As former Amish, police chief Kate Burkholder knows most of the area Amish and their ways, as well as the English residents. When a young Amish man is found dead on a desolate road, Kate is having a hard time figuring out who would murder someone everyone, everyone says was liked by all, Amish and English alike, and had no enemies. Then an English woman is found murdered; are the cases connected? Kate believes they are. While untangling the evidence and information collected it is clear that the young man was definitely not what he seemed and not liked by everyone.

Wow, I didn't see that coming. I am new to this series and was not expecting a book about the Amish to be so riveting. The twists are amazing and so unexpected I had to put it down for a minute. I love an unexpected villain, and this is a good one. While I wait on the next installment I will be catching up on this series.

Linda Castillo has done it again. This is a solid five star murder mystery set in Amish Country. Aden Karn is found brutally murdered on the side of the road. Police chief Kate Burkholder investigates the crime. Who murdered Aden and why? Is he the squeaky clean Amish boy he pretends to be or does evil lie beneath the surface? TRIGGER WARNING - Rape. Happy pub day tomorrow 7/11/23.
Thank you @netgalley for the ARC.

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Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest book in the wonderful Amish police procedural series by Linda Castillo, wonderfully narrated by Kathleen McInerney - 5 stars!

Painters Mill Chief of Police Kate Burkholder responds to a call and finds an Amish man who has been violently killed with a crossbow. By all accounts, Aden Karn, just twenty years old, was well liked, from an upstanding Amish family, and engaged to Emily, a young Amish girl. But as her investigation steps up, Kate discovers that people are keeping secrets that may reveal a different side to Aden.

This is by far my favorite series - I'm always so excited to read her latest book and this is #15! But know that if you want to read this is as a stand-alone, it would work perfectly, although they are so good you should start from the beginning! The books are gripping, tense, and full of wonderful recurring characters. In this book, Kate and John are on the eve of their wedding and I love the personal relationships we've followed along. While Painters Mill is not a real location, there are enough real Ohio Amish country spots to make things feel familiar to those who lived nearby or visited. Plus, I always appreciate the way the author includes the Pennsylvania Dutch language but translates it to English for better understanding - and Kathleen McInerney's narration was perfect. Highly recommended!

I received a free copy from NetGalley. I have read a few others in the series but it does okay as a stand alone. Strong female lead and interesting characters. I keep meaning to add others from this series to my to-read list.

Date is for the review, not the reading.

An Evil Heart is the fifteenth book in the series. I am a huge fan of Linda Castillo and this series. This book can be a standalone read. However, I believe the series is so good you are truly missing out if you don't read them all.

The series is based in Painters Mill, Ohio. Kate Burkholder is the Chief of police but has roots in the Amish community. Kate is about to marry Tomasetti in a few days and is nervous about everything to do with the wedding. While her sister is fitting her to alter her wedding dress, a call comes in about the death of a young Amish man, Aden Karn. From all reports he is well-liked, funny, hardworking, and engaged to Emily Byler.

Kate will work together with her team and Tomasetti to solve the mystery of Aden's murder, but she will find herself in the crosshairs of the killer.

This book was a fast paced, intense thriller which I like. I really enjoy this series. I learn something new about the Amish in each new book I read. The characters are well written, and the story is wonderfully crafted to grab you from the beginning and hold you until the end. In this case the wedding of Kate and Tomasetti was woven into the story. Kate and Tomasetti are both flawed and carry their own scars deeply and have been slowly working to this point in their lives. The readers are rewarded with this special event of the much-loved characters. I sincerely hope that this is not the end of the series. I am not ready to say goodbye to them yet.

This fifteenth book in the Kate Burkholder series is another winner. When a young Amish man is killed on his way to work, Kate and her department investigate. The mystery was good, sad at times, and had some interesting twists and turns.

Meanwhile, with help from Kate's family, she's preparing for her wedding. I always love getting glimpses of Kate's Amish family, and I really like how all of the relationships in this series have progressed.

