Linda Castillo (the author of the Kate Burkholder series) has been one of my go to authors for readers advisory. I remember receiving an advance readers copy of her first book Sworn to Silence. It had yellow caution tape with black Amish Buggys instead of the words caution! That was so very clever! Her newest title in the series is Rage. It was exactly what I’ve come to expect from Linda Castillo. Twists and turns are her signature; along with a well crafted book sharing life in and out of the Amish community.. Five sparkly stars!!! Many thanks to NetGalley for sharing such a superb read with me.

Rage is the 17th book in the Kate Burkholder series. I've read every book in the series and this one doesn't disappoint! While this can be read as a standalone novel, each book in the series further develops the main character's story. So, if interested, I would recommend starting the first book in the series, Sworn to Silence.

In this installment, Kate is called to investigate when three siblings find pieces of a body in the woods on their property. It is a gruesome discovery that kicks off a string of murders that doesn't quite sit right with Kate and her husband, John Tomasetti. As expected, the story is full of twists and turns. I was genuinely surprised with some and others were slightly predictable. I do like the direction it went as I feel like it's an important topic that could use more awareness.

Having read the whole series up to this point, I will say that I wish there were more development with Kate and Tomasetti. Their story seems to have stalled a bit in the last few books. It would be really interesting to see some other characters play a bigger part in the story at some point. Many of these characters have been around since the beginning, so getting more info on them would be really cool!

As a fan of the series, I would put Rage among my favorites. This series offers plenty of entertainment with a vivid setting, an interesting cast of characters and clever investigations of a variety of crimes.

After a brutal set up in the opening chapters, we follow Painter’s Mill Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder, lead her team and colleagues in solving a double murder. She does so in her usual smart and stubbornly persistent style. This time around the opening crime is just the tip of the iceberg as the plot evolves down a twisty (as well as twisted) path which uncovers connections to some bigger and, sadly, sordid contemporary issues.

Among the pluses: the pace which is a nice balance of police procedures with page-turning action; the authenticity that Kate’s background brings to the plot. Having grown up Amish, she has great insight into their way of life and the path of those who chose to leave as did several characters; and the ongoing development of the characters and series storylines.

There are two bothersome issues I have to mention. The first, her personal disregard for her own safety by walking into dangerous situations. It has happened multiple times in recent books where she is injured but, fortunately, she always calls for back up in advance and recovers quickly. The other is that, as clever as she is, she somehow didn’t notice doors that locked from the outside...

I highly recommend Rage but, if you are new to the series, I would also recommend reading a few of the earlier ones first - although not required.


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

Thanks to NetGalley for an early e-copy of this book!

I couldn't believe my luck when this turned-up on NetGalley. Every summer I look forward to the new Kate Burkholder mystery, and I was ecstatic about getting a jump start on my summer, and being lucky enough to read it early. This is the 17th Kate Burkholder mystery in Linda Castillo's series, and although you can start with this one, you will be missing the rich history of Painter's Mill, Ohio and all of its Amish and English residents if you start here rather than at the beginning.

Kate Burkholder is formerly Amish, and is police chief of a little town called Painter's Mill in the heart of Ohio's Amish country. It is the hottest and stickiest part of the summer and Kate, along with her husband John Tomasetti (who is employed by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation) are called to investigate a murder. A group of Amish children have discovered a leg, shallowly buried in the woods. The investigation team soon discovers the rest of the body--also in pieces. It is the body of Samuel Yutzy, an Amish man who owns the local nursery. At first Kate struggles to find a connection as to why he was so brutally murdered. Does it have anything to do with the owner of the local microbrewery, who was suing Samuel for some landscaping work he was unsatisfied with? Does it have to do with the mysterious woman whose picture Kate finds in Samuel's house? Is it connected to the local bar that employs exotic dancers? Were his friends involved?

