The Series: #17 Kate Burkholder (but friends call her Katie).
And Katie grew up Amish ... Genre: Amish Mystery.

Linda Castillo's "Kate Burkholder" series is well known to those readers who love Amish mysteries. If you have not read any of this series, I suggest reading "Sworn to Silence" first. There are 16 books (and some novellas) between that first book and this one. And I've read every one of them because Castillo is my favorite Amish mystery writer, followed by Marta Perry, Karen Harper, and Karen Ann Hopkins. Reading the first book will introduce much of what makes Katie tick.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries, then this series may not be for you. Katie deals with murder. Gritty, unacceptable murder. The opening sentence of the description says, "a brutal double murder that takes her into the dark underbelly of society and exposes the dangers of Amish lives gone wrong." A young Amish man will never be old. And the people who find his body will never forget. They won't forget his name either -- Samuel Yutzy.

He had made some bad choices. A so-true quote from the book, "The worst kind a man can make are the ones he doesn't learn from." He had learned plenty. That knowledge led to his return to his faith.

Investigating this -- and the second death -- challenges Katie, Tomasetti, and her small police force. When Katie begins to have a glimmer of what was going on, SHE becomes a target.

I have liked and loved every book in this series. But "Rage" is a non-stop action mystery. I didn't read this one. I devoured it. "Rage" is one of those who-cares-dirty-dishes-in-the-sink-laundry-to-be-done-YOU-ARE-OUT-OF-GROCERIES books, and YOU DO NOT CARE. So Katie Burkholder fans, you are warned.

This story gets a five-star rating. And highly recommended.

I received a complimentary DRC (digital review copy) of “Rage” via NetGalley from the publisher, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Rating: 5 stars
Cover: Makes you want to not go down that road. Fits the book.
Pages: Unknown but probably 250-300
Publish Date: 8 July 2025
#Rage #LindaCastillo #NetGalley #netgalleyreviewer

So excited that I got this book as an ARC. This is my first book by the author and it certainly won’t be my last. Linda Castillo’s writing seriously makes me feel like I’m at the crime scenes and in the book experiencing it first hand. Great read and highly recommended.

I've been a fan of the Kate Burkholder series for years, and Rage delivered another intense and suspenseful read! This one starts with the brutal death of a young Amish man and spirals into something much darker.

What I enjoy about Castillo's writing is how she weaves in Amish culture while keeping the pace fast and the mystery compelling. You don't have to read the series in order, she gives enough background for new readers to jump right in.

Some scenes are very detailed (trigger warning for graphic violence and trafficking), but I appreciated the realism. I felt like I was solving the case alongside Kate.

My only critique is that Kate still tends to act recklessly with her own safety, a consistent trait that adds drama, but can also strain believability.

Still, this was a tense, well-written thriller that I really enjoyed. If you enjoy suspense with a strong female lead, this one's for you!

Whole Network of those groups probably all over the country. It's great that the author is bringing attention to it. I'm sure they try to be undercover! This book is another great read and I was thrilled to be among the first to read it. It's belivable and very sick that people get away with so much crime and especially the little innocents like children. How this book ends is also what makes it a good! The suspense of are they going to get away with it? I highly recommend you to read it! Thanks NetGalley and publisher!

Another amazing read.from Linda Castillo. Loved the characters and the story line. Amazing stories from an amazing author.

Police Chief Kate Burkholder is at it again, solving difficult crimes in the Amish community of Painters Mill, Ohio.
This story begins with Amish children discovering the dismembered body of a young Amish man buried near the creek where they play hide and seek. This is soon followed by the discovery of another body stuffed in a barrel and disposed of in a ravine. These murders seem more like those that happen in a big city, not the cozy Amish area they call home. This may not be the end of the murders. The reason for the murders is complicated and the Chief has to figure it out. It is often hard to pull information out of the community members. This crime seems bigger than most and it is more far reaching. As always her investigations put Kate in danger. She does seem rather fearless. The author tells a good story and we re-visit characters we are familiar with. If you like a quick read and a good mystery, this book and Linda Castillo’s whole series, is a good choice for you. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and to give an honest review of this book.