I will leave a review on Amazon and B&N on July 11

An Evil Heart is the 15th book in the Kate Burkholder series. Set near the Amish community this series brings the Amish world into the English community at times. Just several days before Kate's upcoming wedding the community is rocked by the murder of a young Amish man, as this storyline progresses we learn everything is not always as it seems. The books has plenty of twists and turns, and kept me turning the pages until the very end. I would recommend this book to others.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Minotaur Books, and I am leaving my review voluntarily and the opinion expressed here are my own.

I am relatively new to this well-established series by Linda Castillo and and have quickly become a big fan of the complex characters, intelligent plots, and descriptive prose. An Evil Heart begins with a young Amish man riding his bicycle through beautiful countryside when he is brutally murdered in a personal and brutal fashion. Painters Mill Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder, heads up the investigation, but there are few leads and by all accounts, nobody disliked the victim, Aden Karn. But as Kate digs deeper, she uncovers dark secrets that suggest Karn had a evil side and perhaps many people had reason to want him dead. The story is well paced and plotted, with surprises to keep you guessing how it will end.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was another good book in this series. We finally get to see Kate and Tomasetti get married. However she has acouple murders to solve first. This is an edge of your seat story. It has some unexpected twists I wasn’t expecting.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

unusual thriller that kept me engrossed from the start

thank you netgalley and to the publisher for the review copy

An Evil Heart by Linda Castillo takes us back to Painter’s Mill, Ohio days before the wedding of Kate Burkholder and her fiancé, John Tomasetti. An Evil Heart is the fifteenth A Kate Burkholder Novel. While it can be read as a standalone, I do recommend reading the series in order. It allows readers to get to know Kate and see how her relationship with John came about. Each book in the series builds upon the previous one. I thought An Evil Heart was well-written with realistic, developed characters. Kate Burkholder is a strong, smart woman. Her background (being raised Amish but she is now Englisch) helps her when it comes to cases she handles. John Tomasetti works for the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. He is a good partner for Kate. He understands her long hours and her devotion to her job. The pair work well together when John joins Kate on a case. Chief of Police Kate Burkholder’s latest case is a gruesome one. Amishman Aden Karn was killed on his way to meet his ride to work. Kate delves into the case. Kate questions Karn’s family, friends, girlfriend, roommate, and coworkers. She wants to get to know the victim and discover what could have led to the victim’s demise. Kate works to piece together the clues and then narrows in on the guilty party. Kate is methodical in her investigation. She is a hard worker. Kate has a good team to assist her. The mystery can be solved early in the story. The why takes longer to uncover. The reveal scene was action packed and full of suspense which had me quickly flipping the pages. There are graphic details that could disturb some readers and trigger others. The story also contains foul language. Kate and John’s wedding day is special. The planning is emotional for Kate. She grew up Amish and dreamed of an Amish wedding. But now she is English. Kate wants to find a way to merge the two cultures. Kate is also working on her relationship with her family. The wedding can, hopefully, bring the Burkholder clan closer. The author beautifully blends the whodunit and Kate’s life into one engaging story. I especially enjoyed the ending. An Evil Heart is a suspenseful story with a macabre murder, wedding worries, dubious acquaintances, an unusual weapon, a curious clue, and a cruel killer.

This is my second Kate Burkholder book and I don't feel lost not having read most of the earlier works.

If you are squeamish the first chapter is pretty brutal. Kate is a few days from her wedding to Tomassetti when the body of a young Amish man is found on a back road. In the course of her investigation he seems to be extremely well liked and respected but is he that squeaky clean? The story unfolded bit by bit like the layers of an onion to a page turning conclusion.

Would I read more in this series? Absolutely. I would definitely recommend this series to friends. I love reading about the Amish and how Kate's past and future come together.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press Minotaur for providing me with a digital copy.

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Obviously, I haven't read Linda Castillo so I wasn't familiar with the female cop who must be in her previous books, Kate Burkholder.

I found Kate to be very interesting as much as the story was. This book was as interesting a story as Kate's character. I think I'm fascinated with Amish and their traditions and it was An Amish man's murder in the prime of his life.

I really enjoyed this, it's always a surprise to find a good book with a surprise ending.

4 stars!

