In this 11th book in the 'Kate Burkholder' series, Kate - the Chief of Police of Painter's Mill, Ohio - is searching for a killer and a kidnapped child. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

Sixty-year-old Mary Yoder is a well-liked Amish woman who lives with her daughter and son-in-law, Miriam and Ivan Helmuth, and their eight children. The family loves Mary's walnut layer cake, so when walnut season rolls around, Mary takes her granddaughters Annie (5) and Elsie (7) down the road - to the abandoned Schattenbaum farm - to collect walnuts for the winter.

When Mary notices movement in the dilapidated Schattenbaum farmhouse, she goes in to take a look. Shockingly, the grandmother confronts a man lurking there, who viciously stabs her to death, then abducts 7-year-old Elsie. Later, when Chief of Police Kate Burkholder speaks to Annie, the child says 'Da Deivel' (the devil) took her sister.

Miriam and Ivan Helmuth beg Kate to find their beloved Elsie, a special needs child who is particularly delicate and vulnerable. Elsie has Cohen Syndrome, a genetic disorder that's more prevalent among the Amish than the general public. The Amish consider children a gift from God, and think of special needs youngsters as an especially great blessing.

Mary's murder and Elsie's abduction lead to a large police operation in which Kate, along with the Sheriff's Department and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (OBI), desperately search for the killer and the child. Kate's boyfriend, John Tomasetti, who's an agent with the OBI, is especially helpful in speeding up analyses of blood and DNA.

Of course inquiries begin at the Helmuth home, and when the parents are asked if they know anyone that would want to harm Mary - or if they have any information that would help the investigation - they seem oddly reticent. Even Kate, who was Amish before she left the fold and speaks fluent Pennsylvania Dutch, can't get them to open up.

In time, Kate's probe steers her to Bishop Troyer, who leads the Amish community of Painter's Mill, and then south to Crooked Creek - where Mary Yoder had relatives. Almost everyone Kate speaks to, however, is hiding something. Sadly, more murders occur before Kate can get a line on the perpetrator.

Kate's small stable of detectives, Pickles, TJ, Glock, and Skid, assist with the investigation, working overtime as needed. In addition, Kate's dispatcher, Mona - who yearns to be a real police officer - becomes a cop-in-training. As always, it's fun to visit with these recurring characters.

A central tenet of the Kate Burkholder series is the Amish tendency to be secretive, solve their own problems, and not interact with 'Englishers.' This almost always slows down Kate's investigations and makes her job that much harder.

In this book, however, this plot point REALLY doesn't make sense. The 'secret', if revealed, would speed up Kate's investigation exponentially, and would help her find the kidnapped child MUCH more quickly. Who would keep mum in these circumstances? I don't buy it.

Nevertheless, I like police procedurals and enjoyed the novel. I'd recommend the book to readers who enjoy mysteries, especially Kate Burkholder fans.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Linda Castillo) and the publisher ( Minotaur Books) for a copy of the book.

Shamed by Linda Castillo is the 11th book in the Kate Burkholder series. Kate Burkholder is Chief of Police in the town of Painter’s Mill, Ohio. Chief Burkholder was raised Amish but left the life when she was 18. Her early years serve her well as she bridges the differences between the large local Amish community and the non-Amish. In this latest installment, Chief Burkholder and her team race against the clock to find a missing Amish girl.

During a routine patrol of the area, Chief Burkholder comes across an unoccupied buggy at an abandoned farmhouse. As she makes her way onto the property, a young girl covered in blood and obviously traumatized runs toward her screaming that her grandmother has been killed. Kate soon discovers that the girl’s sister is missing and she fears the worst – that the person who killed the girl’s grandmother abducted her sister.

Knowing that the longer the child is missing, the more likely she will be harmed, Kate begins by interrogating those closest to the missing girl. Although family and friends cooperate and are obviously hoping for the child’s safe return, Kate can’t help but notice that almost everyone seems to be holding back. Soon, she discovers that there are long-held secrets spanning many years that must be uncovered in order to bring the girl home…but can she do it in time?

