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    Sworn to Silence: A Kate Burkholder Novel
    Sworn to Silence: A Kate Burkholder Novel
    Sworn to Silence: A Kate Burkholder Novel
    Audiobook11 hours

    Sworn to Silence: A Kate Burkholder Novel

    Written by Linda Castillo

    Narrated by Kathleen McInerney

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Now the subject of the Lifetime original movie An Amish Murder

    Sworn to Silence is the first in Linda Castillo's New York Times bestselling Kate Burkholder series.

    A killer is preying on sacred ground....

    In the sleepy rural town of Painters Mill, Ohio, the Amish and "English" residents have lived side by side for two centuries. But sixteen years ago, a series of brutal murders shattered the peaceful farming community. In the aftermath of the violence, the town was left with a sense of fragility, a loss of innocence. Kate Burkholder, a young Amish girl, survived the terror of the Slaughterhouse Killer but came away from its brutality with the realization that she no longer belonged with the Amish.

    Now, a wealth of experience later, Kate has been asked to return to Painters Mill as Chief of Police. Her Amish roots and big city law enforcement background make her the perfect candidate. She's certain she's come to terms with her past—until the first body is discovered in a snowy field. Kate vows to stop the killer before he strikes again. But to do so, she must betray both her family and her Amish past—and expose a dark secret that could destroy her.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateJun 23, 2009
    ISBN9781427206695
    Author

    Linda Castillo

    LINDA CASTILLO is the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Kate Burkholder 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. In addition to writing, Castillo’s other passion is horses. She lives in Texas with her husband and is currently at work on her next book.

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    Reviews for Sworn to Silence

    4/5

    945 ratings213 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Strong first entry in a series, and I await further books eagerly. I like Kate Burkholder very much as a character; she's well-developed, and her personality comes through really well. She's a multilayered character with an interesting background. Her staff, particularly Glock, are also well-developed characters and form a strong supporting cast. The novel's premise-- has a serial character returned after a sixteen year lapse?-- is gripping and will keep you speeding from chapter to chapter. It's strong as a procedural, with multiple-agency troubles and conflicts keeping things shaken up. It's not for the weak-stomached; it's graphic, and the descriptions of the families in loss are bound to shake you up. It's a strong debut, and I look forward to more; I'm interested to see where Castillo takes the series after starting out with a serial killer in a small town scenario for her first novel.
    • 5/5
      I had previously read this book and others in this series. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to hear the book come to life. I have always been fascinated with those in the Amish faith. I do like how the author has combined both the Amish way of life and the "English" way of life together. It is especially true with the combination of the lead character Kate Burkholder.
    • 5/5
      Reason for Reading: I'm always looking for new (or new to me) thriller authors who can live up to my high expectations. The synopsis sounded intriguing. Comments: Kate Burkholder has been the Chief of Police for the small town in which she grew up for two years now. Kate is Amish, or more correctly was Amish, so she understands the large Amish community and fits the role of small town Chief perfectly. Then one day her world comes crashing down. A body is found, murdered, brutalized from torture and immediately a connection is made to a set of four murders which occurred in the area sixteen years ago. Kate, however, around fourteen at the time, knows it cannot be the same man as she knows who that killer was and had been sworn to silence by her Amish family never tell the events of the terrible night. Can Kate continue to do her job when more and more bodies turn up with the exact same MO as the former "Slaughter House Killer" and not give away the secrets of her dark past or her former Amish community.This was a fabulous read. It had all the ingredients that I love in my thrillers: a vicious serial killer, gruesome details, heart-pounding moments, a cast of possible suspects, and a fabulous main character. Kate is a character I can't wait to read more of. She is fascinating and totally unique. With her Amish background she is unlike any detective I've met before in my reading, but don't let that fool you, Kate is all cop. In fact she's as tough as it gets; yet off work she shows a vulnerable, feminine side as well. An intriguing character, whose personal storyline is left with dangling threads to be picked up in a sequel.It took two days to read this. Darn life kept interrupting me. I just couldn't stop reading. There was a point near the end, about three chapters left, that I had to put the book down just to catch my breath. Plus I actually didn't want the book to end, so I purposely stopped reading! Don't you love it when that happens?Looking for a page turner, a can't put down, stay up all night type of thriller? Then this is your book. Linda Castillo is currently working on the next book in the Kate Burkholder series. Yeah!
    • 5/5
      Book Description Sworn to Silence is the first in Linda Castillo’s New York Times bestselling Kate Burkholder series.

