My first encounter with Linda Castillo and Chief Kate Burkhholder, even with it been the 13th in the series I had no problem following the story so it can easily be read as a stand-alone.
I used the audio book instead of reading and found that the narrator did a great job. The only thing that slightly bothered me, whenever some Amish words were spoken it was immediately followed by the English words. To me it felt like a word or sentence was been repeated because I understood it the first time. Of course this is only my view and other people might want the translation. It isn’t complete conversations but the use of greetings and Amish words here and there. Whatever your preference, don’t let it stop you from reading or listening to the book. It is a page turner with lots of twist and a surprise ending. It gives some insight in some of believes and practices of the Amish and for young girls coming of age it isn’t always easy to obey the rules.

Audiobook Review: Fallen (Kate Burkholder #13) by Linda Castillo,
Kathleen McInerney (Narrator)
A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books, July 6, 2021

★★★★★ (4.5 Stars)

Audiobook narration:
Switching seamlessly between English, Amish Pennsilfaanisch-Deitsch German (or Deitsch for short) and NZ English, the inflections, the asides, the versatility and outstanding performance of Kathleen McInerney as the voice of author Linda Castillo's fictional small town Police Chief Kate Burkholder, lends depth and authenticity, and conveys a palpable perspective to the police procedural.

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Painters Mill, Holmes County, "Amish Country", Ohio.

"Fallen", Book 13.

Eight years into her job as the town's police chief, thirty-something Kate Burkholder receives an emergency call from the town's inn. A body's been discovered in one of its room, blood and gore all over, brutally bludgeoned to death.

Turns out the victim is "Fallen", someone the Amish lost to the outside world. Rachael Schwartz who left the fold for over a decade and now shunned by her parents and a pariah to the Amish, was a rebel against the Ordnung, the set of rules for the Amish and Mennonites, its traditional and religious strictures, and its horse and buggy testament to avoidance of technological advancements.

Chief Kate is shocked to see the brutality of the slaughter at the inn.

All the more because she knew Rachael. Kate had also left the Amish years ago so she'd empathized with the victim the time she'd left. She's babysat her as a toddler. Kate herself is estranged from her parents. She was as bad as being Amish as Rachael was.

After all the years, why did Rachael now return.

Only to die.

Now its up Deitsch-speaking Police Chief Burkholder, her small "English" police team, along with the support of her live-in boyfriend John Tomasetti, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation to penetrate the traditional, close-knit, tight-lipped Amish community, and find the killer...

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This novel reads as a standalone. "Fallen", Book 13, my introduction to the Amish Country series and the first book I've ever read by Linda Castillo, is a grand cultural treat, well-written with timely references to past events.

You can't help but admire the author's depth of knowledge and well-researched historical, cultural, religious and linguistic depictions of the Amish, their mannerisms, the way they talk, their way of life; and to appreciate her creation of a strong female protagonist along with a colorful, close-knit small town police team and supporting cast: Chief Kate with Glock, Pickles, Skid, T.J., Mona.

The author makes sure to insert translation tidbits to Deitsch, the spoken Amish German dialect, whenever appropriate for the benefit of non-German speakers. Understanding the term "English" to Ohioans comes as a matter of course, applied by the Amish to all non-Amish outsiders.

It took a few chapters, but the importance, support of and repartee of Kate with her beau, John Tomasetti, slowly gets unveiled, adds flavor and gives a wider, state-wide aspect to the small town stage.

Gripping police procedural, great cultural experience.

Review based on an audiobook galley from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley.

First off, I need to thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this book. Second, I did not realize it was part of a series. That did not hurt the story line in the least for me. Third, it was my first book I've read/listened to about the Amish. It was enlightening to learn a bit about their culture.

Thank you to Netgalley for another audiobook.

The Kate Burkholder series has never disappointed me. Not the books or the novellas.

Rachel was never really good at being Amish; she was rowdy and troubled so it's no surprise when she was put under the ban but when she is comes back to Painters Mill and is found murdered in her hotel room Kate needs to find out who did it. In true Kate fashion, she trusts her instincts and gets in trouble along the way and the story just takes turn after turn, I doubt you'll be able to predict this one.

