Review by New York Times Review
Bucolic Evil: "Word has gotten out that if you write about the Amish, you can sell books." So says a young Amish woman quoted in Valerie WeaverZercher's 2013 study, "Thrill of the Chaste," about the popularity of Amishthemed romance novels - and, to judge from the success of the crime writer Linda Castillo, what's true of romance is also true of murder. Castillo's bestselling Kate Burkholder mysteries feature the police chief of a fictional Amish town, Painters Mill, Ohio; the ninth entry in the series, "Down a Dark Road," enters the hardcover fiction list at No. 14. How did Castillo, who is not Amish herself, come to write about the community? "I'm originally from Ohio and so I was aware of the Amish growing up," she told me by email. The idea for the first Burkholder book struck during a "happenstance trip" to Amish country. "As a writer I love the juxtaposition of such a bucolic setting and the introduction of evil into it," she said. "I knew I'd found the perfect setting. The Amish culture is a bit of a closed society, and I was fascinated by the mystery of that, too." I wondered how Castillo's Amish audience feels about her outsider's portrayal. "The Amish are readers and encourage their kids to read," she said. "One gentleman attended one of my book events and told me he loved the book. Most responses are positive, but I did receive a letter from another Amish man who said he was offended. I do my best to depict the Amish culture in an honest and realistic way, but he took issue with the level of violence." This deep into the series, Castillo said, she has become "obsessed with learning everything I could about the culture. I travel to Amish country every year.... They've invited me into their homes and farms and I've learned much from that one-on-one interaction. One of the Amish men even let me drive his buggy, which was a fascinating and fun experience. The more I learn ... the more my respect for them and their way of life grows."
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [July 30, 2017]
Review by Booklist Review
The ninth entry to the Kate Burkholder series finds the police chief on the case of an Amish man who has escaped from prison and taken his five children hostage. Joseph King was convicted of murdering his wife but has maintained his innocence, and now needs the chief, formerly Amish herself and an old friend, to help him. She has a knack for getting the usually close-mouthed members of the Amish community to talk to her, and refuses to give up when she thinks she's onto something. There's a personal connection King was her first schoolgirl crush that also keeps her determined to uncover the truth. As with other books in the series, the story is told from Kate's first-person point of view, which gives an immediacy and intimacy to the action and makes it easy for those new to the series to jump right in. Castillo works in fine details and insight into Amish life, but this is no gentle read there is plenty of tension and some good red herrings that will keep any mystery reader satisfied.--Vnuk, Rebecca Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Joseph King, whose plight is the focus of bestseller Castillo's thrilling ninth novel featuring Painters Mill, Ohio, police chief Kate Burkholder (after 2016's Among the Wicked), has escaped from prison, two years after he was convicted of shooting his wife dead. Bulletins go out that he may return to Painters Mill, where his children are living with relatives. Kate knows all the evidence pointed to King as a vicious murderer, but she remembers him as the caring, toothy-grinned boy on whom she once had a crush. When an angry, brooding King shows up in Painters Mill, he swears that he didn't kill his wife and implores Kate to prove his innocence. In short order, there emerge a surprise witness, startling villains, crucial mistakes on Kate's part, and enough violence to shatter the town's rural tranquility. Kate's true love, John Tomasetti, an agent with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, has her back as always, and Castillo skillfully sets each scene, compelling readers to fear the raging stream, sense the tension in a room, and yes, even smell the manure. Author tour. Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary Agency. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Kate Burkholder is back in her ninth adventure (after Among the Wicked) set in Ohio's Amish country. As chief of police of Painters Mill, and ex-Amish herself, Kate has had many encounters with the Amish community. This time the engagement hits close to home when Kate is alerted that former childhood friend Joseph King, convicted of the murder of his wife while their five children slept, has escaped from prison and could be heading her way. Kate warns the aunt and uncle who have custody of the children. On patrol soon after, she investigates a fire at a nearby farm and then checks on the King offspring, only to be taken hostage by their father. A desperate Joe tries to convince Kate of his innocence but is tragically cut down when the hostage standoff turns deadly. Kate, beset by guilt and nagged by Joe's certainty that someone else killed his wife, investigates and uncovers more than she had imagined. VERDICT Kate is a likable cop and the Amish setting is infinitely fascinating. Series fans will appreciate this solid outing. [See Prepub Alert, 1/30/17]-Robin Nesbitt, Columbus Metropolitan Lib., OH © Copyright 2017. 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 police officer who grew up Amish struggles to separate her past from the present.A call about a prison break arouses memories of Painters Mill Police Chief Kate Burkholder's happy childhood and a keen sense of present danger. Joseph King, who lived next door to Kate when she was growing up, was both her playmate and her first crush. His life and personality changed when his father was killed in an accident and the family moved away. After a checkered career, he married lovely Naomi and they had five children before he was sent to prison for murdering her. While Kate is checking around the house where Naomi's sister, Rebecca, and her husband, Daniel Beachy, live with Joseph's children, she's jumped by someone who turns out to be Joseph, who tells her that he didn't kill his wifea story that's backed up by his youngest daughter, Sadie, who was only 3 at the time. Unlike her colleagues, Kate's inclined to believe the mature little girl's story of a stranger who entered the house, killed her mother, and nearly killed Sadie too. After Kate promises Joseph she'll look into his case, he sends her out to talk to the police officers who have surrounded them, but her story and advice are callously dismissed, and Joseph is killed by a police sniper. A picture taken as she left the house that night makes it look as if Joseph was kissing her, causing a media storm that sends the devastated Kate into administrative leave. But her own loyal team and her lover, John Tomasetti, an agent with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, believe in her hunch. As she talks to witnesses and looks through questionable case records, Kate realizes that even her position may not protect her from the consequences of her search. Castillo (Among the Wicked, 2016, etc.) once again weaves the particularities of the Amish mindset into a complex mystery that will leave you crying with pity or seething with rage. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
