I can't stand when something is written in first person but then just adds in chunks of third person that aren't following anything in particular, just because the author is too lazy to find any other way to convey information, expect in this case where it jumps to third person to tell the reader something it is only going to tell you again in first person.
Spoilers from here

huge chunks of the book were made completely redundant by the author choosing to explain them twice, the only reason I finished it was because by the time she spent two pages in third person trying to cleverly explain why the killer finds the protagonist only for him to catch her AND SPEND ANOTHER HALF A PAGE telling her how because what else are you going to fill pages with? God forbid it be spent on character development because the protagonist managed to go from completely hating the love interest to having sex because he kissed her and then essentially went "wanna bang?" just like her relationship with her brother is brought up all of once just for her to abuse him dig holes for 5 hours and not once check the hole in the ground that is already there because without being able to drag that single shred of suspense out for almost the entire book it wouldn't hold up but once it needs to be resolved a google search of silos conveniently saves the day just like after days of investigating and multiple murders once the plot needs to resolve she manages to find all of her answers through google searches and two phone calls because why waste time trying to think of something that might make her seem, oh I don't know competent?
People are giving it credit because they finished it and if that counts sure I didn't throw it in rage but thats really about it. ( )

Sworn To Silence (Kate Burkholder #1) (2009) by Linda Castillo. I live in Amish country. Everyday there are several horse and buggy combinations traveling past my house. Their presence is one of the things I most love about living here. Though I live in the modern world, it is nice to know there is living history all around me. For that reason alone I will tend to smile on the books of Linda Castillo and Paul L. Gaus, among others
I did find it hard to believe that this was the initial entry into the long running Kate Burkholder series. She is the Sheriff of small town Painter’s Mill, Ohio. This is a place where you might expect some difficulty between the visitors hoping for a real “Amish” experience, and the real Amish who are all to often the brunt of some abuse or another. Watch the Harrison Ford movie “Witness” for an example of what I mean.
When the victim of a brutal murderer is found early one snowy January morning in an Amish man’s field close to the roadway, Burkholder suspects this is just the first example of the killer’s work. But on closer examination of the young woman, marks are found on the torso that relate to a local case sixteen years before.
The town is soon ablaze with talk that the “Slaughterhouse Killer” is back. Kate knows that can’t be as she has a secret of her own from that time. Then she was 14 and Amish herself, she had been attacked by what she knew to be the “Killer”, but now she is not so sure of her facts. That uncertainty leads to her altering how the case is being handled. When a second body turns up, the pressure on her and her small collection of deputies. But when another woman is found, the town council ousts her and puts another local lawman into her place.
Frustrated and angry, Kate has to work outside of the local law and solve the case. With the undercover help of her deputies she will find the killer or die trying.
This is a subtle look into the lives of the Amish, how they work, how they live, and what can cause some of the younger people to split away from the church during Rumspringa, as Kate did. But it is also about a clash of cultures and, surprisingly, just how, in many respects, the cultures are alike.
There is a certain level of gore in this book. I’ve been reading the Will Trent series by Karin Slaughter so I found while there were disturbing images proffered herein, they are tame in comparison. But still, enter with caution.
Over all this is a great introduction to a winning cast of interesting characters who populate a land very similar to that which I populate. I found it both fun and interesting, the plot held my interest and it was well written throughout. I do recommend that if you plan to read this series, start at the beginning. You can read the other books in any order as they are stand alone, but I find knowing the history adds another layer to my reading pleasure. ( )

exciting serial murder mystery in Amish Country

Great story twists but the very graphic descriptions of violence did get to me after a while. ( )

Suspenseful…a little too convenient and overplayed in the romance.
In a sleepy small town of Painter’s Mill, Ohio, the Amish and the “English” residents have lived side by side for centuries. Sixteen years ago,a series of murder shattered the peaceful farming community. A young Amish girl, Kate Burkholder survived the terror of the Slaughterhouse killer but came away with the realization that she could no longer belong with the Amish.
Now, Kate has been asked to return to Painter’s Mill as Chief of Police. A body has been discovered. Kate vows to stop the killer before he strikes again. But to do so, she must betray her family and her Amish past. ( )

Tvingad till tystnad är en stark och oerhört spännande kriminalroman och första delen i serien om Kate Burkholder.

