Castillo writes in a unique, gritty manner where the raw detail makes the story come to life. We get a feel for the Amish community and their innate protection of each other, along with the secrets that they hold.

But we also get an in-depth view of the crime and activity that goes on behind the scenes that is not common knowledge.

This particular story latches on to vicious crimes and grizzly murders, all in the name of protecting criminal activity that is not typically expected in our culture and society.

With a tough-as-nails detective, who is from their world, we dive into the culture, trying to solve the murders. Kate is smart and uber resilient, especially as she becomes a target as well. Her husband, Tomasetti, is a sweet breath of fresh air and comfort, helping with his resources as well.

If you enjoy unsuspecting, gritty cases like this, Castillo keeps the reader on the edge with her highly developed, kick butt characters, her intense descriptions, and a simmering love story that still needs to be told! Castillo seems to fly under the radar, but I am quickly becoming addicted to her stories!

Rage is the 17th book in the Kate Burkholder series by Linda Castillo. Another fantastic read in this series, I really enjoy the books concerning the Amish that contain strong women sheriffs. Dead bodies are piling up right and left in Painters Mills. I could not put this book down.

I received and ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Rage is the 17th novel in Linda Castillo's award-winning Kate Burkholder series, a series I've been following since its inception, and while I'm always glad to return to Painters Mill, a mostly Amish community, in which Kate has risen to the level of Chief of Police, it saddens me to say that this novel is among my least favorite book in the series, and I'm giving it a 3-star rating.

The novel opens with several children playing hide and seek, a game which comes to an abrupt end when they discover the dismembered and shallow burial of Samuel Yutzy, a 21-year-old Amish man who runs a nursery and does landscaping as well. Soon after that horrific discovery, the body of his best friend, Aaron, is also found, and Kate Burkholder, and her husband, John Tomasetti , as usual, are on the case.

While the mystery of who killed these two young Amish men and why, and there are more dead and missing characters to follow, as well as Kate herself repeatedly putting herself in imminent danger, this novel read more like a police procedural than a mystery. For this reader, quite early in this novel, I correctly guessed who the bad guys were and what they were up to--none of it good. Additionally, I found this a rather slow read, with a lot of filler, that slowed the pacing down even more.

Yes, Kate, having been raised Amish puts that connection to good use, but I missed more of a connection to the Amish community of Painters Mill that was far more present in many of her previous novels. It's either that, or I'm beginning to feel that this novel was a bit more formulaic than some of the works that preceded it.

Additionally, while this wasn't a bad read--Ms. Castillo does write well, the title, "Rage," just didn't quite seem to suit the story line. Mystery fans and those who follow this series won't be disappointed, but for this reader, it was a bit of a let down.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions stated are my own.

Rating - 4/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Date Read - May 25, 2025
Publication Date - July 8, 2025

*I received an E-ARC of this book for free in exchange for an honest review* - Thank you @lindacastilloauthor, @stmartinspress, @minotaur_books and @netgalley!

So far, this is my third book by Linda Castillo and it's another hit! In fact, this is one of my favourite thriller series ever! Rage is part of a series of thrillers that feature Amish communities, which adds such an interesting layer to read about. This book is very bingeable, the pacing feels great with the right mix of detective work and action. I always look forward to interactions between Kate and her husband, the little bits we get of them together are such a tease! The graphic descriptions help set the tone and atmosphere, which is something Linda Castillo does so well. The author is already working on her next book and I'm so excited to see what it's about!

If you like thrillers involving Amish communities and a female detective, you should try Rage and the rest of this series!

Get excited to read Rage, available July 8! 🎉

*Please check trigger warnings*

Thanks to #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #Rage. This book was amazing! 5 stars! I devoured it in 1 afternoon. The character development was excellent but the fast moving plot was what made the book hard to put down. I am committed to reading everything in this series now. Bravo! Just a good, solid mystery with everything you could want in a book.

This was a classic Kate Burkholder book. This series is my favorite way to bust a reading slump because I know I’ll plow through one of these books and this was no different. That being said, Kate, my girl, PLEASE gain some situational awareness and cop instinct by book 18? I’m always amazed at the sheer level of naïveté and lack of cop’s mentality that she possesses, but alas, I continue to pick these books up and come back to them because gosh they sure do the trick.

I look forward to July each and every summer because that means another fabulous novel from one of my favorite authors and book series will be released. I absolutely adore Chief Kate Burkholder and have been loving my visits to Painters Mill, Ohio, since 2009!! I look toward to few books as much as I do these, because they give me the chance to reconnect with characters whom I've grown to love.

In Linda Castillo’s newest novel RAGE, Chief Kate Burkholder and Agent John Tomasetti (who just happens to be Kate’s husband) find themselves investigating the brutal murders of two young Amish men. Kate Burkholder is once again at the top of her game as she delves into this case that rocks the Amish community to the core. But as we’ve learned over the course of 17 novels, criminals don’t stand a chance against Kate and her dedicated team of police officers.

