Sworn to Silence (Kate Burkholder)

Sworn to Silence (Kate Burkholder)
by Linda Castillo

Sworn to Silence (Kate Burkholder)
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Book Summary Information

Author: Linda Castillo
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2010-05-25
ISBN: 0312374062
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Minotaur Books

Book Reviews of Sworn to Silence (Kate Burkholder)

Book Review: Nothing new, but still enjoyable
Summary: 3 Stars

Plot: small-town police chief Kate Burkholder lands a serial killer investigation. The current murders match murders from 16 years ago. But Kate, formerly of the Amish community, is certain it's not the same killer, as she killed the guy way back then when he attacked and raped her.

"Sworn To Silence" covers the same ground as millions of crime thrillers before it, with a police team trying to determine whether a series of murders is the work of a copycat or the same killer. This book doesn't quite get it right, relying far too heavily on Kate's belief that Daniel Lapp - the man she shot (when she was only 14) after he attacked and raped her - is the perpertrator of the original crimes. However, author Castillo never bothers to illuminate exactly why Kate is so convinced Daniel Lapp was the original killer. Did he confess? Did she or her family find trophies from his kills? No, he was a rapist, so he MUST also be prone to torture and evisceration. We're supposed to just go along with this assumption, but any seasoned reader of crime novels will recognise it for the red herring it is. Similarly, the identity of the killer was badly handled. Was it actually supposed to be a surprise? FBI Agent John Tomasetti gives his profile, then just a few pages later we get the history of a character who matches much of that profile!

This is a very familiar work, borrowing from many novels that has come before it. You can comfortably predict everything that is going to happen. Nevertheless, while "Sworn To Silence" covers all the essential plot points for this genre, it does so at a nice, pulse-quickening pace. Castillo pays attention to detail and police procedural accuracy (waiting around for lab results etc), but never lets the proceedings lag: there is always something happening. I find it much easier to forgive unoriginal, predictable plotting when it's presented in such a fast-paced fashion. There's a gritty edge to the proceedings, the romance angle is believable but subdued, and the Amish angle is also handled well. If you're looking for an unpredictable, original thriller you'll strike out here, but Castillo does have a very good handle on pacing and suspense.

Summary of Sworn to Silence (Kate Burkholder)

A killer is preying on sacred ground....

 

In the sleepy rural town of Painters Mill, Ohio, the Amish and ?English? residents have lived side by side for two centuries. But sixteen years ago, a series of brutal murders shattered the peaceful farming community. In the aftermath of the violence, the town was left with a sense of fragility, a loss of innocence. Kate Burkholder, a young Amish girl, survived the terror of the Slaughterhouse Killer but came away from its brutality with the realization that she no longer belonged with the Amish.

 

Now, a wealth of experience later, Kate has been asked to return to Painters Mill as Chief of Police. Her Amish roots and big city law enforcement background make her the perfect candidate. She?s certain she?s come to terms with her past?until the first body is discovered in a snowy field. Kate vows to stop the killer before he strikes again. But to do so, she must betray both her family and her Amish past?and expose a dark secret that could destroy her.

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