The Burning is the sixteenth novel in Linda Castillo’s Kate Burkholder Mystery series spotlighting the Amish communities in and around Painters Mill, Ohio. Fans of this beloved series have looked forward to each year’s new release for over a decade now and Castillo continues to provide fascinating and satisfying new crimes for Kate Burkholder and her team to solve.
It’s been two months since Chief of Police Kate Burkholder’s marriage to her long-time beau John Tomasetti. When she gets an emergency late night call about an unusual crime scene, she has no idea that the developing case will not only put her own life in danger, but it will also bring the risks closer to her family than ever before.
In the woods outside of Painters Mill, Milan Swanz has been burned alive in a manner that calls to mind the historical burning of witches. This particularly gruesome and torturous manner of death concerns Kate because it seems extremely personal and vindictive.
As the investigation unfolds, it quickly becomes clear that the Amish had excommunicated Milan Swanz—leading everyone to suspect that his own past may have something to do with his murder. Kate and her team keep digging only to discover an unexpected connection to an unusual fact about Anabaptist history.
Meanwhile, with her brother having had an argument with the victim, the higher-ups are wondering if Kate can remain objective. With rumblings of her being asked to recuse herself from the case, Kate reminds everyone that being prior Amish gives her a unique position and the ability to persuade this typically closed mouth and isolated community to open up and share their secrets with her. Will that be enough to keep her on the case?
Linda Castillo has a finessed skill for drawing the reader into her story with logically plotted progression and consistently interesting characters—both old and new. Her writing style, which is deceptively easy to read, is also a textbook example of how to successfully weave in foreign terms and phrases in a way that educates the reader without alienating or confusing them.
As always, The Burning explores Amish traditions with complete respect and teaches readers about this fascinating community—a group that is more diverse than most people are aware. Finishing this novel—or any of the works in Linda Castillo’s series—readers will feel they have learned something new while first and foremost being entertained by the mystery at hand. Long running series can be challenging to keep interesting and engaging, but Linda Castillo makes it look easy. Sixteen books in, The Burning is just as vibrant and compelling as the first books in the series. Here’s hoping that Linda Castillo continues to write novels and short stories featuring Kate Burkholder for years to come.
BUY LINKS: The Burning by Linda Castillo
Disclaimer: An e-galley of this title was provided to BOLO Books by the publisher. No promotion was promised and the above is an unbiased review of the novel.