      Some secrets are too terrible to reveal. Some crimes are too unspeakable to solve. . . . In Painters Mill, Ohio, the Amish and “English” residents have lived side by side for two centuries. But sixteen years ago, a series of brutal murders shattered the peaceful farming community. A young Amish girl named Kate Burkholder survived the terror of the Slaughterhouse Killer . . . but ultimately decided to leave her community.

      A wealth of experience later, Kate has been asked to return to Painters Mill as chief of police. Her Amish roots and big-city law enforcement background make her the perfect candidate. She’s certain she’s come to terms with her past—until the first body is discovered in a snowy field.

      Kate vows to stop the killer before he strikes again. But to do so, she must betray both her family and her Amish past—and expose a dark secret that could destroy her.

      My Review This book keeps you interested from the first page and was hard to put down throughout the rest of the book. The characters are well developed and the murders are very graphic which allows you to feel the gruesomeness of this serial killer. Linda Castillo has very good story-telling qualities and I am definitely going to continue with this series.
    • 4/5
      Linda Castillo's Sworn to Silence is the first book in an upcoming series featuring the young and vivacious Kate Burkholder, the current chief of police of Painters Mill, OH, and former member of the town's Amish community.Set in a quiet town with a large Amish population, the author creates a unique and interesting setting for the serial killer who terrorizes the town (and whose MO is alarmingly reminiscent of the murderer who struck 15 years ago) and the police department that is responsible for catching the psychopath who preys on young women. Burkholder's tumultuous past (with a dark secret thrown in for good measure) makes for great conflict within the character herself. It also creates friction between Burkholder and those around her, especially the outside officers and investigators who were brought in to help her solve the crime. The cast of characters is diverse and interesting, providing for an entertaining and engaging read.All in all, this thriller was suspenseful and had me turning the pages until the killer was revealed and everything was resolved. I'm interested to see what Castillo has in store for Kate Burkholder so I will most likely read the subsequent books in this series.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this Amish-country thriller (what an odd combination) -- the main character, Kate, is one I'd like to meet again. It's really horrifically graphic, so be warned. And there are some a) inevitable plotlines (which, of course, help drive the tension of the book): so _of_course_ our main character, female Chief of police will be abducted and attacked by the bad guy, because strong women can't ever just do the job without getting jumped. yep, that happened.

      and b) kinda large plot holes that are acceptable in the circumstances, but drag on longer than they should: I can accept that Kate thinks she killed the guy and therefore develops a blind spot in the case. I have a hard time with her clinging on to this feeling despite all evidence to the contrary -- that's the part that drags on -- and is especially frustrating because the whole book is about a ritual-oriented killer with really specific hallmarks -- abduction to an isolated locale, torture over days, etc, etc and nothing that they know about the deaths matches up to what happened in Kate's case, so it's strange that she just can't grok that until the outside great white hope steps in to mansplain it to her.

      and c) I figured out the most likely suspect pretty early on and that is not an experience I often have is all I'm saying.

      Huh, in writing this I find that I probably didn't like it as much as I thought I did, but I definitely think I need to read a few more in the series to see how things shake out with this writer/character over time.
    • 5/5
      I read one Katee Burkholder by accident and had to read the first in the series. I was not disappointed in anyway. I love tje backstory of Katee and i cant wait to read the next book however there is triggers in this one being rape so be careful if thats an issue
    • 4/5
      This book is the first in a series featuring Kate Burkholder, Chief of Police in Painters Mill, a fictional town in north central Ohio. A young woman is found brutally murdered, with all the hallmarks of a spate of unsolved serial murders that occurred sixteen years earlier. Kate, who grew up in Painters Mill, is well acquainted with the previous crimes. Not only did she grow up in Painters Mill, but she was held hostage by the suspected murderer and narrowly escaped harm. Now it appears the perpetrator has returned. It’s all hands on deck, with both the police department and sheriff's office on the case. The town council, concerned that Kate isn’t moving fast enough, also calls in the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. I really liked the setting, premise, and characters in this book. Kate is a strong female protagonist with an interesting backstory. Painters Mill is in Ohio’s Amish country, and Kate grew up in the order but left at 18. She brings unique knowledge to her role as police chief and is able to bridge the gap between the Amish and “English.” But her relationship with her family is fraught with tension, and her personal life is a bit of a mess. The plot is well crafted, and even though I correctly suspected “whodunnit,” it wasn’t at all clear how they would expose and apprehend him, which had me eagerly turning the pages. I will definitely read more books in this series. For anyone else considering it, I have just one caveat: Linda Castillo doesn’t shy away from describing crimes, including sexual assault, and autopsies in all their grisly detail. It makes for less than ideal bedtime reading, and some may find it too graphic.
    • 5/5
      I'm new to the series and so far I'm loving it. I love the main character and can't wait to see what happens with Kate next.

