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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When you have a barn building, murder, secrets, conspiracy and the setting of an Amish community you have the makings for a great read. I really enjoyed this murder mystery by Linda Castillo. It was a quick and entertaining story, perfect for a rainy afternoon and cup of hot chocolate.
Each Kate Burkholder book gets better as Kate grows more comfortable in her job and her relationship with Tomasetti. This case brings up unpleasant memories of Kate’s childhood which she must deal with as she tries to solve the murder of an Amish teenager. Nothing is what it seems to be. A riveting read.
I might be slightly obsessed with the Kate Burkholder series by Linda Castillo. I love the twists and turns and the surprises along the way. Even though all the books keep the same central characters the plots are never routine. In A Gathering of Secrets we are thrown into another brutal murder in Painter’s Mill and Kate is determined to find the killer. I don’t do plot synopsis in my reviews. But I do tell you if the book is worth your time. A Gathering of Secrets is definitely worth your time! The only problem you might have while reading the book is avoiding whiplash. Just when you think you know the answers to the murder Castillo jerks you the completely opposite direction. Now, you will have to excuse me because I’m getting ready to read the next book in the series.
5 Stars
Love this series.
I really enjoyed this audio book! It has a wonderful plot that is unique. I love how the author describes her feelings while gathering the clues to the murder. The main character bares her heart out to solve the crime and describes how it relates to her past. I want to read more from this author. It is a great book.
First off, Linda is one of my top favorite authors. This book came out a while ago, yet I just finally read it. There was no hesitation to read it, I just wanted a time when I could sit and read whenever I wanted to (vacation) and not have to pine over “What happens next?”, while sifting through my workload. I do not agree with some of the reviewers who think this story was not as good as Linda’s others or redundant. I have not read a disappointing Kate Burkholder story yet. I do wish we could have gotten the murdered boy’s familys’ take on the issues, and I have a need to know the outcome of the trial, something we will probably never will (but please, Linda?). Otherwise, for me, A Gathering of Secrets was just as exciting, gripping, gritty and good as all the others. Can’t wait for the next one and have already pre-ordered the new short mystery, In Plain Sight and looking forward to Shamed, out in July, I believe.
This book while tragic keeps you guessing and leaves you with the question is justice always served
As always, Castillo delivers a good read. I started this book at 2 p.m. and kept reading until it was done at 2 a.m. The only negative comes from reading all of her books about these characters. When the mystery seems to be solved,I know to expect another plot twist and a few more chapters. Maybe in the next book there should be no end of the mystery until the real end!
A Gathering of Secrets by Linda Castillo is the tenth A Kate Burkholder Novel. Kate Burkholder, the police chief for Painters Mill, gets a late night call about a barn on fire at the Gingerich’s. Kate arrives and is told that Daniel Gingerich is missing. It looks like an accidental barn fire until Daniel’s body is found inside the locked and barricaded tack room. Someone wanted to make sure that Daniel did not survive the fire. Kate begins her investigation, but the Amish in Painters Mill are less than forthcoming. Despite being raised Amish and having family in the community, Kate’s uniform and position holds her apart. She is determined, though, to find out who murdered Daniel and set fire to the Gingerich’s barn. The more Kate learns about Daniel, the more unsettled she feels. Can Kate break through the wall of silence to get the answers she needs?
I do not recommend reading A Gathering of Secrets on its own. While it can be read alone, you will miss out on Kate’s backstory. Why she is no longer Amish, how she become the police chief, her relationship with John Tomasetti, and how she gets along with her family. In A Gathering of Secrets, we follow Kate as she delves into Daniel’s life. She gathers evidence, interviews family and friends, follows up on anonymous tips, etc. Kate finds herself once again in a situation that endangers her life. I am amazed that she allowed herself to fall for the one incident. Kate has enough experience to know better (I would say more but it would be a spoiler). A Gathering of Secrets contains good writing and I like Kate’s character. She is a strong, smart woman who does a difficult job. It cannot be easy being English in a community where you grew up Amish. I would like to see Kate grow more as a person. It is time for her to move beyond what happened to her as a teenager (she will never forget it, but she needs to find a way to deal with what happened to her so she can have a future). I was disappointed that A Gathering of Secrets is exactly like the nine books before it. The author seems to follow a formula for her books and she is sticking with it. The descriptions are the fire, the body and other crimes are vivid and explicit. There is an uncalled for amount of foul language as well. I liked that the author included different Amish sects (Beachy Amish and Swartzentruber) and explained the differences. The mystery had depth, but the solution was obvious. I kept hoping there would be a surprise/twist that would shock me. I was amazed at the amount of violence from non-violent people. My rating for A Gathering of Secrets is 3 out of 5 stars (it was okay). While I was not enamored with A Gathering of Secrets, I will read the next A Kate Burkholder Novel.