Review for “Rage” by Linda Castillo. If you are a fan of the Kate Burkholder series or new then you’re in for a treat. I love most about Linda’s book is she doesn’t waste time and it’s never a slow burn (my opinion). She grabs your attention from the first page. Rage is no different and I devoured it. There was suspense, murder and it was even slightly creepy (all things I love in book). This was a big puzzle and I was scrambling trying to put the pieces together. I give this 4.5 stars and I highly recommend to readers. This is part of a series. However, if you wanted to read this out of order and go back and read the others then it’s fine.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

An innocent game of hide-and-seek ends for three children when they stumble across a gruesome scene. Body parts were buried in shallow holes deep in the woods. It's a scene that Chief of Police Kate Burkholder hasn't encountered very often, if ever. It's a horrific scene, and it's about to get worse. Another day or so after finding the dismembered body of 21-year-old Samuel Eicher, another body is found. This time, the body had been stuffed in a plastic barrel and rolled down the hill of a ravine. The victim in the barrel is Samuel's best friend, 21-year-old Aaron Shetler. What could these two Amish men have gotten themselves into to come to the kind of end they did? And who felt the need to end them the way they did? Kate calls in reinforcements because this investigation is going to require a lot of people power to get to the bottom of what is going on. For a few days, there is no momentum in the investigation. Kate and her team are unable to gain traction with any of the leads they pursue. But then, as it does eventually in most investigations, cracks start to appear and let the light in on this very dark secret. And it is a very dark secret, one that, if left unaddressed, threatens to swallow up anyone unfortunate to enter into its orbit.

I honestly do not understand how Linda Castillo continues to write these books and keep them good! With every book, I wonder if that's the last good one, because how long can she keep creating storylines that don't feel tired? But she does. At the same time, she continues the character development of Kate Burkholder and the relationship development of Kate and her husband, fellow law enforcement officer John Tomasetti. Castillo doesn't hold back with the macabre details of the crimes she chooses to execute in her novels. Many of her titles prompt a very visceral response from me; she does such a good job of bringing her stories to life that I have to remind myself they are fiction. Brava once again, Linda Castillo.

I am an avid reader of Linda Castillo's Kate Burkholder series and this one is great. I love how Castillo delves into the Amish culture tying it into more modern day problems. Linda pens some of the most gruesome murders ever and I enjoy the methodical way she peels back the layers of the crime and ultimately solves the crime. I look forward to her next book.

This book is the first I have read by Linda Castillo. It was a compelling read that incorporates two sordid and sanguinary murders discovered by three Amish children in Painters Mill, Ohio. The primary character, police chief Kate Burkholder, is a determined and adamantine law enforcement officer who follows the dark stories and histories of the community with passion and drive to solve the mystery in front of her.

The plot of the book incorporates and interweaves the lives of some of the Amish in the community. Ultimately, there is a focus on human trafficking that seems rather circumspect to begin with but is brutally honest as a focus of the book. Castillo's book is fast moving and contemporary, and I recommend the book for any readers who are mystery aficionados.

Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martins/Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Another thrilling installment in the Kate Burkholder series, albeit maybe one of the darkest so far. Once again I was on the edge of my seat while Kate was being her usual self and not waiting for backup. I'm always yelling at her (in my mind) to wait for help! If she was a cat with nine lives, she'd be on life #17. All of the regular crew is involved, including new officer, Mona, and Kate's now-husband Tomasetti. I wish we had a bit more between Kate and John but I'll take what I can get. The series, great as it was in book one, just keeps getting better. If you haven't discovered it yet, what are you waiting for? See you next year, Chief Burkholder.

I really enjoyed RAGE by Linda Castillo.

It was my first book by this author, but definitely won’t be my last. Castillo does an expert job of deftly interspersing Amish customs and language within this suspense thriller. When a 21 year old Amish young man is found murdered, it initially makes no sense to police why anyone would want to harm him. Shortly after, the body of another young Amish man is found, and he had been best friends with the first victim.

Soon, it becomes clear that something terrible has found its way into their town.

I liked the MC, Kate, who is chief of police. She is strong yet empathetic to her victims.

The only thing that I found a little hard to believe is that it would take the police as long as it did to even suspect what was really going on. That alone made me doubt their competence more than I’m guessing was the author’s intent. I mean, several young adult Amish girls working seedy clubs with similar tattoos on their necks, a house with locks on the outside of the bedroom doors where they know at least two of the girls had been staying, zip ties in a nightstand there…etc etc… yet it only occurs to police what might be happening after they find photos? My rating drops one star for this alone.

