Member Reviews
Kate Burkholder #14 By Linda Castillo
Kate is on her Saturday off when she gets a message to come into the station. Kate is the Chief of Police of the Painters Mill police department. Three Amish men meet her as she enters the station. Nelson Yoder is the bishop in Belleville, Pennsylvania. The Kish valley in central PA. Nathan Kempf, the deacon confirms this as the Kishacoquillas Valley. The third man is Mahlon Barkman, one of the ministers in the valley.
Human bones were found two months ago while plowing a field. The police found the bones belonged to Ananias Stoltzfus. He was a bishop who disappeared 18 years ago. Police said he had been shot two times by a muzzleloader that belongs to Jonas Bowman. Jonas is in jail but he said he did not shoot the bishop!
Kate and Jonas grew up together. When Kate turned 15 her emotions grew stronger and Kate and Jonas became a couple against her parent's wishes. When the parents found out, the Bowmans moved to Pennsylvania.
Can Kate find the real murderer and get her old friend out of jail and back with his family?
This will be a tricky murder to solve filled with many roadblocks. A great read!
I would like to thank NetGalley and Minotaur Books and St. Martin's Pub. Gp. for allowing me to read this e-book. This review is my own and I love Linda Castillo's books!
I requested to read and review this book for free from Minotaur Books an imprint St. Martin Publishing Company. Linda Castilllo has written another great Kate Burkholder story. Sometimes the past comes back to you either good or bad! Life has a way of showing you the road not traveled might be the best thing that happens in life. Just because something on paper looks perfect doesn't mean it is. People in our past can shape our future without knowing it! This book has mystery, drama, romance and more! This book can be read anywhere at any time!
Even though I haven’t read all of this series yet, I think this one may be one of my favorites so far. Kate is pulled back into the world of her past when she is asked by some Amish elders to investigate a 20 year old murder. The body of a long missing bishop has been discovered, and an old friend of Kate’s has been arrested for the murder. The boy she knew wouldn’t have hurt anyone, but what about the man he grew up to be?
Maybe I was just in the right mood for this book, but I loved the way the story unfolded, combing Kate’s investigation with new insights into her past. She’s out of her jurisdiction for this one, so she has to work even harder for her clues. It felt like the reader was discovering the clues along with her, and I had a few lightbulb moments at the same time that she did.
I definitely have to go back and fill in some of the gals for myself with this series.
How does Castillo do it? The Hidden One is her best yet. I so completely enjoyed Thais book - I can’t wait for the next one.
The Hidden One is the latest in Linda Castillo's series on Kate Burkholder. Kate finds herself investigating a friend from her childhood and whether he has done what he has been accused of. I always enjoy these novels and this is no exception. It's an enjoyable easy read that feels comfortable if you like Castillo's other novels.
Linda Castillo continues to keep Katie alive and engaged in-depth with criminal activity in her books. She continues to entertain her readers throughout the book
THE HIDDEN ONE by Linda Castillo, is one of the best books I’ve read this year – heck, in the past 5 years!
Castillo and her Katie Burkholder series was brand new to me when I requested an arc via Netgalley – and I am so impressed with the story and the wonderful writing, I’ve already ordered the first 5 books in the series via amazon.
The killing of an Amish Bishop 18 years ago starts this twisted tale which moves to the present day when his remains are found. Burkholder, former Amish, but still fluent on the life and language, is called in to help the accused, Jonas Bowman, an old friend of hers, prove his innocence. But all the evidence points to him as the killer.
This story was so intricately woven with the every day life of the Amish that I never once felt as if I wasn’t part of the story – that’s to say, I was engaged from the beginning and the whole way thru.
I hate spoilers so I won’t tell how Katie discovers the truth, but I sure wish she was a real police chief. Her dogged determination is commendable.
5 stars for this wonderful story.
Another amazing book in the Kate Burkholder series., with Kate going back to her past as a teenager in Painters Mills. I was so excited to see that another installment in the series was being released, but if I;m being honest, I'd read anything that Linda Castillo writes. While I thought some of Kate's choices at the end were a little unrealistic, I still loved the book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.
I saved reading this book until I had an uninterrupted weekend because I know from experience that the latest Linda Castillo book would be a terrific book to read. And it was! In this 15th book in her series featuring former Amish chief of police Kate Burkholder all the regular components are present. Strong pacing, dialogue, sense of place. and wonderful insight into the Amish way of life. These are strongly character driven novels that usually include a fairly brutal murder but somehow don’t feel gory. Although this book can be read as a stand alone I highly recommend starting at the beginning.
Another great book! Slow at times and not high energy suspense but a good read in this series. Loved the back history of Kate as a teen and learning more about the Amish. This series doesn’t disappoint! Would definitely recommend.
Linda Castillo’s Kate Burkholder series is one of my favorites. They’ve all been fast reads and full of suspense with twists and turns. They keep me engaged from the first sentence until the very end. While this one wasn’t my favorite, I still thoroughly enjoyed it!
This is the fourteenth installment of Castillo's Kate Burkholder series about a former Amish woman who is now police chief in a small town in Ohio. This book starts gently, when Kate is asked by a trio of Amish leaders from Pennsylvania to investigate the discovery of eighteen year remains determined to be those of a missing Amish bishop. Because the accused murderer is Kate's first love as a teenager, she agrees to go and privately investigate. More is revealed about Kate's childhood and as always there is an interesting look at Amish life. The book starts slowly but builds to a stunning finish with several interesting twists. Recommended.
