Thank you to @macmillian.audio for the gifted audiobook ARC. Special thanks to Minotaur Books/NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Narrator Kathleen McInerney did a phenomenal job of narrating The Burning. I listened at 1.75x. This is my second book by the narrator and I look forward to listening to many more books by her.

Bookish Thoughts: This fast pace murder mystery was a page turner for me. I listened in two days! Chief of police Kate Burkholder investigates a gruesome murder, which reveals a little known chapter of early Amish history in the new installment of the bestselling Linda Castillo series. This was my first book I read in the series and I highly enjoyed it. It can be read as a standalone and I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series!

#MacAudio2024

3.5 Stars
Kate is called to a grisly murder, a man burned at the stake. As Kate investigates, she finds a lot of potential suspects due to the victim's background. Unfortunately, one of the connections is personal to Kate and a BCI Agent makes waves about her being biased. Tomasetti is also brought into this complicated case.

The town of Painters Mill is a small one, so Kate is a very hands-on Chief of Police, investigating suspects and following up on leads right along with her officers. I really like Kate and her officers: Glock, Mona, Skid, and Pickles. They’re a good team, more than just work colleagues.

I was addicted from page one, but man Kate made several TSTL decisions that were completely frustrating! It’s hard to believe a seasoned police chief making such stupid and rash decisions, especially when she keeps getting her butt handed to her!

The Burning is book sixteen 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. I read the first two books in the series and then skipped ahead to book fifteen and sixteen, but I’d like to go back and work my way through the rest of the books at some point.

I’ve listened to the series from the start and really enjoyed Kathleen McInerney’s performance! Her accents and performance of Deitsch accents are well done. I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed.

I have been a huge fan of the long running Kate Burkholder mystery series so I was dying to read this latest volume. Thankfully this latest book completely lived up to my expectations.

Technically readers could start here but they will get so much more out of the character interactions if they follow them back from the beginning. It is great to see how far they have come.

As for the mystery, I thought it was solid. I really liked how dark the setup was, which felt more reminiscent of the earlier books. Parts of the plot were guessable but that didn't take away from my enjoyment.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I’m a fan of Linda Castillo novels, and like her previous books, I really enjoyed this one. I rated it 5 stars. This is the 16th novel in the Kate Burkholder series. Although I have read the previous books in the series, it isn’t necessary to read the other books in order to read this one. Castillo does an excellent job with character development and the story moves at a good pace. I do have to warn this book seems a little more graphic than her previous books with a character burned at the stake in the beginning of the book.

The Burning Audio by Linda Castillo is a Chief Kate Burkholder novel. What makes it unique is that Kate is ex-Amish and is police chief in a community that is largely Amish. Her brother is Amish. She is recently married to a law enforcement office with a different agency. Two of her officers were on a dark county road for unsanctioned activities when they heard a scream. Then they smelled smoke. When they found the sight they were sickened. It appeared to be a man burned at the stake. All local law enforcement was on the scene shortly but try as they might, the clues were scant. The advantage Kate had was that the Amish had respect for her; they had known her as a child. They would talk to her and even then, it was like pulling teeth. The dead man, Milan Swanz, was not a good man by any definition but she would not make the victim guilty or deserving so she worked to find the culprit, even after her brother became a suspect and she was taken off the case.

Kate was stubborn and directed. The people who worked for her were totally supportive but some others in the local law enforcement community were jealous and always looking for a leg up. She followed snippets of clues that lead to her nearly being killed. The doctor at the hospital joked that he didn’t want to see her again after two consecutive visits. Her husband, John Tomasetti, always has her back, both as her husband and as fellow law enforcement. He had lost his family years earlier and it has been a rough climb back. Kate keeps digging and eventually puts together threads that she can weave together into a theory. The killers don’t want that to happen so they try to stop her. What a great character and series this is! Thanks Linda Castillo!

The narrator was Kathleen McInerney who did a decent job with Kate but I didn’t love the way she portrayed many of the men. It wasn’t the voice, necessarily, but the intonations. It is not an easy job to narrate a multi-character novel, so the job she did was credible.

I was invited to listen to The Burning by MacMillanAudio. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #MacMillanAudio #LindaCastillo #KathleenMcInerney #TheBurning

Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is at it again. In the latest installment, she is called to the gruesome crime scene where former Amish Milan Swanz has been burned alive at the stake. As Kate tries to gather information on who committed this heinous crime, her brother is implicated. This is an action packed thriller with many twist and turns along the way. Linda Castillo did a great job as always with this fast paced , suspenseful thriller. Thank you @macmillan.audio for the ALC. Kathleen Mclnerney did an excellent job with the audio narration.