Linda Castillo does enjoy putting Kate through the ringer, and as with most of the stories, Kate ends up in the hospital after being roughed-up by someone who believes she's gotten too close to solving the murder. Kate's insurance company must love her! Nevertheless, I always enjoy taking a trip back to Painter's Mill, Ohio. I like catching up with some of the other employees of the Painter's Mill Police department, and I always enjoy hearing about the latest renovations on John and Kate's farm. Linda Castillo also includes wonderful descriptions of Ohio Amish Country and Amish Culture. She has done a ton of research on this front, and she even includes passages of Kate speaking with Amish people in Pennsylvania Dutch.

Linda Castillo has created one of modern crime fiction’s most iconic characters in Kate Burkholder. Raised Amish, but left the order, and is now the Chief of Police in the small Ohio town of Painters Mill. One would think such a small, rural community would be free of major crime, but anyone who has followed this series knows otherwise. In this story, Samuel Eicher, a young Amish man with a checkered past who has resurrected himself and established a new life as a landscaper, has gone missing. Simultaneously, a murdered, dismembered, and partially buried body is located. It’s Samuel. Kate and her husband, BCI Investigator John Tomasetti, dive into the investigation. Then, the body of Samuel’s best friend, Aaron Shelter, turns up stuffed in a barrel and deposited in a ravine. To Kate, the murders don’t seem to be the work of locals and are more likely perpetrated by outside forces. But who? And why? What could Samuel and Aaron have been involved in? As Kate digs into what becomes a dark and convoluted investigation, she becomes the target of the ruthless killers. Wonderfully written and plotted, this latest in the series is a must read.


DP Lyle, award-winning author (Jake Longly and Cain/Harper thriller series), Lecturer, and Story Consultant and Co-creator of The Outliers Writing University
https://www.dplylemd.com/

Linda Castillo st her best! Once again Sheriff Kate, former Amish solves the murders if three young Amish people. The murders seem unrelated but, her questions nearly cost her her life as she discovers a trafficking ring and the unscrupulously men behind it. Very exciting and believable. Highly recommended.

Chief of Police Kate Burkholder must expose a darker side to her small town of Painters Mill when the body of two young men are discovered to have been brutally murdered. Rage dives into what can happen to Amish youth who get shunned for living outside of the norms of their communities, survivor's guilt, and hope for redemption.

I really enjoyed this one. It was hard to put down. It kept me wanting more. The characters are amazing! And I love the title and the story line. Such an amazing book! Love this author

I absolutely loved this! The Amish community in Ohio bordering on the Pittsburgh area of PA is featured. The author did a lot of research on them for sure. The plot was good, tight and I didn't see any missing things. The main character is Captain of the Police in Ohio and now I see this is a series on her. So to start myself off I bought the first 5 books. Yeah I was thrilled enough with the mystery and the accuracy that I will for sure read the entire series. TY to the publisher and NetGalley

Rage is the 17th in the Kate Kurkholder series. And it’s another violent one. Don’t ever confuse this series about a mostly Amish community with a cozy mystery.
The story starts when three Amish children find a dismembered body. The investigation has barely started when a second body is found.
I did find it unusual that no one cottoned to what to me was an obvious crime behind the murders. In fact, this was probably the soonest of all the plots that I figured out the what, if not exactly the who behind the murders.
The series is always action packed. Kate once again comes face to face with violence mainly because in every story, she foolishly never waits for backup. That part of the series is starting to get a little old. When will the woman learn?
The strength of this series is Castillo’s feel for small town life and the Amish community. She truly shines a spotlight on the dangers of the young sheltered Amish teenagers getting a taste of the English world during Rumspringa.
I do think this would work as a stand-alone. Castillo gives enough background on Kate to give new readers a sense of her history.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

I did not realize this was a series book. I love this author, but I am not well versed in the series nor do I have time to start a series book.

Another in Linda Castillo's excellent series showcasing the Amish-English divide and commonalities. As always, refreshing read.