      The book is an easy read and the characters are believable. The crime was great and well thought out. I have to admit, I didn't know who the bad guy was and was shocked when it was revealed. I loved that, since it's hard to find books where you don't guess everything.

      I also loved the minor characters and the town that is created. They are interesting and have there own unique tone. The author created a world I have not seen before.

      Overall I am pleased and now I'm on my way to read book two.
    • 4/5
      Kate grew up in an Amish community, but something happened when she was 14. She ended up leaving the community and became the chief of police in the nearest town. When a girl’s dead body appears, then another, Kate is brought back to that awful thing that happened when she was younger, as she tries to solve the murders in her small town. But, it can’t be the same guy who haunted the town back then – it’s just not possible. This was really good. I listened to the audio and it kept my attention all the way through. I liked Kate, but I didn’t like the romance that suddenly happened almost toward the end of the book. I didn’t like him and I thought the romance came completely out of the blue. But, the mystery was really good, as was learning about Kate’s background and what happened when she was younger.
    • 2/5
      This book started out alright. I liked Kate Burholder at first - a female police chief in a small little Amish town in Ohio. But as the book progressed, I was reassessing my first impressions. There is a lot of graphic violence in the book, and you should know that going in if you plan to read it. This is a particularly sadistic killer that appears to have been raping, torturing and murdering women in various places throughtout the US. Kate herself is damaged because of an occurence that happened to her when she was a young Amish girl at the age of 14. The fallout from that episode caused her to renounce the Amish life, and helped her in her decision to join law enforccement. After the first victim in this book is discovered, Kate is haunted by what happened to her when she was 14. She puts herself, her job and her family at risk as she tries to unmask the killer. But unfortunately, after that the book turned into something entirely different. I found the characters didn't really evolve either and it was entirely predictable, except for the violence which became even more graphic. I had figured out who the sadistic killer was by about 1/3 of the way through, and I almost put the book down, but decided to continue to read it, hoping it would get better. Unfortunately, it really didn't and I rushed through the ending just to be done with it. I was very disappointed with the book overall, and gave it two stars instead of one because of the beginning which was pretty good, and because I actually did finish the book.
    • 3/5
      This is the first book in the series of Amish mysteries. The setting is Painter's Mill, a small community comprised of 1/3 Amish. Kate Burkholder was Amish. When she was a teen, something happened that forever changed her, leaving her with the knowledge that she must leave the Amish community. She paid a high price for her decision. Her family shunned her as well as the community.After working as a detective in Columbus, Ohio, she was offered a position as the Chief of police of Painter's Mill. When an exceedingly violent rape and murder of a teen girl was discovered on a cold winter's night, Kate pushed down feelings of what occurred to her so long ago.As the murders continued, she knows she must stop them. Fearful that perhaps the man whom she murdered after he abused her, did not die after all. His MO continues and now her history haunts her as well as finding the beast before he can murder again.Riveting, but a bit too violent for mt tastes, still, I recommend this well written book, as well as all other books written with the background of the same community and a highly skilled Chief of Police.
    • 2/5
      Gory, grim, and dull.
    • 5/5
      Kate Burkholder grew up Amish but left the community after a violent act forever changed her. Now Chief of Police back where she grew up, Kate finds herself thrown back in time. A series of gruesome murders mimic ones that occurred more than a decade before, and stir up unpleasant memories for Kate. She has accepted English ways and manners, but can’t forget her Amish family and community, and wants to protect them. Now she is in a race to find the killer and must accept outside help. She puts herself in danger even as she tried to save the innocent. This exciting tale is fast-paced and a page turner, but be warned that the descriptions of the murders are quite graphic. Well-written and peopled with complex and flawed characters trying to do their best, this tale is a winner.
    • 5/5
      I don't often give five-star ratings to books I have read but this one truly deserves it. I had read several later Kate Burkholder books before this one. All have been good but this was without a doubt the most gripping and intense one. The introduction of John Tomasetti, the convoluted involvement of the sheriff, the actions of town council members, the interactions with Kate's siblings, and, of course, the inner turmoil that Kate herself faces all add to the richness and the intensity of this story. It's stories such as this one that confirm what I always come back to mysteries. Great book.
    • 4/5
      Although I have read other books from the Kate Burkholder series, it was good to read the first volume. Kate is a young police chief. She's good with her staff, but the council and the sheriff's office think she's an inexperienced person. In this book, Kate is dealing with a brutal serial killer who brutally tortures and abuses his victims before he kills them. The only pattern that permeates is that he numbers the victims with Roman numerals.Kate thinks she's chasing a ghost out of her past. Someone who once raped her in her teenage years but she thought he was dead. Therefore, she also does not request reinforcements from other authorities, which temporarily costs her suspension. Kate would not be Kate, if she continues to investigate and thereby brings the greatest danger to her own life.Great and fast, it grabbed me from the first page and I could barely stop reading.
    • 4/5
      There are so many attractive things about this book: the strong main character, the interaction of the “English” and Amish community, the emotional toll of police work, secrets leading to self doubt. It would really be a perfect mystery if it weren’t for the unnecessarily explicit depiction of the torture of women. There is no excuse for this kind of misogynistic titillation. It’s sad that a woman would write some of these details. I would love to read more of the series just to follow this great woman character, but I won’t subject myself to any more sadism.
    • 4/5
      This is the first book in the Kate Burkholder Series but not the first I read. I am glad I went back to the beginning because there is a lot of background in this book relating to the two main characters, Kate and John Tomasetti.

