Among the Wicked: A Kate Burkholder Novel (Kate Burkholder, 8)

I have read all of her Kate Burkholder books and I really like her writing style and I like her characters. I was loving this book up until about 2/3 of the way through. In fact, I thought it was one of her best. However, the last third of the book introduced a new plot line that really had nothing to do with the Amish community or the crime Kate was investigating. Also, the main villain that Kate had been investigating through the first two thirds is nowhere to be seen for the rest of the book. He’s never confronted and forced to explain his actions. The way the story ends makes the beginning make no sense. Who was she running off to meet? We’re never told what actually happened to the person that started the whole investigation. I would still recommend people to read this series, but I’d like to see the author develop the main story and not feel the need to throw in unexpected twists that end up abandoning the original story.

I have read all of the Kate Burkholder novels and they just keep getting better and better!. I am still amazed at how much Linda Castillo can take us into the lives of the Amish people. I was so engrossed with Among the Wicked I could not put it down, and read it through the night. Only a few books have been that amazing to keep me up through the night. If you enjoy these series you won't be disappointed. It was fast moving, suspenseful, and riveting. A+ A must Read.

Linda Castillo does not let the reader down. Even if the book starts slow, she always has a twist or two at the end that grabs the reader and does not let them go. She slowly winds the story through the people and places and when you think you might have it figured out, there is that last piece of the puzzle that is just waiting to fall into place.

Police Chief Kate Burkholder is asked to go to Roaring Springs, New York to investigate a death in an Amish community. Since she was raised Amish, she is the ideal candidate for this undercover assignment. She knows that inattention to detail and trusting the wrong people can turn things sideways quickly but that is not going to stop her. There are still 40 children in this community and if they are in danger, she needs to move quickly to move them to safety.

Fifteen-year-old Rachael Esh, a girl with many secrets, has been found dead. There is no plausible reason for this young girl to wander into the woods during the middle of a snowstorm mile from her home. Even more troubling, OxyCotin had been found in her bloodstream and even more perplexing is that she had recently lost a baby. No one in this tight Amish community will talk, and with Kate’s past, she is determined to find out what happened and bring either an answer or justice for this young girl who had no one else to speak for her.

There were some strange goings-on in this Amish settlement once Eli Schrock took over, but no one was talking and the fear is palpable. Establishing herself as a recently widowed woman looking for a new community that was adhering to the old ways, Kate was slowly accepted. Unfortunately, there were a few that did not trust her and knowing that she had only a short time to gather what she needed, she poked one too many beehives and what flew out was both unexpected and life-threatening.

What is amazing about this book is that the clues were there the whole time. Speckles and dots that were left like breadcrumbs leading to the final showdown and until you get to the end; you did not realize them for what they were.

I borrowed this book from the Library and I enjoy this author's books. When I first started reading the book I was quickly absorbed into the story. However, there are a number of unanswered questions that leaves the reader wondering what happened at the end of the story. The story ended without being finished.
SPOILER ALERT!!!
Why did the Bishop murder an entire family? The murder/suicide, was it how it appeared because there was questions as to what really happened...more murders? Also, what happened to the pregnant girl living with the B after she had her baby?
I will continue reading Linda's books in the future just hope the next story has a finished ending.

Among the Wicked is a fantastic book. I love all of Linda Castillos books and they get better and better. In this book Kate Burkholder is asked to step away from her job as chief of police of Painters Mill, Ohio and pose as a widowed Amish woman. There has been a death of a young Amish girl found frozen to death with OxyContin in her system, in the woods outside the town of Roaring Springs in upstate New York. She also had a recent abortion. All of this odd for a young Amish girl. Bishop Shrock is running the Amish community and has pulled his followers further away from the rest of the townspeople. Frank Betancourt senior investigator with the BCI division and Deputy Superintendent Lawrence Bates with the BCI are requesting Kate to go undercover. Kate is willing but it is a frightening road ahead. This book moves at a rapid pace and I absolutely loved it.

As this eighth book in the series opens Kate Burkholder - Chief of Police in Painters Mill, Ohio - gets a visit from two law enforcement officers from New York State. Sheriff Dan Suggs and Investigator Frank Betancourt are concerned about the suspicious death of Rachel Esh, a 15-year-old Amish girl from Roaring Springs, New York. An autopsy showed that Rachel had drugs in her system and had undergone an abortion....very unusual for an Amish girl.

Moreover there are rumors of 'bad things' going on among the Roaring Springs Amish, who recently got a new Bishop named Eli Shrock. It seems that Bishop Shrock is much stricter than his predecessor and may be using harsh punishments to enforce his rules. The officers can't investigate any of this, however, because the Amish people keep to themselves and don't speak to the "English" police.