The suspense in the story is strong as each chapter opens with a notation as to the hours the girl has been missing. The reader can feel Kate’s anxiety increase with each passing hour and dead-end lead. Then, when she discovers what has been withheld, it leads her to question the Amish faith and way of life she thought she knew as well as her own feelings in the matter.

Rating: 4 stars

I have reviewed this book for the New York Journal of Books where it will be posted on their site the night before the publication date.

"Shamed" By Linda Castillo
Minotaur Books
July 16, 2019
10-1250142865

Suspense/Thriller

“Shamed, book number 11 in The Kate Burkholder series very well stands on its own, offering many twists and turns along with descriptive references regarding the Amish community.”

In the town of Painters Mill, Ohio, where a third of the population is Amish, no one is better suited to govern them than police Chief Kate Burkholder. Raised there, she is no longer in the order, but she is well known. Though the Amish distance themselves from the "Englischers," Kate's help is invaluable when needed for she understands their ways and their language.

Two Helmuth sisters, Elsie seven, and Annie five go with their "Grossmammi" Mary Yoder, to a nearby abandoned farm that once belonged to a member of the Swartzentruber Old Order Amish. This group is different from the one which Mary and her family belong to.

"The Swartzentruber are Old Order and adhere to the long-standing traditions with an iron grip. They forgo many of the conveniences other Amish use in their daily lives. Things like running water and indoor plumbing. They don't use windshields in their buggies or rubber tires. The women wear long, dark dresses. Most wear winter bonnets year-round. The men don't trim their beards. Even their homes tend to be plain.

"As a group, they get a bit of a bad rap, especially from non-Amish people who don't understand the culture. Most complaints have to do with their refusal to use slowing-moving-vehicle signage, which they consider ornamental. I've also heard some non-Amish grumble about their personal hygiene of some Swartzentruber. Having been raised Amish, I appreciate the old ways. Even if I don't agree with them, I respect them."

Though their beliefs are different, Mary fondly remembers her childhood days spending time with youngsters living at this homestead, and she feels nostalgic whenever she is there. Though the property is large and in disrepair, Mary always finds it peaceful and serene. Except for this particular day . . .

When Mary discerns someone is in the deserted house, she needs to investigate, making sure the children to remain outside. She is shaken upon glimpsing the intruder and before she can do anything, the man savagely attacks and kills her.

Kate, on the road with her newest patrol officer Mona Kurtz, receives a call about a horse and buggy on the loose by the old Schattenbaum place, and they head to the location where they hear a heart-wrenching scream.

"'Grossmammi! Grossmammi! Grossmammi!'

". . . Panic and terror echo in the young voice. I glance at the Schattenbaum
house, spot a little Amish girl running down the gravel lane as fast as her legs will carry her. . . .

"When she's ten feet from me, I notice the blood on her hands. More on her face. On her dress. A lot of it. Too much. A hard rise of alarm in my chest. I glance at Mona. 'I got blood. Keep your eyes open.'

"The girl's body slams into me with such force that I stumble back. She's vibrating all over. Mewling sounds tearing from a throat that's gone hoarse.

"'Easy.' I sent my hand on her little shoulders. 'It's okay. You're all right.'

"'Grossmammi!' Screaming, she claws at my clothes, looks over her shoulder toward the house. 'Da Deivel got her!'"

Kate inspects the vacant house, discovering Mary's brutally beaten body. Annie, a witness to her grandmother's demise, is now with a deputy, sobbing hysterically and saying a man took her sister.

Things like this do not occur in Painters Mill, particularly not with these God-fearing people. Kate immediately tries to pry more information from Annie, but all she can ascertain is that the perpetrator is one of the Plain people, though the child does not know him.

With a massive search underway, Kate meets with the elder Helmuths to see if someone has a grudge with them—though highly unlikely in this peace-loving community—to kill the grandmother and abduct Elsie. Kate believes something is amiss, and that they are not telling her the truth. Her colleagues peruse records for registered felons in the area and any other pertinent clues that may help to locate the abducted child.

