I am a big fan of the Kate Burkholder series and this one did not disappoint. I feel this was one of her more interesting story lines because it is about what happens when a young Amish man gets pulled into the dirty underbelly of the non-Amish society. Too late for 21 year old Samuel Eicher who is brutally murdered even as he is trying to atone for his wild and wicked ways. The reader follows Kate as she slowly pieces together what has happened to Samuel and his interactions with some very evil people. Happening during an extremely hot summer, you feel the oppressive heat consuming Kate as she tries to find out the truth of what happened.
I highly recommend this book. I could not put it down.

Chief Burkhokder, her husband John Tomasetti, and the police station crew are back, and it's fun to revisit familiar characters. What isn't fun is that there are new crimes in the peaceful Amish community. This is a great series, and the newest installment is one of the better books in a series that rarely disappoints. The only flaw, in my opinion, is I would like to see a little more of Kate and John's home life; however, this is a police procedural and the detective work takes precedence over the characters. I would advise any new reader to start at the beginning of the series so they can experience the changes in the characters, but this book can be read as a standalone.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy. My opinions are my own.

This is my second Kate Burkholder book and I enjoyed this just as much as the first! I love the tie in with the Amish community.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I am a big fan of the Kate Burkholder series, but lately, I have felt like all the books were the same. This one was VERY different! I felt like the characters and events were more up-with-the-times and not something the author has previously touched on. It was suspenseful and I was ready to see who did what and why.

Been with this series for a couple years! It can do no wrong! Love Kate! Love the Amish community! Love each of these stories!

Rage
by Linda Castillo
Pub Date: July 8, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
In this gripping installment of the Edgar Award winning series, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder investigates a brutal double murder that takes her into the dark underbelly of society and exposes the dangers of Amish lives gone wrong.
This is the 17th book in the series. I was introduced to Castillo early in my career as a librarian.
Once again, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is hoping for a quiet, and trouble-free summer both in town and the neighboring Amish community. Well, so much for wishful thinking, Chief. Three Amish kids have just stumbled across a body on their family property. And before Kate can get a grip on what happened, more bodies turn up.

As Kate And her new husband John Tomasetti, (from the Ohio Bureau of Investigations) get started on the case, they’re un- prepared for what they uncover, as the worlds of the English and Amish collide.

I adore Kates’ character as she balances her professional and personal life. As I say every year, I would like just a bit more of her and Tomasetti's relationship. And of course, the whole gang makes an appearance from Pickles to Glock and all other members of her force.
You can read this as a stand alone but do yourself a favor and start at the beginning.

Everyone's favorite formerly Amish Chief of Police Katie Burkholder is pulled into a complex investigation in the heat of summer when three children discover a body in the woods. It's been dismembered and poorly hidden. Coyotes seems to have dug it up. The body turns out to be that of Samuel Eicher, a young man who recently opened his own successful landscaping business.

A second body quickly follows. Aaron, who was Samuel's best friend, is discovered stuffed into a barrel rolled into a ravine. The friends got through their Rumspringa, the Amish teen period of 'running around.' Though they were reportedly very wild for some time, both had reportedly settled down and Samuel had once again begun living in Amish ways and was considering joining the church. In investigating, Katie found clues he wasn't quite yet on the straight and narrow and his parents clearly did not like the woman he was seeing.

Formerly Amish herself, Samuel's friend Wilma Borntrager, aka Cassidy, worked as an exotic dancer and knew some dangerous people. Katie decides she is on the right track after she is attacked more than once while investigating and her spouse, Tomassetti, becomes very concerned that Katie will end up another victim. The crimes obviously have ties to larger cities and the investigation becomes widespread. Kate and her fellow officers dive into some of the seamiest avenues of modern life in their efforts to get to the bottom of it all.

Rage by Linda Castillo is the 17th book in her Kate Burkholder series. These books are so good! It can be read as a stand-alone but you are missing out if you don’t start from the beginning! Chief of police Kate Burkholder and now investigator husband John Tomasetti of the BCI are on another case of a dismembered young Amish man. Two more minders happen. Can they solve this case before anymore? Are they now a target of the killers? What is happening in this quiet small town of Painter’s Mill? Absolutely loved this book! I didn’t want to put it down! Kept you on the edge…can’t wait for the next one! Thank you to #NetGalley and #St.Martin’s press Minotaur books for this Arc. This is my honest review!

Another fantastic book in the series. Reading the series in order brings one to rely on each character’s personality and what they will bring to the story. Having the same consistent characters bring life to each book and draws you into the story as if your part of it.

Kate Burkholder is back! This time a local Amish business owner is found dismembered in Painters Mill. Just when you think it is a one body case, another body turns up quite a distance outside of Painters Mill. This body is the best friend of the first deceased. Are these connected or two separate cases? Kate tries to solve the case while continuously dealing with a community that just won't share what they know. Again, another great book in this series that I thoroughly enjoyed. Kate is a really complex character that I'm always rooting for. Castillo writes such descriptive stories that are so dark and uncover the worst of humans. Kate is always there like a beacon of hope. Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy!

