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The Dead Will Tell: A Kate Burkholder Novel
The Dead Will Tell: A Kate Burkholder Novel
The Dead Will Tell: A Kate Burkholder Novel
Audiobook8 hours

The Dead Will Tell: A Kate Burkholder Novel

Written by Linda Castillo

Narrated by Kathleen McInerney

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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About this audiobook

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.
And, as Kate knows—the past never truly dies . . . in The Dead Will Tell by Linda Castillo

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJul 8, 2014
ISBN9781427240965
The Dead Will Tell: A Kate Burkholder Novel
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 The Dead Will Tell

Rating: 4.384615384615385 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

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  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Story focuses on the death of multiple people involved in a robbery/kidnapping in the Amish community 35 years previously. I like the police chief, Kate Burkholder, but get really tired of the difficulties in the relationship with her and her lover, Tomasetti,

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In 1979, an Amish father and four of his children die during a botched robbery at his home. Four masked people broke into the family’s farmhouse looking for money from the family’s business. Rumor was that the family kept their cash in the house because of the Amish distrust of banks. The intruders killed the family’s father and abducted the mother. A lighted lantern left on the basement steps burned the four younger children to death. Only the teenage son Billy, who was running after the getaway car carrying his mother, escaped with his life. Billy was adopted by a local Amish family, but the wife was never heard from again. The Hockstetler farm was abandoned. The perpetrators were never apprehended or identified.

    Now, 35 years later, police chief Kate Burkholder is investigating the death of a prominent Painters Mill citizen found hanging in his barn. Initially thought to be a suicide, but clues indicate it to be murder. Most gruesome of all is the small wooden Amish doll left in the corpse—with the name Hockstetler on the bottom. It doesn't take long for two more people to be killed with the same wooden doll left in their bodies. Could these murders be connected to the cold case? Is Billy out for revenge, or does someone else know the truth about the horrific 35-year-old crime?

    This is a really interesting series and Linda Castillo gives readers an amazing tale of suspense. The Dead Will Tell is the sixth book in this popular police procedural thriller series. Characterization is spot-on as the tightly written plot progresses quickly to the surprise ending. The Kate Burkholder series, set in Ohio's Amish country, is one of my favorites and I recommend all of the books in this compelling series. I have been listening to them all in audio, narrated by Kathleen McInerney, who does a fantastic job.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Maybe 2 1/2 stars. Interesting but rather dry and 'shocking' ending was kind of WTF. And I have one really big complaint, but it would be a spoiler to voice it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This series just keeps getting better and better. Kate Burkholder is chief of police of Painter's Mill, Ohio. When an upstanding citizen is found hanging from a raft in his barn Kate and her police force get very involved, very quickly.There doesn't seem to be a reason for the death of this local pillar of the community, until the 2nd murder. Now the police don't know what the actual motive is but they do know that someone is deadly serious.As usual there is a lot of Amish lifestyle included in the story, and it is that part of the stories that make these books stand out. There is great respect for many aspects of the Amish culture, with a few things being less than appreciated.Castillo doesn't write quickly enough for me, but I do enjoy her stories when they finally come out.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is another excellent story in the Kate Burkholder series by Linda Castillo. This story involves a cold case from 35 years ago and how it is entangled in a current case. It is a gripping page turner and I highly recommend it to mystery lovers.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is Linda Castillo's 6th Kate Burkholder mystery and she just keeps getting better. Kate is the police chief of Painters Mill - a town with many Amish. She was raised Amish, so she understands the Amish culture and is able to work well with them. In this book, people are being killed and the crimes seem to be connected to the cold case of a horrific cold case from thirty five years previous when an Amish father and four of his children were killed. Kate has to get the case solved before more people are killed. At the same time, there is a lot going on in her personal life with her new boyfriend. The book is fantastic and there are twists and turns throughout the book. It will keep you involved until the very end. Fantastic book!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Dead Will Tell is the sixth book in the Kate Burkholder series and the first I have read. The mystery intrigued me, however I kept feeling I was missing some backstory seeing how I was beginning on the 6th book, and therefore do not think I can do this book justice, however it was a fascinating suspenseful murder mystery and I did enjoy it.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The sixth installment in Castillo's Kate Burkholder series finds Burkholder, Chief of Police of Painters Mill, investigating the apparent suicide of one of her town's citizens. Of course, not everything is at it seems, and Kate quickly realizes she's at a murder scene. Soon after, Kate finds herself investigating another death. Is it related to the first? And how are these deaths linked to a horrible tragedy that happened at a local Amish farm back in the 1970s? Meanwhile, as she juggles these cases, Kate finds herself in a difficult place with her boyfriend, John Tomasetti. The two have finally moved in together, but Tomasetti is struggling with his own demons, which threaten to destroy the life the couple has finally built.