This book is part of a series, this is book 16 and while I haven't read all the books in the series, I have read 7 of them and not in order. I love that this series works as a series and each book as a standalone.

What can you expect? A gruesome murder that kicks off a seriously fast paced mystery. I love Kate. She is a brilliant MC and she always aims to do the right thing but when her brother becomes a suspect... WOWWEEEEE

The audio was brilliant, its actually the first book in the series I actually listened to and now I have library holds for all the books haha!

4.5 stars!!

The Burning opens with a horrific crime, a man is tied to a post and set on fire, left to burn. Skid and Mona, two Painter's Mill police officers are in the vicinity and first on the scene. When Kate shows up, they realize he was an Amish man and he is eventually identified. He was not a good man and had many enemies, but who hated him enough to want to kill him in this way? Sheriff, Kate Burkholder and John Tomasetti begin an investigation into the life of Milan Swanz, and what they find makes Kate think about revenge in the worst way. As evidence piles up, Kate's brother is implicated and a witness sees him arguing with the murdered man, so she is taken off the case, but she doesn't stop, she continues to investigate and in true Kate Burkholder manner, ends up putting herself into danger.

Every time I read a Kate Burkholder book, I think it is the best one yet and couldn't possibly get any better. This book has a gruesome crime, that ends up leading Kate down a path into the history of the Anabaptist faith. I learned a lot about the persecution of the early Anabaptists and some of their culture and beliefs. This was a creepy story, especially because Kate was constantly being threatened by some unknown man. It was scary to think she could have been taken out several times. This book has a theme of revenge or retribution, but we all know that doesn't usually work out the way someone might want. This book kept me listening way after I should have gone to bed, but I couldn't stop. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see who the culprits were and how they were going to get caught. Another well written and plotted police procedural with twists and extremely tense moments throughout. Once again, I listened to this story narrated by the wonderful Kathleen McInerney. She has narrated this series with wonderful voices, expression and story telling skills that make it very enjoyable to listen to.

Terrific book, but, if you are a little jarred by horrific scenes, you may want to skip the first couple of chapters...

Wow! This one really starts off with a bang, as the name of the book suggests.
When one of their own is 'burned at the stake' in the middle of the night, Kate Burkholder, chief of police is called to the scene. But, she cannot believe what she is actually seeing.

As she and her small police force delve into the crime at hand, they seem to come up empty handed. Is it because it is the Amish Community and no one will speak to them? Or is there something else going on?

The more she digs, the deeper into a hole she seems to be digging herself...
And then come the warnings...that she should stay away. Stop digging. Or else...

Along the way, her brother becomes a prime suspect and she is blown away. She knows he could not have ever done this. But how can she prove it? And how long will she be kept on the case when it is hitting so close to home??

Very harrowing story.
Very gripping details.
Glimpses into the lives of the Amish, and how they protect their own...
Also, some disturbing scenes of what may have actually occurred beforehand to bring this on...

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. **** This was released yesterday, 7/9/24, so it should be on shelves already. ****

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫 for me, rounded up to 5.
This one will have you biting your nails, sitting at the edge of your seat, as well as holding your breath...multiple times!

#TheBurning by #LindaCastillo and narrated wonderfully by #KathleenMcInerney.

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I really enjoyed this audio!

Thanks so much to MacMillan Audio for my ALC!

I honestly had never heard of this series, but now I want to go back and read the others! Especially knowing this is book #16 😱- the next time I’m in the mood for a police procedural /crime thriller, I will absolutely look back for one of these. Luckily, it could be read as a standalone.

We get first person POV of the lead female detective in a gruesome murder in an Amish community.

The narration was great, and I finished the story in just a few hours! A great read that I will definitely recommend.

#MacAudio2024

Another fantastic book in the Kate Burkholder series! This is one of my all time favorite series and this book was one of my most anticipated 2024 reads. It did not disappoint. I was hooked from start to finish. I loved being back in Painters Mill. I love all the characters, the town/setting, the mystery, the crime solving, the suspense, and the romance (I love Kate and Tomasetti and their part of every story). This is such a great book if you’re looking for a detective mystery.

The narrator did a great job at bringing Kate and this story to life. She does such a great job with the Pennsylvania Dutch and Amish dialogue. I definitely recommend the audiobook.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest in the wonderful Kate Burkholder series by Linda Castillo, narrated by another favorite, Kathleen McInerney. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Police Chief Kate Burkholder is awakened by an urgent call about a suspicious fire in the woods. When she arrives, she finds a charred body, apparently burned at the stake. While investigating, Kate learns that the dead man, Milan Swanz, was banned from the Amish and appeared troubled. No one is talking and then her brother is implicated in the murder. To uncover the truth, Kate dives deep into the Anabaptist culture and history, putting her and her new husband in danger's path.