      Kate was a police detective in Columbus, but returned to her hometown of Painters Mill, s when she was offered the position of Police Chief. She was raised Amish, and this helps with the Amish population when there is a situation that necessitates police intervention. Even though she was banished from the Amish Community when she left the faith, she can speak Pennsylvania Dutch as well as being aware of their customs.

      When a mutilated body of a young woman is found in a field, the town is reminded of a string of murders from 16 years earlier. The "slaughterhouse killer" was never caught and there is fear that he has returned. Kate is sure that it can't be the same killer, and a secret is revealed in this book that explains her reasoning as well as one of the reasons she left the Amish life. When two more victims are found, the Sheriff's department as well as the BCI are called in for support. Will they find the killer before there are more deaths?

      I enjoyed the suspense in this book. I did not know who the killer was until shortly before the big reveal. There was a lot of violence in this book and the descriptions might offend some people, but the intrigue, mystery, descriptions of the Amish life and the characters more than made up for that. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a murder mystery/thriller combination. I am definitely going to continue reading this series.
    • 4/5
      A serial killer murders women in a gruesome manner leaving Roman numerals carved upon their chests. Kate Burkholder, chief of police for Painter's Mill, fails to call for outside help at first, reminded of something that happened sixteen years ago during her life as an Amish teenager. When city officials ask for help from Columbus, they send a detective with a prescription drug problem to aid the investigation. When the second victim's body is discovered, Kate asks for assistance from the local sheriff's office. The charismatic sheriff knows how to play the press. The book combines the police procedural with the thriller. The book lacks the calmness other Amish Country crime novels, probably as much due to the nature of the crime as anything. While I prefer P. L. Gaus' Amish mysteries at the moment, I want to continue reading this one to see how Kate develops. I previously read a Christmas installment from later in the series which had a cozier feel than this first installment. Castillo's first effort held the reader's attention. My biggest complaint centers on a rushed romantic relationship, which feels especially rushed in light of what happened to Burkholder as a teen.
    • 4/5
      Kate Burkholder is the chief of police in her hometown of Painters Mill, Ohio, population about 5,000. She has three fulltime officers and one reserve officer on her force. When a young woman's body is found in the woods it bears the same torture marks as those used by a serial killer that hasn't been active in sixteen years. Did he leave sixteen years ago and come back, is this a copycat, or is this murder unrelated to the others? I like the Burkholder character. She is strong, capable and experienced. One of my favorite parts is when she and a cop from outside Painter's Mill are running through the woods and he acknowledges her physical conditioning is superior to his. I would like to have seen a few things done differently. Castillo brought a love interest into Kate's life near the end and it was distracting and didn't seem plausible. Also, the murdered young women had been tortured and the descriptions of the bodies were relevant to the story so that was okay, but later in the book she referred to a case elsewhere in which children were burned alive. I thought this stood out as gratuitous and immature writing. Otherwise the writing was good.
    • 4/5
      Sworn to Silence
      4.5 Stars

