I really enjoyed the first book and was looking forward to reading the next in the series but found this book a bit of a disappointment. I realise that authors like even series books to be stand alone but there was a bit too much of referring back to the first book. There was also quite a lot of repetition throughout the book. The ending was, I felt, a bit far fetched. On the whole as a thriller it didn't really hit the mark. As a Police procedural novel it was probably slightly above average. I have read one of the novellas and enjoyed that so I will probably risk reading book 4 before I make a decision on whether to keep reading or give up on the series. Pray for Silence by Linda CastilloWhile not unique, the Amish backdrop in Linda Castillo’s Kate Burkholder novels is intriguing. What is unique is that her protagonist is a young, former Amish, female police chief in a small, rural Ohio town.In Pray for Silence, the second in the Burkholder series, an Amish family of seven is found brutally murdered on their farm, and Chief Burkholder and her small police force must investigate. Realizing she needs additional help, she calls upon her BCI pal, John Tomasetti, for assistance. There’s a problem with that, however. Tomasetti is on administrative leave due to a previously failed drug test; nevertheless, he is anxious to pick up his relationship with Kate and comes running to assist with the case.I enjoyed the first book, Sworn to Silence, but I felt that Kate did not seem Amish enough for someone who spent at least 16 years being raised Amish. She frequently drinks to excess, she swears like a sailor, she bums an occasional Marlboro, and she seems to have rejected religion. In Pray for Silence, Kate’s bad habits continue, making me wonder if Tomasetti is the only one who should be under the care of a psychiatrist to face his demons. In this book, Chief Burkholder does have more interactions with her Amish neighbors, of course, because the murders happened among them, and her knowledge of Pennsylvania Dutch is definitely an asset. We do get more insight to her feelings about her upbringing and events that happened to her as a teenager because she is strongly affected by what happened to one of the teenage female family members who was murdered.The descriptions of the murders and of the video evidence that is found are extremely graphic and disturbing, perhaps excessive for some readers. These crimes repulse Kate, and her response is visceral. She often struggles to maintain her composure and her professionalism; she reacts violently toward suspects then seeks solace afterward in a bottle of Absolut. While these reactions may not seem appropriate, they are understandable, and they make her seem very human. What doesn’t fit for me in this novel is that she is too close to the case emotionally because of her past, and against her better judgment, she allows Tomasetti to become involved in the case. Of course, the whole plot doesn’t work if these breaches in protocol don’t occur, but Castillo allows Burkholder and Tomasetti to take some big chances personally and professionally in this book. Despite the flaws and errors, I really enjoyed this book. The police officers, as well as the Amish characters, seem like real life folks. The plot has just enough twists and suspects to keep things interesting almost to the end. I would prefer less sensationalism in the details – so much sex and violence can be overkill, if you’ll forgive the pun. I do see development in Kate and John, and I look forward to seeing more growth in those characters as the series continues.4/5 stars
Do You like book La Lunga Notte (2010)?
Too graphic on murderer scenes and too much cussing.
—jodalts21
Another good mystery/thriller by this author.
—pam
