Thank you so much to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. It is a first for me from this author and the latest book in a long running series, featuring police sherriff Kate Burkholder. I enjoyed this book but I think I would have liked it more if I read the rest of the series. I feel like a little background into the main character, Kate and her career would have added a level of excitement to the story for me. I would definitely be willing to go back and start the series from the beginning to learn more!

This particular story involves an old friend of Kate's who happens to be a fellow cop named Gina. She gets herself mixed up in some corrupt cop dealings. She ends up fleeing for her own safety but is still being hunted by the cops who think she knows too much. In a horrific snow storm she winds up crashing her car and is helped by an Amish man named Adam and his children. She ends up in their Amish community where she stays at the families home. She asks for Kate directly to come and help her but Kate doesn't know if she can be trusted. While the story was quite fast paced and exciting at times, I didn't really like Gina's character. I don't know what it was exactly but I found her quite unlikable. I did really like Adam a lot and though not exactly a main character I enjoyed reading about him.

I liked how the author brought together the English and the Amish worlds. I also really enjoyed the description of setting, which really brought the book to life. I thought the book was well written and came to a satisfying conclusion. If you have read the rest of this series, this one should definately be on your list!

Enjoyed it. I love the Kate Burkholder series, but this one was not one of my favorites. It was very different from the previous books. Hated the whole Gina storyline. She was so unlikeable and not worth Kate losing her job for. Was it ever mentioned in the previous books that Gina and Kate ended their friendship on bad terms? I wouldn't have believed a single word that came out of Gina's mouth. It's hard to believe she was ever Kate's best friend. Why didn't Kate hide Gina at her farmhouse instead of putting Adam and his children in danger? Would Adam really have been that accommodating? How did Kate neglect her job for so many days? I didn't find this storyline as believable as previous books. There wasn't any crime for Kate to solve, all she did was babysit a crooked cop. I can't wait until John and Kate finally get married. Hopefully to will happen son and her siblings will attend.

Definitely recommend the book, especially if you read the previous books. Look forward to reading more books by the author. I can't wait to find out what's next for Kate. Fingers crossed for a wedding.

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

Running for her life, Gina Colorosa, a big city police officer ended up at the home of Adam Lengacher, an Amish widower during a winter snow storm. Adam a father and committed to his Amish life does find Gina very intriguing.

As the plot thickens Gina turned to an old friend Kate Burkholder for help, knowing she was the Chief of Police in Painter's Mill.. Secrets are revealed about Gina, who was caught up in police corruption and was involving Kate and Kate's long time love, John Tomasetti. Tomasetti was very distrustful of Gina and worried about Kate's involvement.

Linda Castillo did not disappoint with this thriller. As always her details to scenes and characters brings each chapter to life. The flow of the books is quick and hard to put down, however just when you think you have it figured out, something new is revealed.

4 stars for book 12 in the Kate Burkholder series. This is another pulse pounding thriller that starts off with a bang. The prologue has cops doing a no knock raid on a woman who is prepared for an escape. She is shot, but manages to escape and head for her friend from the police academy, Kate Burkholder. This is not a mystery, since the bad guys are identified early on.
Gina Colorosa is the fleeing woman. There are corrupt cops who want to kill her. She is a cop too, and they are afraid that she knows too much. Gina crashes her pickup in a blinding snowstorm. She is rescued by an Amish widower, Adam Lengacher. The book has some interesting insight into the life of an Amish farmer in rural Northeast Ohio.
How this thriller is resolved makes for an entertaining read. I read it in 2 days. This series works better if read in order, as there are continuing plot lines. However, this book would be ok as a stand alone. I have read all the previous books in the series.
Two quotes:
Winter in Northeast Ohio: "Dawn arrives cold and gray, with snow flurries and a north wind that hammers the house like a fist. It's not as bitterly cold today, and I'm desperately hoping the six inches of snow the weatherman predicted is an overestimation."
Amish proverb: "Live your life with God's goodness and you'll never fear the past."
Thank You Minotaur Books/St Martin's Press, Linda Castillo and NetGalley for sending me this eARC.

I decided to reward myself by reading Outsider, the latest in the Kate Burkholder series. This one is a little slower paced and has a different tone than previous books. Castillo allows us to delve deeper into Kate's background. It's reflective, poignant, and tough. Gina was once Kate's bosom buddy, friend, colleague, and confidant. Until Gina drifted over to the unsavory side of law enforcement. It's hard to place which side Gina is on when the story gains momentum. My favorites were the Amish family that shelter Kate and Gina during the storms. I love this series and it just keeps Improving with a fresh story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

They were besties at the police academy in Columbus, but Kate hasn’t seen or heard from Gina Colarossa in more than ten years. So when Adam, a local Amish widower with three young children, contacts her about an injured woman snowbound at his home, Kate can’t believe it. But Gina is a fugitive and now they are all snowed in together. What could possibly go wrong?

