A deadly fire exposes the dark side of Amish life in A Gathering of Secrets, a harrowing new thriller in the New York Times bestselling series (July 2017) by Linda Castillo. When a historic barn burns to the ground in the middle of the night, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called in to investigate. At first, it looks like an accident, but when the body of eighteen-year-old Daniel Gingerich … eighteen-year-old Daniel Gingerich is found inside–burned alive–Kate suspects murder. Who would want a well-liked, hardworking young Amish man dead? Kate delves into the investigation only to find herself stonewalled by the community to which she once belonged. Is their silence a result of the Amish tenet of separation? Or is this peaceful and deeply religious community conspiring to hide a truth no one wants to talk about? Kate doubles down only to discover a plethora of secrets and a chilling series of crimes that shatters everything she thought she knew about her Amish roots–and herself.
As Kate wades through a sea of suspects, she’s confronted by her own violent past and an unthinkable possibility.
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First book I’ve read in this series….I had no problem not reading the others. I will go back and read the others at some point.
This book held me captive for the past 24 hours. Ms. Castillo’s writing is graphic, she explains things thoroughly…from suicide, to fire, to the steps taken to solve the crime of a murdered Amish teen. The Amish community is described in detail. Your heart will break for all involved..and anger you as well. Her characters are very realistic, they come to life on these pages. You can so feel the conflicting emotions, whether it’s a parents love for their child, a life long friendship, a cop trying to solve the case and not liking where it was going.
Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
A GATHERING OF SECRETS, the tenth book in the Kate Burkholder series, captured my attention from the very first page, and it was hard to put down. Full of English and Amish conflict, multiple deaths, and secrets, it is a police procedural worthy of reading.
This book is my first adventure with police chief Kate Burkholder, and I had no problem jumping right into the story. It can definitely be read as a standalone thriller, but I do plan to go back and read the earlier books in the series.
The book starts out with a bang with an Amish girl’s suicide quickly followed by Daniel Gingerich’s gruesome fiery death. Eighteen-year-old Danny’s death is quickly labeled a murder, and Kate begins the arduous task of interviewing the Amish community. Kate is in a unique situation having left the Amish, but, even though the Amish know her background, they still do not trust her. In their opinion, she has become too English. Everyone claims that Danny was a great young man, but the more Kate digs the more little bits of information gleaned paint a far different picture. Too many things about this case are turning out to be very similar to her own life. As the death toll rises, Kate’s life is in danger, and she knows she is running out of time to solve the case. All this leads up to a heart pounding climax and desperately tragic conclusion.
I am no expert on the Amish, but I feel Castillo provides an interesting and thoughtful look into their world. I enjoyed learning about their beliefs and way of life. She creates a nice balance of the dynamics of the English ad Amish, the characters’ personal lives and the professional investigation, and the day to day footwork of a procedural with exciting scenes. I never felt bored, wanting to know what Kate would learn next. The story moves along at a steady pace, and the writing is polished. The characters, especially Kate, are well drawn and compelling.
I greatly enjoyed my time with Kate Burkholder. A GATHERING OF SECRETS is a must read. Recommended.
I received an ARC of this title from Minotaur Books and voluntarily shared my thoughts and opinions here.
As Chief of Police Kate Burkholder investigates the death of 18 yo Daniel, she uncovers dark secrets within an Amish community. Who started the barn fire that killed him, and why?
This was my first time reading anything by this author, and I was sucked into the story during the tragic prologue and couldn’t put it down until I knew who killed Daniel and why. Since I grew up near Amish country, I’ve always been fascinated by stories about their culture and beliefs.
If you love suspenseful mysteries and trying to figure out “whodunnit,” then don’t miss this one. It is #10 in the series, but read just fine as a standalone. I am, however, left feeling bereft that the story is over and compelled to know more about Kate and her boyfriend, John Tomasetti. It’s a good thing I have 9 more books to read!
If you enjoyed reading about the Amish community as much as I do, then I would recommend Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult and anything by Beverly Lewis Beverly Lewis.
I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Location: Painter’s Mill, Ohio (fictional town in Amish country)
This is Linda Castillo’s best book in the series so far. So many secrets. Things going on that you couldn’t imagine with the Amish and the things one person will do to keep it a secret. Chief of Police Katie Burkholder is on the case and she won’t give up trying to find out what is going on even though someone is trying to kill her to keep her from discovering the secrets. I highly recommend A Gathering of Secrets to mystery lovers, it will keep you guessing to the end.
Having read all of the Kate Burkholder books, I was excited to get my hands on this one, and it sure didn’t disappoint, the only bad thing was it had to end.
The author does an awesome job of pulling you into the story, and holding you there until the end, and you never really know how things are going to turn out until the finish.