The violent murder of Aden with a crossbow sets off revelations of revelations in Painters Mill, especially after a young woman also found murdered. Kate Burkholder, the Chief of Police, knows Aden's parents and, having grown up Amish in the small town, also knows most of the others who come under the microscope or their families. Oh, and in the middle of an intense and disturbing investigation- she's meant to be preparing for her wedding, which is fast approaching. This is the latest in a series that continues to engage and amaze the reader with its careful approach to the Amish community and the complicated mysteries. The characters are always well drawn (none more so than Kate and her officers- I'm fond of Pickles) and there's always a surprise twist. Those who have been reading this from the beginning, as I have, should be pleased with how Kate's wedding turns out. Don't worry though- this will also be fine as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I look forward to a new novel from Castillo every summer because they are always a rewarding and page turning read. This is no exception. Highly recommend.

Yeah, I came into this one a little late. It was obvious we were in the middle of the series. It did not make the present mystery hard to follow.

Kate Burkholder has returned to her hometown. She is now not fully trusted by her former community. Still, when a young Amish man is murder in a horrific way, she is able to talk to the community she left. What comes out is a tale of how young men behave when they think no one is watching.

While the stories that unfolded were compelling, the actual resolution fell a little flat. Still, there were enjoyable characters and an interesting group of people to meet.

Been the 15th in a series you would expect repeats. Not so Linda Castillo managed again to produce a unique mystery. As in the past we see Kate Burkholder trying to come to terms between her Amish past and her current lifestyle. Family ties with her siblings are slowly getting repaired and they have come to accept Kate and her Husband to be as part of the community.
A horrible murder of a young man is derailing Kate’s wedding planning. Makes you even wonder if she will have time to get married.
Who was hating the victim so much that they would kill him in the manner they did?
For all we can see the victim was good, hard working & loved by everybody. What is missing?
Kate is having a challenging time seeing the logic of it all. Read the book and see if you can guess the why and the who prior to finishing it.
A day after I finished the story, I listened to the audio version narrated by Kathleen McInerney. Sometimes it is better to read a book, other times it is better to listen to a narrator reading it. In this case I enjoyed both equally and both versions deserve a solid four. I hope to read more of Kate in the future.

These characters have become like family to me. I love how every year I get to work alongside Kate and Co. trying to solve another Amish murder in Painters Mill, which must have the highest per capita murder rate in the entire country, lol. There's always a pulse-racing, shocking beginning which leads into an intriguing investigation, intertwined with personal events that move the characters forward, and then finally the reveal that has you on the edge of your seat Another fantastic 5 star book and this one has my favorite ending of the whole series!

4.35⭐
Genre ~ police procedural
Series ~ Kate Burkholder, #15
Others in the series ~ Can't list them all, so here's the series link
Publication date ~ July 11, 2023
Page Count ~ 311
Audio length ~ 9 hours 25 minutes
Narrator ~ Kathleen McInerney
POV ~ single 1st & 3rd
Featuring ~ murder, references to r@pe, se*ual assault

How is it that I've aged 14 years and Kate has barely aged at all 🤣. I hate that I have to wait a whole year before I get my next fix of this wonderfully graphic series.

Kate is back solving another brutal murder in Painter's Mill, while simultaneously getting ready to finally marry Tomisetti. Long time readers will agree that we've been waiting ages and ages for this moment.

We open up with Aden getting shot with a crossbow and thus sets forth the investigation into his death. We've got another murder thrown into the mix to keep us on our toes.

Overall, another fast paced, great addition to the series. Yes it's technically a standalone, but Kate's life is progressing even though there's a new murder to solve each time.

I was fortunate enough to have a kindle and an audio copy.
Narration notes ~ a bit robotic, but a fine job. It's not the voice I picture in my head for Kate, but it'll do.

An Evil Heart was another well planned murder mystery. Kate's relentless abilities as a cop make this series one of my all time favorite series to read. This particular mystery had many little details to piece together to figure out who was guilty of murder. The ongoing theme continues: anyone is capable of murder under certain circumstances, and people are not always who they seem.