An Evil Heart by Linda Castillo is the fifteenth book in the Kate Burkholder series. Kate, as chief of police in Painters Mill, is called to investigate the brutal death of a young Amish man. But as she investigates, she starts to realize that this young man may have not been very innocent. Did he end up paying with his life for the consequences of his actions? This was a very compelling story, just like the previous books. I enjoy this series, and I can't wait for the next book to come out. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

I have read all the books in this series as they've come out and I have to say... An Evil Heart is the best yet! The murder mystery, the ramped up romance, the Amish community, and all the fleshed out characters always makes for an excellent read. Kate and Tomisetti FINALLY got married y'all!! I have to say, this season of the series has a fantastic mystery to it and I can't wait for all y'all to experience it as well 😉

Thanks netgalley for giving me the advanced copy so that I can share my thoughts and opinions with y'all 💛

4.5 this was one of the best in the series. I enjoy Kate's detective skills and her past with the Amish sheds the light on so many things a typical cop may not see.

Back in Painters Mill, for another Amish murder. This is the second book in the series I've read and I actually quite liked it. I felt comfortable with the characters and the relationships between each other and it made jumping into this book easy. The story starts out with a murder and a pretty grizzly one at that. As the plot develops and you learn more about the secrets people are keeping you learn nobody is who you think they are. What's that saying? - Don't judge a book by the cover - that never rings more true than it does in this book because nothing is what it seems. I figured out who the killer was halfway through but it actually made it more interesting to figure out why. And then you get Kate and Tomasetti's relationship where it deepens even more, leading up to their wedding day. Overall, a great mystery in an unique locale and I would happily read more books in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the arc.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This is the second Kate Burkholder that I have read. It is always interesting to follow a set of characters from book to book and see how their personal stories develop. In addition, learning about the Amish customs and lifestyles adds to the development of the narrative.

Kate grew up Amish but left the fold as a teenager. Now she is Chief of Police in a predominately Amish community in Ohio. While she is in the midst of planning her wedding, she is investigating the brutal death of a young Amish man. Shortly after beginning her investigation, a young woman's body is found. Now Kate has two murders to solve and the wedding date is getting closer.

I thoroughly enjoyed An Evil Heart and look forward to future books in this series.

Kate Burkholder is back! And there are wedding bells in her future. I loved witnessing the community of Painter's Mill help with wedding preparations, even if it did stress me out that Kate was fighting criminals the entire time.

I enjoy this series, but sometimes they are a little graphic for me. I'm pleased to report that in spite of a violent opening scene, I found this one to be much more palatable than some of the others in the series. If you've liked any of the past Burkholder novels, you should give this one a try.

Note: I read most of this one, but listened to the last few chapters on audio. Kathleen McInerney does a fantastic job.

3.5 stars rounded up.

While I was interested to keep reading and finding out what happened the story aside from the murder didn't pull me in, in the books defense I 100% think that was because I have only read one other in the series. And while it is a stand alone you obviously are just going to feel more for the characters and MC if you had followed from the beginning.

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Book for providing me with a review copy.

Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is back with another puzzling case to solve in Painters Mill. Kate responds to a call regarding a man lying dead in the street. As the investigation begins, it becomes immediately apparent that the Amish man was murdered with a crossbow. At the time of his death, Aden Karn was just twenty years old, a seemingly well liked young man from a good family. As Kate digs in, will she find out that there is more to Aden than meets the eye?

An Evil Heart was an average read, with little character development and story progression. This story seemed a bit formulaic, following the same path of the previous novels. The end of the novel had a bit of a personal conclusion for Kate, which to me seemed like a natural ending to the series. An Evil Heart was a fast read, but not one I would definitely recommend.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by NetGalley and the publisher. I made the decision to read and review this novel all on my own.

AN EVIL HEART is the 15th book in Linda Castillo's Kate Burkholder series, and it's another gripping crime thriller. Chief of Police for Painters Mill, Kate Burkholder, is called to the scene of what they think is an accident. When she arrives, she finds a murder scene, where an Amish man on his rumspringa has been brutally murdered and left along the side of the highway. The victim is Aden Karn a young Amish man with a stellar reputation and recently engaged. His death by crossbow shocks the community and leaves Kate and her team scratching their heads. No one has an unkind thing to say about him, but eventually Kate finds someone who has a secrets about Aden. This opens the door and gives them direction to what is going on in his life, and he is not what everyone thinks.

I love the character of Kate Burkholder. Growing up Plain, she left the Amish community to go to college and become a police officer. She still had family in the community and she can also speak Pennsylvania Dutch, so the Amish people will speak to her about what they know before talking to others. There are some brutal and difficult scenes in this book, but they are all necessary to the story. Linda Castillo writes gripping police procedural/crime thrillers and An Evil Heart is no exception. I was kept guessing and I have to say, I was angry with some of the things she finds out in her investigation. Not only was there a murder to solve, but as the story unfolded, there were other crimes as well. The main plotline in this story was similar to one in a previous book, so that is the only reason I didn't give this one 5 stars. There are twists, red herrings, several suspects and motives that made it difficult to solve until just before the reveal. There is also a personal storyline with Kate and Tomasetti's wedding coming up. She is getting married at her sister's home and it is going to be an Amish reception, but will this case derail that. Another wonderful addition to this series, but I am hoping the next book will have a more original storyline.

Another great who done it by Linda Castillo, kept me guessing until the end who the killer was, when the clues were in the storyline the whole time. Anther great story to the series.

I need to go back to the first chapter because there was something that caught my attention but wasn't clear by the end. It's possible that I misread or forgot something, or maybe there's a gap in the story.

