Another pretty great read in the Kate Burkholder series.

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Castillo has yet to fail in finding darkly creative ways that even the gentle Amish mess up their lives with. What I think I like about this series so much is the sense of community in a mostly rural part of the country (that I have visited), the tightness of the police team, insights into the Amish lifestyle and their interactions with the Englishers, love in the context of past pain, and just the right level of evil (not too scary and definitely not light). Great sense of authenticity.

This excellent series is one I often recommend, but also suggest starting at the beginning with Sworn to Silence.

3.5 stars. A solid installment.

These books never get old for me. Easy to read and I find the crossing over of Amish and English to be an engaging piece. While I seem to see some of it coming, there’s always a piece I miss!

First book I read in this series and I’m hooked! Kate has to follow a very tough case. Not only there are so many suspects after finding Daniel burned in a barn but she’s also facing her own past as she faces Amish women and their sexual harassment experiences.
Very interesting!!!

I received an egalley from NetGalley and a physical ARC of #AGatheringofSecrets from @Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review of this novel. Like all the previous Kate Burkholder novels that I have read, this book is a wonderful read. Each of her novels gets better as the series goes on. This novel was exceptional with a wonderful storyline that left me wanting more. It was a definite page-turner that continues the evolution of Kate Burkholder as well as her relationships with Tomasetti and her fellow crew of officers on the Painter's Mill police force. I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait for her next novel in this series. #AGatheringofSecrets @LindaCastillo @MinotaurBooks

A timely topic and I enjoy the progression of the characters' personal stories, but I do hope the author breaks out of her formula for the next one. As always, the insight into Amish culture was interesting to me; I always learn something new.

Five stars. A 'courtesy' five stars--meaning that Linda Castillo's Kate Burkholder series has grown, matured and made it to the point where a new book would automatically be on my 'to read' list. And a kind of high point in the series of books.

The things that make a book good--interesting, evolving plot, unique characters, the aforementioned progression--are all here. Castillo wanders into Kate's deep subconscious in this one, and it helps, a lot, to know what happened to Kate when she was an innocent Amish teenager. It makes this story richer, and Kate's angst over the young Amish women more believable.

So--as a standalone, a very good book. As a body of work, rising to the level of 5 stars.

“’Sooner or later all of these weird little secrets everyone is keeping are going to come to light.” I put the vehicle in gear and pull onto the road. “When they do, we’ll have our answer.’” (Page 130, A Gathering Of Secrets: A Novel, Linda Castillo

Hideous secrets regarding horrible themes have always been a major part of the books by Linda Castillo. That tone was set from the very first book in this series, Sworn To Silence. That fact is certainly true in her latest, A Gathering Of Secrets.

Chief of Police Kate Burkholder got the call around 4 am that the Gingerich barn, located at their farm a couple miles outside of Painters Mill, Ohio, is on fire. A barn fire is a disaster, but with the help of the neighbors they can rebuild. A far bigger concern is the fact that Miriam and Gideon Gingrich can account for their other children, but not eighteen year old, Danny. He is missing and nobody has any idea where he might be.

By the time Chief Burkholder got to the farm, the scene was controlled chaos as volunteer firefighters and others worked to put out the massive blaze at the Amish family farm. She organized the first stages of the police search for the missing teenager, but it is only after the horrendous fire is out that a body is discovered. Whether that badly burned body was the remains of Danny as Chief Burkholder and others suspect will take time to determine. Who that person was and what happened is the launching pad for A Gathering Of Secrets.

A powerful and intense novel from start to finish that again refers to earlier events in this very good series while also exploring the frequent themes of justice and vengeance. Along with making sure to keep readers entertained with the evolving stories of numerous secondary characters, author Linda Castillo weaves another interesting tale of mystery and intrigue through the main storyline. A storyline that will strike a painful chord for a significant portion of her readership.

This series has always contemplated dark truths while encouraging the reader to think about justice, punishment, and more. Such is the case in the latest in the series, A Gathering Of Secrets. Highly recommended as is the concept of reading these books in order starting with Sworn To Silence.

A Gathering Of Secrets: A Novel
Linda Castillo
http://www.lindacastillo.com/
Minotaur Books (St. Martin’s Publishing Group)
http://www.minotaurbooks.com/
July 2018
ISBN# 978-1-250-12131-8
Hardback (also available in eBook and audio formats)
320 Pages
$26.99



Book provided by the good folks of the Dallas Texas Public Library System.



Kevin R. Tipple © 2018

This was another great Kate Burkholder mystery. I love these books because I can never guess who the bad guy is. Whenever I think I’ve figured it out, the author throws another plot twist at you. These books are exciting and easy to read. I don’t think any of the other books are about arson, so that made this one unique. I also really like Kate’s character, I’m always rooting for her. Most of the other characters in this book were likable too. I did have some questions at the end though. I think the author assumes some things are self explanatory, but I like things to be explicitly stated at the end of a mystery. Overall, this was a great book for mystery lovers.