“Almost everyone has something to hide. From the little white lie you tell to protect someone’s feelings, to the kinds of secrets that destroy lives… I know better than most that, in the minds of a few, some secrets are worth killing for.”

Excuse me while I catch my breath.

I was so thrilled to be given permission to have an advanced copy of this book (provided to me by NetGalley)! I have been waiting what seems like forever for this next installment of the Kate Burkholder series.

This particular story brought back all our favorites, Kate, Tomasetti, Mona, Pickles and all the gang. To say this was an intense ride is an understatement. After sixteen books, I have an emotional attachment to these characters and this book had me clenching my teeth and growling at anyone who tried to interrupt me. My poor husband- who hasn’t read a single one of the books- had to hear me frantically tell him about the events in this book. “How will they get out of it, how?!”

How does Castillo do it EVERY TIME?

Now the real questions: Will there be a next book? When?! And how can I get an ARC of that, too?!

Thanks Netgalley for the advance audio version of this book. I love this series and eagerly await the newest edition every year. This one seemed to not captivate me as much as some of the others . I am thinking it might be time to start wrapping this series up. I love the narrator of this series but I have her voice as Kate Burkholder so its weird to hear her narrating any other book lol. If you haven't read this series, you are missing out! I gave this book 4 stars but I give the series 5 stars!

This story hits the ground running with flames - quite literally. An excommunicated amish man is burned at stake. Kate Burkholder is called in to investigate with a little help and consultation from her husband, Tomasetti. With an amish past herself, it does not take long before the investigation hits a little too close to home. Kate digs to discover just how much her brother may have been involved. To get to the truth of everything she will also have to dive deep into amish history and Anabaptist culture.
I love a good fast-paced investigation and that's exactly what this one was. No lulls in this one as Kate had to move quickly and leave no loose ends in this case. I listened to this one on audiobook and the narrator did a great job of distinguishing voices. With the numerous interrogation scenes that was crucial to navigating through the storyline. I loved her amish-accents.
I enjoyed the cultural/historical parts tied into the story. I did not fact check any to see if they had any truth to them but regardless they were a fun part of the plot.
This was my first Kate Burkholder novel and I enjoyed her character - would be interested to read some of the other books with her in them.
Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, and Linda Castillo for this ARC audiobook and the chance to give my honest feedback.

Everytime I think Castillo can't top her previous novel, she does. I have loved this series since reading page one of the first book. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. Kate Birkholder #16 starts out fast paced and doesn't stop. Kate and her team are on a time crunch to solve the murder of a man found hanging from a tree, burning in the woods. He is left for dead and the act is so outrageous, the murder is thought to be personal. Kate and her team must fight interference from all sides - the Amish, other police forces, and even her own family. I really enjoyed learning more about the Anabaptist culture and this fast paced mystery kept me guessing until the end.

The gangs all back, Kate, Tomasetti and the Painters Mill PD crew, for this 16th installment of the Kate Burkholder series. While the series takes place in Painters Mill, OH and is in the midst of OH Amish country and the MC, Police Chief Kate Burkholder, is formerly Amish, this series is no cozy mystery series! The per capita crime rate in Painters Mill is extremely high and this series illustrates that the Amish community and its faithful are just as susceptible to criminal behavior and impulses (even more so in some installments) as the rest of the human race.

The story revolves around the death of a former Amish man, Milan, who was burned alive, bound to a stake. By all accounts, Milan was a worthless piece of crap and according to the Amish, he was an evil man. Unfortunately, Kate’s brother, Jacob, was seen having a heated argument with Milan a couple of days before Milan’s death. The BCI agent in charge, Chambers, is a total jerk, and definitely has an axe to grind with Kate and probably Tomasetti, now that they’re married and still working together. Chambers gets Kate kicked from the investigation because he considers her brother a viable suspect. Chambers declares Kate’s involvement as Chief of Police, is a conflict of interest. This doesn’t stop Kate – at all!

It’s well into the second half that, in typical Kate fashion, Kate proceeds to go around poking beehives with a stick and gets herself into quite a mess. Kate stumbles upon a fringe group of the Anabaptists (Amish, Mennonites, Hutterites) and the investigation takes a turn for the worse and the story becomes really dark and creepy as well as scary and dangerous for Kate and Tomasetti. The end comes pretty fast after that in a flurry of intense activity. The finale indicates that the danger may not be over and kind of feels like a lead-in to future installments – maybe?