The fourteenth book in the Kate Burkholder series is a mesmerizing addition, with a lot of backstory about Kate and some stories of her teen years. In this book, Kate travels to Pennsylvania to investigate the murder of an Amish bishop and to hopefully exonerate an old friend named Jonas Bowman. Throughout the story, the past relationship that Jonas and Kate shared is unraveled, revealing why Kate is so determined to prove his innocence. The characters are mostly new ones since she left her working buddies and her live-in lover behind in Ohio. I did miss Tomasetti and his wisdom and support in this book, but Kate does call him several times, so he is not totally absent. Mostly, I missed Kate’s regular supporting characters as the new deputies with whom she has to interact lack depth and personality. They were mostly roadblocks in her quest to discover the truth. The action if fast-paced for the most part and the backstory is riveting. I enjoyed Kate’s ability to think through things and come to an answer that was both satisfying and somewhat unexpected. Fans of the series will enjoy this book and newbies will be able to follow along well since the book can be read as a standalone without any problem.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Kate Burkholder is the Chief of Police in an Amish town in Ohio. She is no longer Amish, but is accepted by the townspeople. Three Elders from a settlement in Pennsylvania come to her for help. Her friend from childhood, Jonas, has been arrested for the murder of his town’s Bishop eighteen years earlier. Katie agrees to go down and help investigate to learn the truth. The novel carefully examines the facts behind the killing, the Amish way of life and her past and present relationships. It is very well done and the mystery and its twists will keep most readers engrossed. Thanks to Net Galley and Minotaur for an ARC for an honest review.
I gave up reading detective/crime novels for a long while. I'm very glad I picked this one to begin reading the genre again. I enjoyed the author's writing style. I much prefer dialogue but the way the protagonist shares her thoughts more than satisfied my need for a great deal of dialogue.
Usually, I have a difficult time with books involving closed religious communities, having grown up in one, and thus aware of the controlling and often punishing means used to keep the community closed, tight, and compliant. It was handled well in this book
Wow, each new Linda Castillo book I think 'they can't get any better than this one' and then she does. The Hidden One was the best of all of hers and I've said that since the beginning when I started this series. A friend recommended the first in this series to me but I didn't think I would like it, I was afraid it was a comfy mystery, not that anything is wrong with those but not something I read. I was wrong, so wrong and became a follower of Kate Burkholder. Strong female police chief who grew up in the Amish community. A friend from Kate's history gets accused of killing a bishop of the Amish. The elders ask for her help even though it isn't her jurisdiction. I'm not going to say a lot because there was some shocking things in this one. I was stunned at a couple areas of the book. All I will say is if you like Kate Burkholder series, you will love 'The Hidden One' book 14. If you haven't read any by Linda Castillo, I highly suggest you binge this series. I was fortunate to get an ARC of this book and thank you to all who made that happen but a big thank you to Linda Castillo for writing this series.
Kate is approached by some Amish bishops from Pennsylvania for help in investigating a cold case. Jonas, who was her first love, has been accused of murdering Ananias, an elderly bishop whose remains were found recently. The more Kate investigates, the more certain she is that Ananias was not who he claimed to be, an Amish man from Minnesota. Someone knows more than they are admitting--are they trying to frame Jonas? Could a godly Amish bishop have done some of the things which have been rumored? And who is trying to violently stop Kate from uncovering the truth? I was unfamiliar with the series, but I was able to read this novel as a stand-alone. Now I want to go back and read all of the Kate Burkholder books. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to review an advance copy.
Kate Burkholter returns to her past in this great mystery that takes her out of Painters Mill to aid an important figure from her past. Traveling to Pennsylvania, Burkholter must confront a closed Amish community to uncover the facts to save someone important to her past.
The Hidden One by Linda Castillo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Linda Castillo has her formula down pat. The storytelling is engaging, the writing is clear, and the author's inclusion of Amish language and customs is delightful. This time the story line moves to the Kishacoquillas Valley of Central Pennsylvania, which will send the curious reader researching the location.
FIRST LINE: "He'd always known this moment would come."
THE STORY: After a stunning prologue describing the murder of an Amish Bishop 18 years earlier, the story returns to the present life of Kate Burkholder. Kate left her Amish family when she was young becoming a police officer before returning to the resort town of Painters Mill, Ohio as Police Chief.
Amish elders from Pennsylvania visit Kate to ask her help in defending Jonas Bowman, jailed for the murder when the gun used shows up and he admits it is his. Although Kate has no official standing, she reluctantly agrees. She and Jonas spent a youthful and memorable summer together before being separated. She can't believe he is guilty.
WHAT I THOUGHT: The first Kate Burkholder story I discovered was Her Last Breath #5. I quickly devoured Sworn to Silence #1 and Pray for Silence #2. Then I stopped. I found the crimes against the Amish, especially the young women, too overwhelming. But because the series is so popular, I decided to try again. Although violence and death occur in The Outsider #12 there was more than enough life and happiness to balance the story. Fallen #13, on the other hand reverts to the ugly violence and lives destroyed. Although violence and death occur in The Hidden One #14, it is mostly in the past, a cold case.
All the characters are well-established so that you care what happens to them with, of course, the exception of the villains. Castillo does a nice job of catching the reader up if this is their first time reading the series. And it looks like Kate and John Tomasetti, an agent with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, will finally get married.
Written in the first person, the narrative sometimes shifts to third person when filling in the past, but it is done seamlessly. There were red herrings along the way that added to the tension.
Kate gets hurt more than once in this story and always loses to the attacker. It would be nice to see her win a fight.
BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDEDThis entry filled in some very personal details about Kate and how she left her Amish family. It's a quick read and an entertaining story.
Disclaimer: A copy of The Hidden One was provided to me by Minotaur Books/Net Galley for an honest review.
I enjoyed reading The Hidden One as it gave some additional insight into Kate’s past. I liked that it was a different setting than usual, so new characters were introduced. Kate continues to be the same determined police chief she’s always been and gets us thinking deeper into the situation…connects the dots.