Gone Missing is the fourth installment in a gripping series of Amish thrillers by Linda Castillo. The books feature Kate Burkholder, chief of police in the small town of Painters Mill, Ohio. The area is home to a large Amish community, and Kate’s Amish upbringing uniquely qualifies her to bridge the gap between the Amish and non-Amish when there is a crime to be investigated.
In this case, Kate is called away from Painters Mill to consult with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation regarding a series of missing persons, all of whom are Amish teenagers in the midst of their rumspringa. During this time, the young people are allowed to engage in behaviors outside of the traditional strict rules, prior to making the commitment to join the church. Now several of them have disappeared and the Amish have called in the police after being unable to locate them on their own.
Working closely with state agent John Tomasetti, Kate brings her knowledge of the Amish to help the team gain as much information as possible from the families of the missing teens. The search becomes even more intense once a body is discovered, and the investigators race against time to find the others while they are still alive. Their findings take them in several different directions as they follow every lead they can dig up, with the truth becoming more and more sinister the closer they get.
With Gone Missing, Castillo gives us a chilling tale that shows us it is not always possible to avoid evil, no matter who we are or what we do. The story is well-rounded, with good characterization, fast-paced action and a fascinating setting that is rarely seen in a suspense novel. In the midst of this, we also see some romance, as Kate and John explore the tentative relationship that began earlier in the series.
Just in case you are thinking this is like your typical Amish novel, I should tell you that there is some swearing and sexual activity, as well as the violence and gore associated with the crimes that have been committed. This is not meant to warn you off of the book, merely to give you a heads up if thrillers aren’t your usual genre. For those who enjoy a good mystery, or are willing to give them a try, Gone Missing and the rest of the Kate Burkholder series would be a good place to start.
To celebrate the release of this book, St. Martin’s Press is providing a giveaway package (open to US addresses only). Simply leave a comment below to enter, and we’ll announce the winner on July 25th. This giveaway is now closed.
One (1) winner will receive:
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.
Don’t miss a thing: Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed or video reviews on YouTube. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook.
You can visit Trish online at her blog, In So Many Words.
Samantha says
This book looks exciting! Thanks!
amy deeter says
thanks for the chance
Joy F says
Sounds great, would love to read. Thanks.
Denise Donaldson says
looks like a great book!
itsjustme62613 at gmail.com
Susan Smith says
Sounds like a great book.
Jill L says
Thanks for the heads up. Sounds like a good book, but would have been a little shocked if I would have picked it up without your review.
Kim W says
Sounds interesting, great review
angela dupree says
I can’t wait to read it and then pass it to my neighbor to read it.
Erica C. says
I love a good murder book!
Crissy M says
This sounds like a great book! I need something to read on the beach
Storm, the Psychotic Housewife says
This sounds like my kind of book!
Brenda C says
I love reading about new stories coming out!!! thanks!
martin dupree says
I want to read this book!
Jammie says
I have been wanting to read this book, growing up in Michigan we have a lot of Amish communities. Thanks for the giveaway sweepmorey at gmail dot com
stephanie gregory says
I love reading new books! Thank you for the chance.
Jennifer M says
That sounds like an interesting read.
r hicks says
want to read this as the plot sounds interesting
brich22 at earthlink dot net
Derek T says
I would like to read this, looks like a great book!
Kayla says
I love reading new books! Thanks for the giveaway!
beth shepherd says
This sounds like a great read.
thank you
[email protected]
julieh says
This sounds like a great read for my vacation next week.
Beth Palacios says
Looking forward to reading this book!
Jennifer Reed says
Thank you for the book review and the giveaway chance.
reejen at comcast dot net
Heidi Back says
Sounds like a good read!
Gianna says
Thanks for the giveaway!
Marie Howard says
i’d be interested to try. i do avoid gore, i usually just skip it.
Jennifer Speed says
Sounds like an interesting read
joel.sternenberg says
i can use it