I always love catching up with Kate and the gang and this was no exception. While the characterization of Kate, Tomasetti and Kate’s crew at the station are pretty well developed by now, I did enjoy seeing more of the relationship between Kate and her brother as well as the relationship between Kate and Rasmussen and Aggie. The pacing and storyline were steady and interesting, respectively. Castillo’s writing is as good as ever too. I’m looking at an overall rating of 4.3 that I will be rounding down to a 4star rating. I flipped back and forth between the ebook and the audiobook and always enjoy Kathleen McInerney’s narration of the series. I want to thank NetGalley and St Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #StMartinsPress #MacmillanAudio #TheBurning

When I think of the Amish community I think of a calm life full of peace. This story follows an investigation into a nightmare. Being burned at “the stake”! Why? Who did it? It’s worth following the twists and turns!!

Perhaps one day I’ll tire of this series featuring a formerly Amish police chief in rural Ohio who solves way too many serious crimes for such a small community, but today is not that day. Anxiously awaiting the next Kate Burkholder mystery, which I will always consume via audiobook because Kate McInerney’s narration is perfection.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I love this series and have listened to every single one. This latest book in the series does not disappoint. It starts off with a bang and maintains suspense and intrigue throughout.
One of the things I love about the way this author writes her stories is that the crime is described in the beginning and the rest of the book is spent with Katie Burkholder investigating and unraveling the mystery. I also enjoy the same narrator throughout the series and Katie Burkholder’s voice is set in my mind by this narrator. She is so good!
The story starts off with the murder of an Amish man in a horrible manner. Good twists and turns that move the story forward and keep the reader on the edge of their seat. The usual characters are present, Tomasetti, Skid, Mona, and the rest of her officers and medical examiner. Familiar characters with a new murder mystery to solve.
I highly recommend listening to the audiobook and getting lost in the story.

I revenant arc from NetGalley and MacMillan Audio. I leave this review voluntarily.

This series is such an amazing journey of Kate Burkholder. Every book holds a new adventure and mystery. I have read this series from the beginning and can’t see how there could be another great book but the author surprises me each time.

ate Burkholder is a police chief who grew up Amish so she has some insight into the Amish beliefs and community. In this book, a man who was formerly Amish is burned on the stake and Kate has to find the killer.

I want to start by saying that I did not realize that this was such a long series when I started. I don't think it took away from my experience of reading but I probably will go back and read some others because I liked this book a lot and would love to see more of Kate and her backstory.

I really liked this book! This book was fast paced and had a lot of action throughout. There was never a dull moment in this. I liked how Kate used her Amish background to investigate this crime. It was interesting to read about some of the Amish history.

I loved all of the characters as well. Kate and her husband were really cute together. I also liked the other cops as well. It explored some family dynamics as well.

The crime itself was really brutal and I enjoyed watching Kate find out who killed him. I would definitely recommend this one to anyone who likes police procedurals!

I listened to this one on audiobook as well as reading it at times and I really loved the audiobook! The narrator was great and I couldn't put it down. I think all of the action was great to listen to on audio.

Thanks so much to netgalley, Macmillian audio, and St. Martin's Press for the arc (and audiobook) of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This is the first book I have read by Linda Castillo, I found the storyline intriguing and kept my interest throughout. I have very kittle knowledge about the Amish, and found it very fascinating. The narration however sounded like an AI and that made it difficult to stick with the audiobook.
.

Thank you #Netgalley and #MacMillanaudio for this ARC

This is only the fourth Kate Burkholder novel I've read, but it seems like I've read many more. Maybe that's because Burkholder's world feels so familiar to me, just swap out rural Illinois for rural Ohio (although our Amish community isn't as large as the one in Holmes County). I always appreciate how Linda Castillo treats the Amish as normal human beings, not some kind of exotic species to be romanticized.

I usually learn a little something about the Amish from the Kate Burkholder books. I found The Burning to be the most educational so far. I learned a little bit about the Hutterites. There's also an Anabaptist history lesson. I had no idea that the practice of adult baptism was ever the source of so much contention! I can totally appreciate how these people would want to separate themselves from society at large!

The story itself is good, as usual, with the twist surrounding the motive particularly unique. Kate does an awesome T-1000 impersonation. While not Christian fiction, the Kate Burkholder novels always cause me to reflect on my spiritual path and choices, my family and life's journey. So much hidden profundity in what otherwise appears to be a mystery novel! I'm going to keep grabbing the Kate Burkholder stories whenever I can.

I would like to thank Macmillan Audio for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook. As always, Kathleen McInerney's narration is excellent, helping to bring these characters more to life than I think the page can due to hearing spoken Deitsch.

**Disclaimer:** I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review and did not realize it was part of a series. I haven’t read any other books by this author.

