Sworn to Silence

by: Linda Castillo

Published by: Minotaur Books

Reviewed by Patricia E. Reid

Painter’s Mill, Ohio is a quiet town and a large part of the community is Amish. The town suddenly comes awake with the possibility that there is a serial killer on the loose in the community. This is not the first time that Painter’s Mill has suffered the horrors of a serial killer. In the early ”˜90s four girls were killed in the area.

Kate Burkholder was just a young Amish girl at the time of the killings. Now Kate, no longer a member of the Amish community, is chief of police. Kate is horrified to think that the killer, known as the Slaughterhouse Killer, may have returned, although secretly she feels that is impossible.

The city council members push to have Chief Burkholder call other agencies for assistance but she hesitates. There is a secret in her past that she is afraid might come out if too many investigators get involved. Burkholder’s police force is small but loyal to her and willing to do anything to catch the killer.

When the City Council goes over the chief’s head and requests help from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI), the bureau responds by sending John Tomasetti. John has many problems, including drug and alcohol use, and some of the people at BCI feel that this is a good way to get John to voluntarily retire and leave the Bureau.

Kate is not happy to have John involved. However, these two people, both with pasts that haunt them, finally join forces to track down the killer who shows no mercy to his victims. John and Kate are two very strong characters that leave a lasting impression with the reader.

Sworn to Silence immediately shot to the very top of my “Best Books of 2009 List.” The crimes described are horrifying. The interaction between the Amish people and the “English” adds an extra element to the story.

NOTE: Linda Castillo is the recipient of numerous writing awards, including the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence, the Holt Medallion and a nomination for the Rita. She is currently at work on her next thriller, also set in Amish Country and featuring Chief of Police Kate Burkholder.

Armchair Interviews says: A 5-star thrilling ride from Linda Castillo that fans have come to expect from this prolific writer.

Author’s Web site: http://www.LindaCastillo.com