      16 years ago, Painter’s Mill, Ohio was in the grips of terror with a vicious serial killer attacking young women and carving Roman numerals into their bodies. The killer disappeared suddenly, but has apparently returned and police chief, Kate Burkholder, must face the ghosts of her past if she is to stop the deaths before they hit too close to home.

      A gripping thriller with captivating characters who are all too human. It should be noted that the book contains a high level of violence and numerous grisly descriptions, and may not be for readers with a weaker stomach.

      The murder plot is intense and the gritty descriptions heighten the tension and suspense throughout the story, especially during the climax when it is impossible not to wonder just how far things will go. The ending is somewhat predictable and it is relatively easy to figure out the culprit’s identity by following the clues. Nevertheless, Sworn to Silence is an exciting and satisfying read.

      Kate Burkholder is a woman caught between two worlds and trying to find where she belongs. She has a strong core of honesty and integrity yet struggles to reconcile her past with her profession as a cop. One aspect that did make me wonder was why she was so convinced that her attacker and the killer were one and the same? I put it down to her Amish background and naiveté of the outside world.

      John Tomasetti is just as compelling and the fact that he is not judgmental or hypocritical only adds to his appeal. He is also quite damaged in his own right, which is not unexpected given the tragedy that has befallen him, and seems to have reached a critical point where he needs to decide to give in or move on with his life. He and Kate have an intriguing relationship and it will be interesting to see how it develops in the future.

      Castillo does a fantastic job fleshing out the secondary cast whether it be Kate’s fellow officers, the townsfolk, the members of the Amish community, the victims and even the killer. All are people with very human strengths and weaknesses to define them.

      In terms of the audio narration, the POV is a mix of 1st person for the main character and 3rd person for secondary characters. Kathleen McInerney's narration is solid and she does a good job with the transitions between POVs. She is particularly good at adding emotional nuance to the voices.

      All in all, a thrilling start to the series with just the right mix of action, mystery and romance.
    • 4/5
      I really rate this about a 4.5. Fast paced thriller/suspense. Police Chief Kate Burkholder struggles with an inner conflict as her small town and police department are reeling from recent serial killer murders.

      Overall, it was very well written. I marked off a half star because the characters were not well developed. There was just enough information for one to distinguish among them but not much information to make them multidimensional. I loved the writing; the sentences seemed to reflect the mood with short, successive sentences speeding up the pace to mimic tension, stress, and suspense. It's told mostly from Kate's point of view but does alternate to a 3rd person omniscient.

      Readers beware that it does include very graphic descriptions of horrific murders and violent rapes and torture. Not for the faint of heart.