The story begins in Amish country with the shocking discovery of a man burned at the stake. The remainder of the narrative centers on uncovering who is responsible.

Overall, it’s a typical investigation story with enough obstacles to keep it engaging. I’d rate it a solid 3 stars. If you enjoy reading about Amish culture, you might find it intriguing, although the details are somewhat sparse.

If you decide to read it, I recommend opting for the print or digital version rather than the audiobook. The audio narration has awkward speech patterns and pauses, making it feel like it’s being read by AI.

This series is one of my top 10 favorites! I can never wait for the next book to arrive! I read/listened to The Burning in just one day and enjoyed it so much. I love how Kate and Tomesetti work together to solve crimes and love seeing their relationship grow. You definitely need to read these in order. If you love Amish books and murder mysteries this is the perfect match!

As usual, Kathleen McInerney does an amazing job narrating this series!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 9 July 2024

You really can never go wrong with Linda Castillo's Kate Burkholder series. The reader had you immediately sucked into the story and it didn't let you go.

There are only a couple of series that I faithfully follow and the Kate Burkholder series is one of them!

Kathleen McInerney narrates these books and she is definitely one of my favorite narrators.

The Burning is centered around an Amish man that is burned alive in the woods in rural Ohio. Chief of Police Kate Burkholder must get to the bottom of this horrendous crime. The characters are well developed and seem like old friends at this point. The setting comes alive and learning more about the Amish is always a plus.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced digital copy of the audiobook.

4⭐
Genre ~ police procedural
Series ~ Kate Burkholder #16
Others in the series ~ #1-16 + .5's
Setting ~ Ohio
Publication date ~ July 9, 2024
Est Page Count ~ 320 (p+ 29 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 31 minutes
Narrator ~ Kathleen McInerney
POV ~ single 1st, present tense
Featuring ~ brutal murder, references to domestic abuse and assault

There has been another brutal murder in Painter’s Mill and Kate and her team are on the case. This time someone has been burned alive. Can’t get much more brutal than that. Was this a random attack on a snowy night? Or did Milan deserve it?

I wouldn’t expect anything but non stop action when Kate is involved and the action doesn’t let up. Kate seems to always get herself into dangerous situations and these were top tier in the danger department.

What I appreciate about Linda’s writing is that there isn’t any repetition. We get the information once and when it’s time to relay it to others she simply just tells us she filled them in or something to that effect. Way to save time and not bog us down.

Overall, another fabulous addition to the series.

Side note ~ I like the budding romance that seems to be developing within the team. I suppose since Kate and Tomassetti are finally married we need another couple to root for, and I’m all for these two.

I was lucky enough to have both the ebook and the audio. Both worked perfectly.
Narration notes:
She’s a bit robotic, but does a fine job. It's not the voice I picture in my head for Kate, but I’ve grown accustomed to it.

Series notes:
I think you should read them all in order because they’re great, but I suppose it’s not absolutely necessary. Each book follows a different murder, but Kate’s life is progressing.

Imagine an Amish man burned at the stake. It’s a chilling crime, and Kate, Tomasetti, and their team are on the case to crack this baffling mystery. From the very first page, the tension grips you, thanks to Linda’s masterful storytelling.

Let’s talk about Tomasetti for a moment. Picture a badass agent, always dressed in black, who has a seemingly tiny heart, especially when it comes to Kate. He’s definitely swoon-worthy, adding an extra layer of excitement to the story.

I’ve been hooked on this series since book one, and let me tell you, each book is a fresh adventure. No repetitive plotlines here—just our beloved characters facing new, unique challenges every time.

A big shoutout to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for letting me dive into this audiobook ARC. It was an absolute thrill to listen and review!

Love this series! Its the perfect blend of Amish information and mystery. Always look forward to one from
Linda!

Many thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. This is narrated by the infamous Kathleen McInerney, who does a great job.

Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder, has a new case where a man is strapped to a tree and burned alive. Set in Pennsylvania where the Amish share the community, Kate discovers that the burned man was an Amish man who was recently excommunicated from the church for heinous crimes and has a dark past. The further Kate digs, the more she finds striking similarities to a handful of other cases where an Amish seem to take justice into their own hands.

I really like Kate. She is a driven, tough as nails, police chief who handles her male counterparts with ease. The same cast of characters are present including Tomasetti, which really makes the story have depth. Despite this being book 16, you can start at the beginning or jump right into the series with this installment as a stand-alone. I do recommend that if you enjoy this series as much as I do that you start at the beginning to see the evolution of the characters, especially Kate.

This is not my first book in this series and definately will not be my last!