Not my favorite in the series, but still a good read and interesting look at Amish life. I did think that the police corruption and blizzard conditions were a little over the top.

You would think at the 12th book in the series it would get old, but these just keep getting better. The past comes back to Kate when an old friend needs help. Not sure whether she should trust Gina or not, Kate and Tomasetti give her a helping hand.
Thank you for the advance copy. I highly recommend it.

Outsider
A Kate Burkholder Novel
by Linda Castillo
St. Martin's Press
You Like Them
Minotaur Books
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 07 Jul 2020 | Archive Date 07 Jul 2020

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. Linda Castillo books ' are in high demand at our rural library. I haven't read all twelve in the series, but I do enjoy them. This one is a bit different, and I like that we learn more about Kate's background and why she left the fold. I will recommend this!!

Outsider is the 12th book in the Kate Burkholder series and it definitely lived up to my expectations! This book is different than the others in the series because rather than being about a murder or crime in the Amish community it’s about a fellow cop Kate use to be close friends with. Outsider is intense and one of those books you want to keep reading because you need to know what happens. Going into this book I already knew my feelings for Tomasetti but after reading Outsider it’s safe to say I LOVE him. Like the previous books in the series it’s fascinating to learn about the Amish culture, which is something I don’t know much about. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series and see what’s next in store for Kate. If you haven’t already tried this series I highly recommend it. Thank you so much Minotaur and NetGalley for an ARC.

Kate Burkholder, everyone's favorite ex-Amish Chief of Police, is back in Linda Castillo's latest novel, Outsider. This is the 12th novel in the series that follows the life and cases of the aforementioned cop in the small town of Painter's Mill, Ohio.

This time around, Kate comes face to face with her past in the form of Gina Colorosa, an old friend from her police academy days. Gina is discovered by Adam, a young Amish widower, after crashing her truck during a snow storm and almost freezing to death in the elements. His Amish nature compels him to bring the strange woman home despite his gut telling him that there is more to this story than an innocent accident in a blizzard. Gina, having barely escaped with her life, is on the run from some supposedly crooked cops who see her as a threat to their illegal activities. Despite the falling out that resulted in the former friends not seeing or speaking to each other in over a decade, Gina asks to see Kate because she has nowhere else to go. The two women get snowed in while at Adam's house and are forced to spend the next few days with him and his young children. Kate listens to Gina's story about being framed for heinous crimes by angry colleagues, but she has her doubts about Gina's culpability and sincerity. She wants to believe that her old friend isn't capable of the things she's been accused of doing, but how well did she ever really know Gina? With the help of John Tomasetti, Kate must put her old feelings to rest in order to find the truth and make the tough decision of protecting Gina or turning her in to the proper authorities.

This was a great addition to the Kate Burkholder series. The storyline is solid and suspenseful. It kept me reading late into the night. The twists made the story entertaining, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't see them coming. While the main plot doesn't focus on the Amish this time around, the reader still gets a lot of insight into the Amish way of life through Kate and Gina's time with Adam and his family. I enjoyed learning about some of the family's winter customs, such as ice skating on a frozen pond and going on sleigh rides. I was also happy to get more of a glimpse into Kate's past after she decided to leave the Amish way of life. Castillo sheds some light on Kate's struggles as she learns to navigate the English world alone and how she ultimately ended up pursuing a career in law enforcement. The reader can also look forward to seeing how Kate and Tomasetti's relationship continues to develop. One thing that is missing from the story is the other members of Kate's team. Because of the blizzard, Kate is stuck at Adam's farm and has almost no interaction with the rest of the characters I've grown to love throughout the series. Other than that small complaint, this is an enjoyable read that lives up to the rest of the series. While all the novels can stand alone, I highly recommend starting from the very first book in order to fully understand and appreciate the complicated protagonist that is Kate Burkholder, Chief of Police.

My Rating: ★★★★☆
At the time of this post, this title is set to be released on July 7, 2020.

*Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A blizzard drives the action in Outsider, Linda Castillo’s intense, ambitious new Sheriff Kate Burkholder mystery. Set in Painters Mill, Ohio during the course of three days, Kate’s past and present collide as she tries to reconcile a friendship forged years ago with a dangerous threat to the town and the Amish people who live there.

As the story opens, Detective Gina Colorosa is fleeing a police raid at her home in Columbus. She had planned to escape the raid but hadn’t anticipated the blizzard. Shot in the shoulder and losing blood, she hits a tree and is found nearly frozen by Amish farmer Adam Lengacher, a widower, and his three small children. In Amish fashion, he brings Gina to his farmhouse to help her. She asks him to call Kate who arrives and recognizes Gina as her former roommate and partner while she was on the force in Columbus. Gina spins a wild tale about police corruption, greed and missing money. While Kate’s lover John Tomasetti, an investigator with the State Police, tries to corroborate her information, Gina’s troubled past is catching up with her in a frightening way. Be ready for a nail-biting, suspenseful conclusion!