Right from the chilling opening scene, I was pulled back into the world of Painters Mill, where the Amish community’s quiet exterior hides some truly dark secrets. Kate is as sharp and determined as ever, and watching her navigate the heat, the lies, and the real danger made for a completely gripping read. The mystery around Samuel and Aaron’s deaths unfolded with a lot of tension and some real surprises. Castillo’s writing makes the oppressive summer setting and the urgency of the case feel almost physical. This book hits hard emotionally too — it’s not just about solving a crime; it’s about what happens when innocence collides with corruption. Rage is smart, atmospheric, and brutally good — exactly what I hoped for.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy! I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

It’s always fun to join Painters Mill, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder on another challenging investigation deep in Amish country in Ohio. Kate and her team investigate the murders of two Amish men. The first is the dismembered body of young Samuel Eicher who had recently returned to the Amish ways and owned a successful landscaping business. When his best friend, Aaron Shetler is found dead, his body in a barrel that was dumped in a ravine, the investigation becomes more complicated.

As efforts to solve the “who” and “why” of the murders, information isn’t forthcoming from the Amish community, leading to frustration on the part of the officers. Kate has a strong suspicion that people are covering up important facts, and she uses her skills as an interviewer, as well as her understanding of the Amish ways, to slowly gain trust and discover the horrible truth..

There’s plenty of suspense and drama as Kate makes the connection between the two murders, and the ties the men had to criminals who deal in human trafficking. It’s a dangerous arena to step into, and Kate is well aware of that, but she is compelled to see this through. Her doggedness and determination are hallmarks of her character that stays consistent through the series, and she’s a person one would want on their side in times of need. Her kindness and compassion come through in this story as well as she deals with the grieving families, making her more than just a stereotypical tough cop.

The ongoing relationship with Tomasetti, who works for the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is handled with tenderness and comes across as real, adding an interesting subplot, and scenes that are about love and not simply sex. Something I always appreciate in a mystery that has a thread of romance.

The book releases in July, just in time to be a perfect summer read.

Linda Castillo added yet another great book to her Kate Burkholder series. Great twists and turns and a touch of Amish.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

Another amazing work by Linda. This tragic piece of genius was another wrenching page-turner! I had this Burkholder masterpiece finished within two days! Would recommend this in a heartbeat (mine was constantly beating rapidly). Good thing that Tomasetti took in a stray cat! Kate is going to need to start borrowing lives, if her actions continue! Wow! Thank you, again!

I absolutely love the Kate Burkholder series, and this book did not disappoint! Castillo does a fantastic job of portraying Amish life and the way that Englischer ways infiltrate their closed communities, as well as the challenges of investigating crimes within the Amish as an outsider. This book portrays seedier crimes and greater personal risk to Chief Burkholder. Although we have been following Kate's personal and professional life through the series, this book deals a lot less with her personal life and relationships than it does with the crimes and investigation. The story starts with the mystery of a body found, but the danger becomes apparent early on. This is a real page turner as we race to determine the scope of the crimes and the mind behind it all. I got caught up in this book and read it in a sitting - quickly drawn in and then just couldn't put it down! This is one of the more depressing in the series as the crimes are more reprehensible and there was little of Kate's personal life to distract you from this. It was a great mystery, though, and I thank NetGalley for granting me an ARC of the book. If you like crime thrillers and Amish culture, you will enjoy this book. Although the books in the series do not need to be read in order as far as the crimes go, it helps to read them in order to follow Chief Burkholder's life and her progression in her position of Chief of Police.

Fans looking forward to the yearly Kate Burkholder mystery installment will not be disappointed. This dark, suspenseful drama has Kate and the entire team on the search to uncover who is behind the brutal murders of two Amish men. Kate as usual is up for the task along with her OBI husband Tomasetti. Great edition to the series. Highly recommended, as well as all the books in this series.

I have been with Linda Castillo since the beginning. If I like the main characters, the mystery, I stick with a series. This is book 17. All of this series, every single one are great reads, they snatch you and away you go. This one was no different, maybe even more so. The Amish part of the mystery is a bonus in my eyes. It is so good that when I'm not reading the book, I was thinking about it. Keep writing Linda Castillo!

Kate Burkholder, Chief of Police in a small town, is constantly negotiating between her job and the large Amish community in her county. When 3 Amish kids find a dismembered body, the search is on to find out what happened to the Amish young man. The victim had enjoyed the freedom of rumspringa and became involved with the wrong people. In addition, a new group had joined the local Amish community. The investigation leads Kate and her team on a race to prevent more senseless murders only to find that behind the scenes there may be a bigger crime ring involved. Kate will not be deterred from solving the crimes. It is an exciting read.