I’d give this more stars if I could! I have read every book in this series and Kate Burkholder is one of my favorite characters ever. Some books in this series I have liked more than others and i have given 4 stars to some of the books but this one was fantastic. The dilemma of when someone does some horrible things and is killed because of them, how hard do you really want to work to figure out who did it was a great dynamic.

Great installment. Heavy on the police work and the mystery aspect. I loved Mona's moment in this novel as well. The series seems to be trending back in the right direction after some real misses earlier down the line. This plot centered around a young Amish man who was burned alive in his barn, and the revelations that followed kept the story and characters moving. There was a fair bit of danger without being overly dramatic, although I was a touch disappointed in the big reveal as I had guessed it quite a bit earlier.

A deadly barn fire reveals the body of 18-year-old Daniel, a well-liked Amish boy. At first glance the intentional death of Daniel is perplexing but Chief Burkholder is never one to give up. As Kate starts asking questions within the Amish community she finds herself getting one-word answers or nothing at all. Eventually, after asking enough of the right questions a story starts to emerge and it reveals a very different Daniel than the one Kate was told about. The investigation takes a turn and Kate's personal past trauma is triggered. She has a job to do, find the person who killed Daniel in the barn fire. But it's hard to do when it seems like maybe Daniel deserved what he got.

At the beginning of the book, if memory serves, in the acknowledgments Castillo mentions this title was hard to write and she needed a lot of help and support. After reading it and the crime for which Daniel is punished I think I understand why she had a hard time. Sexual predators are sometimes obvious, other times they are wolves in sheep's clothing. Regardless of how they present themselves to the world, they are evil and the temptation to extract vigilante justice on them is a real thing. Castillo tackles this sensitive topic through the lens of the Amish community. It was a hard, but excellent, read and addition to the Kate Burkholder series.

yep-read it in a day. Couldn't put it down with all the twists and turns!

"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 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."

Always a good read!

Wouldn’t want to live in Painter’s Mill (too many murders), but I’m always happy to visit. I enjoy the characters and can’t wait to see what’s next for them.

A Gathering of Secrets by Linda Castillo

First I’d like to thank Minotaur Books & Ms. Castillo for the opportunity of receiving an advanced copy of A Gathering of Secrets (#10 in the Kate Burkholder series) in exchange for an honest review. There is nothing greater as an avid reader than the discovery of a new author and a new genre of reading & I was so fortunate to gain both with this novel. Coming into an established series so late I was concerned that I would be lost or wouldn’t be unable to connect to the characters and that was most definitely not the case. I connected with Chief Kate Burkholder right from the start and I was drawn into the story from the very first page & was so excited to see where this journey would take me. A Gathering of Secrets is a face paced, thrill ride with tons of twist and turns every time I thought I had solved the case I was proven to be wrong which kept me wanting more. Knowing that Amish fiction was a new genre for me I enjoyed how Ms. Castillo incorporated the language and explained their culture that was discussed throughout the book. I wasn’t even halfway through the book when I ordered novels 1-9, and plan on purchasing the novella’s too as I move through & get caught up.
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3.5

I got to read an Advance copy through NetGalley and I was THRILLED.
I just devoured this book.
Castillo's writing is getting better and better with each book - that being said, you don't need to read the previous 9 in the series to enjoy this book.
This book, like most of the Kate Burkholder series, begins with a crime in Amish country. This one happens to be the death of an 18 year old young man who....what ensues is the unraveling of this crime and the unearthing of all the sordid details and people connected to his death.
This book is a page turner and thrilling - well done!!!
I would love if she went more in depth with her relationship with Tomasetti in future books, but other than that, it was fantastic.
If you are a fan of Linda Castillo, you will be SO HAPPY with this book - if you are new to her, this one will have you HOOKED.
As usual I can't wait until the next one.