This is one of my favorite series and I look forward to the new release each summer. Following along from the beginning, it feels like falling back with old friends. This is a series best read from the beginning, although Castillo gives enough information that it could easily be read as a stand alone. This installment is a bit darker, both the crime and the history, and poor Kate takes yet another beating! I found myself going back and forth between the digital and audio versions, because I was too engrossed with the story to stop. Kathleen McInerney does a fabulous job narrating these books and I always look forward to listening her voice Kate. Highly recommended this whole series!

I haven't read the Burkholder series in a while, and this was great re-entry to the series. Kate and Tomasetti are much as I remember them, great characters who are now successfully navigating any professional issues that may come with their recent marriage. I like that this was a fact but not a focus of the story. The book begins with the grisly and horrifying death of an ex-communicated Amish man and tension soon builds from multiple sources in both the Amish and English worlds that will threaten not only Kate's career but her life. The inclusion of the Anabaptist movement in the storyline provided a unique twist to the book, and I found it an interesting element in the story. Ms. Castillo does an excellent job of providing sufficient detail without bogging the reader down in minutiae. Keep in mind that this is no cozy mystery. The murder and aftermath are relatively graphic as are some other violent scenes. However, this was a good read for me, and I will watch for the next book in the series.

Kathleen McInerney does an excellent job voicing the characters.

This is the 16th book in the Kate Burkholder series and while I haven’t read the earlier books I still was able to follow everything and enjoy this one quite a bit. There is something fascinating for me for books like this that include involvement with Amish culture. Kate is the local police chief and as she was raised Amish the Amish locals trust her more than most of the English. When a body is found charred on top of a pile of pallets with the scent of diesel in the air it appears the person was burned at the stake. I liked the mystery, even if it wasn’t quite as twisty as I would have liked. The only problem I had with the book was that Kate put herself in dumb situations that she seems to incompetently handle. I liked her and her relationship with her new husband. Overall I think it’s an interesting world and I would like to revisit it again. I listened to the audiobook and I thought it was good, but sometimes the pacing of the reading was a little off for me.

I love listening to mystery or thriller audiobooks as I go to sleep or when I'm on longer commutes, and this was a strong one to listen to. I'm always a little disappointed in the endings, but what I appreciated about this one was its inclusion of Amish folklore and the ways in which that can infuse belief systems and approaches to psychological behavior.

NYT bestselling author Linda Castillo returns following An Evil Heart with her popular Amish series, Kate Burkholder #16, with her latest, THE BURNING.

A riveting, brutal murder mystery, a heinous crime with an Amish man burned alive. Kate Burkholder investigates a gruesome murder that reveals a little-known chapter of early Amish history. This gripping installment will keep you on the edge of your seat with an intense, complex criminal investigation with dark secrets in a tight-knit community of Amish that puts Kate and her family in harm's way.

About...

Kate Burkholder (age 36) is the Chief of Police in Painters Mill, Ohio. She grew up Amish, and though she left that life behind (age 18), many cases bring her into daily contact with this community. She is newly married to John Tomasetti, who is also in the business, an agent with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and a former detective with the Cleveland Division of Police.

Set in the Ohio Amish country of Painter's Mill, Kate is awakened in the early morning and called to a fire in the woods with two of her deputies who heard screams as they discover a shocking scene. A charred body was chained to a stake and burned alive. No witnesses, and no one reported missing.

The dead man is Milan Swanz, a local Amish husband and father.

Things have been difficult for Swanz; he chose to get drunk and walk home the wrong night. Someone offers him a ride, which turns deadly, and he is burned at the stake. Swanz had a record of drunk driving, disturbing the peace, and a temper; an abuser, a child predator, an evil man, and more that they will soon find out. A man, devoid of a moral compass, a lack of self-control, and sociopathic tendencies. There is more than one compelled to do away with Swanz.

Kate leads the murder investigation, and as usual, the Amish community likes to keep things close to the belt, making it challenging to attain answers—a tight-knit community, they do not talk to cops or outsiders if there is anything involving domestic violence or anything personally related. They make great neighbors. They are hardworking, family-oriented, quiet, and helpful, but they are not always forthcoming. Certain subjects are taboo, particularly concerning their brethren, and they will not speak of it to the English if it means lying to the police.

However, her office knows that she has a good working relationship with the community and the local Amish, which makes her valuable to the investigation. There is a wall of silence between Amish and English, and incidents are less likely to draw the attention of law enforcement. The victims are far more likely to suffer in silence without recourse.

