This series is such an amazing journey of Kate Burkholder. Every book holds a new adventure and mystery. I have read this series from the beginning and can’t see how there could be another great book but the author surprises me each time.

ate Burkholder is a police chief who grew up Amish so she has some insight into the Amish beliefs and community. In this book, a man who was formerly Amish is burned on the stake and Kate has to find the killer.

I want to start by saying that I did not realize that this was such a long series when I started. I don't think it took away from my experience of reading but I probably will go back and read some others because I liked this book a lot and would love to see more of Kate and her backstory.

I really liked this book! This book was fast paced and had a lot of action throughout. There was never a dull moment in this. I liked how Kate used her Amish background to investigate this crime. It was interesting to read about some of the Amish history.

I loved all of the characters as well. Kate and her husband were really cute together. I also liked the other cops as well. It explored some family dynamics as well.

The crime itself was really brutal and I enjoyed watching Kate find out who killed him. I would definitely recommend this one to anyone who likes police procedurals!

I listened to this one on audiobook as well as reading it at times and I really loved the audiobook! The narrator was great and I couldn't put it down. I think all of the action was great to listen to on audio.

Thanks so much to netgalley, Macmillian audio, and St. Martin's Press for the arc (and audiobook) of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This is the first book I have read by Linda Castillo, I found the storyline intriguing and kept my interest throughout. I have very kittle knowledge about the Amish, and found it very fascinating. The narration however sounded like an AI and that made it difficult to stick with the audiobook.
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Thank you #Netgalley and #MacMillanaudio for this ARC

This is only the fourth Kate Burkholder novel I've read, but it seems like I've read many more. Maybe that's because Burkholder's world feels so familiar to me, just swap out rural Illinois for rural Ohio (although our Amish community isn't as large as the one in Holmes County). I always appreciate how Linda Castillo treats the Amish as normal human beings, not some kind of exotic species to be romanticized.

I usually learn a little something about the Amish from the Kate Burkholder books. I found The Burning to be the most educational so far. I learned a little bit about the Hutterites. There's also an Anabaptist history lesson. I had no idea that the practice of adult baptism was ever the source of so much contention! I can totally appreciate how these people would want to separate themselves from society at large!

The story itself is good, as usual, with the twist surrounding the motive particularly unique. Kate does an awesome T-1000 impersonation. While not Christian fiction, the Kate Burkholder novels always cause me to reflect on my spiritual path and choices, my family and life's journey. So much hidden profundity in what otherwise appears to be a mystery novel! I'm going to keep grabbing the Kate Burkholder stories whenever I can.

I would like to thank Macmillan Audio for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook. As always, Kathleen McInerney's narration is excellent, helping to bring these characters more to life than I think the page can due to hearing spoken Deitsch.

**Disclaimer:** I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review and did not realize it was part of a series. I haven’t read any other books by this author.

The story begins in Amish country with the shocking discovery of a man burned at the stake. The remainder of the narrative centers on uncovering who is responsible.

Overall, it’s a typical investigation story with enough obstacles to keep it engaging. I’d rate it a solid 3 stars. If you enjoy reading about Amish culture, you might find it intriguing, although the details are somewhat sparse.

If you decide to read it, I recommend opting for the print or digital version rather than the audiobook. The audio narration has awkward speech patterns and pauses, making it feel like it’s being read by AI.

This series is one of my top 10 favorites! I can never wait for the next book to arrive! I read/listened to The Burning in just one day and enjoyed it so much. I love how Kate and Tomesetti work together to solve crimes and love seeing their relationship grow. You definitely need to read these in order. If you love Amish books and murder mysteries this is the perfect match!

As usual, Kathleen McInerney does an amazing job narrating this series!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 9 July 2024

You really can never go wrong with Linda Castillo's Kate Burkholder series. The reader had you immediately sucked into the story and it didn't let you go.

There are only a couple of series that I faithfully follow and the Kate Burkholder series is one of them!

Kathleen McInerney narrates these books and she is definitely one of my favorite narrators.

The Burning is centered around an Amish man that is burned alive in the woods in rural Ohio. Chief of Police Kate Burkholder must get to the bottom of this horrendous crime. The characters are well developed and seem like old friends at this point. The setting comes alive and learning more about the Amish is always a plus.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced digital copy of the audiobook.

4⭐
Genre ~ police procedural
Series ~ Kate Burkholder #16
Others in the series ~ #1-16 + .5's
Setting ~ Ohio
Publication date ~ July 9, 2024
Est Page Count ~ 320 (p+ 29 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 31 minutes
Narrator ~ Kathleen McInerney
POV ~ single 1st, present tense
Featuring ~ brutal murder, references to domestic abuse and assault

There has been another brutal murder in Painter’s Mill and Kate and her team are on the case. This time someone has been burned alive. Can’t get much more brutal than that. Was this a random attack on a snowy night? Or did Milan deserve it?

