A brutal murder, Amish secrets, and a great protagonist makes this book yet another winner. I thought the idea behind the murders was interesting, especially when I understood it more. And I really like seeing Kate and Tomasetti work together (and I love her crew of officers and front desk staff).

I really like the Kate Burkholder series, and I'd guess this one would work fine as a stand alone, but I wouldn't know, since I've read them all. It IS fun to see the characters and relationships progress. And the ending was sure exciting!

Love this series, the setting, the characters. This murder that Kate will investigate is not only particular grisly, but one of the suspects hits close to home. Learned a bit about the Anabaptists, which I knew nothing about, though I have met many Amish and Mennonites. Although their beliefs are different, as a community they have many of the same problems we do. This series makes that clear. Also, sometimes justice does prevail.

One thing that bugged me is that Kate, who is a supposedly smart sheriff, so often does things that don't make sense. Puts herself, needlessly imo, into dangerous situations that some patience and foresight could have prevented. Though is course, this is also what makes it a more thrilling story. Conundrum!

I didn’t realize this book was #16 in a series.
I’m happy I didn’t tho because I wouldn’t have read it and I’m so glad I did. You can definitely read this a stand alone book. But you will want to read the others just cause I know I want to.
I’m sure if I had read the others I might understand a bit more between relationships but it didn’t matter too much I don’t feel.
I enjoyed the story. I enjoyed learning about the Amish culture a little bit.
If you like a good cop drama I definitely recommend grabbing this book. It holds you
From the start and keeps you wanting to read.
I will definitely look for more of the series
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Linda Castillo knocks it out of the park again with the next installment of the Kate Burkeholder series. This thriller case involves murder (of course), the Amish, Kates new husband, the small Amish town of Painters Falls, and Kate being her best self, juggling it all. Thank you for the advance copy!

This was an interesting book about a detective working to solve a murder of an Amish man in a small community. The author weaves some historical information about the Amish into the storyline that I’d never heard of before. There were several good twists and turns and I was kept guessing through to the end. If you enjoy detective stories and have an interest in Amish folklore you will enjoy this book. #TheBurning #netgalley

This is only the second Kate Burkholder mystery I’ve read to date, but it certainly won’t be my last. Right out of the gate, I was drawn into this story’s gruesome start, and from there on out, I was hard-pressed to put it down! Set against the backdrop of the Amish world, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder finds herself embroiled in a case quite like no other. It’s a dark and twisted journey that takes Kate down an evil and dangerous path, placing both her life and career in jeopardy, as she tries to clear her brother’s name of the murder she knows he didn’t commit. It’s a fast-paced, gripping whodunit that can absolutely be read as a stand-alone.

I have read several of Linda Castillo’s Kate Burkholder books and find them fascinating, and this one especially. Chief Burkholder is called to the scene of an especially gruesome murder. It seems a man was burned at the stake. The man, Milan Swanz, was an excommunicated Amish man. As Kate herself is formerly Amish, she still has ties in that community and knew the victim and his family. Why would someone kill in such a ritualistic fashion when there are easier ways? As she digs deeper into the investigation, she finds a notebook that Milan kept with five names including her brother’s as well as the Bishop and she hears whispers about a local vigilante group and an Anabaptist group and other things that go against everything the Amish believe. The ending blew me away. So never expected it. I think this was the best book yet. Even though this is part of a series, there is no problem reading it as a stand-alone, although then you will want to go back and read the previous books. I highly recommend this book and this series.
Thank you to Netgalley for access to this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I will definitely be reviewing it on Amazon when it is time.

Another installment in the Kate Burkholder series. Holds true to the police procedurals that preceded. Full of graphic descriptions so may be a turnoff for some. Thanks for the chance to read!

Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this early read of the next Kate Burkholder book by Linda Castillo.

I have been reading this series in order for the last year and was excited to be able to read this one early. Tiny bit disappointed there was only one sentence in the book about her wedding. I realize this is a series about the chief of police but I’m so invested in her and Tomasetti, I was hoping for a full chapter that described her wedding.

This book had your typical whodunit and it turned out to be the last person I expected. It also had great detail about the anabaptists, which was super interesting for me.

Not sure if I can wait for her next book!

Another installment of Linda Castillo's Chief Kate Burkholder series set in Painter's Mill, Ohio where the 'English' live alongside the Amish.

Kate and her team find themselves investigating the case of an excommunicated Amish man found chained to the top of a pyre and set alight. Kate finds herself delving into obscure Amish history and finding the usuall a wall of silence from the community who refuse to speak ill of the dead.

I've only read a few of these books and have always enjoyed them as solid police procedural crime with compelling characters, especially Kate, who left the Amish community at 18 after a tragedy. Now married to her Ohio Bureau of Investigations colleague John Tomasetti, Kate is reflecting on her past and trying to find a balance with being a wife as well as cop, and potentially starting a family. As she posits, is she a cop first, wife next, woman last? These are all tough questions, especially given their jobs and the danger that comes with it. The mystery was compelling, but I did find the pace started to drag. However, as always, this is another tense and gripping installment and I look forward to more.

