I’ve been a long time fan of this series. This was another great addition to the story and series. Everything about it is fantastic.

Rage by Linda Castillo is the 17th novel in the Kate Burkholder Amish cop series. At this point I would say the novel gives its audience a fresh story with well known, and loved, characters. Rage deals mostly with human trafficking and spree murders in the mostly quiet town of Painters Mills, OH. Since this is the 17th novel, Castillo is catering to an already established audience and not looking for new readers with this particular book.

I would compare Rage to a middle of the season tv episode. No forward progress is made in character development, but a solid story is told from start to finish. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Publishing for the opportunity to read this novel.

Another fantastic addition to the Kate Burkholder series! Whenever I finish a Linda Castillo book I always wonder how she could top this going forward? Each one has a new, dark twist and this one is no exception. Although poor Kate does get beat up as per the norm, but this time it seems a little less severe, which was nice to see. Without spoilers, I can say this one definitely steps outside the box and I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through. I cannot wait for the next installment!

I am hooked on the Kate Burkholder mysteries. The Amish community in the background of most of the stories adds an interesting touch. Her small police station is home to many diverse characters that add to the enjoyment of the book.

Liked it...didn't love it. I've been a big fan of the Kate Burkholder series and have read them all. This one didn't hold my attention like the others. There wasn't enough going on, just a lot of questioning by Kate but there wasn't enough suspense to keep me interested. Maybe I'm just getting bored with the same characters over and over. My thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is one of my favorite series! I'm always eager to travel back to Painters Mill, OH to immerse myself in Kate Burkholder's police work involving the Amish community. This was another 4 star for me, immediately grabbed my attention and was a very quick read!
If you haven't picked up a Linda Castillo book, I recommend checking out this series- this one was another solid addition to her series.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this digital ARC!

I went through this book very quickly as it caught me with an attention-grabbing prologue (it was crazzzyyy). Even though the book is #17 in a crime series, it works well as a standalone and I never felt lost. The Amish backdrop was a refreshing twist that added some cool insights into their culture and language. The book kept a steady pace all the way through, building up to an intense, edge-of-your-seat finish.

That being said, I did figure out the ending pretty early on in the book and I must say..... The book is GRAPHIC (so be warned!) It lost stars for me because of the overexcessive use of swearing words especially with the fact that it is Amish based... That did not seem realistic for me.

If you are into true crime series that could be a TV show, this is one for you. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC.

This was a new author for me, and I was given a chance to review it. I could not put it down, yes, I did figure out who did it part way through. Finding out the perpetrator early did not spoil the story for me because I truly enjoyed the journey. I did not realize this was the 17 full novel in a series until I was almost finished with it, it works as a standalone or read in order. The characters, the setting, the backdrop Amish life really worked for me. I had almost given up on this genre because too many books lately failed to hold my interest because the stories let the sexual overtones overpower the mystery and suspense. I stayed up till 5:30 in the morning to finish this book & immediately sought out the full series.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. This is the first book I have read by this author and I will be looking for more. I loved the storyline and the characters in this book. I thought the characters had great growth. I would definitely recommend this book.

Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder, is called to the murder of Samuel Yutzy, an Amish man who owned the local landscaping/tree farm. The scene is a disturbing one and it takes a lot of police work and interviews to get the smallest bits of information, but Kate and her team are determined to nail the bad guys. Especially when they discover another murder.

Kate’s background with the Amish helps pave the way for cooperation between English and the Amish community. As she questions Samuel’s family and friends it becomes apparent that he was running with an unsavory crowd but had been turning his life around.

The story was a page-turner, and I really like Kate, but just like the last book she charged ahead without waiting for backup and it ended badly almost every time. It was frustrating and hard to believe a seasoned police chief would do this over and over. With that being said, the mystery was hard to put down and the conclusion was a nail-biter!

Rage is book seventeen in the series, but I think it could be read as a standalone as each book introducing a new mystery and is wrapped up by the end. I would highly recommend reading at least the first couple of books to get Kate’s history being raised Amish and the circumstances that led to her leaving. It has bearing on how she came to be the police Chief of Painters Mill and includes the start of the romance between Kate and Tomasetti, an Ohio BCI agent.

I alternated between an audio and e-copy and can recommend either version. Kathleen McInerney’s wonderful narration enhanced my enjoyment! Her accents and performance of Deitsch accents are well done.

Rage by Linda Castillo was another excellent read in the Kate Burkholder series. Since this is book 17 in the series, most of the characters are familiar and like family. Only the secondary characters new to this storyline are unfamiliar. The new characters are developed just enough to add to the storyline, with very little back story or connection to each other.

