Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo

When a serial killer strikes bucolic Painters Mill, Ohio, the killer's signature -—Roman numerals ritualistically carved into each victim's abdomen- —matches the MO of four unsolved murders from 16 years earlier. Police chief Kate Burkholder, who's reluctant to dredge up the past, must keep secret that she knows why the old murders stopped. Not satisfied with the case's progress, local politicos set up a multijurisdictional task force to assist, including a law-enforcement agent battling his own demons. The added scrutiny and the rising body count threaten to push the chief over the edge. Adept at creating characters with depth and nuance, Castillo smoothly integrates their backstories into a well-paced plot that illuminates the divide between the Amish and English worlds.

A formulaic crime thriller. The plot contains the same tropes of violent crimes, sexual assault, damsel in distress, etc. The characters other than the narrator and her prince are mostly bland.

That said, the plot flows smoothly with no glaring holes. I especially like the information of the Amish and the minutiae details of the investigation process. The prose, while economic, is still palatable. Overall, a decent quick read.

Very very graphic. Lots of trigger warnings. Also forgettable

Es war ok. Werde sicher irgendwann nochmal zu einem Thriller der Reihe greifen, aber im Moment gibt es sehr viele andere Thriller die mich mehr begeistern. Daher war es wohl das letzte Buch vorher von ihr.

Mochte die Protagonistin, aber die Story war mir zu langatmig und wurde erste ganz am Ende spannend.

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader as part of a quick takes post to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness.
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When she was a teenager, Kate Burkholder left her Amish family and faith. Not long after that, she began a career in the Columbus, Ohio Police Department. Now she's been brought back to her hometown as Police Chief—she brings the ability to understand the language and culture of the Amish as well as the background in law enforcement among “the English.”

Then a victim of a grisly murder is found. And then another. There are similarities between these and murders that occurred in the area before Kate left home. Public pressure is mounting for a quick solution and city leaders bring in a State Investigator to “help” Kate out.

This was a solid read—with maybe a touch of melodrama here and there. I enjoyed this and see a lot of potential in the setting as this series continues.