Review by Booklist Review
The crimes in Castillo's gripping Kate Burkholder series often arise from tensions within the Amish community living near the small town of Painters Mill, Ohio, where Kate is chief of police. That's true here, as well, but those tensions are brought to light this time through a natural disaster a tornado that leaves in its wake some long-buried human remains. These aren't just any human remains, as forensic analysis reveals that the body was ripped apart by some kind of hog. Death by pig is a tough concept to swallow, for the reader, to be sure, but equally so for Kate and the farmers who live in Painters Mill. But was the grotesque death an accident or murder? As the clues accumulate and the victim is identified, Kate must once again use her Amish upbringing to nurse long-buried secrets from the mouths of tight-lipped residents, all the while dealing with a personal situation that could impact her future in multiple ways. Throughout this series, Castillo consistently manages to portray the Amish with respect and sensitivity while, at the same time, exposing the way rigidity of belief can sometimes lead to violence. Another strong showing from a very fine crime writer. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The Burkholder series has used mystery fan word-of-mouth to propel it toward best-sellerdom. Extensive promotion plans will help continue the trend.--Ott, Bill Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Castillo's seventh thriller about Kate Burkholder (after 2014's The Dead Will Tell) finds the chief of police of Painters Mill, Ohio, returning to the Amish community from which she was excommunicated as a young adult, after a tornado rips through the state. Reader McInerney's visceral enactment of Kate's tense narration adds to the thrilling progression of the storm and it's aftermath, superbly crafted by Castillo. As a result of the storm, the police chief rescues an injured infant and uncovers the 30-year-old bones of a homicide victim. McInerney speaks Pennsylvania Dutch with the same apparent ease with which she handles the novel's many voices-tough men and stern women, for the most part. McInerney's rich portrayal of Kate suits every circumstance: from sharp anger when Kate is challenged, to frustration when the murder clues go nowhere, and, perhaps McInerney's best accomplishment, to the pain and sadness Kate feels when her personal life is struck by its own romantic tornado. A Minotaur hardcover. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
This seventh book in Castillo's "Kate Burkholder" series (after The Dead Will Tell) opens with a tornado tearing through Painters Mill, OH. In the aftermath of the destruction, a set of bones is discovered in an old barn. Kate is called to the scene, where the forensics team is working to safely unearth the remains. Once at the lab, the investigation reveals that the bones have been buried for over 30 years. What's odder though, the hands and the feet have been chewed off. Kate and her team set to work identifying and determining what happened to the body. They conclude that it was no accident and the secrets lie deep within the Amish community. Verdict Series fans as well as first-time readers will be enthralled by this compelling and atmospheric mystery set in the heart of Amish country. [See Prepub Alert, 2/2/15.]-Robin Nesbitt, Columbus Metropolitan Lib., OH © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A small-town Ohio police chief is stressed to her limit by the aftermaths of a violent tornado and a crisis in her personal life. Although Painters Mill Chief of Police Kate Burkholder has long since left the Amish community, she knows it's helped make her who she is. Her placid life with John Tomasetti, an agent in the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation who's still haunted by the death of his wife and children, is interrupted when the area is struck by a tornado. After Kate rescues a child and mother from a demolished trailer, she's sued for causing the child's death and threatened by the meth-head father. The storm also discloses a surprise from the past. Boy Scouts cleaning up the destruction discover parts of a corpse in an old barn. A surgical plate found on the scene eventually helps identify the body as Mennonite Leroy Nolt, who vanished 30 years ago. Kate and her team are unsettled to learn that the missing parts of the body were almost certainly eaten by hogs. On the homefront, Kate's recently discovered that she's pregnant. Neither she nor Tomasetti feels ready for parenthood, but they can't agree about what to do. A quilt Leroy gave his mother leads back to a married member of the strict Swartzentruber sect. As the Amish community closes ranks and refuses to provide any information, Kate must search the past for answers while dealing with her personal crisis. Castillo (The Dead Will Tell, 2014, etc.) poses another teasing puzzle whose solution is rooted in the past and another look at the secretive Amish lifestyle. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
