I have two books to finish and review here on Sunday and Monday. In the meantime, Sandie Herron is stepping in with the second Kate Burkholder novel by Linda Castillo, Pray for Silence. She’s been tearing through the series, and I have reviews to post when I need them. Thank you, Sandie!
Pray for Silence
Written by Linda Castillo
Series: Kate Burkholder, Book 2
Kindle version
Minotaur Books (June 22, 2010)
Pages: 368
ASIN: B003JTHZCA
Painters Mill, Ohio is a sleepy, rural town with a flourishing Amish population living alongside the “English” yet separate from it. Its chief of police Kate Burkholder is uniquely qualified for her job since she was born and raised Amish yet chose to leave that community and train in law enforcement, returning to take the reins of the small police force. It is a shock when one of her officers stumbles upon an Amish man just after he discovers the entire Plank family slaughtered on their farm. Seven family members are dead, the whole family wiped out. The father and his two sons are found bound and shot in the living room. The mother and her baby were shot outside the barn. Inside the barn lay the worst horror of all, the two teenage daughters beaten. raped, and brutalized.
Kate calls in her entire force, asks for help from the neighboring sheriff’s department, and calls in the BCI, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and Identification in Columbus. The BCI has state-of-the-art labs, computer databases, crime scene technicians, and field agents. Field agent John Tomasetti was sent several months prior to help catch a grisly serial murderer, and Kate and John began a tentative friendship and affair. Tomasetti’s job is on the line as he struggles to heal from the gruesome deaths of his wife and daughter. Kate and Tomasetti bring their baggage with them to the case but that is part of what makes them so good at their jobs.
Unable to ascertain a motive for the murders, the team digs into the personal lives of the family. When Kate finds a journal written by teenage Mary Plank, it indicates that she had been romantically involved with a non-Amish man. The identity of the man is not revealed, so it is up to Kate and her team to try and track down who the man was and how far the romance had progressed. The relationship would not have been approved of by Mary’s parents since the man was “English” but surely that could not have been the motive to slaughter a family, could it?
Kate looks into Mary’s life and discovers she worked at a tourist shop in town. This would have exposed her to “English” ways and people outside the Amish community. Kate interviews all sorts of connections discovering several possible matches. Just when she is sure she’s discovered Mary’s lover, another lead presents itself that explains everything. The tricky part will be catching the villain.
Author Linda Castillo gives us plenty of reasons to care about the Plank family. She also fills in Kate’s own personal history which further explains why Mary Plank and her plight mean so much to her. Even John Tomasetti’s family history gets tied into the overall dynamics of this excellent police procedural. Kate and John have a tenuous connection based partially on their shared histories, their friendship, and their police work. Theirs is a long distance relationship yet their attraction is unmistakable. Small town life suits Kate, though, and Painters Mill is just where she belongs. I’m definitely curious enough about Kate and her crew to start the third book in this enticing series.
