ABOUT THE BOOK:
In this electrifying new thriller in the New York Times bestselling series, a convicted murderer is on the run and Chief of Police Kate Burkholder must catch him before he strikes again.
Eight years ago Joseph King was convicted of murdering his wife and sentenced to life in prison. He was a "fallen" Amish man and, according to local law enforcement, a known drug user with a violent temper. Now King has escaped, and he’s headed for Painters Mill.
News of a murderer on the loose travels like wildfire and putting Chief of Police Kate Burkholder and her team of officers on edge. A nightmare scenario becomes reality when King shows up with a gun and kidnaps his five children from their Amish uncle’s house. He’s armed and desperate with nothing left to lose.
Fearing for the safety of the children, Kate leaps into action, but her frantic search for a killer leads her into an ambush. When King releases her unharmed, asking her to prove his innocence, she begins to wonder whether the police are hiding something, and she embarks on her own investigation to discover the truth.
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MY REVIEW:
Down a Dark Road by Linda CastilloMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Down a Dark Road by Linda Castillo is a 2017 Minotaur Books publication.
Another solid addition to this outstanding series!!
Do you ever really forget your first crush?
For Kate, Joseph King was the first boy she ever had tender feelings for. But, eight years ago, he was convicted of murdering his wife and sent to prison. However, he has managed to escape, and although it’s foolhardy, the first thought in his mind is his children.
Apprised of the situation, Kate isn’t convinced Joseph would come back home, but when he ambushes her, a standoff ensues, with tragic results. But, Kate soon comes to believe Joseph might not be the person who killed his wife.
Compelled to investigate the matter out of respect for her old friend, Kate manages to stir up a hornet’s nest, putting her career on the line and maybe even her life.
I love cold cases and this storyline fits neatly into that category. The author once again does a terrific job of portraying the Amish community and how is contrasted with the ‘Enlischers’. Kate, of course, understands bother sides of the equation, which is a big help in many ways, but also works against her in some cases.
Her past friendship with Joseph complicates things for Kate. Not only are her loyalties questioned, but she is also in danger of losing her hard won battle for respect in the law enforcement community. It looks like the odds are against her, but Kate is determined to get to the truth. In the meantime, some shocking revelations spill out, with repercussions, no one could have seen coming.
I will admit I was onto parts of the game, early on in the story, but the well -placed revelations and twists still kept me on my toes.
As always, the characterizations are stellar, and my familiarity with the cast only makes that even more impressive. The story is well constructed, deeply absorbing, with just the right blend of emotion, action and suspense, with the added personal touches capping everything off.
This is one of the best mystery series out there right now. Kate is a balanced character that makes her identifiable and likeable, but her background and the darker aspects of her life, also makes her a complex character with many layers.
The roadblocks and difficulties of communicating with the Amish, takes away the usual avenues of investigation at times, and the team must resort to old fashioned leg work to solve the case, while working around some deep -rooted suspicions and peculiarities of the residents.
This setup never fails to fascinate me, with the only drawback being I finish the book too fast and have to wait too long for the next one!
Overall, this was a very satisfying installment in this superb series!!
GET YOUR COPY HERE:
https://www.amazon.com/Down-Dark-Road-Burkholder-Novel-ebook/dp/B01NCNGVL3/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/down-a-dark-road-linda-castillo/1124568773
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Linda Castillo knew from an early age that she wanted to be a writer—and penned her first novel at the age of thirteen. She’s published thirty books for three New York publishing houses and won numerous industry awards, including a nomination by the International Thriller Writers for Best Hardcover, the Golden Heart, the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence, and a nomination for the prestigious Rita.
Her debut thriller, SWORN TO SILENCE, garnered starred reviews from Library Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, and Booklist—and spent four weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. The following books in the series also hit the NYT and USA Today lists and became international bestsellers. Recently, SWORN TO SILENCE was adapted into a two-hour original movie re-titled AN AMISH MURDER and starring Neve Campbell as Kate Burkholder.
In her spare time, Linda enjoys trail riding, and dabbles in barrel racing. She resides in Texas with her husband, two rescued Blue Heelers, and two Appaloosa horses. She’s currently at work on her next novel, a thriller set in Amish Country and featuring Chief of Police Kate Burkholder.
