After a stint in the "big city" and graduation from the police academy Kate returns to her hometown in Ohio as the police chief of the force of four. I wasn't sure I'd get past the prologue to this book. It is gruesome and graphic, but gripping. It appears that a vicious serial killer who last killed 16 years ago has returned, and Kate is having nightmares about her last encounter with this monster.
Make no mistake, there's a lot of blood in this one--too much for my taste. The story itself is exceptionally well told. The characters are so well-developed, and the plot so well drawn that, in spite of the gore, I had to keep going. In fact, I'll probably want to read at least one more in the series to see how (or whether) some of the personal relationships expand, and whether the Amish community will continue to hold to its long held tradition of limited communication with "the others."
If you're not put off by blood, guts, and violence, this is one series that promises to be a long running, well-written one for lovers of the genre.
Author: Linda Castillo
Publisher-Format: Minotaur, Hardcover (2009) 336 pages
Subject: violent murder, secret keeping
Setting: Painters Creek Ohio (fictional town)
Series: Kate Burkholder mystery
Genre: police procedural mystery
Source: public library
Posts
Yes, a couple of her books ...I think the first two at least..ok, maybe all, had some very violent, almost shocking scenes. I am not loving that...but I think for these books it was necessary, to sort of set the difference between these shocking crimes and the lovely, peaceful settings.
ReplyDeleteI like the interesting personal story of the main character but I think the violence will keep me from this one.
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed this authors style in the past -- on the list this one goes. Have a great week Tina.
ReplyDelete