A long time fan of Linda Castillo, I was super excited to read this one! It had everything I wanted in an Amish based mystery! I loved the characters, the twists and turns, the plot line. It was all wrapped up in a captivating story!

~Reviewed by Lisa for Page Turners and Sweet Tea

Reconnecting with an old friend is usually a pleasant trip down memory lane -- except when your friend is possibly a rogue cop on the run from some very nasty and corrupt fellow officers who don't have the best intentions.

When Amish widower Adam Lengacher finds an injured woman in a snowdrift while out on a sleigh ride with his children, he calls Painters Mill police chief Kate Burkholder. Kate is stunned to find that the woman is a former best friend, Gina Colorosa. The two had graduated from the police academy together and worked for Columbus Police until Gina's questionable behavior put the pair at odds and Kate returned to her former home town. Now, Gina is accused of murdering a cop and Kate is not confident that her friend is innocent. As a snowstorm strands them at the Lengacher farm, a threat is building that will bring trouble because there are some nasty people who want to find Gina and prevent her from talking.

A confession: I really hate to get started on a series and usually end up bored with all the characters and the same old same with subsequent books. This one, however, is an exception. Every book builds on the last so that I almost feel that I have a relationship with Kate and her team. In addition, the details about Amish beliefs, life, and culture add a refreshing dimension to the standard police detective crime thriller story. I like the writing style and the plots are absorbing and interesting. This is definitely one of my very favorites in this genre and I have had the pleasure of reading several in a row so it has enhanced the whole experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. I'm off to start the next.

Absolutely loved this. The story was so intense and the characters were believable. I was rooting for Kate the whole time.

I didn’t realize this was a part of a much larger series. It sounds really good, but I would like to read the other books in the series before giving this one a read.

Amish widower Adam Lengacher comes across the scene of an accident while out for a ride with his children. A quick search uncovers an unconscious woman, nearly frozen to death. When Chief of Police Kate Burkholder arrives after being alerted to the woman's presence, she is confronted with her own past. Has Gina Colorosa, a fellow police officer and former friend to Kate, brought danger to Painters Mill?

Fans of Kate Burkholder will enjoy getting to know more of her background in Outsider. When her former friend shows up with a story to tell and trouble not far behind, the author digs deep into Kate's past. Her time outside of Painters Mill has always been a bit of a mystery, so this book puts to bed some of that.

Overall, the story itself was a bit lacking, especially regarding Gina. The plot line was a bit expected and not as thrilling or interesting as I had hoped. That being said, I would recommend Outsider to those familiar with Kate Burkholder and the series as a whole.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of Outsider by NetGalley and the publisher, Minotaur Books. The decision to read and review this book was entirely my own.

This is the 12th book of the Kate Burkholder series. This book is a mystery suspense book. This book had so much action and turns in it. The main character of this series is Kate Burkholder who is a cop, but she was raise Amish and left her home when she was a young woman. Now, she works as a cop near where she grow up. In this book her past in throw at her face when the woman (Gina) that took her in after she left her Amish home is in trouble and comes to find her. Gina also brings troubles with her that puts Kate and an Amish man and his family in danger. This book has a lot of Kate remembering her past, and I really love the fact we are finding more out about her past. The ending kept you wanting to read and gets you heart going. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher or author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2021 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2021/02/2021-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

Castillo's Outsider is another great installment in the Kate Burkholder series. A fast paced story involving a past friend of Kate's from her early days as a cop. While protecting her once good friend, Gina, from some corrupt cops, she must also decide if she can trust her. We also get some flashback memories which gives us a little more look into Kate's past after leaving the Amish. The author does a great job of weaving a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat and keeps you wondering who you to trust along the way.

I’m so glad I decided to give this one a go without any prior knowledge of the other books. As a stand-alone this one worked. I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of suspense/mystery.

FINAL DECISION: The story is good, but the mystery wasn't as engaging as others in the series. I love reading about Kate, but this one is my least favorite of the series.

THE STORY: Kate's past arrives in the form of Gina Colorosa, the woman with whom Kate joined the police force. Gina arrives having been shot and on the run. Holed up at an Amish farm, Kate has to find out the truth while confronting the possibility that Gina might be a criminal herself.

OPINION: Things I liked about this book: we got to see quite a bit of John working with Kate; the stories where we learn more about Kate's past are always better; I liked the Amish family involved in this story, and Kate was pretty savvy during the story.

Things I didn't like as much: I didn't really like Gina much and so I didn't care as much what happened with her story; with the claustrophobic atmosphere of the book there were large parts where little action occurred; some of the turns in the book were not explained.

I enjoyed the story but felt that overall it is the weakest of the series. The mystery/suspense story didn't work as well. However, I really did love seeing Kate and John working together/

WORTH  MENTIONING: This story takes place in a very confirmed area with only a few prominent characters which is very different from the usual way this series works.

CONNECTED BOOKS: OUTSIDER is the twelfth book in the Kate Burkholder series. The mystery in this book is completely self-contained and can be read without any other book. There are continuing personal storylines, however. Reading the books in order gives the best experience.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

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

This outing with Kate Burkholder was different from the other books in this series. This one has someone from Kate's past, appearing in Painters Mill. Gina Colorosa was the young woman who befriended Kate when she left the Plain Life. They went to Police College together, roomed together and worked together, that is until Kate found out that Gina was dirty. That was when she quit the Columbus PD and moved to Painters Mill to be Police Chief. Gina is on the run from some dirty cops who are trying to kill her. She is found by an Amish single dad and he hides her while Kate and John Tomasetti work with the Columbus PD to sort out whether Gina really is innocent and if the charges and evidence are trumped up.

