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Book Review of Sworn to Silence (Kate Burkholder, Bk 1)

Sworn to Silence (Kate Burkholder, Bk 1)
reviewed on + 330 more book reviews


Kate Burholder is not your usual Police Chief, being ex-Amish and returning to her childhood home of Painters Mill, Ohio is not the life that most would pick, but she felt that it was the best choice. A choice where she could use her understanding of both the Amish and English worlds and act as a go between when sticky situations arise.

On a dark winter evening, one of Kate's young officers is sent out on a routine call; unfortunately, it wasn't just wandering cows that he found along the road, there was a brutalized body, a body that bore striking similarities to a serial killer that had struck 16 years before. A killer that Kate knew couldn't be back, but yet the proof was written all over his victim's body.

Kate isn't the only one with secrets; John Tomasetti is just one bar stool away from permanently being removed from his official position. His past is just as grueling as Kate's is, but between the two of them, they either solve this case or there is nothing left of their lives for them to live. With their combined expertise and the help of the Painers Mill Police Department, a killer must be brought to justice before they have to tell another family of a tragic loss.

I can usually pick out the killer early on in a book, the author usually leaves enough clues that the climatic moment just usually leaves a lot to be desired, but I can honestly tell you that I didn't pick this one. The storyline flowed, the characters were given their own voices and their own directions, and when a final clue was given, I literally said, "really?".

Very good book, very good conclusion and I look forward to the next book by Linda Castillo.