Miriam, Elsie's mother has eight children, and Kate is shocked when upon receiving their birth documents she notices Elsie's birth date is listed as being three months after her brother, Elam. How can this be? Did Miriam not give birth to Elsie—a sweet, loving girl with disabilities? Kate must find out what this family is hiding.

As Kate, as well as John Tomasetti, her significant other, and an agent with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation delve deep into the case, other strange occurrences come to light. Deaths that have been explained as accidents offer new questions. Do these happenings tie into the capture of little Elsie Helmuth and Mary's killing? Secrets are kept close to the vest as a young child could be in grave danger. Can the puzzle pieces be put together before another tragedy occurs?

Each chapter is premised by the hours since Elsie's abduction, which adds to the suspense. Also, written in the present tense and quick paced, the novel pulls the reader in having them feel they are included in the events as they happen.

Shamed, book number 11 in The Kate Burkholder series very well stands on its own, offering many twists and turns along with descriptive references regarding the Amish community.

While this is the 11th book in a series that I've never read before, I still really enjoyed it. The author made it very simple for a new reader to jump in without being too confused on what is going on. She also made it nice for readers of her series to continue with what they enjoyed from the first books. I liked the style of her writing and the story was something that I don't normally gravitate to but I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked the story. The book starts out with a young Amish girl running at our main character Kate. Her grandmother is murdered and her younger sister is missing. Now its up to Kate to figure out what happened. An all out man hunt it issued to find the missing girl and now Kate must not only figure out what happened but she must also go back to her Amish roots, the roots that she thought she had left long in the past. I'm not usually into detective type stories because I find them dry and played out however this one really stuck with me. I'm not
sure if it's because I don't read a lot of books about the Amish and that made the difference, or if it was the way that it was written, but regardless I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. You could really feel the tension and the pain that the characters were going, from the family of the missing child to the detective trying everything in her power to figure out what happened and bring the child home alive. This book had me hooked and I can't wait to read the rest of the series to see if it is as good as this one. If you are into mysteries and even if you aren't this one will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time I must read for sure.
There were so many twists that every time you thought you had an idea another one would be thrown your way to continually keep you guessing. I loved it and I can't wait to check out the rest of the series.

This is the 11th in the series of Kate, the ex-Amish cop. I haven't read the others but wasn't lost in the story. I enjoyed it, although creepy, and the murder mystery kept my interest throughout. I agree with another reviewer though, that the swearing was excessive, and was more distracting than useful. Other than that though, I highly recommend this book and author.

If the measurement of an outstanding series is the next book, than this...the 11th in the Kate Burkholder series...passes with flying colors. I've read this series for years and have never been disappointed. After each book I wonder how Linda Castillo's storytelling can get any better but she always does. She continues to amaze me. She paints a picture of Amish life that is honest and sympathetic...but not sentimental.
This book opens with the murder of an Amish Grandmother and the kidnapping of a 7 year old little girl with special needs. The danger and suspense ramp up from there. A missing child brings law enforcement from several jurisdictions together and the author highlights the urgency of the situation by featuring a running countdown at the beginning of each chapter. Less time is spent on Kate and Thomasetti's personal relationship in this book but their professional relationship takes front and center. I also enjoyed interacting with the officers from Kate's Painters Mill PD again. They all have their own well developed personalities and are beginning to feel like friends. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's a fast moving and suspenseful procedural that's hard to put down.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book to read and review

This series is one of my favorites! I am never disappointed by Linda Castillo!

Shamed is the 11th book in the Kate Burkholder series. Kate grew up Amish, but left the faith as a teenager. She returned to Painters Mill, OH as an adult to become the local police chief. She is skilled at her job. Her knowledge of the Amish and ability to speak Pennsylvania Dutch are often vital because 1/3 of the local population is Amish. In this newest book, an Amish grandmother is brutally murdered and a 7-year old girl is taken by her killer. As they attempt to track the killer to find the missing girl, the case slowly pieces together. Much more is involved than just the kidnapping of an Amish child. Decisions and mistakes from the past are revealed.