I absolutely love Linda Castillo’s writing, which masterfully blends small-town tension with chilling twists, keeping you on edge from the first page to the last. The cast of characters in this series is truly remarkable and incredibly likable, and the storytelling is immersive and compelling. The Kate Burkholder series is a must-read for anyone who loves smart, gripping mysteries with wonderful characters, emotional depth, and incredible writing. This newest novel in the series comes with my highest highest recommendation!!!!

I want to extend a huge thank you to NetGalley, Linda Castillo, and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for gifting me the ARC of RAGE! I so appreciate you trusting me with an honest review!! It was a privilege to be able to read the newest novel in one of my favorite book series before publication.

Another great Kate Burkholder story. This time a young Amish girl is playing hide and seek with her two brothers when she finds a mound of dirt that has a human hand in it. Once the police arrive they find more mounds and more body parts. Later identified as a young Amish tree nursery owner. He was killed at his barn and dismembered and discarded. A few days later a pair of Amish boys find a body in a barrel that was dumped on their property. With little to go on, Kate and her team are really grasping to find out why they were killed and who would have done it. With lots of help from state police and the federal bureau, the more they find the more they are confused. Twice Kate is attacked and nearly killed to keep her from investigating, but she is determined to find all the answers, which turn out to be way more sinister and larger than they could have expected.

I wasn't prepared for how Castillo's "Rage" would grip me from the very first pages—my first encounter with her work and definitely not my last. The psychological landscape of Painters Mill hit me immediately: a stifling summer heat wave pressing down on a community where the discovery of dismembered Amish bodies felt not just shocking but almost sacrilegious.

What struck me most wasn't the murders themselves but how the investigation revealed the hairline fractures in this seemingly peaceful community. As Kate Burkholder peeled back layers of Amish life, I found myself rethinking everything I thought I understood about the characters' motivations. The community's silence wasn't just a religious practice—it was a complex force that both protected and endangered, creating obstacles that had me leaning forward in my seat as Kate navigated them.

Castillo's prose made me physically tense during Kate's solo investigations. The way she built sensory details had me holding my breath alongside Kate. I appreciated how the police procedural elements never felt like an interruption; instead, each forensic detail or investigative term was woven naturally into the narrative, simultaneously educating me and ratcheting up the tension.

The Amish setting functioned brilliantly as more than exotic backdrop. Their closed society created natural barriers to investigation that forced me to question whether the community's resistance stemmed from religious principle or something darker.

When the pieces finally connected to black market operations, conversations I'd interpreted one way suddenly revealed their double meanings. Characters I'd sympathized with transformed before my eyes, their earlier actions now cast in sinister light.

For readers who crave mysteries where cultural context matters as much as whodunit, "Rage" is a must-read.

Special thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing the advance review copy, though all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

It's that time again ... a deadly amish crime. Kate Burkholder is once again tasked, we're solving a crime that's twisted, it's deep, dark, and Amish. For supposedly, peaceful people because people are pretty violent... But that makes a good book.
Expertly, written wonderfully crafted enjoyable, as always, can't wait for book eighteen. P.s. thanks to a good friend who let me read her advanced copy of the book while I got my ipad figured out.... This was an immediate choose and approve download and review in the matter of minutes as a result.

Rage by Linda Castillo is a great read. Once again we are dragged in the middle of murders and mayhem with no end in sight. Chief Kate Burkholder with her trusty staff and her husband, John Tomasetti are forced to deal with it all. It starts with a young Amish man Samuel Eicher, who was found killed and then dismembered. While they are tracking down information about Sam, his best friend, Aaron was also found dead. That is when things start happening.

I love this series. Kate Burkholder is a great character, determined and bold. Although, I do wish she would wait for back up more often. Her team are all willing to lose sleep and downtime to solve these murders. I enjoy the careful maneuvering of Tomasetti with Kate, the care and love he shows. I think that together they are a strong combination in the novels.

The overarching subject matter and the taking advantage of naive Amish teens is outrageous. As much as I would like to believe it doesn’t happen, I am sure it does to a lot of dicey situations where teens have insecure housing and living situations. Rage by Linda Castillo was a great read.

3.5 SOLID STARS
This is one of my top 5 suspense/mystery series, and I look forward to Kate's book each summer. The prologue was gripping and set the tone right away for this murder investigation. While it was intriguing mystery wise, I missed more of the personal aspects that are often prevalent with this series. Also, there was little involvement with the Amish community. However, what is lacked personally, it compensated for in action. Kate can always find herself in life/death situations. I have listened to the vast majority of this series, and I missed Kathleen McInerney's voice tremendously.

It is rare, but even after 17 books and countless novellas, I have not once ever been disappointed with this series. I cannot wait for Kate's next murder!