There appear to be problems between Swanz and the Amish community, being recently excommunicated from the church and other offenses.

Did the killer stage the scene to conceal evidence? Was this some kind of bizarre pseudo-symbolic execution? He was burned at the stake. Appears the killer wanted the body to be found. To what end? Prove a point, send a warning, or what?

Swanz's ex-wife, Bertha (married for 14 years, divorced for 5 months), employer, friends, and the Amish bishop are of little assistance. Kate becomes engrossed in the investigation, putting her and her husband's life in danger as she delves deep into the history of the Anabaptist culture.

The Anabaptist movement began in the 16th-century Europe during the Reformation. They believed in things like nonresistance or pacifism, separate from the rest of the world, and adult baptism. They were considered heretics and persecuted for their beliefs. Hundreds were tortured and executed, including being hanged, drowned, or burned at the stake.

The Anabaptists comprise three core groups: the Amish, the Mennonites, and the Hutterites.

Kate discovers a Hutterite community. A quarry and sixteen people live there. Who are the Schwertler Anabaptists? Kate is warned that if you cross them, they will devour you. A tale, a folklore, a dark history, do they exist?

Kate does her research about the secret police force called the Anabaptist Hunters who were charged with finding and arresting heretics. She struggles to find a parallel between Schwertlers and the case. What is the connection?

Now, the mayor does not want her on the case because they think she is protecting the Amish and her brother. But she is determined to find the person who murdered Swanz.

Could Swanz's killer be non-Amish? A psychopath looking for fame? Who had a motive for murder? Does the murder have to do with a mysterious vigilante group and Amish history? (Martyrs Mirror - an old book written in the 17th century with stories about the persecution of the early Anabaptists.)

Kate and John are working together on this case. She knows that every homicide investigation has a common theme: URGENCY. The stakes are high, and there is no room for error or wasted time.

She turns to her brother Jacob (Amish) to see if he can shed light on Swanz's background since he worked for him briefly. However, things get complicated as it later is brought to her attention that a witness claims her brother had some kind of altercation with Swanz four days before he was killed.

How can this be? Will Jacob be charged with the murder? Her brother? The plot thickens. Kate is beside herself, knowing her brother is not a killer, and John, being the brother-in-law, may be cut from the case too. She must help her brother and find the real killer.

Things heat up. Has Kate become an unexpected problem for the killer? Had they underestimated her?

The Violent Criminal Apprehension Program cases in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, are reviewed to see if they can find a hit related to the homicides in the Amish Painters Mill and review of cases with a crime podcaster, AmishWorldUSA. Time is running out. They must find the killer, another case killed in the same manner that would give them a clue.

To solve this crime, Burkholder is in the eye of the storm as she delves into the dark corners of the history of the Anabaptist culture and those who want her to go away.

My thoughts...

THE BURNING is an utterly captivating series! The scene at the quarry had my heart pounding. It is high adrenaline and action-packed.

In this compelling 16th edition of the Kate Burkholder series, THE BURNING delves into the fascinating, little-known history of the Amish and Anabaptist culture, which will have you googling to read more. I learned so much and something new about the Beachy Amish (a progressive subgroup known to use electronics, gas-powered tractors, and even motorized vehicles for transportation).

I love this series! Kate is fearless, intelligent, sharp, driven, and tenacious. I love her relationship with John, the community, and her department, especially this one in particular, where she and John are both working on the same case in the heat of the action and danger. Even though Kate is no longer Amish, they respect her but may not always be forthcoming with answers.

With all the dangers of the job, we find Kate reflective of her role as wife, woman, and cop, and at 36, the biological clock ticking loudly, the thoughts of motherhood and family.

Meticulously researched, the series is high-stakes, full of mystery, intrigue, and suspense. Fans will enjoy catching up with their favorite cast of characters. The author hooks you from the first page, making this an exciting addition to the series with its twists, turns, mystery, and well-developed characters.

It is unnecessary to read the previous books in the series; however, I highly recommend reading them in order to learn more about Kate and her journey.

Audiobook...

I had the privilege of reading the book and listening to the accompanying audiobook, narrated by the masterful Kathleen McInerney, one of my favorite narrators! It would not be the same if someone else narrated, as, in my mind, she is Kate. Kathleen and Linda make a perfect 'partner in crime' duo. She has been narrating the series since the beginning and knows the series and the characters, delivering an outstanding and engaging performance for all voices with perfect pacing.

Recs...

I highly recommend the Kate Burkholder series and the audiobook to those who enjoy police procedurals, smartly written crime thrillers, and captivating suspense murder mysteries.