      Otherwise, I recommend it.
    • 3/5
      The premise is very familiar: Feisty woman lead detective who solves the case but still needs to be rescued by a man she loves. Three things make it interesting. The setting is in a small town in Ohio Amish country, the heroine being an ex-Amish woman. And both the heroine and hero have surprisingly dark secrets, so dark as to be a little off-putting.
    • 5/5
      This series is new to me. I loved the first book. Definitely reading this series through.
    • 4/5
      First in a series. Painters Mill, Ohio is a small rural town where the Amish and “English” residents live – mostly – peaceably together. Kate Burkholder was born and raised in Painters Mill, but left her Amish roots to go into law enforcement. Now she’s been recruited to return as the Chief of Police. When the body of a young woman is found in a snowy field, Kate and other law enforcement officials recognize the signature of the Slaughterhouse Killer who terrorized the community some sixteen years previously. This is a tight, fast-paced thriller. I really like Kate; she’s intelligent, resourceful, fiercely protective, determined and a strong leader, but she’s got some trauma in her past that haunts her, and her efforts to keep her secrets secret affect how she handles the investigation. I’m interested by John Tomasetti, an agent of the state’s Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI), who is brought in to help the local police investigate. He’s a tough, no-nonsense kind of guy, with a cop’s intuition and skill in interrogation and investigation, but he’s also got a dark, tragic past and a current substance abuse problem. These two broken individuals make a great team, despite their initial reluctance and the emotional baggage they each carry. Castillo rounds out the characters with self-important politicians, a limelight-loving Sheriff, a strong second-in-command police officer, reticent Amish, and a couple of feisty women who man the dispatch call center. Readers who are attracted by the “Amish” tag should note, however, that this is NOT a cozy mystery. There is a violent sexual predator on the loose and the victims endure torture and physical violence. Tomasetti, in particular, uses considerable foul language. The final encounter between Kate and the killer is violent and graphic. There were a few loose threads or editing mistakes, ( What happened to the fire that was started when the kerosene heater spilled fuel and flames across the floor? Why are a victim’s hands tied in front of her when she was supposedly hog-tied … i.e. hands in back?) but all in all this was a great mystery/thriller. I will keep reading this series.
    • 4/5
      Kate is the chief of police in Painters Mill, Ohio, a small town with a large population of Amish. Formerly Amish herself, Kate has long been estranged from her own family. When the dead body of a young woman is found, there appears to be a connection to murders from 16 years ago by a serial killer dubbed ‘The Slaughterhouse Killer’. But Kate is not convinced it’s the same killer – because she killed the Slaughterhouse Killer herself, after he’d come after her. Her family got rid of the body and made a pact of silence. This was a good if not great start to a new series. The characters are well drawn, especially the main character of Kate. The author communicated well the stress the police are under to stop the killer and the pressure Kate feels to keep her long-buried secret. The horrific nature of the crimes inflicted on the victims was a bit more violent than necessary in my opinion, but that’s nothing new in recent crime fiction. The resolution to the mystery was well done; I had no idea who the killer was until the end.
    • 4/5
      I have had this book on my Nook for several years --- why haven't I read it before???? The book is great. The main character is wonderful. She is the chief of police for her small town - but is by no means perfect. The mystery is good - and kept me guessing. There is a little romance - a lot of suspense. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!
    • 4/5
      After determining that her Amish upbringing was not the way she wanted to live, she left home for the big city. Having served on the police force in Columbus OH both as patrol and as a homicide detective, Kate Burkholder has returned home as the Sheriff of Painters Mill OH.One wintry night, one of her officers finds a tortured and mutilated young women almost buried in the snow. This crime is eerily reminiscent of similar murders that took place in the area 16 years ago when Kate was a teen. As the bodies begin to stack up, Kate and her team of officers race to stop the cold-blooded, sadistic killer.This is the first book in the Kate Burkholder series. I really enjoyed the book and intend to continue with the series.Rating: 4 Stars
    • 4/5
      Chilling, riveting, dark and disturbing with damaged characters trying to hold it together in the most desperate of circumstances. The inner and external conflict between the Amish and the English is complex, especially as it plays out in the Chief of Police Kate Burkholder who was born Amish. The isolation and the cold icy small town in January echo the desolation of the characters and the evil that is being played out there. It was engrossing and left me wanting more. Perhaps, more than anything, I was left hoping that Kate and John would find redemption. The beginnings of hope appear when each reveals long-held dark secrets that haunt them. The truth begins to set them free, but they have a long journey ahead. I recommend this book for fans of CSI and similar programs. Be forewarned: no gruesome detail is spared and the language is often foul. But if you like edgier books as I do, you will enjoy this thriller. The best part is that Sworn to Silence is the first of an ongoing series featuring this Amish girl turned police chief.
    • 5/5
      This was a very enjoyable read which I gave 4.5 stars. I look forward to continuing thus series. A gritty read but used to great effect and supports the plot without being sensationalist. Good to see a strong female lead and the Amish Community context gave an extra layer to the book.