5 stars. Castillo has HIT A GRAND SLAM in this spine-tingling game of triple murders, terrifying fear, unimaginable secrets and a hidden agenda involving young Amish during rumspringa and the underbelly of Painters Mill looking to gain wealth by any means necessary. Lordy this was a doozy.. nothing could have driven me away from finishing this book. Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is certainly no one to mess with, and come h*** or high water her commitment to solving the case is no-holds-barred no matter the danger to herself. Joining her is husband and Ohio BCI agent John Tomasetti, with her colleagues working around the clock to crack the case. Kate soon finds herself in dangerous life or death situations, and as it turns out this case goes beyond anything they’d imagined. If this is a new-to-you series I recommend you try it out by giving this book a read (can be read as a standalone). Is highly entertaining with non-stop thrills! Pub. 7/8/25

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Loved it!!! I This is one of my favorite series. With the amount of crime/murders that occurs in Painters Mill and the surrounding area, Kate Burkholder definitely has job security. With the dismemberment of Samuel and Aaron being stuffed in a barrel, I'm guessing no one wanted them talking. They were extremely terrible ways to die. At first I felt horrible for them, but when the truth about everything came out and their involvement, not so much. I feel more for their families and the girls. The story kept me guessing until the end. There were so many twists and turns. Kate is definitely a cat with nine lives with how much she gets injured on the job. She needs to be wrapped in a bubble or get a police dog who is always by her side. With the amount of times she had to visit the hospital, she definitely must be on a first name basis with the doctors and nurses. The amount of cars she totals keeps increasing. I'm really not sure how she is still alive. Who knew there was a strip joint, I mean gentleman's club, so close to Painter's Mill? Skid that's who!!! I guess he's a bit of a frequent visitor to The Cheetah Club. Kate definitely owes her life to the stripper's at the club. Every interaction Kate has had at the club has been scary. Some people keep their evil well hidden and are wolves in sheep's clothing. All the men involved were true monsters. These girls were so naive and had no idea what was going to happen. I love the interaction between Kate and her officers. I love how Tomasetti and Kate end up with a cat. for their farm. He just walks into the house carrying the cat and sets it on the counter.

Definitely recommend the book. It was a great mystery/thriller. Loved the characters, story and writing style. I can't wait to find out what's next in store for Kate and John. Maybe a baby or more cats for their barn?? Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Whenever Linda Castillo releases a new Kate Burkholder book, it's on my "must be read" list. I really enjoy these books about a former Amish, now Chief of Police, who solves crimes in Amish country in Ohio. Kate is non-stop until she solves the crime, no matter if she has to put herself in danger.

The stories are always well told and the reader is pulled into the narrative right away. In this book, a young Amish man, who started a very successful tree business is killed. When his body is discovered under disturbing conditions, Kate leaps into the investigation. And the connections start to spiral outward.

Although the personal details of the main characters continue through the series, there is nothing to keep a new reader from completely enjoying this book.

I have both the e-book and the audio version. The narrator, Kathleen McInerney, is absolutely the voice of Kate Burkholder. I enjoy listening to her voice and envisioning Kate.

Another winner in the Kate Burkholder series by Linda Castillo. It is always interesting to be back in Amish country and learn a bit more about their lifestyle with each book. Tomasetti plays an active role in this one, investigating alongside his wife, Chief Burkholder. All,of the department regulars are here, along with Sheriff Rasmussen.

Vulnerable young Amish under threat😧

4.5🌟 stars
Sheriff Burkholder takes on rumspringa Amish youths whose naivety brings tragic results. Loved the mystery and its pace, set in Ohio's rural Amish country. The writing, too. The initial murders are quite gruesome and several factors lead Burkholder and crew to believe the perpetrators are not locals. The main character is a loose cannon, always barreling into trouble without waiting for back-up. As she's formerly Amish, Kate is a dab hand at interviewing members of the Amish community who usually maintain silence with the non-Amish "English" police. She's eager to resolve the case, but a bit too much of the drama sometimes revolves around the messes she finds herself in rather than the victims for whom she seeks justice!

A series that I stumbled upon quite recently; now I'm a devoted fan.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Review shared on 6/29/25 on Waterstones, Goodreads and Bookbub, and with Barnes & Noble and BAM. To be shared with kobo and Google Play upon publication.

I am always excited to catch up with Chief Kate Burkholder and the town of Painter's Mill. This is one of the few series that I keep up with and it is because Linda Castillo always brings the action with a solid plot and a well written story. Number 17 in this series does not disappoint!
After two local boys find a dismembered body, Chief Burkholder is led on a wild goose chase to find out who did it and why. As the dead body count climbs and the threats to the Chief escalate, the reader is left on the edge of their seat until the very last page.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Kate is called to the scene of a body in parts buried in Amish country. As she tries to solve the murder, another body shows up, then another. The clues lead to a club and the darkness of human trafficking. This is another gut wrenching book that reminds the reader of the darkness but also the promise that there are those who seek justice for the dead and the lost. The book will keep you reading late into the night, knowing somehow Kate and her deputies will succeed, but there success will not come easily. Another great book in this series!
I received an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a review.

Rage, by Linda Castillo, is the 17th installment in the Kate Burkholder series. Katie, chief of police in a small town and formerly Amish, and her husband John Tomasetti are called in when a dismembered body is discovered in the woods. Soon after, a second body is located, and Katie is on the hunt for the killer.

This is another fast-paced mystery by Linda Castillo. I enjoyed this book and I love this series. I can’t wait to see what Katie deals with next.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to the publisher, the author, and Netgalley.