Tuesday is release day for Linda Castillo’s latest Kate Burkholder mystery, Rage. I’ll be honest. I didn’t find this one near as disturbing and violent as her last one, The Burning. Although the victims were young, naive Amish, I was more upset when I read the last book with the burning deaths.
When three Amish children playing hide-and-seek find body parts, Police Chief Kate Burkholder of Painters Mill is the first to respond. It does take a little while to identify the victim as Samuel Yutzy, the owner of a local tree farm. Samuel had been shot and dismembered. But, when Kate’s team looks for Samuel’s best friend, and find the redhead’s body, it quickly becomes news to all of the local Amish community. It seems Samuel and Aaron, both twenty-two, had a few secrets. What were the two young men involved in?
This is a case that bothers Kate. It doesn’t seem local. She and her husband, John Tomasetti, an agent with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, feel as if there might be a big city connection. But, what’s the connection to a country club, a bar, and a strip joint?
As I said, I didn’t find the deaths in this book as violent as in The Burning. However, Kate hasn’t learned her lesson. She has a small but capable police team, and backup from the local sheriff and the BCI, but she doesn’t wait for back-up when she’s at a potential crime scene. Kate’s actions when she goes ahead without support bother me more than the murders in the new book.
If you’re a fan of the Kate Burkholder series, check out Rage and tell me what you think.
Linda Castillo’s website is https://lindacastillo.com/
Rage by Linda Castillo. Minotaur Books, 2025. 304p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a galley from the publisher through NetGalley, with no promise of a positive review.
*sigh*
Sounds like same old, same old for Kate Burkholder. Violent deaths in the Amish community, with Kate rushing headlong into danger without waiting for backup. I’m glad it isn’t as ghoulish as the last one, but I wish she would wise up already.
You’ve got it, Jeff. She hasn’t wised up. Same old, same old.
Glad to hear you did not find it as violent as the last one with the burned at the stake bodies. I put Rage on hold at the library but have debated reading it as the last few books have been so violent. Also, I love the main characters but wish Kate would look before leaping more often.
I’ll give this a try and let you know what I think.
I’ll be curious as to what you think, Susan.
Glad that it didn’t seem as violent. We are having flooding in our area, we are safe but don’t want to venture out. More rain coming!
Oh, stay safe, Carol!
I thought the description of the body recovery each time was way worse. My review runs Tuesday.
Today I am reviewing Bruce Borgos’ new one, The Blue Horse.
That didn’t bother me, Kevin, as much as the bodies burned at the stake in the previous book. That really bothered me. Those bodies in this book were already dead.