An Evil Heart is a solid crime thriller. At times it had me anxious in anticipation and at other times almost crying with how emotional it made me.

We follow the formerly Amish Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder, as she faces not one, but two murders all while preparing for her wedding day.

We get to see her relationship with her soon to be husband, who is also a police officer, as he helps her tackle the case. It's interesting to see her navigate her relationships with the Amish community who she is no longer technically a part of. We get to see how not all who appear innocent are as they seem.

An Evil Heart reminded me of some of Karin Slaughter's work and I really enjoyed it. If you liked the Grant County series, you'll also like this. Thank you for the audio ARC of this book.


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This was my first Linda Castillo book, which is unfortunate! I had no idea there were 15 others in the series until I was well into the book and googled the author. The author did a great job of making you immersed in the story so you don’t feel like you’ve missed a beat. I loved the enculturation of the two worlds; Amish and “English” . This was easy to listen to and kept me engaged throughout. The main character was super likable to me. She was a police officer who didn’t take any crap, but she wasn’t hardened and overly critical of people, she was empathetic and wanted to believe more of the best in people, I appreciated the less cynical approach. The book was fast paced and just enough of an edge of your seat to keep you wanting more. Looking forward to the next installment! (And reading all of the past ones! Definitely a must for those who like a strong female lead!

The Kate Burkholder series is still fascinating, even after 15 books.

This story progressed with twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. I love the opportunities that each book provides to learn more about Amish and Mennonite culture. It was quite procedural and heavy on the cop talk (lots of 10-xx codes), but overall I wasn't able to guess who was the responsible party.

The downside to this story was honestly the narration of the audiobook, which came across as very choppy and was almost like listening to Siri or Alexa narrating a novel. It definitely detracted from the story.

3.5

This series just keeps getting better! Kate and Tomasetti are getting married in a few days and, of course, there is another murder. How can this small town have so many murders? I don't care it because this is what keeps me reading this series! As soon as I could get my hands on the advanced copy I had it read overnight and then was waiting for the audio version because this narrator is the BEST! Both versions are awesome and highly recommended. There are twists and turns and, of course, Kate finds herself in danger and a little banged up. I hope this series continues FOREVER!

I’ve enjoyed every book in the Kate Burkholder series, and An Evil Heart is no exception. I’ve listened to most of them on audio, and Kathleen McInerney IS Kate Burkholder’s voice in my head every time. She does a wonderful job. While the stories may blur together in my mind over time, every time I pick up one of these mysteries, I know I am in for a satisfying story line.

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

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the free audio book in exchange for an honest review. This is narrated by Kathleen McInerney. While the main character and the overall naration is good, I had an issue with the pacing of the reading and the mechanical/robot like voice for some of the minor characters like the coroner. It definitely distracted me from the story so that is why I mention it.

I am a fan of this solid series focused on Chief of Police Kate Burkholder, a former amish woman who left behind her family and religion after a horrible crime. Kate has since moved on in her life and this installment focuses on a couple of horrible murders that impact the local amish community as well as the "english". Also, Kate and Tomasetti are planning their wedding.

This is a solid installment for those of us that like murder mystery with suspenseful cop procedural and drama. Really enjoyed this!

I’ve read several books in this series but this is the first to which I’ve listened. Although I’m not an aficionado of the series, I’ve enjoyed the books that I’ve read. An Evil Heart is no exception and it can be read without having read any of its predecessors. An Evil Heart is a fast-paced police procedural that takes the reader through the many twists and turns as Chief Burkholder and her colleagues race to solve two murders, a rare occurrence in the small Amish town in which the series is set. Readers can choose to take the ride or to stop along the way to make sense of the pertinent clues that are presented, including the title. Either way, the reader’s journey is a satisfying one, enhanced by the narrator’s skillful presentation.

#AnEvilHeart #LindaCastillo #MacmillanAudio #MinotaurBooks #NetGalley

Chief of Police Kate Burkholder investigates the brutal death of a young Amish man, Aden Karn, who was violently killed with a crossbow and his body abandoned on a dirt road. Aden was just twenty years old, well-liked, and from an upstanding Amish family. The more Kate gets to know his devastated family and the people who loved him, the more determined she becomes to solve the case.