You will come to know the main characters in this book, and others as they are recurring, but each one is a stand-alone.
If you enjoy Amish mystery and suspense this one will grab you, a don’t miss read.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher St. Martin’s Press, and was not required to give a positive review.
My Review of ” A Gathering of Secrets” by Linda Castillo Minotaur Books July 2018
“A Gathering of Secrets” by Linda Castillo is an intriguing and suspenseful novel. The Genres for this Novel are Mystery, Suspense , Thriller and Fiction. This happens to be a series written by Linda Castillo, but it is the first time I have read any of the author’s books. It is possible to be read as a stand alone. The timeline of the story is mostly in the present, and only goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events. Most to the story occurs in the Amish Community.
The author describes her characters as complex and complicated. Chief Kate Burkholder was once part of the Amish community, so she speaks the language and knows the ways of the people. Now an outsider and law enforcer, Kate has vivid nightmares of past events that occurred when she was part of the community.
Kate is called when there is a suspicious fire in an Amish barn, and an 18-year-old young man is found dead. As Kate and the police force, and other agencies investigate there is evidence that it was arson. Who would want to harm a young man who the community has considered a “good boy”. What secrets did the deceased have? Questions arise as to who is the victim?
There are twists and turns, and dark deep secrets. Many of the people in this community seem to have motives and revenge for the death. Things get dangerous when Kate is shot at. Is her getting to close to the truth? I would recommend this novel to those readers that are a fan of Linda Castillo, or enjoy a mystery filled with intense suspense.
A true “who done it”! Linda Castillo’s A Gathering of Secrets weaves a suspenseful spiral of secrets in a quiet Amish community leading readers to an intriguing crime scene. The storyline twists with page turning intensity and her characters are interesting and provocative! This was my first Linda Castillo novel but will not be my last! Down a Dark Road is now on my TBR list. If you are a Lisa Gardner fan or Chevy Stevens you will enjoy A Gathering of Secrets! On sale this Tuesday 7/10/18!
This is the tenth book in the series so now I have to get the first nine to read. But don’t fret – This book can stand alone. The only part I didn’t get was the main character’s backstory, but that was definitely not a deal-breaker. This book is suspenseful and fast paced – very hard to put down.
The story begins with Amish teenager Emma Miller hanging herself. Then in the aftermath of a barn fire six months later, the body of Amish teenager Daniel Gingerich is found. When the fire is ruled an arson and it is determined that Gingerich was deliberately trapped inside the barn, left to burn alive, it falls to Painters Mill Chief of Police Kate Burkholder, a former member of the Amish community, to investigate Gingerich’s death and subsequently Miller’s death. Are they related? The community says Gingerich was well-liked and a hard worker. So why would someone deliberately leave him to such a gruesome death?
In typical small Amish community form, Kate’s inquiries are met with tight lips. The Amish keep to themselves, and Kate is an outsider. What secrets are they keeping? Secrets that someone will kill to protect. As the violence continues within the community, Kate has flashbacks of her own violent past that led her to flee from her family and her own close-knit community.
Kate has a team of very likeable, dedicated officers. I loved their interactions and look forward to reading the earlier books in the series to learn more about them. I appreciated how Kate used her knowledge of the Amish ways to try to put people at ease during her investigation. And, of course, there is her boyfriend Tomasetti, a member of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, who is there to support her as her violent past haunts her.
Castillo is a masterful storyteller. She skillfully builds the suspense, revealing secrets with precise timing, knocking me off balance just as I thought I had it figured out. Even though most of the characters were Amish, they were perfectly relatable, with the emotional reactions to violence, death, betrayal, and fear that are universal to all cultures. It was a bonus to learn a bit about the Amish people. This is another reason I am eager to read her earlier books.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing me an advance copy of this book.
Where do I begin with this! First, a recap.
A young Amish man is found dead in a barn that was on fire. Let me add this: the fire was set on purpose. It is up to Chief Kate Burkholder to find out what, when, why, what and how. This is the 10th book in a series, but you could really read it as a stand alone. However, it made me immediately want to start book one in the series.
I am a huge fan of Amish fiction. However, a word of warning. If you like Christian/Amish fiction, you may like this, but be forewarned, it is darker than most Amish fiction. There are curse words and Amish folk that have left the fold and are quite bitter, most for good reason.
The other interesting aspect of this is the main character, Chief Burkholder used to be Amish herself. So, she sometimes struggles between her current life and her past roots.
I am so excited that this is a series and I have the opportunity to go back and read 9 other stories in this series. This book is due to release next month, July 2018. I highly recommend it. I read it in a very short time.
I received an advance reader’s copy from Minotaur Books. I just love them! No review was required.