I enjoyed learning a bit about Kate's past in Columbus. Kate is an honest cop, who believes in her hunches and feeling and she is sure that Gina is innocent, not of everything, but of killing someone and stealing a bunch of money. We see Kate interacting with an Amish family while protecting Gina. We also see that all Amish do not have the same strict beliefs and Adam Lengacher finds himself attracted to Gina. This was a very interesting mystery and crime and I enjoyed this investigation. Kate was involved, but the actual investigation was a team effort. The final showdown was tense and had some danger that had me on the edge of my seat. Overall, a very satisfactory story.

Outsider is book 12 in the Kate Burkholder series, but my first read by the author and I don’t know why I waited so long.

Somehow Castillo makes the 12th book in a series totally accessible to a new reader, but also teases just enough backstory that I’m itching to read the backlist.

The book is centered on Police Chief Kate Burkholder, the Amish community she grew up in and her former best friend and fellow police officer Gina, who is caught-up in a police corruption scandal.

I really enjoyed Castillo’s writing style and the way she created tension in the physical setting of the book with the snow storm setting and between the characters as Kate and the reader try to find out how much they can trust Gina. And little Sammy was just the sweetest kid!

Kate is a really interesting character. Seeing her try to balance the English and Amish worlds and her own personal decisions is compelling and draws you in. And I can’t get enough of reading about women in leadership roles.

There’s a good balance of suspense, tension and character development and I look forward to reading more of the series !

Thank you to my wonderful friends @minotaur_books for the gifted book.

When an Amish man and his children happen upon a stranded motorist during a snowstorm, they bring her into their home and contact the police. The woman, Gina, knows Chief of Police Kate Burkholder. They were in the police academy together and were best friends after Kate left the Amish faith, but their friendship cracked when Kate saw Gina in suspicious and compromising situations.

When Kate meets up with Gina on the Amish farm where she's staying, Gina has a gunshot wound and a story to tell. Gina is still a cop but she's on the run from other officers at her own department. She says she's trying to bring about an internal investigation into some dirty cops at her department. But she admits she has not always acted honorably herself.

Kate wants to help, but isn't sure Gina is being completely transparent with Kate. And is the Amish family with young children in danger due to Gina's presence?

This is a fast-paced story and I read it in a couple of days. I do like the secondary characters in the series - Kate's staff including Mona and Glock - so I was a little disappointed that they had very minor roles in the story. However, I'm excited to see what happens next between Kate and Tomasetti.

This is a good addition to the Burkholder Amish series. Perhaps we see Kate a little out of her more predictable behavior trusting a friend when it would have gone beyond her routine, but constantly worrying whether she should listen more to her police training. More complex than some of the series but the tension remains high from beginning to end.

Outsider is another great installment in the Kate Burkholder series. A fast paced story involving a past friend of Kate's from her early days as a cop. While protecting her once good friend, Gina, from some corrupt cops, she must also decide if she can trust her. We also get some flashback memories which gives us a little more look into Kate's past after leaving the Amish. The author does a great job of weaving a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat and keeps you wondering who you to trust along the way.

I love this one!

It definitely kept my attention and I wanted to keep reading it.

I think I would have liked it more if I had read the previous books for this one!

Outsider by Linda Castillo is a 2020 Minotaur publication.

You can’t go wrong with this series!!

Adam, an Amish widower, and his children are out for a sleigh ride despite the blizzard conditions, when they find a car riddled with bullet holes and a woman half frozen to death. No matter what, it is the Amish way to help people, so he takes the woman back to his place.

When Kate is called in, she finds herself face to face with her former best friend, Gina, a cop who went rogue. Now she’s asking for Kate’s help, but is she trustworthy?

This is another outstanding installment in the Kate Burkholder series!

The blizzard conditions create another layer of suspense as Kate attempts to clear up the murky details about Gina’s predicament. The flashbacks to Kate’s early days as a cop, the special friendship she had with Gina, and the disillusionment that follows when Kate first found out her friend had become a dirty cop, add a tone of nostalgia and melancholy to the story. Will Kate's memories cloud her judgment now?

The Amish elements also play a key part in the story, as Adam deals with his obligations to his faith, while also wrestling with temptation from someone who had no earthly idea of the consequences he and his children would be left to face.

The building suspense kept me glued to the pages, but I never was sure what to make of the situation, who to trust, or what to really believe. The stunning twists and the final showdown is riveting, nail biting stuff!!

5 stars

It is hard to believe this is already the twelve novel in this series! Another solid thriller that keeps the action moving and our favorite characters in danger.

This is the 12th book in the Kate Burkholder series, but it was my first. It can be read as a standalone.
I was not sure what to expect with a thriller/suspense/mystery set in an Amish community but it really blew me away. Kept me on my toes! Kate and Gina used to be best friends. They met after Kate left the Amish and both became cops. Something caused them to grow apart and they hadn't seen each other in years. Now Gina is caught up in a scandal. The two reconnect when Gina reaches out to her for assistance and gets stuck in the Amish town during a snow storm. A tale of police corruption, scandal and suspense follows. Would highly recommend to my suspense and fast paced mystery loving friends. I"m looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Thank you to Minotaur and NetGalley for the free digital copy.

A good mystery featuring a formerly Amish sheriff and a former roommate who is now a cop in trouble.