Cover Image: Shamed

Shamed

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Member Reviews

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a Kindle ARC of Shamed.

I was so excited to receive an early copy of Shamed, I put the current book I was reading on hold to read Shamed first because I'm a huge fan of the Kate Burkholder series.

Shamed is the 11th book in the series featuring the gutsy Chief of Police Kate Burkholder in Painters Mill. When a grandmother is brutally attacked and killed, and a young special needs girl is kidnapped, Kate pulls out all the stops to find the killer and kidnapper.

Along with her loyal team of police officers and steadfast partner in crime, John Tomasetti, Kate's investigation takes her across a few states to unravel a plot to save a child with devastating consequences for those involved in the future.

Ms. Castillo describes the Amish community so well, both positively and negatively, especially with how their community regards women and their narrow minded expectations of them.

I enjoyed this story of family secrets and vengeance and how a cloistered and sheltered community's painful condemnation of women resulted in a poorly conceived plan to save a child, ruining the lives of the parents and those involved in the conspiracy.

I never tire of reading about Kate, her resilience, her determination, her smarts, as well as her loyal team of officers. It's rare to find a book in which I like all of the characters but that applies to this series.

I also love the bond between Kate and John as partners and equals. You know how difficult it is to find a book, much less a series, starring a strong, flawed heroine and her equally supportive, smart man who is not a bumbling idiot, adulterer or psycho?

Why can't there be more books like this?

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Linda Castillo continues to get better and better. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this title and I was so thankful to receive an advanced copy from Net Galley. Castillo's storytelling is wonderful and this mystery of a series of murders and a kidnapping of a special needs child is complex and riveting. I enjoy getting inside the head of Kate Burkholder and watching her tirelessly search for answers while delicately walking a line between the "English world" and the Amish.
The only thing missing is I always love a little more Tomasetti...and now I have to wait another year for her next one.
It's awesome!! Linda Castillo fans will be THRILLED with this one!!!

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The author has done a wonderful job with this Amish mystery book. I’ve read several of her books, and this is, by far, my favorite. I have a love/hate feeling towards her books. They tend to be very graphically gory, which I hate, but the story is so great that you can’t put it down because you want to know how the mystery is going to be solved.

This book is somewhat graphic, but nothing compared to some of her books that I have read in the past that would almost make you ill with the descriptions.

Kate Burkholder, a woman raised Amish, but having left the religion, became Chief of Police in Painter’s Mill, OH. She finds that an Amish grandmother has been murdered and a child kidnapped. Time is so important in finding the child before she is murdered as well. Several people become victims of the murderer and Kate has to travel miles out of her jurisdiction to work on solving this horrible crime.

Her knowledge of the Amish beliefs, as well as the language, help bridge the gap between the Amish and English and helps her in her investigations.

I couldn’t put this book down until I had finished it. I highly recommend this to those who love to read books about the Amish with the added thriller aspect.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book and give my honest review.

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This is the 11th book in the Kate Burkholder Amish mystery series. I have loved all of the books in this series even though some of the are really violent and graphic. The author does a great job of showcasing the good and the bad in the Amish community. This Amish community is set in Ohio but part of the mystery is set in Ky. I loved the Ky setting as it is set in Boyd County, Ky which is where I live and the roads mentioned are roads that I travel and some of them are about 2 miles from my house. If Linda came to this area for research then I am going to be so disappointed that I could not meet her or have her visit my bookstore in Ashland Ky.

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Thank you to Net Galley for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve enjoyed all of Castillo’s Amish crime mysteries featuring Chief Kate Burkholder, and Shamed is no different. Although the series requires its readers to suspend their disbelief that one small Amish community could be so turbulent and rife with crime, I find these mysteries to be interesting and well written. I love all of the members of the police department, so my only critique of this book is that there was very little about any of the characters outside of the main crime. I’d like to know more about Kate’s relationship with Tomasetti or more about the lives of all of her deputies. I’ve listened to all of the previous books in this series on audio, so I heard Kathleen McInerney’s voice in my head the entire time I read this book. I highly recommend the audio versions of this series, as they are very well done.

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Are you looking for a book that will have you literally stretched tight by the pacing and plot? Are you a fan of Ms. Castillo? Then this may be your next read. "Shamed" puts the police chief in a high gear, frantic frame of mind in an effort to solve a brutal crime.

