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.