Book 99 of 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

How is it we are 16 books deep in this series & I’m still this invested? There is just something in the way Linda Castillo writes that completely draws you in. Every single story of hers flows so effortlessly. They’re both easy and enjoyable to read.

Several books in this series deal with dark and heavy themes, but this one was one of the heavier books. The book centers around a man named Milan who is burned at the stake. The crime is violent, but you quickly discover that Milan is a difficult man to find any sympathy for. He is a horrible human being, so while you want to see Kate solve this crime, you struggle to accept getting justice for Milan. It definitely makes you think deeply in that way.

We get a lot of Kate & Tomasetti in this one! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 They work together for the vast majority of the novel, which I just loved. They’re newly married, but the relationship continues to grow in this one. Seeing Kate verbalize just how much Tomasetti & their life together means to her was a huge wall we’ve been looking to see broken down.

We also get a lot of Kate’s brother in this book, too. There’s still so much struggle and tension in their relationship. I thought Castillo did a great job fleshing out their dynamic in this story.

I quickly gobbled this one up & loved it. Are there some repetitive elements here (ex: Kate getting injured)? Yes, but we come to expect them in these books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Be sure to check this out when it releases in July!

Am a longtime fan of this series which, in this case, means I have read every entry in the Kate Burkholder series plus several of the short entries. I would rank <i>The Burning</i> among my top five. It is a bit darker than previous titles and starts out with the gruesome and unsettling murder of a Painter’s Mill resident. Once past the grisly details, the plot follows Chief of Police Burkholder as she doggedly pursues hunches and clues through investigative twists and turns.

The setting, characters and themes are familiar to those that follow the series but new readers can still jump in at this point. Castillo is highly skilled at weaving Amish culture, as well as Kate’s own Amish upbringing, into the stories. This time she introduces aspects of Amish history and folklore into the case.

One downside to having read the previous entries is identifying similarities – either patterns or coincidences – from earlier books. A noticeable example from <i>The Burning</i> was that, once again, Kate is the victim of two physical attacks, potentially life threatening, but with few noticeable or lasting after effects. Two distractions to the flow which I hope get noticed in the editing stage in the future.

Even after 16 episodes, this series continues to grab my interest and keeps me turning pages. And after some obvious foreshadowing on the last few pages, I’m already looking forward to #17!


FYI - I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Burning is the story of Chief Kate Burkholder trying to solve a gruesome murder within the Amish community of which she used to be a part. Themes of Amish culture’s aversion to gossip and dislike for sharing much information with the police are repetitive and seem to be the largest plot in the story, not necessarily the murder itself. The story seems to dwell excessively on these themes, which takes the reader on an endless loop of talking to the same suspects over and over and getting little information each time. While there is a unique setting with some very intriguing lore, it unfortunately falls short in terms of plot. The storyline leaves too many questions unanswered, making the narrative feel incomplete. Additionally, the conclusion comes across as rushed and haphazardly stitched together, leaving gaps in the overall story. For readers who have not followed the series about Kate Burkholder from the beginning, there might be elements that are missed. However, the book can be read as a standalone novel without prior knowledge of the previous books. Those looking for a more comprehensive and satisfying plot may find it less enjoyable.

An ex-communicated Amish man burned alive?

How horrific could that be and why?

Milan Swanz was a troublemaker, but didn’t deserve to die that way. Who could do something like that?

The investigation was pretty much at a standstill because the weather conditions ruined the crime scene, but Kate and her team will get to the bottom of this and find the perpetrator.

Another glitch then comes into play. Kate’s brother is a suspect.

Will she be thrown off the case?

Will she get herself in trouble with the police force if she stays on the case behind the scenes?

Will her life be in danger as she keeps gathering information?

Everyone who is suspect along with others seems to have a secret, and everyone seems to know Milan, have had some interaction with him, and know of his temper and actions.

We follow Kate Burkholder and the team in another intense, descriptive, keep-your-interest book that gives the reader a lot of information about Amish life.

Fans won't want to miss Linda Castillo's newest. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Oh, how I LOVE these characters! I have read the entire series, and these guys are old friends! Kate Burkholder is one of the best leading characters out there! She makes mistakes but always gets back up. The supporting characters are always loyal to her and seem like so much fun to work with. One thing that drove me crazy, in a good way, is near the beginning we start out with a bang-up possible storyline that I never knew I needed and was hoping for more about that. Then nothing else was said. Well, maybe the next book. But anyway, I digress. Now, one might wonder how a tiny Amish town like Painters Mill can have so much crime over the years. How can the author possibly come up with new story lines? Well, she always does and then some! In this one we have a man burned at the stake who may not have been a very nice guy. I love how we get to see inside Kate's head as she is solving the crimes, and we get to follow along with her reasoning. I also love me some Tomasetti!!!! I'm a big fan of the turns in their relationship. The timing has been perfect! I hope this series continues for a very long time and cannot wait for the next one! And maybe more on that bang-up possible storyline?

A huge THANK YOU to #NetGalley, Linda Castillo and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this much-loved ARC!

