Rage

Starred review from June 1, 2025
Castillo's latest Kate Burkholder mystery (after The Burning, 2024) has the police chief in Painters Mill, Ohio, a small town in the heart of Amish country, facing a series of gruesome murders. Samuel Yutzy, a young Amish man, is found shot to death, his dismembered body buried in woods outside town. The body of a second victim, Samuel's friend, has been stuffed into a barrel. Then a young Amish woman is found dead, apparently shot while trying to evade her killer. Kate is determined to solve the disturbing and perplexing murders and begins the tedious investigative work, hitting dead end after dead end. Undaunted, she finally finds evidence that the murder victims were involved in a vicious sex-trafficking ring, a deeply troubling situation she never expected to confront in Painters Mill. Eventually, after nearly becoming a victim herself, she uncovers the brutal truth and ensures the killers are brought to justice. But the young women who've been trafficked will bear a lifetime of scars that may never heal. A gripping, shocking story--fortunately with some lighter moments to offset the violence and tension--from a gifted, award-winning writer who knows how to grab readers and keep them riveted from first page to last.

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May 30, 2025

In the 17th installment in Castillo's acclaimed Kate Burkholder series (following The Burning), readers are once again drawn into a gripping tale of suspense and intrigue. Painters Mill Chief of Police Kate Burkholder has been tasked with solving a brutal double homicide in her Amish community. The first body was discovered by a local Amish family, followed by a second body that was found by another family. As Kate delves deeper into the case, she uncovers chilling secrets that hit closer to home than she anticipated. The investigation leads her to the pair of Amish boys whose tragic deaths may be linked to their rebellious Rumspringa period. Kate, alongside her dedicated team, must navigate the tight-knit Amish community to uncover the truth behind the murders. With her signature blend of tension, vivid characters, and atmospheric setting, Castillo delivers a compelling mystery. Long-time fans will be enthralled, while new readers will be hooked by the intricacies of the case and the personal stakes for Kate. VERDICT A captivating and thrilling addition to the Kate Burkholder series, recommended for those who enjoy suspenseful mysteries in rural settings.--Jenna LaBollita

Copyright 2025 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 15, 2025
A series of brutal murders rocks the quiet community of Painters Mill, Ohio. A young Amish girl playing hide-and-seek in a brushy area near a creek finds dismembered body parts. The early years of police Chief Kate Burkholder, who grew up Amish and has come to terms with leaving that life behind, give her insight into crimes committed in her county, which has a large Amish population. Although there's always some crime among the Amish, something about the killing and dismemberment of landscaper and nursery owner Samuel Yutzy has a big-city feel. Kate's husband, John Tomasetti, is an agent with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation who provides the services small-town police departments lack. Kate and John knew Samuel, and when they check his place of business, they find a dehydrated buggy horse and a lot of blood. Samuel's parents admit that he had a wild rumspringa--a period when Amish youth try out the secular world before committing to the church--which included a girlfriend and some shifty non-Amish men, but say that he'd recently returned to the fold. A picture of the girlfriend leads them to a gentlemen's club, and his parents reveal that he was being sued by someone over a landscape job gone wrong. When Kate tries to find Samuel's best friend, Aaron Shetler, she learns that he's been missing from work, and soon his body is found stuffed in a drum. Searching for the girlfriend gets Kate drugged and warned to drop the case. Never one to give up, she discovers a tangled web of deceit and a link to human trafficking that just may be the death of her. Slippery suspects and evildoers among the usually private and quiet Amish.

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