Una serie bellissima, per ora composta da 14 libri che ho letto tutti nel giro di un mese per quanto mi sono piaciuti.
Due protagonisti, Kate Burkholder e John Tomasetti, che ho amato sin dalle prime battute, entrambi con un passato difficile e molto doloroso alle spalle, con il quale convivono e che dovranno imparare a superare.
Le storie, molto ben scritte e costruite, sono ambientate nel piccolo paesino di Painters Mill in Ohio dove vive anche una consistente comunità amish da cui, peraltro, proviene la protagonista Kate che ha, però, abbandonato la “vita semplice” per le conseguenze di un tragico evento del suo passato. Anche i personaggi secondari - che ritroveremo un po’ in tutte le vicende - risultano ben delineati e sono un altro punto di forza dei libri.
In questo libro Kate è alla caccia di un efferato serial killer e la sua ricerca riserverà notevoli e imprevisti colpi di scena.
Una serie imperdibile.
( )

3.5 stars, would of been four but the ending was just so cliche. ( )

I was lucky enough to get Sworn to Silence, the first book in the series cheap as an Ebook after being rejected on NetGalley for Among the Wicked the latest book in the series. So, all and all it was probably for the best since I did enjoy starting this series from the beginning instead of the latest book.

Police chief Kate Burkholder, ex-Amish, has to stop a vicious killer in this book that may be a copycat or a killer that murdered several women 16 years ago. However, she has personal reasons for believing that it has to be another killer. It doesn't get easier for her when her role as police chief is getting questioned as more people are killed while she is trying to figure out who the killer is. Some local people just don't think she is trying hard enough...

I found the book to be very good, and very different from other crime novels. I like that Kate Burkholder has a history with the Amish community and I liked that she is a complex character with a dark past. Also, this case really brought back bad memories for her. The case also brought agent John Tomasetti into her life as he who was hellbent on wrecking his life and career seems to have finally found someone that can get his life back on track. I quite like the chemistry between them.

The case was interesting, is it the same killer or a copycat? What is really going one and what happened to Kate all those years ago? I did, however, figure out the killer when Tomasetti listed the killer profile, it was actually quite easy to do so I thought and then I just kept on reading to see if I was right, and I was. But, it did not take away the enjoyment of reading the book. I still found the book pretty good, despite not being surprised over the killer's identity.

It was a good first book and I'm looking forward to reading more books in the series! ( )

Amish among the English

Kate Burkholder was raised in Ohio as one of the plain people, an Amish girl. Early in her teenage years, Kate suffers an unthinkable trauma.

Kate goes through her "Rumspringa", the time when a young Amish person gets to decide whether to commit to baptism, and leaves behind her faith, family and friends to live an English life.

Many years later, Chief Kate Burkholder oversees the police department of Painters Mill, Ohio, not far from where she grew up.

The trauma Kate experienced suddenly comes home to roost with the advent of a sickening murder that appears to be a reoccurrence of a man thought to be dead for 15 years.

Although I personally had difficulty with the extremely graphic nature of the description of the murders, I believe it was necessary to set up the contrast with the peaceful nature of the Amish community.

Linda Castillo expertly paces the revelation of information, leading the reader on, bit by horrific bit, never giving you time to catch your breath.

I was very satisfied with the ending, just had to do a session of slow breathing to bring my heart rate back to normal. Excellent book, I highly recommend it. ( )

I enjoyed this Amish-country thriller (what an odd combination) -- the main character, Kate, is one I'd like to meet again. It's really horrifically graphic, so be warned. And there are some a) inevitable plotlines (which, of course, help drive the tension of the book): so _of_course_ our main character, female Chief of police will be abducted and attacked by the bad guy, because strong women can't ever just do the job without getting jumped. yep, that happened.

and b) kinda large plot holes that are acceptable in the circumstances, but drag on longer than they should: I can accept that Kate thinks she killed the guy and therefore develops a blind spot in the case. I have a hard time with her clinging on to this feeling despite all evidence to the contrary -- that's the part that drags on -- and is especially frustrating because the whole book is about a ritual-oriented killer with really specific hallmarks -- abduction to an isolated locale, torture over days, etc, etc and nothing that they know about the deaths matches up to what happened in Kate's case, so it's strange that she just can't grok that until the outside great white hope steps in to mansplain it to her.

and c) I figured out the most likely suspect pretty early on and that is not an experience I often have is all I'm saying.

