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Worn by Amish
women and girls over their prayer caps for church or formal occasions.
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BOOK
ILLUMINATIONS
From Merrimon Book Reviews
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Sworn to Silence
by Linda Castillo
Intense
thriller with exquisite use of point of view!
After
only 2 years in homicide, Kate Burkholder is now the Chief of police in
Painter's Mill, a town often divided between its Amish and English
residents. As a former resident and a woman with an Amish
background herself, Kate might be just what the town needs to smooth
over the some of the rough spots. When the body of a woman
brutally murdered is discovered, Kate's past comes back to haunt
her. She knows the killer's identity but she cannot reveal the
dark secret of her past. Sworn to silence, she must choose
between betrayal to her family and her past and yet by withholding the
information, lives of young women might be at risk. As the body
count rises, Kate must race to solve the case as others watch her
decisions. Even with her secrets, will Kate
Burkholder be prepared for the shocking twists in the case?
Linda Castillo writes a dark thriller that will keep readers poised on
the edge of their seats, repelled by the twisted viciousness of the
crimes yet eager to see how Kate will thread her way through the
landmines of the past. From the first pages of the prologue,
Linda Castillo puts the reader in the position of the victim, making
one feel the pure horror and torture of her villain's actions.
Next to this brutality, she juxtaposes the simplicity of the Amish life
style and the innocent spirit of the victims even in the most
terrifying moments. Within this setting, Police Chief Kate
Burkholder's character draws the reader into the story. An
outsider now to the Amish community, she still carries some of the
values within her, values that allow her to see inside the heart of
others around her. At the same time, she possesses a gritty spunk
one would never associate with her Amish past. Tough and dynamic,
she doesn't hesitate to take the unusual unexpected step.
John Tomasetti, an outsider sent in to help the investigation, presents
several intriguing wrinkles into Kate's plans. In putting these
two non-heroic, tough flawed characters together on the case, both at
odds with one another and yet dependent on one another, Linda Castillo
creates a freshness and a depth in this chilling thriller. Even
the minor characters such as Pickles and Glock give this thriller a
nice touch, allowing the reader to see the many sides of the police
chief's personality.
In SWORN TO SILENCE, Linda
Castillo, a well-seasoned award winning author of romantic suspense
novels, makes her exceptional debut into the thriller genre with a case
that will shock and haunt readers. Linda Castillo allows
the reader to feel the point of view of the victims at the scene of the
crimes, not only those murdered, but the horror of those who discover
the bodies and the feelings of Kate and the families whose hopes she
must destroy. As the details of Kate's past become known, the
intensity only magnifies the emotional impact. Several plot
twists keep the interest right up to the last page, and even beyond in
anticipation of the next thriller featuring the complex and intriguing
Kate Berkholder. Linda Castillo has a fresh, rich voice as she
moves into the thriller genre. Be warned, however. From the
very beginning, SWORN TO SILENCE
takes the reader straight into the twisted world of the killer.
You might want to read this book during daylight hours or in one
sitting to avoid having nightmares or staying up all night with the
lights on. Many thrillers shock with gruesome details of crime,
but few take the reader through the scene with this kind of imagination
with such exquisitely written points of view, perspectives that bring
the crimes chillingly close to heart.
Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur (June 2009)
Author web site
Reviewed by Merrimon,
Merrimon Book Reviews
Review Courtesy of Amazon Vine
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