As usual, I loved this book! Total binge read! I read the entire story in one sitting....I couldn't stop reading.The story sucked me in immediately and kept my attention until the very end. Suspenseful and exciting! Loved it!

I'm glad that this book was more about the case and investigation than Kate Burkholder's relationship with John Tomasetti. I like the characters....and character development is important in a series. But I want more investigation and less rehashing events from the past. This book was the perfect mix.....mostly investigation with just a little sprinkling of love interest/relationship. Very enjoyable read!

I planned to read the entire series before reading this upcoming book. But.....I couldn't wait! After finishing book six, I skipped ahead to enjoy this newest story. Backtracking now to read the rest of the series. These books never disappoint me! I will definitely be reading any new short stories or books in this series! :)

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from St. Martin's Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

This is my first book to read in the Kate Burkholder series and WOW, so very good. Riveting, fast-paced story, of a murder spree and a kidnapping in a present day Amish community. Definitely left me breathless at times as I flew through the pages trying to fit the pieces together with Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder. This book is full of secrets, lies, shame, condemnation, and vengeance. I will most definitely read the other books in this series by Linda Castillo. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC and opportunity to read and review.

Linda Castillo has been a favorite author of mine for quite a while. I am a fan of Amish novels and love this suspense series. This book held my interest all the way through. The characters are well developed and the writing is as good as ever. I think the plot was satisfying. I am.never disappointed is this series and cant wait for the next one. Thank you netgalley and St Martins publishing for the gift of the arc of this book. The opinions i the review are my own

I have read all the Kate Burkholder series and loved them all &this one is no different. I loved it. I kept wondering when Kate and Tomasetti will bring there romance out in the open. . Shamed is about a kidnapping of a seven year old Amish girl. And how she came to be in the Helmuths family. Hope Ms. Castillo writes many more in this series. I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this amazing book.

I have been following this series for nearly a decade now - and I am always looking forward to the next installment! Castillo's Kate Burkholder series is a definite go-to for me, and it's been almost exactly a year since I have been reading about the crimes of Painter's Mill. The tenth installment made me think that this next book would be a bit more focused on Kate's personal relationship and character arc, but that's not the case here. The book focuses entirely on the murder case that the book opens with - the brutal death of an Amish grandmother, and the kidnapping of her special needs seven year old granddaughter. The body count rises as Kate's investigation leads to unexpected secrets and lies in the immediate aftermath of the crime.

With the young girl's life on the line, this quickly becomes a book that is hard to put down - had I started it earlier in the day, this would have been a one-sitting-read for me for sure (but I started it at close to 9pm, and so I finished it the following morning). Some of the clues are heavy-handed and seem a little obvious, but this still makes for an exciting addition to the series. It may not be my very favorite, but it was certainly one that I had a hard time putting down and not staying up very late to finish! I wish that there had been a bit more to the ending, though... still, I am looking forward to seeing where the twelfth book in this series will go!

The Kate Burkholder mysteries are one of my long-term favorites. Kate is the Chief of Police in Painters Mill. A murder occurs, per usual, and Kate is drawn into an investigation involving the Amish community.

Kate is former Amish and left the community and while not exactly shunned, she is not generally welcomed either. This causes issues when she is investigating and she has to work her way around more problems than the police ordinarily have (which is still a lot as the Amish do not like to involve the police in their community affairs.)

However, in this case, there is also someone missing and time is of the essence to find her. Kate pulls out all stops and even goes way out of her jurisdiction to track her down and solve the crimes that are multiplying.