Thanks to St Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Excellent book in the Kate Burkholder series. Loved learning some Anabaptist history along with the myster!

This is the third book I've read in Linda Castillo's Katie Burkholder series. While I have not read them in order (but read the first book and now the most recent two), I have enjoyed them all, and feel like this series is definitely worth the time. I'll admit, at times it seems hard to belive there is as much violence and crime in the small mostly Amish community of Painters Mill, but I think you take that with a grain of salt. And the desires to "sideline" the chief seem a bit repetitive, but I find the books to be well written, easy to follow, and a quick read. The stories are interesting - the mysteries are plausible, Ther murders are often heinous. All in all a fun series for those who like police murder procedurals, with the added benefit of the culture world of the Amish. This one lives up to the series expectations.

A man is burned tied to a wooden pole in the middle of the woods, and Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called to the gruesome scene. An autopsy indicates that the victim was burned alive, and Kate cannot figure out why and who of this excessively brutal murder. As she investigates, Kate discovers that the victim was a violent man who attacked the vulnerable and sought revenge against anyone whom he thought had wronged him. Recently excommunicated from the Amish community, the victim had caused harm to plenty, including his ex-wife and the Amish Bishop, so the list of possible suspects is quite daunting. Another piece of evidence leads Kate to investigate the lore of a group of Amish-related men who would take upon themselves the sin of murder to rid the community of deviants. Could this case be the result of a remnant from that legendary group? As Kate gets closer to answers, her life and her husband's are endangered. It's an intriguing read that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

THE BURNING (KATE BURKHOLDER, #16)
BY: LINDA CASTILLO

This excellent series which is new to me was introduced to me as a Buddy Read and has come highly recommended. I was vacillating on whether to read this one since the murder that takes place sounded too sadistic and gruesome for my liking. Full disclosure: it is very graphic and definitely both a sadistic and gruesome murder takes place at the beginning. It is a very compelling story with suspense and Kate Burkholder and her team are characters that you will love. Before reading this I read her first one in this series which I thought to be more graphic and gory in descriptive detail. It is called, Sworn to Silence. I forgave it though since it delivered a pure high octane adrenaline rush that thrills. For the sake of a powerful thriller it had a strong beginning that might be Linda Castillo's best one. I was hooked. So I read #2, although compelling, it didn't have as much going on as the first one in this series, but still a good thriller. It is called, Pray for Silence. They are both available to read for free to Kindle Unlimited Subscribers. I switched it up a bit and decided to skip ahead and read the prior one published #15, in this series called, An Evil Heart. This provided me with context to prepare for this one #16, called, The Burning. Despite it's violent beginning, I ended up loving this one and the secret is to allow yourself to get past the vivid detailed descriptions of murder and mayhem that happen in the beginning, which is the hook from what I can tell. This one had me never able to guess the murderers, but it's female protagonist did have me suspending disbelief because of her super human strength. It still was a great thriller that had me going on a shopping spree buying five more of this series. I guess if that doesn't convince you to try this series nothing will.

It is quiet, desolate out of the way part of the County, and Mona and Chuck Skidmore, who are both reporting police to Chief Kate Burkholder, obviously are meeting for a romance that wasn't further explored in this one. They see smoke, hear screams which they stumble on to the crime scene. They try to get to the victim, but it's too hot and too late. They do manage to put out the fire with a portable fire extinguisher. It's still too hot. They wake up their boss in the A.M. early hour, waking up Kate Burkholder and she promptly arrives at the crime scene. The Fire department and Coroner also arrive. The victim is identified as Milan Swanz, who Chief Kate Burkholder notifies his next of kin who doesn't seem to react emotionally to hearing that her husband is dead. The victim's wife says that Milan Swanz is her ex-husband and that he was the one who wanted the divorce. Still why isn't she upset at hearing her ex-husband and the father of her children is dead when notified? Why no shock or surprise reaction?

It turns out the victim Milan Swanz was excommunicated from the Amish church by Bishop Troyer and he tells Kate to question her brother Jacob. Jacob is holding back on telling Kate the truth of the reason why he was witnessed having an argument with the victim for good reason, but it isn't revealed right away. Kate talks to his former employer and his son who fired Milan Swanz, after he accidentally started a fire that burned the owners workplace. Milan Swanz was a very disturbed person who did some truly vile acts that made many people have a motive to kill him. There are many people who become persons of interest in Kate Burkholder's investigation. He also was responsible for doing something that caused a fight with his neighbor. Are any of these people responsible? Since Kate's brother Jacob is a suspect she gets suspended from the murder investigation and put on administrative duty. Why isn't anybody talking?

