MT Review: Her Last Breath: A Novel

I've finished "Her Last Breath" the 5th book in her Kate Burkholder series by Linda Castillo.

Product Description

An extraordinarily beautiful Amish woman, a dangerous femme fatale, is the central figure in a story that reveals a dark side of Painters Mill and its seemingly perfect Amish world.

A rainy night, an Amish father returning home with his three children, a speeding car hurtling toward them out of nowhere.

What at first seems like a tragic, but routine car accident suddenly takes on a more sinister cast as evidence emerges that nothing about the crash is accidental. But who would want to kill an Amish deacon and two of his children? He leaves behind a grieving widow and a young boy who clings to life in the intensive care wing of a hospital, unable to communicate. He may be the only one who knows what happened that night. Desperate to find out who killed her best friend’s husband and why, Kate begins to suspect she is not looking for a reckless drunk, but instead is on the trail of a cold blooded killer amid the residents of Painter’s Mill. It is a search that takes her on a chilling journey into the darkest reaches of the human heart and makes her question everything she has ever believed about the Amish culture into which she was born.

My Review:

The beginning opens with a father coming home with his three children when a car sideswipes them.  Kate takes the call and when she arrives she is horrified at what she sees.  When she realizes it's Paul and his children who is married to her best friend in childhood she is devastated.  There is only one survivor the oldest child David 9 years old but he is in bad shape and is taken to the hospital.

If that wasn't even enough she has to deal with her love life.  John Tomassetti her criminal investigator lover wants to move to the next step in their relationship - he wants her to move in with him.  She is wary and trying to deal with the situation without hurting John.

If that wasn't enough the remains of Daniel Lapp the rapist who attacked her when she was 14 years old is found in an abandoned mine.

This book was well written, fast paced and twisted plot with sick psycho villains who have no remorse whatsoever.  

4/5

MT Review: Gone Missing: A Thriller (Kate Burkholder) [Hardcover]

I've finished "Gone Missing" the 4th book in her Kate Burkholder series by Linda Castillo.

Product Description

Rumspringa is the time when Amish teens are allowed to experience life without the rules. It’s an exciting time of personal discovery and growth before committing to the church. But when a young teen disappears without a trace, the carefree fun comes to an abrupt and sinister end, and fear spreads through the community like a contagion.

A missing child is a nightmare to all parents, and never more so than in the Amish community, where family ties run deep. When the search for the presumed runaway turns up a dead body, the case quickly becomes a murder investigation. And chief of Police Kate Burkholder knows that in order to solve this case she will have to call upon everything she has to give not only as a cop, but as a woman whose own Amish roots run deep.

Kate and state agent, John Tomasetti, delve into the lives of the missing teen and discover links to cold cases that may go back years. But will Kate piece together all the parts of this sinister puzzle in time to save the missing teen and the Amish community from a devastating fate? Or will she find herself locked in a fight to the death with a merciless killer?

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo lives in Texas with her husband and is currently at work on her next book in this series, also set in Amish Country and featuring Chief of Police Kate Burkholder. Visit www.lindacastillo.com to learn more.

Product Details
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (June 19, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312658567
ISBN-13: 978-0312658564

My Review:

Agent John Tomasetti who works for the BCI (Bureau of Criminal Investigation) has asked Chief of Police Kate Burkholder (who is a former Amish) to help them with their investigation of finding Amish girls that are missing.  John has asked to be a Amish liaison.

Kate and John travel to different Amish communities within a 100 mile radius to find information about the Amish teens.  During their investigation they come to the conclusion all the Amish teens have something in common.  They are all rebelling against their extremely strict upbringing.  As Kate investigates further she finally deals with her Amish background and why she left that lifestyle.  John also deals with his nightmares of losing his wife and two daughters three years ago.  This case hits hard with John because the Amish girls would be the same age as his daughters if they had lived.

There were some truly vile suspects:

1.  A church that vocalizes their hatred of the Amish lifestyle and their Reverend leader that tries to covert their Amish teenagers;

2.  A photographer who was charged with taking pornographic pictures of Amish teens (without them knowing);

3.  An ex-communicated Amish man who helps those in need who want to leave the Amish lifestyle.

This book really held my interest with the well written storyline and well developed characters.  I read this book within a day that tells you how much I enjoyed it.  We learn more about Kate and John's past and how they are dealing with it now compared to when we first met them in "Sworn to Silence".  Their relationship even deepens but they don't know what to call it.

This book deals with the plot which is fast paced which leads to lots of twists and turns.  The book ends in a twist and turn even after we find out who the culprit is.

4/5

Books in series:

1.  Sworn to Silence
2.  Pray for Silence 
3.  Breaking Silence
4.  Gone Missing

Thanks St. Martin's Press for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!