Linda Castillo's Kate Burkholder Series

I started listening to this series when I saw the latest book at the library, but I don't read book series out of order.  So I went back to the beginning and started with Sworn to Silence (2009, Minotaur Books).  We're introduced to Painters Mill Chief of Police Kate Burkholder.  Formerly Amish, she now lives an "English" lifestyle.  This story in about the resurfacing of a serial killer that was long thought dead, one that Kate thought she killed herself as a child.  Kate and State Investigator John Thomasetti are pulled into a long, dangerous investigation that hits very close to home for Kate.

I ended up really liking this book.  I liked the character Kate.  The interplay between Kate and Thomasetti was great.  Both characters were majorly flawed so that made for some interesting reading.  Kate was whip smart, but often times limited by her Amish upbringing and that added an unique dynamic.  I never got on the Amish book bandwagon, but I definitely got on the wagon for this series.

I went from Sworn to Silence straight into Pray for Silence (2010, Minotaur Books).  This book was a lot grittier than her first book.  The subject matter was darker and more shocking for sure.  It dealt with the murder of an entire Amish family.  While the mother, father, and sons were shot execution style, the daughter's were viciously brutalized.  However, much like the first book, I really liked Kate and how committed she was to her job and her community of Painters Mill.  The relationship that developed between Thomasetti and Kate only got more and more interesting.

I chain-read right on in to book 3 which is Breaking Silence (2011, Minotaur).  The bad thing about reading a series one right after another is that you notice repetition.  I also find that when you listen to audiobooks that repetition is far more noticeable than when you read a written book.  By time I got to book 3, I was picking up on some phrases that I had already heard.  THEN, I felt like the phrases within this particular book were getting repetitive.  This book was about hate crimes against the Amish.  Kate always lists out the justifications that people give for their hatred of the Amish, it's always the same list over and over again.  Ok, I got it the first two times you gave it.

So I decided it was time to take a little break from this series.  In the next few weeks I'm going to be reading the rest of it.  I really love the characters.  I love the town of Painters Mill and I can't wait to get back there!