I have read all of Linda Castillo’s books featuring Kate Burkholder and this is one of the best. The isolation of the storm, the short time frame, the depth of the characters and the descriptions of simple Amish daily life will stay with you. 5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, St, Martin’s Press and Linda Castillo for this ARC.

Another excellent read. My favorite thing about this one is that we learn about Kate and the years between leaving the fold and book one. I've always wondered about that time and now we have answers. This story is a little different from previous ones in the series. Crime from outside Holmes county has intruded on the community and a blast from the past brings Kate to question a lot.

There is some suspense. A bit of humor. A lot of reflection and some mystery. The look at Adam and his family is revealing and well written. There is a lot about this book to love. It runs a little deeper and I think readers will enjoy it.

I have loved the Kate Burkholder series from the first sentence, but I have to admit that I had gotten to the point, given the duration of it, where I wondered with every book just how many crimes could possibly happen to such a select group of people in a small area. With Outsider, we finally get to see things from a new perspective: the criminals are cops, and Kate is caught in the blizzard with a fugitive.

When Kate's former best friend-turned-crooked-cop ends up at an Amish widower's house after being shot trying to escape her compatriots, Kate takes Gina's allegations of corruption to her boyfriend, BCI agent Tomassetti. When Kate gets stuck in the snow at the farm, all three decide it's for the best while a case can be made, though Kate is extremely hesitant to involve Adam, the Amish farmer who has aided them. Meanwhile, Gina is on a number of people's hit list, and they haven't given up the search because of the inclement weather.

With flashbacks to Kate's first years away from her Amish childhood and a sincere glimpse into the lifestyle of an Amish man fumbling along with three young children and no wife, Outsider may well be the most insightful book of the series. Though it does lack much of the mystery and suspense that readers have come to expect from a Castillo novel, it is a welcome and past due experience.

Another great book in this Amish series.Linda Castillo.Her characters never fail to drew me in .Her characters come Alive I love reading about the Amish traditions lus the mystery.Im always recommending this series,#netgalley#st.martinboojs

4.5 ⭐ This series just gets better and better! I really enjoyed getting the background on Kate in this one. You usually get pieces of her previous life as Amish, but we learn so much more about her history. Not only how she came to be a cop, but what made her the woman she is today. You also learn more about the dynamics between the Amish and the English. Thank you to netgalley and St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley, for my e-ARC.

In this twelfth installment of Castillo's addictive Kate Burkholder Amish mystery series, Kate has an unexpected reunion with a friend and colleague from her days on the force.

Adam Lengacher is out for a sleigh ride with his three young children when he comes across an unexpected sight. As is the Amish way, he goes to investigate and offer help. A truck has crashed into a tree hard enough for the front end to buckle and the airbag to deploy. There was nobody in the truck, but there was blood...a lot of it. And...bullet holes in the rear windshield. Already apprehensive, he goes in search of the driver. And he finds...her.

Kate and her deputies already are swamped with distress calls when Lois, her dispatcher radioes in with another one. From Lengacher farm, specifically asking for Kate. Who and what she finds there is no less than the storm brewing outside.

Short chapters with alternating perspectives. Vivid descriptions. Authentic depiction of the Amish way of life, including the usage of the Dutch language(translations immediately following are helpful and convenient) make for a entertaining and enlightening read.

An enjoyable read, overall(the third one I've read). Ideally, it would have been best to start with book number one instead of jumping in at number ten. That being said, this still works well as a standalone. Castillo does such a good job of seamlessly referencing past events and re-introducing characters . I eagerly look forward to her next.

3.5 love Kate and the Amish setting, but this one had more elements of a thriller that I didn't like as much.

Kate's past comes for her in a big way and brings danger to a widowed Amish man and his children. Loved little Sammy, he was the bright light in this story. A little more violent than the others in this series. The endless snow adds to the atmosphere, trapping people in place. As always loved the glimpses of the Amish way of life, the authentic feel, language and all. Getting a glimpse at Kate when she was just beginning her career was appreciated. Unfortunately the plot itself didn't appeal, but that's just a matter of reading taste.

ARC from Netgalley

As always, Linda Castillo didn't disappoint! I tend to get tired of a series after about book 5 but this series just seems to get better with each book. I would love to see it made into a tv show!.

The Kate Burkholder story continues. This was a good read with a lot of back story about the main character. Though not as fast paced as others in the series, it is interesting and keeps you turning the pages

Another winner in the Amish Mystery series of Kate Burkeholder! I look forward to this series and recommending it to my customers. This one was well-crafted and gave us some more insight into Burkeholder's back story. A good book for my Summer Reads table!