The New York cops, feeling particularly concerned about Amish children and teens in Roaring Springs, need an undercover agent to infiltrate and investigate. Kate is the perfect person for the job since she grew up in an Amish family until the age of 18 and can speak Pennsylvania Dutch. (Note: Kate's reasons for leaving the Amish community are discussed in previous books in the series.)

So Kate borrows some Amish clothing from her sister, packs up a couple of guns and a cell phone, and heads for Roaring Springs. Kate's boyfriend, Agent John Tomasetti, disapproves of Kate's potentially dangerous undercover assignment but she promises to be careful. And what can happen in an Amish town after all? As things turn out, quite a bit.

As soon as Kate arrives in Roaring Springs she dons her Amish clothes and makes it her business to visit the Amish run coffee shop and quilt store. She introduces herself as Kate Miller from Ohio, a recent widow who's looking for a more orthodox Amish community, like Bishop Shrock's. Kate rents a small trailer home whose one advantage is electricity (which the Amish don't use). Kate then buys a used scooter, hides her gun and cell phone under her clothes, and goes about her business. She frequents the coffee shop, joins a quilting circle, and attends an Amish church service. Kate takes every opportunity to talk to people and ask questions - trying to scope out the situation and find out about Rachel.

Kate quickly senses that something's wrong in Roaring Springs. The people seem unusually furtive and paranoid, and some sport odd injuries. In addition, while walking through the woods one night Kate comes across two Amish men on snowmobiles, wearing ski masks and doling out rough treatment to two female passengers. When Kate reports these occurrences to the Bishop, his behavior is DECIDEDLY OFF. Soon afterwards Kate experiences some rough treatment herself, for being a 'nosy Amish woman.'

Kate periodically calls Sheriff Suggs and tells him about all the suspicious behavior and violent occurrences. The law enforcement officials are concerned for Kate's safety but she's determined to stick it out...fearful that the local youngsters are in danger. Kate valiantly carries on and - in some exciting scenes - puts her life in danger while she tries to discover what's going on and who's involved.

I like this series, both for the mystery elements and the descriptions of Amish life and culture. That said, I was a little disappointed with this book. Most of the criminals are pretty easy to identify and the major crime is one which shows up a lot in books and TV these days.....thus not too original. Also, the perps get caught well before the end of the book, which then mosies along to the last page. My major criticism is a spoiler, so it's at the bottom of the review.

Still, this is an enjoyable book, recommended to mystery fans - especially people who like the Kate Burkholder series.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for a copy of this book.

SPOILER ALERT BELOW

BEWARE. SPOILER ALERT. BEWARE. SPOILER ALERT.
My biggest criticism is that the author recycles a plot device - to do with a law enforcement office - from an earlier book in the series.

I am never disappointed when I get my hands on a Kate Burkholder story by Linda Castillo. Among The Wicked is the eighth book and there are three novellas. It is as strong as the first in the series! Ms. Castillo’s writing style pulls me in and keeps me reading as Kate suffers the trials and tribulations of solving another crime involving the Amish. The climax had me stunned with a great plot twist!
Police Chief Kate Burkholder is asked to go on leave in Painters Mill, OH and go undercover as a plain widow in an Amish community in upstate New York to discover what happened to a young Amish girl found frozen to death and the possible abuse of children. As Kate becomes familiar with the Amish of this community, she is puzzled by the extreme reverence and/or real fear of the families towards their Bishop. She becomes aware of disappearances, physical punishments and strange youth counselling by or with the blessing of Bishop Schrock which would never happen in any other Amish community.
Kate’s questions not only focus on the possible crimes in the community, but are self-directed as well. She and BCI Agent Frank Tomasetti’s personal lives are moving along well, but she misses the sense of community the Amish women experience. She has to deal with her feelings about her Amish roots, which need to be made without blinders to keep herself safe and alive in the present. The evil in this Amish community is more than anyone was expecting.
Thank you very much to St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley for giving me a free eARC in exchange for an honest review. I love Kate Burkholder!

Really enjoyed the main character(s) and the overall story. Great depiction of the hard work done by small town police stations to keep their community safe.

I don't understand how this gets 68 percent 5 star reviews. I put the book down when I was on page three because I find this writer gets more irritating with every book. Oddly enough, usually the plot line isn't so much the issue; it is the writing itself that is poor. The prose is terrible. Kate's character gets more unlikeable with each book. She's either feeling faint and shaking or she's feeling something at the back of her neck (a phrase she uses way too often), or she's being the hero of the day, without much in between. She uses the same phrases over and over again. So many paragraphs start out: I walk. I sit. I enter. I fall backwards. She uses the phrase "this is when I realize" and I'm a cop" to the point of distraction. The author stops on every page to fill in details that don't matter. She explains what EVERYTHING looks like. She 'mansplains' her way through umpteen books. I was so hoping that these would get better with time. So weird though; how some books are better written, yet have way less going on in the story line. This is the true opposite, where the story and characters have so much potential, but they are written poorly.

very very happy with my book. it is in very good condition.