OUTSIDER (2020)

Outsider (Kate Burkholder #12) by Linda Castillo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

On a day when summer heat and humidity has finally arrived, reading a story where everyone is snowed in seems the perfect choice to cool off. And if you haven't been following the series, book #12 in the Kate Burkholder series can be read as a standalone.

Starting with a bang, the story is off and running. A policewoman from the big city, who can't think of any place safe to run from dirty cops, seeks out her old friend Police Chief Kate Burkholder, who runs the Police Department in Painters Mill, a tiny community in northwest Ohio where many residents are Amish. Kate herself grew up Amish but left the order.

In a massive snowstorm on a back road in Painters Mill, the wounded Gina crashes her car. An Amish family out for a sleigh ride comes across the damaged half buried car and begins a search for the driver. Helping those in need is the Amish way.

FIRST LINE: "She'd always known they would come for her."

WHAT I THOUGHT: The first Kate Burkholder story I discovered was Her Last Breath #5 (Jul 17, 2015). The I quickly devoured Sworn to Silence #1 (July 21, 2015) and Pray for Silence #2 (July 26, 2015). Then I stopped because I found the crimes against the Amish, especially the young women, too overwhelming. But because the series is so popular, I decided to try again. I'm glad I did. Although violence and death occur, there is more than enough life and happiness to balance the story. The reader knows just enough of what is coming to anxiously keep turning the page.

All the characters are well-established so that you care what happens to them with, of course, the exception of the villains.

Although the narrative shifts from third person to first person, it is done seamlessly. There were red herrings along the way that added to the tension.

One of the delightful things about this series is the author's inclusion of Amish language and customs.

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.This entry filled in a lot of backstory for Kate and how she left her Amish family and became a police officer in Columbus. The ending ensures there will be a #13 entry in the series!

Disclaimer: A copy of Outsider was provided to me by Minotaur Books/Net Galley for an honest review.

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (July 7, 2020)
ISBN-10: 125014289X
ISBN-13: 978-1250142894

Originally from Ohio where her Amish thrillers are set, Linda Castillo knew from an early age that she wanted to be a writer--and penned her first novel at the age of thirteen.  She's published thirty books for three New York publishing houses and won numerous industry awards, including a nomination by the International Thriller Writers for Best Hardcover, the Golden Heart, the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence, and a nomination for the prestigious Rita. (from her website)