I wouldn’t expect anything but non stop action when Kate is involved and the action doesn’t let up. Kate seems to always get herself into dangerous situations and these were top tier in the danger department.

What I appreciate about Linda’s writing is that there isn’t any repetition. We get the information once and when it’s time to relay it to others she simply just tells us she filled them in or something to that effect. Way to save time and not bog us down.

Overall, another fabulous addition to the series.

Side note ~ I like the budding romance that seems to be developing within the team. I suppose since Kate and Tomassetti are finally married we need another couple to root for, and I’m all for these two.

I was lucky enough to have both the ebook and the audio. Both worked perfectly.
Narration notes:
She’s a bit robotic, but does a fine job. It's not the voice I picture in my head for Kate, but I’ve grown accustomed to it.

Series notes:
I think you should read them all in order because they’re great, but I suppose it’s not absolutely necessary. Each book follows a different murder, but Kate’s life is progressing.

Imagine an Amish man burned at the stake. It’s a chilling crime, and Kate, Tomasetti, and their team are on the case to crack this baffling mystery. From the very first page, the tension grips you, thanks to Linda’s masterful storytelling.

Let’s talk about Tomasetti for a moment. Picture a badass agent, always dressed in black, who has a seemingly tiny heart, especially when it comes to Kate. He’s definitely swoon-worthy, adding an extra layer of excitement to the story.

I’ve been hooked on this series since book one, and let me tell you, each book is a fresh adventure. No repetitive plotlines here—just our beloved characters facing new, unique challenges every time.

A big shoutout to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for letting me dive into this audiobook ARC. It was an absolute thrill to listen and review!

Love this series! Its the perfect blend of Amish information and mystery. Always look forward to one from
Linda!

Many thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. This is narrated by the infamous Kathleen McInerney, who does a great job.

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!

I expected to like this more than I did, but while it ultimately wasn’t for me I think readers who stan harder for Amish stories and can handle a little character inconsistency will have a good time with this.

Premise - Detective Kate Burkholder, an ex-Amish, investigates the gruesome murder of an ex-Amish man who was burned alive after racking up a laundry list of enemies.

There were some places where Kate really didn’t seem like a seasoned detective. If she were a noob this would have been less of a sticking point for me, but we’re meant to believe she’s been on the job for a while (this isn’t her very first case) and she’s meant to be intelligent. Yet she somehow misses clues that are glaringly obvious to me, a standard issue mom with no police training or special puzzle-solving skills?

In addition to not being to piece together some pretty clear evidence, she seems to forget her own hunches once she has them. For example: from her own upbringing among the Amish she remembers a fairytale about vigilante Anabaptists and, after a loooong time, she realizes the case has some overlaps with the old stories. Good job, Kate! But then when she goes to question a potential person of interest, she completely forgets she’s there to follow the fairytale thread??? He literally brings up fairytales in response to her probing and her internal monologue is annoyed he’s changing the subject and THEN she brings up said fairytale about the anabaptists. Girl, what? Someone do a welfare check, I think Kate might be having a stroke.

All that said, Castillo does a great job of building an Amish community that feels real (at least to me, an Englisher) and she weaves that Amish flavor naturally and thoroughly into the story, so you’re always fully immersed but never confused/bored. She’s great at not making it one note, but still teaching the reader about an unfamiliar culture (which, frankly, is why I like reading Amish stories, or cult stories, or stories set abroad).

Overall I wouldn’t read more in this series until Kate gets some training and maybe starts some mental clarity nootropics, but Castillo has a charming writing style and an interesting premise. I think hardcore fans of Amish stories will eat this up.

Thanks, NetGalley and Minotaur, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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!

This is my first book in the Kate Burkholder series and I can see why there are 16 books! Kate Burkholder reminds me a lot of Mercy Kilpatrick. I love when the Police Caption is a badass women who has a unique past. Like Kay Hunter was apart of the amish community and can bring a new unique story to a police procedural book and a unique view on these cases. Even though this is book 16, they are stand alone with the characters developing throughout each book. If a past case (book) was referred to, it was explained. I don’t feel like I needed the past books to understand this one. This entire case was very different than all of the past police procedural books I’ve read! Which is very impressive considering how many I read. I cannot wait to start from book one and read this entire series. This was one of my favorite police/ detective series I’ve read since Mercy Kilpatrick.

I received the audio version of this book and the narrator is Kathleen McInerney. She perfect for this series. I flew through this audiobook and I couldn’t put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook of The Burning, book 16 in the Kate Burkholder series! Out July 9th.