The book was intense and graphic, more than any other book I've read from Castillo. It wasn't until halfway through the book that a possible suspect list started to form. As I was narrowing my list of suspects, a new tragedy occurred -- out went the old list, in came the new.

I was surprised that Castillo took the time to reintroduce her recurring characters in the fifteenth book of the series. It might be me, but I can't imagine anyone starting a series with the fifteenth book. Speaking of jumping, Kate is no novice, but the number of fences she jumped over made me chuckle.

Some parts were repeated, and some sections felt drawn out, but overall, I highly recommend this series.

Even though this is book 15 in the series, I was not at all lost just jumping into this one. The plot had me hooked from the start and the characters were so wonderful and well written and the suspense did not let up or let me down

Chief of Police Kate Burkholder investigates the brutal death of a young Amish man in An Evil Heart, the latest installment of the bestselling series by Linda Castillo. On a crisp autumn day in Painters Mill, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder responds to a call only to discover an Amish man who has been violently killed with a crossbow, his body abandoned on a dirt road. Aden Karn was just twenty years old, well liked, and from an upstanding Amish family. Who would commit such a heinous crime against a young man whose life was just beginning? This series just gets better with age and this book did not disappoint. Any of the books in the series can be read as a standalone but I recommend reading in order to follow the growth and development of Kate over the years. Looking forward to the next in the series. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

This is the fifteenth installment in Linda Castillo excellent Chief of Police Kate Burkholder series. As Kate prepares for her upcoming wedding and reconciling with her family, a young, charming Amish man is brutally murdered. What follows is a gritty, complex investigation that is the trademark of this series, and this is one of the best.

Linda Castillo’s Kate Burkeholder series is one of my favorites. An Evil Heart is a good police procedural set in Amish country in Ohio. The mystery is a good one and filled with action. More violence than found in a cozy mystery but I thought it added to the theme. Another great edition!

Am I crazy for reading book 15 of the series without reading anything from before? Yes. Do I think you need to read the 14 books before this one to read it? No. I am not gonna lie when I say I judge a book by the cover. This one just pulled me in and I didn't care that it was a series. I loved that it took place in my home state of Ohio and featured the huge amish community that is there. This book was able to give readers a peek inside the lives of people unlike them. Which I loved! I loved the romance and family drama along with solving murders. Listening to the audiobook I thought Kate was calling her fiancé by his first and last name the whole time.. Thomas Eddie. It made it really hard to pay attention as you're wondering why is she doing this. However it is actually Tomasetti. Thanks to the reading the e-arc with my audiobook I realized I was crazy. Face Palm...

The FMC, Kate, was easy to connect with and you could understand her perseverance when it came to her job. Your heart literally breaks for all the amish girls that you come across while Kate is solving a crime. This book to me was very surface level and I wish there was more suspense and tension through the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for my e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Once again, a great read. This series is so good and just keeps getting better!
Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is working on a case where a young 20-year-old Amish man (Aden Karn) is found brutally murdered by a cross bow. Kate's team is on the case.. A dark theme in this one, and the victim isn't what he portrays on the outside to the Amish Community. This time Kate is also planning her wedding to FBI agent Tomasetti at the same time.
Great writing and story, with a strong female police chief in a small Amish Community. (I love Kate's character). Great character development.
What a twisty dark story, but I loved how the author builds up story and details everything along the way. I loved the book so much so I purchased the audio version, so I could listen when I could read. The narrator Kathleen McInerney has narrated all the Kate Burholder books, and she does a fabulous job. I highly recommend this book or audio book to anyone who enjoys a great police procedure/detective novel. Full of suspense and has you guessing until the very end.
A very special thank you to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley for the advanced readers copy.

"An Evil Heart: A Novel" by Linda Castillo is a chilling crime thriller that takes readers on a harrowing journey through a small town's dark secrets. The book follows a strong and determined protagonist as she unravels a complex case. Castillo's writing is atmospheric and filled with suspense, making it an immersive and compelling read. With its well-developed plot and intriguing twists, "An Evil Heart" is a gripping novel that will leave readers on the edge of their seats.

This story starts with a violent murder and ends with a wedding, with lots of police investigation in between. A good example of not really knowing what someone is really like behind closed doors. Lots of suspects and no real evidence to find who murdered young Amish, Aden Karn. Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder, struggles to find a motive for the killing. After finding a second body, Kate believes the two deaths are related and is determined to find out who did it. Good writing and characters. Part of a series but can be read as a stand-alone novel. The ending was good.

I received an ARC copy of this book through NetGalley and this is my honest review.

An Amish man, Aden Karn, is found brutally murdered and left on dirt road. At first glance, Aden seems well-liked with a bright future ahead. His fiancée, Emily, is torn up over the crime. Chief Kate Burkholder and her team are tasked with finding the person responsible for this heinous crime. Kate’s disturbed that someone would cut Aden’s life short so cruelly. However, as Kate and her officers dig deeper, another side of Aden is presented, and motives start coming out.

This was a chilling mystery! I don’t want to go into detail because of spoilers, but as the story unfolds, I was outraged on behalf of more than one character and was eager for justice to prevail.

The town of Painters Mill is a small one so Kate has to be a very hands-on Chief of Police, investigating suspects and following up on leads right along with her officers. I appreciated that she is smart when there’s possible danger, well for the most part, anyhow. I really like Kate and her officers: Glock, Mona, Skid, and Pickles! They’re a good team, more than just work colleagues.

An Evil Heart is book fifteen in the Kate Burkholder series but could be read as a standalone in a pinch. Each book focuses on a case that’s solved by the end. There is the romance between Kate and Tomasetti that begins in book one, and I was happy to discover their status in this installment! I read the first two books in the series and then skipped ahead to this one, but I’d like to go back and work my way through the rest of the books.