The actual murders in this story are grizzly and would be shocking in any city, but with the innocence of the Amish in Painter’s Mill, the murders are a punch to the gut. The story starts off with a grizzly murder, building slowly to an action-packed conclusion, one that might have Kate questioning how long she can take the physical damage to her mind and body.

For me this was a 4 out of 5 star read.

I wish to thank the author, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and Netgalley for an advance copy. Any opinions expressed are mine alone.

The book is currently available in all reading formats.

Rage
by Linda Castillo
Pub Date: Jul 08 2025

Once again, Linda Castillo delivers a great addition to a long standing "Kate Burkholder" series.

In this gripping new installment 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 story had me from Chapter 1 until the final page. At times the story was unsettling, other times gritty, suspenseful, action-packed, and gripping.

I want to thank #NetGalley #StMartinsPress and #Rage for providing me an E-ARC of this book.

What I like most about this book series is the fact that A.) even though I only started reading it a few books ago, I was able to follow along with the story and the characters. And B.) that this is consistently one of those book series that sticks with you long after you are done reading it. From the beginning, the concept of the series is what intrigued me.

Kate Burkholder has swiftly become one of my favorite FMC to read about. She's strong but also willing to listen, passionate about her work and the Amish people even though she chose to leave that life, and that she loves all the people under her in her department.

The twists and turns in this book had me going for days. Even after I finished the book and knew all of the answers to all of my questions, I was still reeling from the gut punch that was the ending. The complete viciousness of the bad guys, wow, these guys are just inhumane. The things they did to the victims and even what they did to the bodies afterwards was just mind blowing. It hurt my heart to read some of this but at the same time, I couldn't stop myself either. Long into the night, I had to know who would do such things and I had to know that they would be caught and made to pay.

This book did not disappoint. I was captivated, felt tied to the story and to Kate, almost as if I was actually with her, felt her stress. That is the mark of a great writer. I highly recommend this and all of the previous books of the series. Any time this series shows up, it's an automatic read.

Thanks to Net Galley, the publishers, and to Linda Castillo for the ability to read and review this book. All opinions are my own and are completely honest.

This is the first book I’ve read in the Chief of Police Kate Burkholder series of mysteries. This one starts with a gruesome discovery of a young Amish man with more disturbing things to come. I like how it takes place among the Amish. The writing feels very genuine. I feel like I’m getting a real picture of how a police investigation unfolds and how people talk to each other in Amish country. While this doesn’t have big twists, it is an interesting read with an exciting ending. I’ll read more in the series!
Thanks to NetGalley for my copy to review.

FINAL DECISION: Rage delivers another solid entry in the Kate Burkholder series, fast-paced, disturbing, and packed with familiar faces, as Castillo balances brutal crime with emotional depth and steady character work.

THE STORY: The summer heat in Painters Mill turns suffocating in more ways than one when three Amish children discover dismembered human remains. The body is soon identified as Samuel Eicher, a young Amish man with a successful landscaping business. Not long after, his best friend, Aaron Shetler, is found stuffed in a barrel. Chief of Police Kate Burkholder investigates what connects these two gruesome deaths—and why no one wants to talk. As the bodies pile up and the violence escalates, Kate begins to suspect the victims were caught up in something far more dangerous than anyone imagined. With the help of her husband John Tomasetti and trusted colleagues, Kate follows the trail into the dark corners of Amish life—and becomes a target herself.

OPINION: Seventeen books in, this series remains one of my favorite comfort reads, even when the crimes themselves are anything but comforting. RAGE is a strong entry—tense, twisty, and consistently engaging.

The case is one of the most personally dangerous Kate has ever faced. The pacing is fast, the stakes are high, and the graphic nature of the murders adds a visceral edge to the story.

What stood out most to me in this installment is how much Kate has grown over the course of the series. Early on, she often tackled cases with a sense of isolation, even when surrounded by allies. In RAGE, we see her operating more fully as part of a team, trusting her staff, leaning on John Tomasetti, and collaborating closely with Sheriff Rasmussen. These working relationships feel earned and reflect the character development that has unfolded book by book.

I also loved seeing Kate and John as newlyweds—settled, steady, and continuing to support one another both professionally and personally. Their dynamic feels lived-in and authentic. Kate’s small police department continues to shine as well, and the camaraderie and loyalty between them bring heart to the story.

Thematically, the book explores the tension between community silence and personal truth, particularly within the context of rumspringa and the pressures faced by young Amish men. These cultural elements add richness and depth to what could otherwise be a standard police procedural.

WORTH MENTIONING: Yet again, Kate ends up injured and in mortal danger by the climax—something that’s happened so often in the series that it’s starting to feel repetitive rather than suspenseful.