    Honestly, all of the Kate Burkholder novels are pretty similar. I'm a bit astounded why anyone would continue to live in Painters Mill at this point, as people die at an alarming rate in this town. Still, Castillo always offers an interesting mystery in her books, and this one is no exception. This particular novel offers an interesting intersection of the Amish in Painters Mill and the "English" community. I figured out the plot fairly early, but it didn't make the book any less readable or compelling. The book would stand-alone if you haven't read the previous novels, though the backstory between Tomasetti and Kate makes more sense if you're up to date. It seemed like some of Tomasetti's issues were a bit awkwardly inserted into the plot, but I'm glad to see the two of them progressing forward. Kate's not the most deep character, but she's likable and easy to root for, with a love for her job and her police "family" that comes across as strong and admirable.

    Overall, an easy read with an enjoyable, if not exactly surprising, mystery plot. 3.5 stars.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    You wouldn't think Amish country could be so deadly but Chief Kate Burkholder is once again on the case when a businessman is found brutally murdered and hung from the rafters in his barn. The first death is followed quickly by another and the only apparent connection between the victims is that they attended high school together. Kate knows this is going to be a tough investigation when a clue links the murders to an unsolved crime against an Amish family that happened 35 years ago. But at least Kate can rely on the comfort of coming home to John Tomasetti - at least until he gets word that the last surviving culprit in the death of his wife and children has been released from prison on a technicality. Castillo keeps the tension high as Kate chases ghosts - one who may be committing murder and the others that have a tight hold on the love of her life.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have had my eye on this series for a while and now thanks to the Armchair Audies I finally listened to one, and I will now go back and listen to the beginning of this series.I enjoyed this story it was interesting trying to figure out if the victims were seeing a ghost or was it just their guilt over what happened years ago. In this Amish community Kate Burkholder former Amish now Chief of Police has to go into the community she left behind and dredge up memories of a heinous crime where a father and 4 children are killed and the mother is taken and never seen again, one child survived and has stayed in the community although he deals with so much guilt over leaving his siblings to try to catch the people taking his mother he can’t catch them and when he gets back to the house it is completely engulfed in flames. But that was 35 years ago and today there are what at first look like suicides but Kate sees there is more going on here than meets the eye and it seems to have something to do with this long ago unsolved crime.This book kept me guessing and the reveal surprised me it was definitely not who I thought it was. I liked the character of Kate but was a bit confused when it came to her relationship with Tomesetti but I think if I go back and listen to the previous books it will make more sense to me. That was the only part of the book where I felt like I was missing something although I still enjoyed the main story.Kathleen McInerney’s narration was really good she used a nice slight accent when she was voicing the Amish people and her male voices were fine and her narration of Kate was very well done.As I said I will go back and listen to previous books in this series so that tells you I liked it.3 ½ Stars
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Book Description 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. And, as Kate knows—the past never truly dies . . . in The Dead Will Tell by Linda Castillo My Review Although this book is not her best, it is still a 5 star read. Castillo's great writing and well developed characters keeps you hooked until the end. This was another surprise ending for which Castillo is the master of and once again I never saw it coming. Her books are hard to put down and therefore are very quick reads. Looking forward to the next one!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Make sure you have few empty hours to fill, because once you begin reading this tale, you won’t be able to put the book down until you have finished it. In this suspenseful mystery, Kate catches a murder case that seems to be linked to a cold case involving a home invasion of an Amish family. As Kate’s investigation develops, secrets kept for 35 years slowly come to light and the guilty are panic-stricken, not by the law but by a ghost. Kate has her own ghosts to chase away when her lover Tomasetti can’t seem put his tragic past behind him. Is there a place for Kate in his future? But Kate doesn’t have time to contemplate her problems with Tomasetti when another murder takes place. She seems to be one step behind the murderer. Certain that people know more than they are revealing, she is racing the clock to make an arrest before the murderer strikes again. With great continuing characters placed in an intriguing plot, author Linda Castillo has given us another chilling mystery in this series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Dead Will Tell is the sixth entry in Linda Castillo's series featuring Kate Burkholder. Burkholder was born into the Amish community that surrounds the town of Painters Mill, but chose to leave. She's now the Police Chief of that community. Her background makes her invaluable when dealing with the Amish community. Her calm manner and determination to solve cases make her an ideal cop. When a man is found hanging in his barn, it looks like a case of suicide. But a clue left at the scene says murder. When another death happens on the heels of the first, Kate finds the common ground between the two deaths. It's the past that connects them. Thirty five years ago, an Amish father and his four children were killed in their home and the wife and mother was never found. What has stirred this up after all that time? Has the mother returned after all these years? Who wants revenge? Kate is an likable, engaging character. Castillo includes an ongoing personal storyline for Kate, bringing some romance to her books. Kate has now moved into with Agent John Tomasetti. Tomasetti has his own troubles - the man responsible for killing his wife and child has just been freed from prison. And he's having trouble accepting that. I'm not as enamoured of him as Kate is. And I still don't get why Kate only calls him by his last name?! The whodunit is nicely played - not overly hard to solve, but still enjoyable. And Castillo includes a nice little twist. Procedural details aren't overly employed, instead Castillo moves things along with deductions and action. Although I must admit, the killer and their impetus is more than a little twisted. Castillo's premise and use of the Amish community and their way of life is interesting and different enough to separate it from other series. An easy read for the porch, not earth shattering, but entertaining. Fans of Iris Johansen would enjoy this series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    3.5 Another series that I anxiously await the next and newest installment. A good mix of mystery, personality and personal relationships, and the Amish culture. A look at an evil done to an Amish family in the past that has a high cost for the perpetrators in the future. The long and far reaching effects of hatred and revenge. A good, solid and quick read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A relatively new genre for me, this is a detective, murder mystery book. Excellently written, and a real page turner, I'm now hooked on this author.The setting is Painter's Mill, Ohio, home to a rather large Amish population. A close knit, family community that chooses to live very simply, and is rather un inclusive and distrustful of the "Englisher" people, secrets are hid and going to local police when events occur, is not a common occurrence.When one by one prominent people in the community are murdered, Kate Burkholder, the town's Chief of Police, begins to note threads of commonality between these deaths and a 35 year old cold case. Thirty five years prior to the murders, an Amish family perished; the father was brutally shot; four of his children died in a fire supposedly set by the killers, and the mother was kidnapped, never to be found. The only survivor was a young man when the murders occurred. Witnessing the horror, he was not able to identify anyone because all wore masks. Adopted into another Amish family, he tried to move forward, haunted by the loss of his family and the fact that the case is unsolved.Previously Amish, Detective Burkholder chose not to embrace the culture, and as a teenager was never baptized into the Amish way of life. She knows the culture well and is paradoxically shut out, but in some ways trusted with information.There is a surprise ending and a lot of vivid detail. This is a fast paced read, and I like it enough to continue on with the remaining books.Highly recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    35 years ago an Amish family was decimated when the father was murdered, the mother kidnapped (presumed murdered) and 4 children died in a house fire. Now a series of new murders is linked to those deaths so long ago. Kate Burkholder is determined to stop the murders but also wants to solve the long ago tragedy.These books are so stinking good. Castillo takes to old "I know what you did last summer" type story and turns into something fresh. I love Kate and all the folks in these books. They feel like old friends. Her characters are consistent but that doesn't make the stories predictable. There is just the right mix of action and mystery. Now another year wait for the next one. Dang it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Dead Will Tell
    4 Stars