I will post my review to Amazon, Facebook and other retail and social media sites upon the publication date of July 9th.

I really debated requesting this early copy because I SO look forward to reading Linda Castillo's latest book every summer.
This one lived up to her previous novels - such a tight pace, you don't have to suspend your disbelief, the chief is so human and the suspense is GREAT!
I really felt the tension in this book with it's taking place over just a few days. The suspense was great. And I love Tomesetti and the chief's relationship.
I always wonder how the author will handle a new book with so much crime in one place, or one community so I felt it was a interesting twist to have it reach outwards a little and have outsiders come in for vigilante justice.
Loved it and was so excited to get the advance copy. Looking forward to the long wait for Linda Castillo's next one!

An excommunicated Amish man, Milan Swanz has been wired to a stake and burned in the woods. Chief Kate Burkholder is determined to find the culprit. She soon finds that Milan has been divorced by his wife who is seeing another man. Milan had been seen arguing with Kate's brother, and he had also attacked the Bishop and his wife. However, Kate doesn't believe any of these folks had killed Milan. Soon, someone is also out to get Kate, perhaps because she is getting too close to finding the killer. Someone breaks into her car and hides in the back seat. On her way home, they loop something around her neck, the car crashes, and the man runs off.

Since Kate doesn't give up, she and Thomasetti have a very exciting and scary time thereafter. Will she find the culprit before he kills her?

I thank Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC so that I could read the book before publication.

Newlywed Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is awakened by an urgent midnight call summoning her to a suspicious fire in the woods. When she arrives at the scene, she discovers a charred body. According to the coroner, the deceased, an Amish man named Milan Swanz, was chained to a stake and burned alive. It is an appalling and eerily symbolic crime against an upstanding husband and father. This is such an entertaining series and each time I think I know all things Amish I read a book in this series and learn something new. This kept me hooked until the end.

Another great book by Linda Castillo. I love the way she writes about the Amish community. She doesn’t just show this community as rainbows and unicorns but as a true community with everyday issues. She shows that there is good and bad at times really bad in the world regardless of how “religious “your community is.

But…. The Chief really needs to stop getting hurt in every other chapter. That part of the story does get old. Like really a person’s body can’t take that much abuse and keep going with some recovery time.

As always Kate Burkholder is amazing. She's such a smart, strong woman who doesn't put up with anything. I look forward to her next adventure.

This is the 16th book of the Kate Burkholder series. Kate is called away to an urgent midnight call of a suspicious fire in the woods. She discovers a charred body. It is an Amish man named Milan Swanz. He was chained to a stake and burned alive. Kate will have to dig into the Amish history in order to solve the case of the Anabaptist and some of their early rituals and beliefs. Kate finds her brother's involvement. Kate's own life is threatened and Thomasetti is protecting Kate form herself as she puts her own life in dangerous places at times. This is a great installment and I am looking forward to the next book in the series. If you like danger mixed with your thrillers then you would love this book. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press/Minotaur for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder, has a new case where a man is strapped to a tree and burned alive. Set in Pennsylvania where the Amish share the community, Kate discovers that the burned man was an Amish man who was recently excommunicated from the church for heinous crimes and has a dark past. The further Kate digs, the more she finds striking similarities to a handful of other cases where an Amish seem to take justice into their own hands.

I really like Kate. She is a driven, tough as nails, police chief who handles her male counterparts with ease. The same cast of characters are present including Tomasetti, which really makes the story have depth. Despite this being book 16, you can start at the beginning or jump right into the series with this installment as a stand-alone. I do recommend that if you enjoy this series as much as I do that you start at the beginning to see the evolution of the characters, especially Kate.

This is not my first book in this series and definately will not be my last!

Kate Burkholder is the Chief of Police in Painters Mill, Ohio and a former member of the Amish community there. She receives a late night call about a suspicious fire in the woods, a burned body, chained to a stake and burned alive is found within. The man is Amish, one Milam Swanz.

Swanz was troubled and had recently been excommunicated. The Amish are hesitant to talk about him, why? Then the case takes an ugly turn that is very personal to Kate. What happened to Milam Swanz and why?

I was unaware that this book is part of a series (the sixteenth entry…I’ve never heard of these before.) Thee mystery part was fine to read as a stand alone but there a lot about Kate that isn’t touched on here and I’m sure is covered in one of the other fifteen books, like her back story, and her relationship with her husband (she is newly married in this book.)

A decent enough mystery/thriller. I like the conceit that she’s former Amish. Interesting.

So, I have read a couple of books in this series, and in my opinion, this was not one of my favorites. I enjoyed Kate Burkholder’s interactions with the Amish community, and I enjoyed learning about another branch of people whose beliefs semi align with the Amish. I feel like at times the story dragged in comparison to other books within this series. That being said, I still enjoyed it, just maybe not quite as much as past adventures.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Wow! This book starts with such a shocking crime that I think I flinched a little as I read it. It's not gory in the description, but Castillo does a good job of providing just enough detail to make the reader feel the victim's pain. From there, Kate Burkholder gets the crime scene and immediately starts investigating. Facing resistance from the Amish community, including the victim's family, Kate persists and pulls together the piece's of the victim's life and realizes there are many who know them that had a motive to want them dead. I'm unsure how much closure I really got from the resolution of the case, but the ending to the book outweighed any negative from that. I really do enjoy this series and how the author blends English crime-solving skills with the Amish community and I look forward to reading the next in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the arc.