I've been a fan of Castillo's throughout this (often violent) series so I was really disappointed that the other wonderful characters usually well represented throughout each story were essentially given only cursory mention. The chief seemed to be on to be on a one-woman crusade, which this reader thinks weakened the overall book. 4-stars for jacking up the tension. 2.75-stars overall. Please, more story and less violence in future books.

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Another great novel from Linda Castillo. When an old woman is murdered and her granddaughter abducted, Police Chief Kate Burkholder will not sleep until the child is found. But the more she digs, the more questions surface. What isn't the Amish family sharing with her?

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Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of the latest in my favorite series. This book did not disappoint. Kate Burkholder is the police chief in a small town. A grandmother is butchered and her granddaughter is kidnapped. Can Kate find the granddaughter before it's too late? I read this in less than a day. The story was good, and it was the same excellent writing I have come to expect from this series. I have enjoyed watching the characters evolve over the course of the series - they are all so familiar to me I would recognize them on the street! Another thing I liked is a couple of the earlier books had pretty graphic (for me) scenes and this one did not.
I highly recommend you start this series if you haven't yet, or buy this book if you have. (I think they can be read as standalone, but it's best to read the whole series.) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2779351124?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

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I truly loved this book! I confess, I told my husband I fell asleep on the couch and woke up at 3:00 in the morning to go to bed. He doesn't need to know I couldn't put the book down because it was THAT GOOD. From other readers ,on a Facebook page I have joined, learned this is a series that they all love. Now I need to go back and start at the beginning of the book series.

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As a mystery fan, I really enjoy Linda Castillo’s books. She writes in a way that is not afraid to expose the worst in humanity and in this particular book, she writes about the mistakes that came be made in the name of religion. I originally picked up her books because my mother’s family was at one time Amish and the subject always interests me. She handles writing about the Amish so genuinely and honestly. I always look forward to reading her books and this one was interesting and as always, a little disturbing while making me think. I enjoy her characters (and finally came to fully appreciate Kate and how much she’s grown) and love entering her world.

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Whenever I see a new Linda Castillo book I drop everything and read it ! I’m a huge fan of this series invoking Chief of police , ex. Amish Kate Burkholder .
This book does not disappoint. From the first page you are in the mix of murder and kidnapping and a mystery so intriguing that it involves two Amish towns !
Love , love , love this series !

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A fast paced story that kept me on the edge of my seat! Another really good addition to the series!
I enjoyed it! Thank you for the early copy

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In this newest Castillo novel, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is drawn into solving a murder and child kidnapping within an Amish community. While collecting walnuts with her two granddaughters at the abandoned Schattenbaum farm, Mary Yoder is stabbed to death and one of her granddaughters is kidnapped. Kate interviews the granddaughter who witnessed her sister being dragged from the farm and all she can get out of her is that it was "Da Deivel." The devil. With the clock ticking and no suspects, Kate soon learns that the isolated Old Order Amish Community has many secrets to hide. Kate discovers that the child taken has special needs and has been diagnosed with Cohen Syndrome. Based on something her sibling lets slip, Kate begins to suspect that this family of 8 children is not what it seems. What are the community and family hiding and will Kate be able to get the answers that she needs to find Elsie and return her to her family?

I have read all of the other Kate Burkholder books and eagerly began this one. The story drew me in from the very beginning and did not disappoint. Castillo is gifted at setting up the story and letting it unfold. The murder and kidnapping seem unrelated to other events occurring in the Amish community until Kate makes the connection and reveals past crimes. A fast-paced, suspenseful glimpse into Amish life and into the mind of a violent killer. No spoilers here, you'll have to read it yourself to discover if Elsie is found safe.

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Last year, I read Down a Dark Road, my first foray into Linda Castillo's Kate Burkholder series. (Thanks, Kay, for the heads up on this series.)

Shamed is another excellent entry set in Painters Mill, Ohio and the Amish community.

from description: 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...

There are now eleven books featuring Kate Burkholder, Chief of Police in Painters Mill, and the two books that I've read have had compelling mysteries with complex situations. Insights into the Amish community and the contrast of the peaceful lifestyle and the violence that intrudes makes the books even more engrossing.