Linda Castillo has done it again! I swear every single one of her Kate Burkholder books is better than the last one. I didn’t think that was possible after the last book where she had to go through so much to survive and crack the case but this book ups the ante. The stress and anxiety the fast paced storyline gave me is one of those moments you treasure as a reader.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers but the subject matter in this story is very relevant to what is happening today in society. The author handles the tough subject realistically and with grace. This is a work of fiction of course but if it sheds light on the subject matter for just one person I call this story worthy of 10 stars.

Highly recommend this book when it is released! It’s the best Kate Burkholder book yet. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the privilege of reading this ARC.

This was a great, well written story with the exception of the foul language. I would’ve given five stars if there hadn’t been profanity. This book is part of a series, but the only one I’ve read. Which means, it can be read as a stand alone. It was quite the twist on the Amish stories that I’m accustomed to. It was a page turner.

I'm a fan of Linda Castillo's books, and I was thrilled to see another installment of the Kate Burkholder series. This book didn't disappoint: Kate's working to solve the mystery of a murdered young landscaper in Painter's Mill. Her usual crew is supporting her and central to the book, which I loved seeing.

Some of Castillo's books lean more towards a lighter thriller read, while others are much grittier, and this one definitely leans towards the gritty side. The beginning in particular was grisly, and honestly hard to get through. Right off, we get the murder scene with all of the grisly details, along with her processing the scene and interacting with the other cops. We also get a lot of details from the medical examiner, and overall I found these passages difficult to read.

After getting through the first quarter of the book though, it felt much more like her usual work--we dig into the dark underbelly of Painter's Mill and the surrounding area. I love seeing Kate build trust and relationships with her contacts in any given crime, and Rage had her doing this with several local Amish families as well as with workers at a strip club.

Action packed thriller starts strong and was really hard to put this down. Fast paced and intriguing, Rage will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I really enjoyed this book, it’s well written, with solid characters. It’s suspenseful and very atmospheric.

Thank you so much St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books for inviting me to read this eARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

We’re back in Painters Mill, when a dismembered body is found by a few young kids. And then a second body is found in a barrel. When a third body is found, the rotting corpse isn’t the only thing that smells bad. Of course Kate is pursuing the case with full energy and zeal, and she puts herself in danger as she investigates. But while you can probably guess who did it, the why takes a little time to reveal itself and it’s worth every page.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

After three Amish children discover a dismembered body in the woods, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder starts an investigation that uncovers more bodies. As Kate works to find the link between these murders, she finds herself in dangerous situations.

This is book #17 in this series. I have read and loved all the previous books and look forward to reading a new installment each year. I recommend starting with book #1 to get the backstories. Thank you, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and Net Galley for allowing me to read this excellent ARC.

Even though I have not read any other books of this series, this novel had me hooked from the start! The author does an amazing job of developing both the characters and storyline! I loved the organic flow of the book and felt that the storyline was perfectly paced for all of the action that unfolded. I cannot wait to read more of this series now! Note, this book can easily be enjoyed as a stand alone.


I thoroughly enjoyed reading this piece of work
Thank you Net Galley, Linda Castillo and Minotaur Books for allowing me to review this advanced copy of A Deafening Silence. I was not influenced or paid in exchange for this honest review.

4 stars for book 17 in the Kate Burkholder series. While you can read this book as a stand alone, you will understand the characters better if you read the series in order. The book opens with a grisly discovery: two children discover human body parts. Kate is the police chief of the fictional town of Painter's Mill, Ohio. She has a 5 person department, but can and does get help from the Sheriff's department and the Ohio state BCI(Bureau of Criminal Investigation). Kate does solve the case, but not before more deaths.
She is now married to John Tomasetti, an investigator for BCI. There are some things that happen in this book that happen in almost every book in the series: Kate is attacked several times, but miraculously survived a vicious beating, and being hit by car. This is fiction and in real life she would be dead or on disability retirement.
The book examines the dangers of rumspringa, the Amish word for teenagers going wild before being baptized and committing to the Amish way of life.
There is some bad language, no graphic sex and the horrific violence is post mortem.
Thank you Katie Layton at St. Martin's Press for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.

Pub Date Jul 08 2025