Customer Reviews

Sworn to Silence

5 star:		(106)
4 star:		(64)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The town of Painters Mill, Ohio is a small town in Amish Country. Most of the people are known to one another, or else, have at the very least, a nodding acquaintance. The town is comprised of English as well as the Amish community. The two groups do not mix socially and live very different life styles.

The new Police Chief of Painters Mill is Kate Burkholder. Kate has an interesting history because she grew up Amish in the town that she now serves. She left the community many years ago when she was a teenager and now in her thirties, she's an outsider to her Amish family and former friends. Chief Burkholder is competent, smart and tough when she needs to be. Her officers and staff all have her respect. When the shocking and horrible murder of a young woman takes place, Kate's reminded of some brutal killings that took place when she was young. The Chief has kept a secret from her past, a horrible secret that has always been in the back of her mind, and she's more than determined to stop and identify the killer. Could this be the same killer from years ago!

When outside investigator are called in, Chief Burkholder tries to maintain her control over the situation, but the town council feels that because of her lack of inexperience, she needs assistance. There's really a lot going on in this story with the many varied characters who each have their own agendas. There's even a little romance, which gives a lift to the darker side of Sworn To Silence.

I think, Linda Castillo, wrote an exceptional story, but at times, the graphic details were difficult to read! This is a real page turner and I stayed up late at night to finish this book. Can't wait to see what she writes next!

Told both in the first person narrative of Kate, the chief of police of a small town in Ohio and the third person when she's not in-scene, this is a really excellent new crime drama/thriller featuring a new female cop.

I hate to compare authors and characters (really, I'm sure the authors hate it too), but I couldn't help but think of the very first couple of Cornwell's Scarpetta books when reading this. Kate is somewhat similar - strong but flawed in her personal life, professionally competent but struggling to keep her bosses and higher ups from sticking their noses into her work, ending up unfortunately personally involved with a coworker (sort of an oddball way of it in this one).. there are other similarities and a lot of differences, but I liked Kate a lot, as much as I liked the beginning of Scarpetta.

The cast of secondary characters was excellent - I loved Mona and the ever-competent and never-complaining Glock and TJ. The complemented Kate nicely without taking over the storyline the way some do in other books (cough, cough, Lucy anyone?).

The pace of this book is amazing. The author sets off immediately with a grisly homicide and never slows down from there. Usually there are places in books where you think, "oh, I can skip a few pages where it's getting dull and it won't matter," - don't think that here. First, there aren't any boring pages, and second, they all matter to the storyline.

The Amish angle is interesting and well-told. I'm not Amish and know nothing about them, but it rings true and isn't patronizing. The ending and reveal of the killer shocked me. I had an idea of who it might be (I was in the ballpark), but Castillo pulled all the threads together and made it plausible.

I had thoughts that this would make an great series, but I don't know how you'd squeeze that much crime into such a small town. Either way, I'll be looking out for her next book. I'm a huge fan of women crime writers and she's getting added to my list of authors to read.

Linda Castillo is in top form with Sworn to Silence, about a small town police chief with a hidden past, now investigating a string of truly grisly serial rapes and murders that may or may not be related to her own secret. Enter another wounded cop, a state officer Kate is desperate to keep from finding out the truth and who is on the brink of total burnout himself. Will these wounded souls solve this crime spree or become victims themselves? This and other books are reviewed on my website, some in greater length.

The secrets the Amish police chief are hiding, the burnt-out state cop -- all could be cliches if handled by a lesser writer. But as I stated, Castillo is in top form and you won't regret this page turner. I highly recommend this book for suspense, crime drama, and just enough romance to keep it interesting but not distract from the mystery. Great characters and will certainly keep you guessing.

I started reading this book about 32 hours ago, and found myself wanting to get right back to it any time I tried to put it story aside. The story needed to be read, had to be finished. The pacing is perfect. The little plot hooks go together really well. Of course there's a couple things that are "yeah right" coincidences... but, isnt' that how these stories always go? I liked the setting, because I only live about 1.5 hours from where this story takes place. She captures middle-of-nowhere Amish Ohio perfectly. The Kindle edition, as usual, was a crystal-clear read and far more convenient that reading from a flimsy paperback or heavy hardbound.

