "He dreamed of pneumatic sanders flying over the finest burled wood and full-blind dovetail joints chiseled with such precision that you couldn't see the interlocking pins and tails."
from Chapter 1: "John Tomasetti is standing at the kitchen counter chopping green peppers when my cell erupts."

My comments:   Don't ya hate it when you wait and wait for a book to be published and then you wait and wait for it to get to you from the library's very long reserve list....and then it's done and finished waaaaay too fast?  I couldn't put this down.  Not a lot of surprises, but it didn't really matter in this story, watching it weave in and out and back and forth, taking shape....with a few asides about what was going on inside Tomasetti's world....was just what I'd anticipated and craved.  I love Linda Castillo's storytelling.  I got to Holmes Country, Ohio, for the second time this summer, driving even more in and around and through Millersburg and Berlin and Walnut Creek.  I love the area.  And although this book was jarring and full-of-anguish, it was a great read.

Goodreads book summary:  Everyone in Painters Mill knows the abandoned Hochstetler farm is haunted. But only a handful of the residents remember the terrible secrets lost in the muted/hushed whispers of time—and now death is stalking them, seemingly from the grave.
          On a late-night shift, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called to the scene of an apparent suicide—an old man found hanging from the rafters in his dilapidated barn. But evidence quickly points to murder and Kate finds herself chasing a singularly difficult and elusive trail of evidence that somehow points back to the tragedy of that long ago incident. Meanwhile, Kate has moved in with state agent John Tomasetti and for the first time in so long, they're both happy; a bliss quickly shattered when one of the men responsible for the murders of Tomasetti’s family four years ago is found not guilty, and walks away a free man. Will Tomasetti be pulled back to his own haunted past?
          When a second man is found dead—also seemingly by his own hand—Kate discovers a link in the case that sends the investigation in a direction no one could imagine and revealing the horrifying truth of what really happened that terrible night thirty-five years ago, when an Amish father and his four children perished—and his young wife disappeared without a trace.

Short Story - "Long Lost" - Linda Castillo

(#4.5 Kate Burkholder series)
ebook, 52 pages
purchased through Amazon (99-cents)
May, 2013

My thoughts:  Any opportunity to read about Kate - and this time the entire story includes John Tomasetti, he's not just "lurking" - is good.  This one was a little too easy (for me) to solve, but it is a short story, after all.  It was fun to read on my phone and was quite enjoyable, but not as much as Castillo's full-length books.

Goodreads rating:  3.87
Goodreads:  It’s autumn in Painters Mill, and Chief of Police Kate Burkholder and John Tomasetti are taking a much-needed vacation at a small bed and breakfast an hour outside of town. After closing a difficult case, they’re looking forward to some down time, but their relaxation is cut short by rumors that the old house where they’re staying is haunted by a girl who disappeared twenty years earlier, leaving nothing behind but some bloody clothes by the river and rumors of a volatile relationship. Swept up in the girl’s story, and a need for justice, Kate and John begin looking into the mysterious disappearance of Angela Blaine.  They discover long-buried secrets—and unravel a mystery with an unexpected outcome.

44. Gone Missing - Linda Castillo

#4 Kate Burkholder series
2012 Minatour Books
277 pgs.
for: adults
HC $24.99
Rating:  4.5

1st line/s:  (from Prologue) "Becca had always known her life would end in tragedy."
(from Chapter 1) "My mamm once told me that some places are too beautiful for anything bad to happen.  When I was a kid, I believed those words with all of my young heart.  I lived my life in a state of ignorant bliss, oblivious to the evils that lurked like frothy-mouthed predators outside the imaginary gates of our small Amish community."
Setting:  Painters Mill, Ohio, a small Amish community, and other small Amish towns within a 100-mile radius during a contemporary summer.
OSS:  Kate and Tomasetti examine the lives of four or five different Amish teenagers who have all gone missing in recent years or weeks, knowing that the answers are NOT that they disappeared by running away.
.
Linda Castillo knows how to weave an interesting yarn, and there's always more taking place than just the mysteries that her protagonist is trying to solve. I really like the way that she keeps Kate's past torturing her a bit, entering into her relationship with John Tomasetti and the past that's torturing HIM.  Their relationship is tentative and real, and I really love the way it's being portrayed.  I enjoy the insight that Kate has into the lives and feelings of the Amish, since that is also her own background.  And I love love love the gorgeous words that Castillo uses in her writing, the descriptions she includes put me THERE.  I've really come to realize how important setting is to me.