Read in March; blog review scheduled for June 30.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press
Mystery/Crime. July 16, 2019. Print length: 320 pages.

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Okay. I need to start out by saying how much I LOVE books from St. Martin's Press. It feels like every book I give a high rating to is through them. SHAMED by Linda Castillo is 100% no exception.
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Shamed is book 11 in the Kate Burkholder series, and it was good...but I didn't quite feel it was on par with the rest of her novels. I absolutely cannot put my finger on why, though. I think it might maybe be the supporting cast (her fellow police officers and the Amish community). But again, I'm not certain. Was it good? Absolutely. The mystery was so tense, and you can feel the suspense and the tension racheting up with each passing chapter. You end up getting totally invested in the search - each chapter tells you at the beginning how long it's been since she got taken, so you know exactly what time frame you're dealing with. Also please note that while most of her books can be read as standalones, this one is not good for that if you want to really lnow the characters - the only new information that we get is on Pickles. There's basically no chsracter development for anyone else.
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Normally Ms. Castillo's books get 5s from me, no question. I didn't connect with this one but the writing was still good, so Shamed only gets 4. Hopefully next year will get us back up to 5.

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I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review -
Mary is found murdered and 7 year old Elsie is missing.
The clock is ticking - will they find Elsie alive?
Why was she taken?

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As always, Castillo gives us and up-close and personal view into Amish life. One of my favorite things about this series is that she doesn't sugarcoat or gloss over the realities of living with such a strict dogma. The Amish live their religion, and deviating from the rules gets you ostracized as it did Kate Burkholder.

This story jumps around a bit more than the others. The crimes are committed in two locations that are distant, which made things a bit unbelievable because the killer bounced back and forth between the places. Why he chose his targets when he did didn't make any sense, so I thought that part of the plot was a bit unbelievable.

I'm also not entirely fond of the ending. Of course Kate gets her man; she always does. But, in this case, there are several people who participated in the initial crime and, frankly, had few if any consequences. That doesn't sit well with me. If nothing else, I felt that some government agencies should have gotten involved.

There are three things that range across the series that I would like to see Castillo begin addressing. Kate's excommunication has left her unable to have a real relationship with her brother and sister. Her brother treats her like dirt, and her sister wants a relationship that Kate is uncomfortable with. Neither appear in this book. I think it is time for these relationships to develop. Kate needs to seriously tell off her brother, and she needs to embrace her sister's family no matter how awkward it might be at first.

Kate also needs to have a sit-down with Bishop Troyer about what really happened to her as a kid. This needs to happen before the elderly leader dies.

Lastly, her relationship with Tomasetti was barely mentioned here. He was in some scenes but mostly only in a professional way. This relationship also needs to advance. They need to talk about marriage (or get married) and they need to talk about having kids. No one is getting any younger here, so it's about time they had that conversation and there is so much dramatic potential there.

I really liked this book and I love the series. I just want to see Castillo move her characters and relationships along before things get too stale.

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⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress. I recieved an #advancereadingcopy in return for my honest review. The 10 installment for ex-Amish Kate Burkholder did not disappoint. While i had the mystery figured out, i couldn't figure out the people until the end. Lots of twists and turns and i always learn something new about the Amish.

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I enjoyed this latest in a series of books by Linda Castillo staring Kate Burkholder, a former Amish woman who is now police chief in a small Ohio town that is shared by the "English" and Amish alike.

This latest tells the story of a young Amish girl with disabilities who is kidnapped while gathering walnuts with her sister and grandmother. Her grandmother is killed in the attack, and it becomes Kate's job to travel to a nearby city and through time to solve the mystery.

I have read other books in this series, and this was no disappointment. I very much enjoy Kate's strength as she is torn between two worlds in a religious sense and finding a solid home in neither. I also enjoy the character development between Kate and her love interest and fellow law enforcement officer John.

You do not need to read the others in the series to enjoy this book, but why not? The series is very strong, and the interesting twist of bring the Amish to mysteries makes the series unique.

Thanks to Ms. Castillo, NetGalley.com and the publisher for my advanced copy.

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Occasionally people who think they what is best, do something that in the end wreaks chaos on most , if not all of the people, invovled.. A little Amish girl goes missing and Kate pulls out all the stops to find her. A book yyyyyyyyou won't want to put down until the very end,. An excellent addition to the series.

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