Review of "A Gathering of Secrets: A Police Chief Kate Burkholder Novel" by Linda Castillo

In this tenth book in the 'Kate Burkholder' series, Kate - the Chief of Police in Painters Mill, Ohio -investigates the arson death of a young man. The book can be read as a standalone.



*****

The Amish community of Painters Mill, Ohio seems serene, but there's trouble brewing beneath the surface. First, 17-year-old Emma Miller wakes up one morning, does her chores, then hangs herself. Six months later, 18-year-old Daniel Gingerich sneaks out to the barn expecting a midnight tryst. Instead, Daniel is locked in the tack room and burned to death.



When Police Chief Kate Burkholder starts investigating Danny's death she learns that the tack room door was not only locked from the outside, but blockaded with hay bales and a wheelbarrow. Who would do such a thing? Interviews with Danny's family, close friends, and employers provide few clues, since everyone says Danny was a great guy and a good worker.

Further inquiries, however, reveal that Danny had a wild streak, and had taken advantage of being on Rumspringa to drink whiskey and buy a car. Danny also liked to attend Amish singings (gatherings of teens), and often invited Amish girls to attend with him. Danny was an amiable fellow and had little trouble luring girls into his orbit.....and not only at singings.



Kate suspects that Danny's eye for the ladies may have led to his death, but inquiries among the Amish go nowhere. The Amish seem to live by the aphorism, "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil", and zip their lips. 😑



Moreover, Kate - having been raised Amish before she left the fold - knows that Amish people hide their heads in the sand when it comes to sexual abuse/rape of women. Their first reaction is, 'it doesn't happen', and their second response is, 'if it happens, it's the woman's fault.' NOTHING could be worse for victimized young girls.

Much of the book is a police procedural, following Kate and her police officers as they question persons of interest, gather clues, study CCTV footage, look into anonymous tips, and so on. Lucky for Kate, her boyfriend John Tomasetti is an agent for the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and his help is invaluable - especially his connections with fingerprint experts and the like.



As evidence accrues, Kate is reminded of an incident in her past - one so traumatic that it led her to abandon the Amish community. (This issue crops up often in the series, and I for one wish it would be put to rest already.)

There's also some excitement in the novel, and - at one point - Kate is lured into a deadly situation and has to make a 'shots fired' call.



Fair enough, since this couldn't be anticipated. It bothers me though, that Kate later waltzes into ANOTHER dangerous predicament.....without backup. I wouldn't go so far as to say Kate is TSTL, but really girl - you need to learn from your experiences!! 🙄

During the police probe, deep secrets are revealed and more deaths ensue. In the end, Kate figures out exactly what happened, and it's a sad story all around.....one made worse by everyone's silence.

I enjoy the series' tidbits about Amish society, and I like that Kate uses Pennsylvania Dutch when she speaks to Amish people. (I have a smattering of German - which is a similar language - and I like to try to suss out the meaning before I read the translation.) In this story, we also learn a little about two different Amish sects: the Swartzentruber Amish - which is very strict....



.....and the Beachy Amish - which is more liberal.



The story is a compelling page-turner, but the novels in the series are becoming too formulaic (IMO). The pattern goes as follows: there's a crime among the Amish population but no one wants to talk to the police....which usually results in additional trouble. I'd love to see something a little different in future books.

Still, I'd recommend the book to readers who like mysteries, especially Kate Burkholder fans. 🙂💚

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Linda Castillo) and the publisher (Minotaur Books) for a copy of the book.

Rating: 3 stars