Huh, in writing this I find that I probably didn't like it as much as I thought I did, but I definitely think I need to read a few more in the series to see how things shake out with this writer/character over time. ( )

I read one Katee Burkholder by accident and had to read the first in the series. I was not disappointed in anyway. I love tje backstory of Katee and i cant wait to read the next book however there is triggers in this one being rape so be careful if thats an issue ( )

This book is the first in a series featuring Kate Burkholder, Chief of Police in Painters Mill, a fictional town in north central Ohio. A young woman is found brutally murdered, with all the hallmarks of a spate of unsolved serial murders that occurred sixteen years earlier. Kate, who grew up in Painters Mill, is well acquainted with the previous crimes. Not only did she grow up in Painters Mill, but she was held hostage by the suspected murderer and narrowly escaped harm. Now it appears the perpetrator has returned. It’s all hands on deck, with both the police department and sheriff's office on the case. The town council, concerned that Kate isn’t moving fast enough, also calls in the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

I really liked the setting, premise, and characters in this book. Kate is a strong female protagonist with an interesting backstory. Painters Mill is in Ohio’s Amish country, and Kate grew up in the order but left at 18. She brings unique knowledge to her role as police chief and is able to bridge the gap between the Amish and “English.” But her relationship with her family is fraught with tension, and her personal life is a bit of a mess. The plot is well crafted, and even though I correctly suspected “whodunnit,” it wasn’t at all clear how they would expose and apprehend him, which had me eagerly turning the pages. I will definitely read more books in this series. For anyone else considering it, I have just one caveat: Linda Castillo doesn’t shy away from describing crimes, including sexual assault, and autopsies in all their grisly detail. It makes for less than ideal bedtime reading, and some may find it too graphic. ( )

I found this series during a search for books set in Ohio -- and really liked it up until the point where Kate is looking for a contact in Alaska. The person she is trying to get in touch with worked in Alaska for many years before moving to the Pacific Northwest, and has a last name of Japanese heritage. Talking to him on the phone, she describes him as having a "voice with a strong Asian accent" and he speaks to her in broken English. I don't think I'm over-reacting to say that this was not necessary or relevant to the plot. A police office who worked for many years in the Pacific Northwest and with a Japanese last name does NOT need to be portray with a strong accent and speaking broken English.

The author in the foreword writes about how important it was to her to portray the Amish people accurately and respectfully. The other depictions of people of color, namely a black police officer, are not written with stereotyped language. I wish she'd done the same for her (cursory) portrayal of Asians.

I will continue reading the series from the library but will be on the lookout for any recurance of racial stereotyping. ( )

A great crime thriller.

I started with book 8, Among the Wicked, and have to start from the beginning. My new favorite series. ( )

I'm new to the series and so far I'm loving it. I love the main character and can't wait to see what happens with Kate next.

The book is an easy read and the characters are believable. The crime was great and well thought out. I have to admit, I didn't know who the bad guy was and was shocked when it was revealed. I loved that, since it's hard to find books where you don't guess everything.

I also loved the minor characters and the town that is created. They are interesting and have there own unique tone. The author created a world I have not seen before.

Overall I am pleased and now I'm on my way to read book two. ( )

Kate grew up in an Amish community, but something happened when she was 14. She ended up leaving the community and became the chief of police in the nearest town. When a girl’s dead body appears, then another, Kate is brought back to that awful thing that happened when she was younger, as she tries to solve the murders in her small town. But, it can’t be the same guy who haunted the town back then – it’s just not possible.

This was really good. I listened to the audio and it kept my attention all the way through. I liked Kate, but I didn’t like the romance that suddenly happened almost toward the end of the book. I didn’t like him and I thought the romance came completely out of the blue. But, the mystery was really good, as was learning about Kate’s background and what happened when she was younger. ( )

This book started out alright. I liked Kate Burholder at first - a female police chief in a small little Amish town in Ohio. But as the book progressed, I was reassessing my first impressions. There is a lot of graphic violence in the book, and you should know that going in if you plan to read it. This is a particularly sadistic killer that appears to have been raping, torturing and murdering women in various places throughtout the US. Kate herself is damaged because of an occurence that happened to her when she was a young Amish girl at the age of 14. The fallout from that episode caused her to renounce the Amish life, and helped her in her decision to join law enforccement. After the first victim in this book is discovered, Kate is haunted by what happened to her when she was 14. She puts herself, her job and her family at risk as she tries to unmask the killer. But unfortunately, after that the book turned into something entirely different. I found the characters didn't really evolve either and it was entirely predictable, except for the violence which became even more graphic. I had figured out who the sadistic killer was by about 1/3 of the way through, and I almost put the book down, but decided to continue to read it, hoping it would get better. Unfortunately, it really didn't and I rushed through the ending just to be done with it. I was very disappointed with the book overall, and gave it two stars instead of one because of the beginning which was pretty good, and because I actually did finish the book. ( )

Sworn to Silence takes place in Painter's Mill, Ohio, a little town in Amish Country. Painter's Mill has not experienced any violent crime for the past sixteen years when the Slaughterhouse Killer suddenly disappeared. Police Chief Kate Burkholder and her force of three rarely have more to do than chase a few cows off the main road until the night one of her officers finds a body in a snowy ditch by the side of the road. Carved in the young woman's nude body were the Roman numerals, XXIII, one of the signatures of the Slaughterhouse Killer.