CONNECTED BOOKS: RAGE is the seventeenth book in the Kate Burkholder series. The mystery stands alone, but the character development builds over the series. Best enjoyed in order.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

NOTE: I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

More murders in Painters Mill; these are particularly gruesome. Police Chief Kate Burkholder is on the trail once again.

Rage is a fantastic thriller that grips you from the beginning and doesn't let go! It is book 17 in the Kate Burkholder series and the first in the series that I've read. I am late to the party, but glad to finally be in the know! This series gritty and I love Kate Burkholder and her team. Kate Burkholder is the Chief of Police in Painters Mill and is called to a grisly scene. Three Amish kids were out playing in the woods when they discovered parts of a body. The body had been dismembered and the pieces were all buried separately, including the head. The victim is a young, local Amish farmer who owned a popular landscaping business. Why would someone kill Samuel Eicher, an Amish farmer, and why would they do it in such a horrific way?

As Kate and her team are investigating Samuel's murder, a second body is found. The body was stuffed into a barrel and left down a ravine where trash is often dumped. This is Aaron Shetler, Samuel's best friend. What could these 2 young men have gotten mixed up in that would anger someone so much as to kill them both in such horrific ways? They lived in a small town with little to no violence. As Kate speaks to the families of both young men she finds out they were hanging around some questionable characters. The families weren't happy with their new "friends" and distanced themselves from their sons.

Kate will have to go places she's never been to uncover the killers and their motives. These places put her and her team in danger at every turn.
Will Kate be able to uncover the truth behind these murders and give the families answers? Will everyone on Kate's team make it through this case alive? Why does no one want to talk about these young men? What are they hiding? This is a tough case and it will take everything Kate has to give to solve it. Rage is out now and should be put in your TBR pile if you enjoy a good mystery. I rate Rage 5 stars with my highest recommendation. Rage can be read as a standalone if you've never read any other books in the series. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy of Rage in exchange for a fair review. #Rage

The story opens with the brutal murder of a young Amish man, Samuel Yutzey, who is working in his nursery. When his body is found buried in the forest the chase is on. After two more bodies Kate and Tomasetti have their work cut out for them trying to find the common denominator that ties the murders together.

I have not read all in the series and it hasn't detracted from the story but now I feel compelled to read #1 to get more back story on Kate. She is a great character, enough so that I want to find out what started her journey of leaving the Amish and becoming a police officer. The love story between her and Tomasetti is rather sweet so I'd like to read more about how they got together and met.

The murders were pretty gruesome and probably the last quarter of the book was a race to the finish, but it didn't feel rushed or wrap up in a neat bow.

I would recommend this series to anyone that likes a good thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press - Minotaur for providing me with a digital copy.

In this seventeenth novel in the Kate Burkholder Series we are greeted at the beginning with a brutal murder of an Amish man. This is nothing new for this series. Each book starts out with either a brutal murder or the discovery of one. This was not one of my favorites in the series. It was entertaining enough, but there were some things done by characters that either didn't make a lot of sense, or were just plain stupid. First off there was no good reason ever given for why the first body was dismembered when it could have just been buried where it was buried without doing all that. What was the point of dismembering the body if they were just going to bury the pieces in shallow holes right next to each other? And the other bodies weren't dismembered. So why the difference?

Then there was Kate herself. If you've read any of my other reviews of this series, then you know I've complained about how Kate does stupid things, like not waiting for backup to arrive before she gets herself into some of the situations she gets into. It happens at least once in each book, but this time she repeatedly does this over and over. She decides to investigate something and then calls one of her deputies to meet her there. Then every time she ends up getting there before they do, and she proceeds to walk straight into trouble without waiting for them. What's the point in calling them? You would think the first time she got beat up it would have made her more cautious, but nope. There are also other things she does in these situations that scream inexperience, but we are supposed to believe that she is a seasoned police chief.

I was also in complete disbelief that Kate and John didn't see all the red flags that were pointing to human trafficking in this book. I don't even think it is a spoiler to say this in my review because it was so obvious from very early on that this was what was happening. Kate in particular came off as an idiot in this book. I'm actually beginning to question whether or not I want to keep reading this series. It's not the first time I've felt this way, I almost quit this series before but decided to keep going because I liked certain things about it. I still like those things. I like the details of the Amish community, and I like the relationship between Kate and John and the small details we get about their home life. This book was very sparse on all those things though.

Castillo isn't an easy read, but Kate is such and engaging protagonist you are willing to follow her as she solves heartbreaking, difficult cases. I love reading her interior monologues and find these authentic mysteries I don't put down until I finish them.