As Kate delves into Aden's past, she begins to hear whispers about a dark side. Did Aden have a secret life?

This novel explores the dark side of Amish life. Castillo's writing is evocative and masterful, and the story is well-paced, with several twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the very end.

Kathleen McInerney brings the story to life, making it a must-listen for fans of the Kate Burkholder series.

I didn’t realize that this was the 15th book in the series. It can be read as a stand-alone, in my opinion, as the book recounts important facts about the main characters. I didn’t feel like I was missing out too much, having never read the other books in the series. In this novel, the main character, Kate, is on the case of a murdered Amish man who was on Rumspringa while planning her wedding. I enjoyed the uniqueness of this novel (a murder mystery involving the Amish community) and also loved the crime processes involved. A great listen overall!

3 solid stars...
I jumped into this series a bit late in the game, but did not feel I needed to have read anything else in the series to enjoy this installment.
This was a quick read with the usual police procedural formula. Starting with a disturbing murder of a well-liked Amish man, family and acquaintances are interviewed, some more forthcoming than others. I enjoyed the first-person narrative so I could rely on Police Chief Burkholder's observations and decisions throughout the investigation. However, some of the characterizations were too over-the-top. For example, the guys hanging out in the garage with the blow-up sex doll were so exaggerated and, I think, unnecessary to the plot. (We get it, these guys are crude.)
The narration was also enjoyable with believable pronunciations of the PA Dutch language and dialect.
I do get annoyed, though, when women are voiced with an overly "sweet" or juvenile voice (Emily).
Overall I enjoy the main characters and the arc of the investigation was exciting with a satisfying (if predictable) conclusion. I dislike drawn-out police stories with a number of red herrings, so this was refreshingly tight.
On a personal note, I particularly enjoyed reading a story that takes place in my neck of the woods. Although the shout-out to Massillon, Ohio could have been for a better reason :-)
Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the audio ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My first note was narration- the narrator had a slightly clipped way of speaking that bothered me at first, but upon realizing the main character herself had been Amish along with many of her conversations being with other Amish it fit. And when I realized it fit with the character it didn’t bother me as much.

The book was a steady paced story of Chief of Police Kate investigating a case of a young man who was murdered on his way to work. With a crossbow. As Kate investigates this murder she finds other ties and other crimes that pertain to the case. The plot was well written and good paced.

And to lighten the story Kate is getting married so we see wedding prep sprinkled in the storyline. I appreciated the softness that didn’t divert too far. Good read!

Another great book in the Kate Burkholder series! I love listening to the audio of these so I can hear how the Pennsylvania Dutch is pronounced. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a mystery to listen to!

Don’t be under the misconception that since the Kate Burkholder series revolves around an Amish community that it’s a cozy mystery series. The Evil Heart has graphic violence of several different types. That said, it’s an outstanding police procedural series and Kate makes an excellent main character. She’s intelligent and thoughtful. It’s always interesting to watch her straddle the worlds between the Amish and the English. This is the 15th in the series but would work as a stand-alone as Castillo gives adequate background. Or maybe the best suggestion is to have read the first one or two to really get all of Kate’s background.
This time, Kate is called to the death of a young Amish man killed with a crossbow. Her initial investigation shows Aden Karn to be a wholesome young man and Kate can’t figure out why someone would have killed him. But then she starts to hear that maybe Aden had a dark side. The story is an intense one and doesn’t let up. Castillo manages to combine excitement with believability.
There’s also the side story of Kate’s upcoming wedding to Tomasetti. Those who have read the entire series will be thrilled by how this plays out.
My thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio. Kathleen McIrnerney continues as the narrator and does a strong job. I now associate her voice with Kate even when I read one of the books. I will also say that his series works particularly well as an audio experience.

Police chief, Kate Burkholder returns in a new novel that thrusts her into the middle of the violent murder of a young, well-respected Amish man. Aden Karn was killed by a crossbow and left on a dirt road like trash. Kate hears only good things about the young man, about to be married, and seems to have been liked by all who knew him. Determined to solve the murder, Kate digs deeper and uncovers some nasty rumors about Karn. Was his public persona a mask that hid a darker side? Castillo brings Kate’s own impending marriage into the mix, creating, as always, a mystery with depth and character