Kate Burkholder is scared, not just because the Slaughterhouse Killer has returned, but because of her dark and deeply hidden secret. If her past is exposed it will destroy her career and ruin her family's reputation. She was certain the Slaughterhouse Killer was dead but these murders have her doubting what really happened.

Linda Castillo's pace in Sworn to Silence was terrific. I found her main character a little unbelievable at times and the romantic tension between Kate and the BCI officer, John Tomasetti, a little forced. I liked the mystery being set in the Amish community and that Kate had grown up Amish. There are enough plot twists that we don't guess who the Slaughterhouse Killer is until shortly before the author reveals the name. The first few pages hooked me and it became a race to the end. This is the start of what becomes a terrific series. ( )

This is the first book in the series of Amish mysteries. The setting is Painter's Mill, a small community comprised of 1/3 Amish. Kate Burkholder was Amish. When she was a teen, something happened that forever changed her, leaving her with the knowledge that she must leave the Amish community. She paid a high price for her decision. Her family shunned her as well as the community.

After working as a detective in Columbus, Ohio, she was offered a position as the Chief of police of Painter's Mill. When an exceedingly violent rape and murder of a teen girl was discovered on a cold winter's night, Kate pushed down feelings of what occurred to her so long ago.

As the murders continued, she knows she must stop them. Fearful that perhaps the man whom she murdered after he abused her, did not die after all. His MO continues and now her history haunts her as well as finding the beast before he can murder again.

Riveting, but a bit too violent for mt tastes, still, I recommend this well written book, as well as all other books written with the background of the same community and a highly skilled Chief of Police. ( )

Gory, grim, and dull. ( )

Kate Burkholder grew up Amish but left the community after a violent act forever changed her. Now Chief of Police back where she grew up, Kate finds herself thrown back in time. A series of gruesome murders mimic ones that occurred more than a decade before, and stir up unpleasant memories for Kate. She has accepted English ways and manners, but can’t forget her Amish family and community, and wants to protect them. Now she is in a race to find the killer and must accept outside help. She puts herself in danger even as she tried to save the innocent. This exciting tale is fast-paced and a page turner, but be warned that the descriptions of the murders are quite graphic. Well-written and peopled with complex and flawed characters trying to do their best, this tale is a winner. ( )

I don't often give five-star ratings to books I have read but this one truly deserves it. I had read several later Kate Burkholder books before this one. All have been good but this was without a doubt the most gripping and intense one. The introduction of John Tomasetti, the convoluted involvement of the sheriff, the actions of town council members, the interactions with Kate's siblings, and, of course, the inner turmoil that Kate herself faces all add to the richness and the intensity of this story. It's stories such as this one that confirm what I always come back to mysteries. Great book. ( )

Although I have read other books from the Kate Burkholder series, it was good to read the first volume. Kate is a young police chief. She's good with her staff, but the council and the sheriff's office think she's an inexperienced person. In this book, Kate is dealing with a brutal serial killer who brutally tortures and abuses his victims before he kills them. The only pattern that permeates is that he numbers the victims with Roman numerals.
Kate thinks she's chasing a ghost out of her past. Someone who once raped her in her teenage years but she thought he was dead. Therefore, she also does not request reinforcements from other authorities, which temporarily costs her suspension. Kate would not be Kate, if she continues to investigate and thereby brings the greatest danger to her own life.
Great and fast, it grabbed me from the first page and I could barely stop reading. ( )

There are so many attractive things about this book: the strong main character, the interaction of the “English” and Amish community, the emotional toll of police work, secrets leading to self doubt. It would really be a perfect mystery if it weren’t for the unnecessarily explicit depiction of the torture of women. There is no excuse for this kind of misogynistic titillation. It’s sad that a woman would write some of these details. I would love to read more of the series just to follow this great woman character, but I won’t subject myself to any more sadism. ( )