Not just another Kate Burkholder story, but the best one yet. Daniel had a tragic end, BUT did he deserve it? With many twists in this book you would think you would have whiplash from reading it, but Linda Castillo knows how to keep a story moving smoothly, you will be on the edge of your seat though so make sure its a comfy one. A must read if you like a great suspense/mystery/haunting story.
i loved this book and the entire series i cant wait for the next one i love Linda Castillo she’s one of my favorite authors !!!
Have enjoyed this series and haved learned a lot about theAmish society.
Linda Castillo never fails to deliver and “A Gathering of Secrets” is no exception. Believable characters great story line and an incredible and believable insight to the Amish community. All I can say I look forward to the next book in this series. Castillo never fails to deliver great reading.
Laurence Hamlin
Hard hitting in your face action from the beginning gives this book a punch into the world of secrets and discoveries in a small community of the Amish . I was shocked at the opening pages and wondered where the story was heading. I must say it was realistic and opens the door to something that happens more often than we know.
I loved how the author weaved the characters together to a place were they connected in a way that unleashes terror in a small town. The fire that was mysterious started in a barn takes the life of Daniel Gingerich. He was respected in the community and seemed to be a good kid. As the story progresses, the dark hidden side of Daniel starts to emerge. I was so upset reading what this young man did , I wanted to scream and cry at the same time. I wonder how much of this is done that is never reported?
When the investigation continues into his death, people aren’t so free with information. It has always surprised me that the Amish don’t really like the police and would rather keep things within the community. Kate is having a hard time piecing together who killed Daniel. One thing is clear however; Daniel has led a double life and it seems to have caught up with him. I loved how strong Kate is and her unique way of getting information. She is sharp and very intuitive. There is a bit of strong language in the book, but don’t let that stop you from reading a chilling, well written story that explodes with suspects and secrets that will shock a community to its core. Who killed Daniel Gingerich? The ending is powerful and I was very surprised at who the guilty person was.This is one of the author’s best books written to date. Grab a copy and find out what secrets can get a person killed.
I received a copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion.
Holy cow, what a phenomenal book!!
Kate Burkholder is a kick ass female character, and a police chief working to solve a murder in the Amish community. I could not put this book down. The twists were awesome.
Awesome book by Linda Castillo!
I have read every book and short stories buy this author. Love the main characters of the series and a glimpse of Amish life.
The Gathering of Secrets by Linda Castillo is my first book that I have read. Even though this is #10 in the Kate Burkholder Series it can very well be read as a standalone. I thought being #10 in a series I would be lost but that was not the case. I really enjoyed reading this book. I really want to go back and read the first nine. This was a very intriguing mystery. What seems to be any easy crime to solve turns out to be the exact opposite. I thought I knew who was the arsonist and murderer but in the end I was wrong. Thank you to Minotaur Books and Ms. Castillo for the opportunity to read and enjoy a new to me author.
This is my first book by Linda Castillo but it won’t be my last. The story takes place in Ohio in the middle of Amish country. A barn fire in the middle of the night turns tragic when the body of a young Amish man is found inside. When Police Chief Kate Burkholder starts investigating it appears to be murder. Kate battles the Amish aversion to dealing with the English, even though Kate grew up Amish. Picking through the leads to determine if the community is hiding secrets or just following their belief for privacy.
I absolutely loved this book! It is the 10th book in the series but it can be read as a standalone. I will be going back to start at book one so I can get the back story on the main characters. The author grabbed you from the very beginning of the book and held my attention right to the end. I felt like I knew the characters and could understand what they were thinking and feeling. Linda did a great job of dropping in clues that had you thinking one thing only to find out something totally different. The story was wrapped up nicely. I recommend this book for anyone who loves a good thriller. I want to thank the Publisher and Goodreads for this book.
This story pulled me in from the beginning, the mystery and secrets kept me turning pages. It was a journey into a world that I have always been curious about but had never read about. The story line is full of secrets and a tight community that doesn’t trust outsiders, even when they used to be a part of it. The characters are well-developed and the twists will keep you guessing. This is my first experience with Linda Castillo and Chief Kate Burkholder, though it is book 10 in the series, and I thoroughly enjoyed the foray, so much that I will be looking into earlier novels, as well as waiting to see what happens in the next installment.
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