Kate Burkholder grew up Amish. As the result of a family tragedy, she didn't join the church when she became an adult. Instead, she left town and became a cop. Now she's back as the police chief of her home town, searching for a serial killer.

John Tomasetti was a cop who lost his family to mob violence. He went outside legal bounds and got his revenge, but he can't live with his loss. Alcoholic and drug dependent, he's still a good enough cop (just barely) that there's no way to get him off the force without facing a law suit. The Powers that Be send him to "assist" Burkholder in her search for the killer, hoping he'll screw things up enough to give them cause to fire him.

Sworn to Silence is a good mystery. I was kept guessing until the last few chapters. Character development is good, and I really got to know Burkholder and Tomasetti. But, I don't know if I could take much more of either character. They're both just too intense. Either alone in a book would be great, but both together is almost too much. However, by the end of the book, I do find myself wondering what is going to happen to both cops.

Linda Castillo's Sworn to Silence is a graphic thriller set among the peaceful Amish countryside of Ohio. While some elements of the book were predictable, the setting and character development made it a wonderful read.
The central character of police chief Kate Burkholder brings a unique perspective to the job having been raised among the Amish. The author handles the delicate balance of opposing cultures very well, and it proves to be the most fascinating aspect of this book.
This is a good mystery and I look forward to joining Kate in Amish country again soon.

A really disappointing book--trite prose, poorly edited, and with a wholly predictable plot. The main character was unsympathetic and the villain not believable. I will not read Linda Castillo again.

SWORN TO SILENCE is one of the best thrillers I have ever read. The characters were flawed and realistic, the villain(s) about as evil as they come, and the icy setting of Amish Country, Ohio in winter will chill you to the bone. I didn't think I'd like a book about Amish people because well, frankly, I don't find them very interesting. I am so glad I took a friend's advice and picked this book up because I was literally glued to the pages. I was up all night reading for 3 nights in a row. The crime scene descriptions are very graphic but that only enhances the story and makes one want justice to be served. There is even a little romance thrown in to lighten the tone of this impeccably-crafted book. I cannot recommend SWORN TO SILENCE highly enough. I just ordered the sequel to it and I can't wait for it to arrive. This has been my favorite book I've read in several months and I usually read about 1 book per week. 5 very solid stars.

Kate Burholder is not your usual Police Chief, being ex-Amish and returning to her childhood home of Painters Mill, Ohio is not the life that most would pick, but she felt that it was the best choice. A choice where she could use her understanding of both the Amish and English worlds and act as a go between when sticky situations arise.

On a dark winter evening, one of Kate's young officers is sent out on a routine call; unfortunately, it wasn't just wandering cows that he found along the road, there was a brutalized body, a body that bore striking similarities to a serial killer that had struck 16 years before. A killer that Kate knew couldn't be back, but yet the proof was written all over his victim's body.

Kate isn't the only one with secrets; John Tomasetti is just one bar stool away from permanently being removed from his official position. His past is just as grueling as Kate's is, but between the two of them, they either solve this case or there is nothing left of their lives for them to live. With their combined expertise and the help of the Painers Mill Police Department, a killer must be brought to justice before they have to tell another family of a tragic loss.

I can usually pick out the killer early on in a book, the author usually leaves enough clues that the climatic moment just usually leaves a lot to be desired, but I can honestly tell you that I didn't pick this one. The storyline flowed, the characters were given their own voices and their own directions, and when a final clue was given, I literally said, "really?".

Very good book, very good conclusion and I look forward to the next book by Linda Castillo.

A different idea for a mystery -- the main character is a female police chief who just happens to be Amish. Former Amish anyway, now a bit of a roughneck. When a serial killer starts preying on a small Ohio community, it's up to Police Chief Kate Burkholder to solve the crimes, hopefully without revealing the dark secrets from her past.

An interesting first mystery from a writer best known for romance novels. Lots of twists and turns and characters you won't find in most crime novels. The narration on the audiobook is fine, but unexceptional.