A Hearty Second Helping
Review by Kim Cantrell
In 2009, new author Linda Castillo brought us a new thriller Sworn to Silence which was hailed by readers and critics as one of the best suspense novels of 2009.
Unfortunately I missed her riveting debut which takes place in the heart of Amish farm country of Painters Mill, Ohio. But I’m definitely excited to introduce the sequel Breaking Silence
Kate Burkholder, born and raised Amish but excommunicated for the last 14 years, serves at the Chief of Police for Painters Mill – a small village with a large Amish population that has been experiencing a rash of hate crimes against these peaceful, hardworking folks who live untouched by modern American standards.
When Rachel Slabaugh if found dead, along with her husband Solly and brother-in-law Abel, Chief Burkholder and her officers believe it’s more hate crimes against the Amish. With the usual crimes being vandalism, assault, and slaughter of farm animals, either the hatemongers are escalating or something went horribly wrong.
These crimes hit a little to close to home for Chief Kate, so it’s with gratitude that she welcomes John Tomasetti, an agent with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation. Well, truth be told, she welcomes him not for that reason alone but because the two have somewhat of a romantic history that Kate would mind rekindling.
But it’s business first and pleasure later as they try to find the Amish-hating culprits. Secrets will be exposed and church and state issues arise as Kate and Tom follow an investigative path that leads them where they could have never imagined.
Breaking Silenceis an absolutely fantastic read. I’ll admit I’ve always been curious about the Amish (I love visiting their farms!), so I was intrigued when I learned that Linda Castillo was using her own personal life of having grown up in close proximity to the Amish and additional, in-depth research.
It paid off, very much so. Castillo’s descriptions of the farms and daily living is very vivid and true to life, as well as the conflicts that arise between law enforcement and the strong beliefs of the Amish people. (It’s that large dose of reality I like with my fiction!)
While there is some romantic scenes between Kate and Tom, they weren’t anything this anti-romantic couldn’t handle. Very minimal and vague in description, it was enough to feed those with the need for it without suffocating those of us without.
Twist, turns, and dirty little secrets abound in Breaking Silence. It’ll keep your attention from beginning to end and leaving feeling disappointed when it’s over. Which is why I can’t wait to get my hands on Linda Castillo’s first book and will eagerly anticipating more in the Chief Kate Burkholder series!
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