As mentioned in my previous reviews, I love Kate and John as a duo! They remind me of Karen Slaughter's Will Trent/Sarah Linton and Lisa Gardner's DD Warren/Alex. John is strong and has had to overcome tragedy like Kate.

Special thanks to Minotaur Books, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, #MacAudio2024 and NetGalley for an advanced reading and listening copy for an honest opinion.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: July 9, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars
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The Burning by Linda Castillo
Kate Burkholder series #16. Cop procedural thriller, mystery. Can be read as a stand-alone but characters lives and situations flow in a continual fashion throughout the series.
Newlywed Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is awakened by an urgent midnight call about a suspicious fire in the woods. An Amish man has been burned at the stake and Kate does the bulk of the investigation because of her ties to that community. When her brother becomes a suspect by other officials, they order Kate off the investigation. But too late, as the killers already have Kate in the sights and know she needs to be stopped before she finds too many answers. Kate is not one to give up. She’s going to protect and serve with her last breath if it comes to that. And it just might.

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook copy of this story. The audiobook is performed by Kathleen McInerney. The performance is done well with distinct voices for the main characters. Since it’s Kate’s POV alone, the majority is her investigating and taking the reader along for the ride. At one point, Kate herself is attacked and held at gunpoint. That scene alone is why audiobooks are so popular. The reader is in the exact same position of frustration, and anger and fear of that gun going off.

This is an audiobook you will need to keep at 1.25 speed at the fastest. Anything higher, makes the voices sound digital and not alive. The narrator uses a lot of pauses and subtle variations in the performance that are lost at higher speeds. Especially during the autopsy analysis with doctor Coblentz and the department assistant, as well as passages of Kate describing scenes or giving background information. I tried several different speeds and feel the best performance is at 1.25.
For a veteran and lover of audiobooks, if you prefer a higher speed for playback, I suggest reading, rather than listening to this one.

Suspenseful, history filled and pulse-pounding.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Audio.

This was my first Kate Burkholder book, and I didn’t know until I’d finished it that it is actually the 16th! She was a fascinating character with her Amish childhood, leaving the faith, and becoming chief of police. The crime in this book, the burning of someone at the stake, hooked you in right away. There were times it felt like the characters were spinning their wheels a bit too much and I wanted the story to hurry up. Overall I did like the story and think I will pick up the 1st Kate Burkholder novel sometime down the line.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC Audiobook!

Before reading, I didn’t know this book was a part of a large detective series. I wouldn’t say you’d need to read this in order, but it definitely wouldn’t hurt! I was interested enough with the character that I would go back and start with 1 and use the books as fillers since 16 books is a little intimidating.

The detective main character, Chief Kate, is former Amish and is brought back to her hometown when a man is burned at the stake. Milan Swanz had a lot of enemies and basically no friends. Recently divorced and excommunicated from the Amish community, narrowing down who would’ve done this proves to be more difficult than expected.

The mystery of who committed this heinous crime takes Kate back to her family farm, face her own past traumas, and trying to stay focused enough to solve the crime and stay out of danger herself.

I did enjoy the read, but feel like my star level is lower due to me not being totally in love with the character without the 15 book background and I found myself wanting to be done and move on.
So, my recommendation would definitely be to start at 1 and build that background of the town and characters to really appreciate the work !

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A man is kidnapped. We don’t know who he is nor why. The abductors seem sadistic and set upon their task of death by fire. When they tie him to a stake in the woods and ignite enveloping flames all I could think was WHY? Who are these vicious murderers?

In a small Ohio town Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is in the very same woods and hears something concerning. Then she smells the smoke. Arriving at the scene of the crime, Kate finds a charred body and knows the murder has just happened. She identifies the victim an Milan Swanz, an Amish man with a sketchy history who has been excommunicated by the Amish church for multiple sins. But, when it comes to getting information from the Amish community, Kate finds that lips close to outsiders. Kate, who was born Amish, has left the fold. She is considered English and must build trust to gain insight into this horrific killing in order to solve the crime.

A wild ride ensues with various people having reason to be considered suspects in Milan’s killing. I learned a lot about the Amish as well as Anabaptists. Castillo does an excellent job of setting the scene and creating a whodunnit with twists, turns and a good deal of suspense. I listened to the audio version of this book on a long car ride. The reader was great and my interest never flagged. I had never read any of the books in this series and although this was #16, I was able to follow the storyline and character development without a glitch. I recommend it as a our gleaming star stand alone even if you’ve not read those books that precede this one. My thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for selecting me to receive a complimentary audio version of The Burning in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is July 9 2024. If you enjoy thrillers/ police procedurals you’re going to like this one.