The book opens with a gruesome, horrible crime. The victim is burned at the stake. Kate Burkholder is the Chief of Police and she is on the case. But she's running into opposition, not only from the Amish community who are unwilling to speak poorly of the dead, to another law enforcement officer who wants her off the case.

Kate is smart, unwilling to give up, and tenacious in physical battles, even when grossly over-powered.

I have read every book in the series, but a new reader can certainly start by reading this book. This book is darker than most of the others.

I also listened to the audio version of the book. The narrator is the voice of Katie Burkholder for me. I love listening to her.

Much thanks to Linda Castillo, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to use free ARCs in exchange for an honest review.

Not much to say, this book was great! The mystery was very intriguing and brilliantly framed the dilemma of victim blaming, how easy it is to fall into. The pace was fast but not rushed; the book wasn't short, but it seemed to fly by. I wasn't ready to say goodbye. I love Kate and Tomasetti being all domestic, thinking about kids. And Skid and Mona? Cute. I don't remember Kate circling back to Skid's suspicious explanation, but perhaps that'll be a subplot in the next book. I also love how Castillo humanizes the Amish people as well as honors them. From a distance it's easy to generalize them as sanctimonious or stupid or stubborn, but they have all the same emotions and conflicts we English do. It's fascinating.

Overall, can't wait for the next one!

The Burning is the latest book in the Kate Burkholder Amish series. It’s another wow, 5 star episode, by Linda Castillo.

From the first page to the last, I was riveted by this story.
A gruesome murder has taken place in Burkholder’s jurisdiction. An Amish man has been burned at the stake, in a reminiscent way of Amish killings in the 1400’s.
This one results in whispers and hidden legends, and Kate Burkholder is determined to find the killer(s).

Along with her husband, Tomasetti, she delves into a dangerous, historical search to find the killers!

This book is another excellent, well written, engaging look into life, and death, in the Amish community, that still exists today!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books/ St.Martins Publishing, for the opportunity to read and review this book. My opinions are my own, and unbiased.

The Burning is another action packed, thriller in Kate Burkholder mystery series. A man has been burned to death in Amish country. A former member of the Amish, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder uses all of her ties to the Amish to pursue a killer. Her ties to the Amish and a personal connection leads those in charge to try and sideline Kate. Like a dog with a bone, Kate is tenacious in her pursuit risking life and limb to chase down legends and the truth. Kate is tough as nails and stubborn to a fault to make her one of my favorite investigators. This story is another unique mystery with memorable characters and wonderful world building. Kate Burkholder mysteries are a must read. My voluntary, unbiased, and non mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

With a longstanding fascination for the Amish and their ways and some familiarity with the part of Ohio in which this series is set, it's a given that I'd be attracted to the books. But those interests alone probably wouldn't be sufficient to entice me to read more than one. Rather, it's the stories, and the characters, that keep me on the edge of my seat waiting for the next installment (of which this is the 16th).

For those not familiar, Kate Burkholder is chief of police in Painters Mill, located in the Buckeye State's largest Amish community (the second largest concentration in the world). She's a recent bride, the wife of John Tomasetti, an agent with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. She's also Amish or, more accurately, she used to be; she left the old ways some time ago but still maintains a relationship with the local Amish, though it's tenuous at best. Her brother, Jacob, owns a local farm where he lives with his wife and son.

This story begins with the particularly gruesome murder of an Amish man named Milan Swanz, who was burned alive on a stake (hardly a fun way to go). Tracking down clues to his identity and a motive proves difficult for Kate and her team, but it soon becomes clear he was far from an upstanding citizen and had, in fact, recently been excommunicated from the Order. Some evidence suggests that the murderer might be Amish, but that goes against their staunchly anti-violence nature. They're also notoriously closed-mouthed when it comes to speaking anything negative about their brethren - especially to the "English" folks at the police department, so eliciting information is akin to pulling hen's teeth.

Kate has a bit more luck, but not much - and much what she gets doesn't bode well for her brother Jacob, who had a serious run-in with the victim just a few days before the murder. Kate's relationship with her brother also calls into question her continued participation in the investigation; can she, or even should she, be involved when he's a major suspect? The same is claimed about her husband, who's been helping the department. Problem is, without Kate's understanding of the Amish and help from him, any meaningful investigation is likely to go nowhere fast.

It is at this point I must clam up; anything else I can say would reveal too much except that there's a very intriging look into a part of Anabaptist history thought to be long ago dead and buried. Besides that, there's plenty of action and close calls that kept me turning pages right up to the end. Now I'm once again looking forward to the next installment - and once again thanking the publisher, via NetGalley, for putting a pre-release copy of this one in my hands (or rather, on my Kindle). Well done!