    When a man is found hung in his barn, Painter’s Mill Chief of Police Kate Burkholder naturally assumes that it is suicide until evidence on the body indicates foul play. Soon all the clues start pointing to a 35 year old homicide in which a man and his 4 children were killed and the mother disappeared without a trace. The discovery of a second victim suggests to Kate that someone it out for justice and has no qualms about how they get it.

    A solid thriller with an exciting climax. Nevertheless, there are one or two plot points that require some suspension of disbelief.

    To begin with, it is difficult to accept that Hannah could so easily assimilate into the Amish community after being raised in an English environment. Moreover, the fact that no-one in the Amish community saw Hannah’s resemblance to her mother is unrealistic. Despite these problems, the mystery is compelling and the original crime is so terribly sad as are its consequences. Castillo manages to evokes the reader’s sympathies for the villain even though some of their actions are inexcusable, and this is a testament to her skillful writing.

    In terms of character development, Kate and Tomasetti’s relationship faces some obstacles as ghosts from John’s past raise their ugly heads and Kate must cope with her insecurities. There is a certain prickliness to Kate’s personality, which may irritate some readers, but to me it makes her all the more human and endearing.

    There is one question that remains unresolved from the previous installment, namely is the Daniel Lapp case stalled? Does the author plan on completing this story arc or are we to be left hanging?

    All in all, this is one of my favorite police procedural series and Kathleen McInnerny’s audio narration is superb. Looking forward to the next book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The narrator did a very good job, narrating this story; this makes a big difference to the enjoyment of audio-books in general - it doesn't matter how well written the story is, if the narrator isn't good. The story, itself, was very well written - with enough twists and turns to keep me engaged in listening. I will have to read the other Kate Burkholder novels, now.