Police Chief Kate Burkholder has three homicides to solve. Since the victims are Amish, she knows the challenge she faces finding help from the local community. Raised Amish, she understands their reluctance and knows to be patient and persistent until answers are found. She then faces the horror that a sex trafficking operation is involved. The two young Amish men, found brutally murdered, had been grooming young Amish women, eager for a life change, by tempting them with the offer of a job and shelter. One ends up dead. The young women are forced to become sex workers, bringing much income to the “bosses” who anonymously run this multi-layered network. Kate finds the women and, despite the depravity she hears about and the constant threat to her own life, she forges on. Linda Castillo’s protagonist once again shares the hidden ways and secrets of the Amish with her readers. This time the crime seems widespread and hints at a possible sequel.

I had not heard of this author nor the series. This book’s context does not require one to have read the other books to enjoy this one. There may be some nuances missed but it did not impact my reading and opinion of the book.

As someone who grew up in Ohio not far from an Amish community, I can understand the context of the different world and lifestyle the Amish.

The book kept my interest but the plot was so-so and the characters were not memorable.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy.

This was a great book. I always read Linda Castillo books and they never disappoint. Her writing style is great and very detailed. Every story from page one to the end of the books keeps me on the edge of my seat every time.

I have been reading Linda Castillo for years now, and will grab anything new she offers! Thank you Net Galley for her latest, Rage. The chief of police in Painter’s Creek has an impossible double homicide case to solve, and with the help of her husband, an Ohio detective, they put the pieces together like an easy jigsaw puzzle. Graphic, horrible deaths are prevalent in this Amish story, leading to an awful situation that Kate couldn’t believe would be a Problem in her sleepy town. Her life will be in danger too, as it often is. You will enjoy this if you like suspenseful novels.

Maaaannnnn, I gotta say - I mostly loved this book overall, but I had some *ISSUES* with a specific, very obvious plot point - I mean, obvious from the first chapter or two - that ended up not coming true. I literally predicted a specific thing to happen several times, and it did not. And I cannot tell if I'm mad at it or not! However, that aside - this is your pretty typical visit to Painters Mill, and had all of our favorite people. A very good mystery, one that gets very intense at the end - TW for xes trafficking and xes abuse (off page). All in all, a great visit back to PM and I hate having to wait a year for the next one! 3.75 stars, rounded up to 4.

Chief of Police Kate Burkholder arrives at the scene to find the dismembered body of 21-year-old Samuel Eicher, a local Amish man. The investigation has barely begun when, miles away, a second body is discovered, stuffed into a barrel and dumped in a ravine. The deceased is 21-year-old Aaron Shetler, Samuel Eicher’s best friend. I was hooked from the start, as the story has all the elements of a captivating thriller.

While the suspense and twists are engaging, I did have some trouble with certain scenes involving Kate and how she handles danger as the Chief of Police. I have little tolerance for characters making foolish decisions, and unfortunately, Kate did so not once but twice, which made me roll my eyes.

Despite this, the story is well-written, with vivid descriptions that keep you turning the pages. This book is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. I enjoyed the story and plan to continue reading more from this series. The author is fantastic, with relatable characters and engaging plots. Overall, it’s a great story filled with nonstop action, and I highly recommend it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher, for the eARC.

Another great installment in the Kate Burkholder series! This one is a little different in its storyline (in a good way!). Definitely recommend

Rage is the seventeenth book in the Kate Burkholder series. This series is so fantastic, that you should read it from the beginning. This is a stand-alone read.

In Painters Mill, a discovery by three Amish children brings the quiet innocence to a shocking surprise. Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called to the scene of a grisly murder of 21-year-old Samuel Eicher, a local Amish man who owned a landscaping business.

Before Kate has a chance to find out who could do this terrible thing to Samuel, another body is discovered in a barrel who happens to be Samuel's friend, Aaron Shetler.

While working the case, no one is willing to talk about what happened to the men or anything else about them. Kate will have to dig deep into the darkest parts of society to solve this one. But will she push too hard and find herself in danger.

This series in one of my all-time favorites. It is so good that it leaves you turning the pages thoroughly engrossed until the end, while hoping it never ends. The main characters are warm and familiar like family. It is a race against time to solve the crime. Just when you believe it is the end, it kicks into high gear.