Linda Castillo has a wonderful way of presenting Kate. Her plots and her characters are so well done, it is almost as if you are looking into the lives of real people. After all of these years of reading this series, Kate has become a friend of mine. I enjoy touching base with her each time I read a new Kate Burkholder mystery.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

Castillo's newest thriller is based upon a missing Amish girl and the surrounding events.
Her imaginative style of writing keeps you engrossed throughout the storyline and keeps you riveted

I wish this review could just be one statement because that statement would be....
Shamed is one of the best book I have EVER read!
Seriously Linda Castillo is amazing and this story was just jaw dropping amazing. I'm from Pennsylvania so the topic of Amish has always interested me and I love to read books about their "secrets" and "lies" but wow this one was like no other. I love how Linda put such a unique spin of the Amish story!

I absolutely love this series and shamed was no different. Excellent story line and plot. Had me on the edge of my seat through the entire story. Very intense and a real page turner.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5)

Shamed is another book in the Kate Burkholder detective series and the second book I’ve read by this author.

I love a good mystery, this didn’t disappoint. Although I liked “A Gathering of Secrets” more, this was enjoyable. Filled with secrets and insights of the quiet Amish Community, this book starts with a horrific murder and kidnapping in the first chapter. Every minute is priceless when solving a crime, but when a kidnapping occurs, especially a child, time is even more precious. The writer takes you on a crime solving ride, all the while explaining the intricacies of the Amish people’s day their life.

I look forward to going back and reading her previous books and to her new ones, I received an ARC of this book. Opinion is my own.

This could have been a 5 star book, but because of the profanity I'm giving it a 3 star. It was well written and held your attention. It just wasn't for me. Thank you St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Linda Castillo and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

I love love love all of Linda Castillo's books, and this is definitely one of the best. I absolutely love Kate Burkholder, and reading about the Amish ways and practices This book keeps you on the edge of your seat, frantically reading to see if Kate and Tomasetti can find the missing little girl in time. Fantastic story, and a fantastic continuation of the Kate Burkholder series.

The only small, minor thing I didn't like about this book was the overuse of variations of the word "cognizant". I found it a tad annoying, but it didn't take anything away from the overall story.

As long as Linda Castillo keeps writing, I'll keep reading. She has a fan for life in me!

She does it again! Love this series! 5 stars*****! This is one of the best police procedural series I have read and Linda Castillo weaves an excellent story with each addition and never disappoints!

"Shamed" is #11 in the Kate Burkholder series. Kate Burkholder is the local Police Chief of Painters Mill, Ohio. She also happens to be ex-Amish. This book starts with a bang as an Amish grandmother and her two granddaughters are out picking acorns when the grandmother is suddenly brutally killed and one of the girls is taken. Kate Burkholder is on the case and will do anything and everything to find Elsie, a 7 year old girl with special needs.

This book could be considered a stand-alone, but please do yourself the favor and start at the beginning. They are all fantastic so you can't go wrong. I cannot wait to read the next one! Keep them coming Linda Castillo!

A huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and the author for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book, I was so excited to be approved!

Shamed by Linda Castillo is the newest novel in the Kate Burkholder series. Kate is the Chief of Police in Painters Mill, a town situated with a mix of an Amish and English population. She grew up Amish and left the order and became a law enforcement officer. She works hard to respect each population while working solving crimes. State Agent John Tomasetti is her love interest, but they work hard to keep their involvement private.

Kate is called to an old Amish farm that was abandoned. Here she found an Amish grandmother cruelly stabbed to death with one granddaughter missing and one crying for help. Kate is immediately drawn into the mystery of what happened to the missing child. Elsie had Cohen Syndrome, which just adds to the intrigue about why that child is missing, when the family has eight children altogether.

While Kate investigates, she finds an interesting contradiction in the family. She finds she needs to investigate how and why Elsie ended up where she did and why is missing. This makes the mystery even more unusual. The story brings Kate and Tomasetti to different Amish communities following the clues. However, while they are investigating, more people disappear (ie killed), making figuring out the clues even more important.

I always enjoy the Kate Burkholder novels. The interesting storylines, characters and the doggedness that Kate displays all make for a great read. This book comes out this summer and it is a “gotta read”. Shamed by Linda Castillo is a great read!