I was given a chance to have an early listen of this book in exchange for an honest review thanks to NetGalley

This is the first book I’ve read from this author and I definitely enjoyed it.
It starts off with a murder and weaves throughout from the story lines to connect the characters and take you along on the journey
The story takes place in Ohio, in the middle of Amish country
Trigger Warner: violence, sexual assault, rape
The author did a great job of keeping you on your toes, keeping you engaged, and having a strong female lead character

I had no idea Fallen by Linda Castillo was a book in a series of many! It certainly seemed like a standalone thriller and I never felt as though I was missing something. I didn't know it was part of a series until I looked at Goodreads. This is a solid thriller with a good mystery. I was hooked and intrigued the whole story from beginning to end,

I listened to Fallen as an audiobook and read along with it. I couldn’t keep this book out of my hands. Linda Castillo’s has done it again. The latest and hopefully not final book of the series, Painter’s Mill, Ohio police chief Katie Burkholder,
This is one of my favorite series so I jumped at the chance to red/listen to Fallen for an honest review and all I can say is Linda has done it again. Katie Burkholder formally Amish is now the Police chief of the same community and grew up in until she left the fold. Knowing Amish language and the community helps her be the best police chief on a daily basis but the murder of a woman hits way to close to home. Follow Katie and her crew at the Police station as they figure out how and why this brutal murder occurred. 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen to an ARC of this book.

This book is part of a series. This is the first one of the series I've read but it didn't matter that I hadn't read earlier books. It was a great read. The detective is a no-nonsense woman who has left the Amish community and become "English" However, she is accepted as a past member who understands.

I know very little about the Amish and Castillo treats the community with respect and care. I learned a lot of which I am quite appreciative. The narrator was wonderful and I've listened to enough audiobooks that I know it's hard to find a good narrator She made the book exciting, she had different tones for each of the characters. At the end of the book, there is an interview with Castillo and the narrator. Their mutual respect is clear. Kathleen McInerney, the narrator, describes how she goes about prepping to read a book and it is obvious why she is probably in high demand.

I really enjoyed this book and will read some of the back series and look forward to the next book.

Thank you NetGalley for an audio-ARC of Fallen by Linda Castillo.
Although Fallen is book #13 in the Kate Burkholder series, it is the first book in this series for me. Not having read other Kate Burkholder mysteries, I felt a little out of the loop, but it did not hinder my reading experience. In fact, I am now interested in reading the other books. Fallen was a suspenseful, page-turner that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. However, I found some of the elements to be a bit far-fetched, giving Kate Burkholder unrealistic abilities.
For me, the audio version of Fallen fell short. I did not care for the narration, and at different times wished I had a book to understand what was being said. I did enjoy hearing the Dutch language, but found the continuous translating to be condescending. My favorite part of the audio version was the author and narrator conversation at the end!

Just like the rest of the books from the Kate Burkholder series, this was a great one. Who knew the Amish community can be portrayed with this much violence and mystery!
Hats off to Linda Castillo!!

I would like to thank the author, publisher, narrator and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-audio copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I read some of the earlier Kate Burkholder books a few years ago, but haven't read the series in the past few years. Although I was was fairly familiar with the back story from the earlier books, I had no problems following the story line or character development.

Though these books are set in Amish country, they Amish don't usually play a huge roll in the story, and wow are these murders gruesome! Though, thankfully usually only at the beginning, so you don't have to revisit a bloody scene.

I enjoyed the story so much I think I will go back and see if I can find the books I've missed and catch up more with the story line. The narration done by Kathleen McInerney was wonderful, she had a good voice for Kate, I felt - very to the point and matter of fact, which is how I picture Kate and her attitude towards the crimes. The pronunciation of the Amish/German words was also well done and felt natural, like I was hearing the conversation.

Really enjoyed this book and the narration of the audio book. Maybe 3.5 stars, but I'm rounding up to 4 stars.

I admit I jumped into this series with the thirteenth book...and now am I am eager to go back and read the first twelve! This story is suspenseful and downright terrifying at points...so much so that I couldn't put the book (or in this case, my headphones) down. The main character, Kate Burkholder, is the chief of police in the rural Ohio town of Painters Mill. She grew up Amish and left the Amish way as she became an adult. Castillo has developed a strong lead female with a depth of compassion and understanding for the people in the English and nearby Amish community.

I listened to the audio version of the book. The narrator, Kathleen McInerney, brought Kate and the characters to life. McInerney has been the voice of Kate Burkholder throughout the series, and it is clear why - she is a fabulous narrator. At the end of the audiobook there is an interview/conversation between Linda Castillo and Kathleen McInerney about the development of the characters over the course of the series, Castillo's writing process, McInerney's preparation and recording process, and Castillo's learning about the Amish that gives the listener added insight into the creation of this book and the series

This audiobook is an excellent murder mystery filled with action! I love how the narrator captures the voices of both male and female characters just right. I forget that it's just one person, and I can immediately tell who's speaking from the tone, let alone from the context. I had to keep listening until I was finished, because the author keeps you guessing, and on the edge of your seat the entire time. I live just on the Ohio line in PA, and I'm familiar with Ohio and the Amish. She captures both wonderfully and acturately. I will definitely add this author to my favorites!