It's a good thing that Kate's team who are all lovable characters as well as Kate is lovable, also are still loyal to her. One of the main reasons why I fell in love with this series is because of the characters. I love all of her recurring team members and Kate who is finally married to Tomasetti. They are all so relatable and you can't help but root for them. I think that the characters are the driving force that makes me want to read all of Linda Castillo's books. In this one like the first two in the series it is impossible pretty much to guess who the murderers are. Kate Burkholder is determined to keep working this murder investigation quietly behind the scenes and off the record. Tomasetti her husband is supportive of her and with his connections and her team she is relentless in her pursuit of getting justice served for this deeply troubled victim. I like learning more about the Amish people who regularly don't involve their disputes with the English police. They are peace loving people, but there is a deviation in this one. I recommend this series highly to thriller lovers who enjoy a suspense driven plot and appealing character development that delivers every time. It is also a police procedural genre that I'm going to say is a new favorite series that is still going strong in this sixteenth installment. I can't wait for the next one to be published, but will savor the ones that I haven't read yet, since this is a new discovery. They can be read as a standalone which elevates this author as extremely talented. I love this one! I love the previous three that I have read, also. So far this one called, The Burning, and the first one called, Sworn to Silence are my top favorites.

Publication Date: July 9, 2024

Thank you to Net Galley, Linda Castillo and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for generously providing me with my fantastic eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheBurning #LindaCastillo #StMartinsPressMinotaurBooks #NetGalley

Thank you to Net Galley for this advance copy of The Burning. Linda Castillo is one of my favorites so it pains me to say that her books are becoming formulaic. Her connection to the Amish community always plays an outsize roll in the story. The Burning focuses on the death of a lapsed Amish man, murdered in a gruesome fashion. Sheriff Kate has the case but is, once again, unfairly pushed off by State level law enforcement, The most problematic part of this book and most of the others in this series, for me, is that Kate routinely puts herself into ridiculously dangerous situations. These situations are usually the climax to the story and leave Kate no wiser than the ten times it happened before! Maybe more time could be spent developing her character and her marriage and a bit less time revisiting all the reasons she is no longer Amish. Or, maybe it is time for a new series for a very capable author?

First, let me just say how much I am enjoying this series, and man, there is some bad stuff happening in these particular Amish communities. This story kept me on the edge of my seat. Twisted, gruesome evil invades Kate and Tomasetti’s world. The reason and outcome are unsettling,as the story progresses, the reader is wrapped with anticipation and the possibilities of several different outcomes. This is book has a high degree of tension and is an excellent read.

In book 16 of the Kate Burkholder series, once again there is murder and mayhem in the Amish community. Is Painters Mill home to a killer, secret Anabaptist or just another Englischer?

A shocking and brutal murder has occurred, and Chief of Police Kate Burkholder has been called in to investigate! The Burning is equal parts shocking, gripping and tension filled! I was sucked in from the very first page and attempted to do my very own super sleuthing to find whodunit.

Milan Swanz, a local Amish man was chained to a stake and burned alive in this shocking installment in the Kate Burkholder series. Investigating the case will be somewhat difficult as the Amish like to keep things to themselves and not speak ill of the dead. The investigation will lead her down many paths, one of which is the Anabaptist culture.

As I mentioned, I enjoyed this book from cover to cover. I had not heard of the Anabaptist culture prior to reading this book and found myself looking it up. I love learning new things while reading. Another thing that I loved is that Kate and Tomasetti are newlyweds. Woohoo!

When Kate's brother is implicated in the murder, things get even more interesting and tense! He is not the only one that comes under suspicion during the investigation. I had my suspects lined up and had several in mind during various points of the book.

I enjoyed the mounting sense of tension and danger which kicks into overdrive toward the end of the book! I enjoyed the suspense as it ramped up and Kate found herself in dangerous situations more than once, proving herself to be like wonder woman. Nothing stopped her!

Gripping, well written, tension filled and shocking!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Police chief Kate Burkholder is back as a newlywed in the latest book in this series. The story is about a ritualistic burning at the stake murder in an Amish community known as Painter's Mill. Chief Burkholder is closely tied to the community even though she herself is no longer Amish, but it seems she may be a little too close to this particular investigation.
This book was great. I love that I'm always learning something new about the Amish religion/community. I love how persistent Kate Burkholder is even though that persistency usually gets her into dangerous situations. Although this is part of a series, I believe it could be read as a standalone.

Kate Burkholder #16 is another barn burner of an installment. This series is consistently fast paced and suspenseful. I have read all of them but it's not necessary to read them in order to enjoy this series.
Once again Kate Burkholder is called to the scene of a horrific crime. A man has been burned at the stake and this time it will send her into the Anabaptist culture and the secrets they have been hiding for years.
This is a gripping thrill of a read and one I found hard to put down. Another great installment to the series.