Sworn to Silence

Born and raised in the Amish community of Painters Mill, Ohio, Kate Burkholder left her home and faith far behind after a traumatic event. Now, 16 years later, because of her knowledge of the Amish community and her law enforcement background, she has been offered the position of police chief, with the expectation that she serve as a bridge between the Amish and the rest of the town. Kathleen McInerney tells this story with a clipped, unemotional delivery well suited to Castillo's well-pruned yet descriptive sentences. McInerney moves smoothly from the present to the past and back again as Kate battles her demons while trying to stop a grisly serial killer. An engrossing story--not for the faint of heart. N.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

Starred review from April 6, 2009
“A gun-toting, cursing, former Amish female
chief of police” stars in this excellent first in a new suspense series from romance veteran Castillo (Fade to Red
). When a serial killer strikes bucolic Painters Mill, Ohio, the killer’s signature—Roman numerals ritualistically carved into each victim’s abdomen—matches the MO of four unsolved murders from 16 years earlier. Police chief Kate Burkholder, who’s reluctant to dredge up the past, must keep secret that she knows why the old murders stopped. Not satisfied with the case’s progress, local politicos set up a multijurisdictional task force to assist, including a law-enforcement agent battling his own demons. The added scrutiny and the rising body count threaten to push the chief over the edge. Adept at creating characters with depth and nuance, Castillo smoothly integrates their backstories into a well-paced plot that illuminates the divide between the Amish and “English” worlds.