Sandie Herron just started one of my favorite series, Linda Castillo’s Kate Burkholder books. Because it’s been so long since I read Sworn to Silence, the first in the series, Sandie and I are sharing her review of the audiobook. Thank you, Sandie.
Sworn to Silence
Written by Linda Castillo
Narrated by Kathleen McInerney
Series: Kate Burkholder, Book 1
Unabridged Audiobook from Macmillan Audio (June 25, 2009)
Listening Length: 11 hours 45 minutes ASIN: B002ER24OW
Kindle version from Minotaur Books (June 23, 2009) 367 pages
ASIN: B002FDLOFU
The Amish and the “English” have lived side by side yet separately in Painters Mill, Ohio for decades. The sleepy, rural town is watched over by its police chief, Kate Burkholder, born and raised Amish, one of the few who decided not to join the church when she was old enough. Her innocence shattered by an encounter with the Slaughterhouse Killer when she was 14, Kate left town to attend college and the police academy. When she returned to her hometown ten years later to tend to her dying mother, the town council knew they had the right person to replace the retiring police chief, someone who knew the ways of the world and the ways of the Amish and could bridge the two communities. Kate speaks Pennsylvania Dutch as easily as she downs a drink after a tough day.
It’s been a couple of years since her return when Kate is called out to tend to a nude, female body found in a snowy field. The victim had been killed in the exact same manner as the Slaughterhouse Murders 16 years ago, when Kate had been one of the survivors of the brutal serial killer, a fact not known by anyone outside her estranged Amish family, for she had shot the man dead. How was it possible then, that after the four victims that year with the Roman numerals carved in their abdomens, that now a new victim numbered much higher has been discovered?
When a second victim killed in the same manner is discovered, Kate has no choice but to call for help. The local Sheriff brings a couple of deputies, and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification sends John Tomasetti, a man on the edge following the murder of his family. His bosses want to fire him as dead weight so hope he will self-destruct on this assignment. Wary of each other, Kate and John are thrown together as they search for clues and yet another victim is discovered.
This isn’t an easy book to read. Graphic and violent in parts, the images portrayed are disturbing. Chief Burkholder holds it together despite her personal secret of her own assault, something that still shames her. The facts are presented as they are discovered, as in any police procedural, but there is some time shifting between the present and 16 years prior when Kate was attacked. This is necessary to show the conflict within the Chief, one that drives the plot.
While the plain and simple ways of the Amish are visited, this is more a story about the effects of violence and how this small police force and its chief deal with overwhelming challenges. This was a difficult case with a difficult solution. Author Linda Castillo presented it well and followed through on every angle. Kate Burkholder set off on a path no one else dared consider. That path kept me reading, turning pages quickly until she found her rewards.
I began reading this book using the “whisper-sync” method of listening to the audiobook while reading along in the Kindle version. The narration by Kathleen McInerny was excellent yet I tired of the slower pace of listening since I kept reading ahead. In the end, I finished the Kindle version. An interesting experiment.
Whisper sync. Hmm. Interesting! I’m afraid I too would read too fast. Book sounds really good. May add it to my list. Am reading “Midnight Lock”. Not bad. Like Rhyme series.
Oh, Carol Jeanne! I didn’t realize you hadn’t read Linda Castillo’s books. I think you’d love the entire series. Start with this one.
As Lesa says, this is an excellent series. I would suggest starting with this entry since it explains a past history for Kate Burkholder that really drives her character in this and subsequent entries in the series. I’m only on #2, but what is explained as her past in book 1 comes up again in book 2, and I imagine in several more to come.
I had deja vu about that book. I finally figured it out, I entered to win it so many times. The author is an amazong wordsmith. The audio book on Amazon is on sale for $79,00.. LOL Nope. Maybe I will try Half Price.
Unfortunately, Carolee, it’s the first in the series. You really should try the first or second.
I had to check this, and you are so right. But this is the price for the CDs. And since this is the first in the series, it commands a higher price, just as the first edition of the print book does. I downloaded the digital version of the audio, a very simple procedure, and was able, via my subscription, to buy it for $11.47 via Audible, a part of Amazon. That might even be cheaper than the Kindle version.
Sandie, you and many others who comment here experience books by audio. They are so expensive! Where do you get them? Anyone else have a great source? Our library has some, but it’s an odd “audio streaming” thing, not checking out CDs.
Rick, I have a subscription with Audible for two books a month that costs a total of $22.95, so that’s just $11.47 per book. That’s less than half the price of the hardcover! Plus Audible often has sales with books at just $5 a book. Now this is digital, so there are no CDs. But it is incredibly simple to download the book and keep it on my own hard drive. And, in the past few months, Audible has made an additional catalog of books available to subscribers at no extra cost, sort of their own library service in a way. I suppose the big price break is getting the digital version of the book rather than the CDs. Again, very easy to download a book and save all that money!
Thank you, Sandie, I appreciate the information a lot.
Yes, recovering, slowly.
I’m happy to hear you’re recovering, Rick.
I’m going to let Sandie address the audio issue because I don’t listen to books. She’s my source. We do continue to buy books on CD at my library, but many more come through downloads of OverDrive or Hoopla. And, I know many libraries no longer buy books on CD.
This book sounds so dark! So many seem grim and dark lately, such as the latest James Lee Burke that Barbara just finished.