I have read every book in this series so far (this is book 13) and I never get bored with them. A mix of Amish/English life with procedural thriller?! Yes please!!! I love the way the author describes everything so clearly and I am sitting on the edge of my seat to know what happens next!

I love Kate’s character and I enjoy how much she evolves throughout the series. In this book Kate is faced with a crime in her Amish leaden town that sends her on a journey through the past. This path leads Kate to question those she knows and who she never thought she would question.

The narrator of this series is awesome and I loved the narrator and author interview at the end.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is the thirteenth book in the Kate Burkholder Amish series. I had actually read the first four books of this series in the past but lost track and did not realize that I had missed so many. All the Kate Burkholder books can be read out of order without any issue with following the story.

Fallen was an action packed who done it story. I truly had no idea who the murderer was until the very end. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire last half of the book. Kudos to the author for this original story line.

I listened to the audio version of this book and I want to give a kudos to the narrator. This is the first book of this series where I listened to the audio. The narrator was very skilled in her voice and it was always easy to follow who was speaking. I enjoyed the Amish lilt to the characters also.

I have gone back and added the missing books to my TBR pile.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen and review this book. All opinions are my own.

This is my first Linda Castillo book and it is number 13 in the Kate Burkholder series. If I realized this when I started I probably wouldn’t have started it, because I have this thing of starting the series at book #1. That being said I went ahead and listened to the book and I am so glad I did. I really enjoyed the book and didn’t feel like I was missing a lot by not having read the first 12 books. I like Amish stories and loved this Amish mystery. There were a couple of twists and turns that made you wonder who the culprit was and the ending was intense! The book grabs you early and does not let go!

The audio version has an interview with Linda Castillo and the narrator of the audio book Kathleen McInerney. This was a great list as they both discussed their process of making a story come to life. I really enjoyed hearing about the process and would love to see both of their office/studio’s.

I have now put the first 12 books on my to read list so I can spend more time with Katie Burkholder and find out more of why she is no longer Amish.

Reading Derby: Fallen by Linda Castillo Review
Goodreads: Fallen (Kate Burkholder, #13) by Linda Castillo | Goodreads

I absolutely love Kate Burkholder!

This series is amazing. I think something the narrator said in the conversation with the author hit the nail on the head-- the relationship between our heroine and her partner is awesome. It's a deep connection and it's sweet....but it's not a romance novel and it doesn't veer into too sappy.

This particular installment in the series was also a great story with great characters!

The only criticism I have is that listening to this one I noticed some repetitive ticks I haven't noticed before. For example, in the first chapter she says "Referring to..." multiple times in the same chapter, and then towards the end there's a chapter where she says "minds eye" multiple times.

Fallen is the 13th novel in the mystery series starring Kate Burkholder as a small town chief of police in the Amish country of Ohio. It is a difficult feat for an author to continue through 13 books to write such consistently solid books. Fallen yet again delivers as a well plotted, character and action driven page turner. I could not turn the pages fast enough. About half way through the book I thought I had it all figured out and then the twists began. Although this book can be read as a stand alone I highly recommend you start with the first book in the series as each book imparts important personal information about all the characters.

Thanks to Minotaur Books for a #gifted copy and @netgalley and @macmilianaudio for free audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

As a young Amish girl, Rachael Schwartz was labeled as rebellious and free-spirited. She left Painters Mill when she was seventeen, “fallen” from the Amish tradition and ways. Now, over a decade later, Rachael returns with secrets of the past but is brutally murdered the night she arrives. When the chief of police, Kate Burkholder, arrives on the scene and recognizes the victim as Rachael, Kate wonders why she returned and who would murder her? As Kate unravels the secrets, the killer is determined to keep the secrets buried at all costs.

I enjoyed the quick start to the book. The murder happens in chapter one, and it's not tame! The suspenseful twists and turns throughout the investigation kept me guessing who committed the murder. I loved learning bits of the Amish life and language along the way.

I switched between the book and the audio. While I loved hearing the Amish dialect since I was completely unfamiliar with it, I enjoyed the print version more, mainly because I could turn the pages faster.

This book is number 13 in the series. I have not read any of the other books. While you can read this as a stand-alone, I did feel like there's some character growth through the series that I missed - the building love story of Kate and Tomasetti and some of Kate’s history of being Amish but now English. I'll check out some of her earlier books in this series.

Overall, a very solid crime thriller! The violence is a bit graphic, so some of the material could cause triggers. I did not list them in the review because the triggers would reveal the plot. Please view them on StoryGraph before reading.

This was a good listen. For me, it was more of a standard read, not boring, not extremely exciting, but a good book.
I liked the characters, I liked the storyline. Good writing and interesting plot.