Linda Castillo has the formula down pat: Her Kate Burkholder installments always start out with a horrific crime in the Amish community where Kate is the small town sheriff (who used to be Amish). This one starts out with two: a young girl ends her own life and six months later a young man is trapped in a barn and burns to death in a suspicious fire. There will be more crimes committed and close calls that put someone in law enforcement in danger (usually Kate). If you are new to the series, there is some of the back story provided in this 10th book but to get a true flavor for the history that informs Kate and her live in (but still secret lover) lover - you need to read them all and in order. I’m still a fan - Castillo gets how separate and unforthcoming the Amish are. It always seems to take Kate a few trips of questioning family, friends, witnesses and victims in the Amish community to get the information needed to uncover the real criminal from a long list of suspects.
The pace is good and there are a few blind alleys and lots of suspects for the reader and the sheriff to choose from. But after 10 novels, it makes me laugh that this small sleepy town with a handful of employees in the sheriff’s department have crimes that result in more even crimes and multiple assaults or deaths! Kate has been living with Tomasetti for two years and she still thanks that no one knows?! Suspend your cynicism a little bit and you’ll enjoy the series. Kate is a modern woman: conflicted, smart, emotional, and professional.