ISBN: 978-1250121318
Publish Date: July 10th 2018
Read Date: 06/27/2018 - 07/05/2018
Thank you to St. Martins Press and Minotaur Books for an advanced readers copy for my honest review.
As 'A Gathering of Secrets" is book #10 of the Kate Burkholder series and not having read any other books both in the series or by Linda Castillo, I was leery of this one because I worried I would be lost and confused. Missing only the backstory of Kate Burkholder, the main character, this book flowed well as a stand alone and you are provided enough information through the story-line to understand a large part of the characters previous life.
Amish communities keep to themselves, they are deeply religious and incredibly private people. There is a large number of subjects that are not spoken of within the Amish communities and their households. Even more so, what must be kept secret from the people not in the Amish circle. The Amish handle their own business, and are not keen on outsiders.
But, Even the Amish can't hide their secrets for long.
Kate Burkholder is an ex-Amish, small town Police Chief of Painters Mill Ohio. She's loyal to her job, her co-workers, her boyfriend and still respects her former life. Within her small town there is a large Amish presence, including the family she left.
It has been six months since the suicide of a local Amish girl. 17 year old Emma Miller, a seemingly depressed girl went against her beliefs and took her own life. Now, 18 year old Daniel Gingerich has found himself in his families barn expecting a late night hook -up. Only for Daniel, this is the end.
It's Four O'Clock in the morning, Chief Burkholder receives a phone call from the dispatcher notifying her of a barn fire on the property of a local Amish family. During the same phone call, she learns that the teen son of the barn owners is missing, one Daniel Gingerich.
Chief Burkholder soon learns the firefighters located a body inside the fire, locked and barricaded inside the tack room. Based off descriptions given by the Amish teen boys family,the key being his beloved pair of cowboy boots A preliminary guess leads Chief Burkholder to believe it is Daniel. Shortly after, Daniels remains are properly identified and proper notifications are made.
Thus, the investigation begins. But the lingering question remains, who would want to murder a young Amish boy.
While conducting investigation interviews, Chief Burkholder is told by nearly all who knew Daniel Gingerich that he was an upstanding Amish boy and a strong, good worker, leaving her clueless as to how he ended up in such a position.
Chief Burkholder finally breaks through some barriers little by little and begins to learn that Daniel, being of Rumspringa age, is quite the wild-boy who loves the ladies. A new image of Daniel begins to form as Chief Burkholder starts wondering if his girl chasing has anything to do with his untimely death.
The closer Chief Burkholder gets to figuring out the killer, the more she is hit with barriers and less information. Finally, the investigation gets so close that it could, and almost does, cost Chief Burkholder her life. First she is shot at after being lured to a staged accident, then she is nearly met with the same fate as Daniel Gingerich.
Believing that the killer has been found Chief Burkholder feels like she can finally take a breath. Until she visits a local Amish store front and comes face to face with a piece of evidence she can't ignore.
While a large part of the book is Chief Burkholder providing bits of memory of what ultimately caused her to leave the Amish community, insights into Amish and their beliefs, as well as the Police procedural investigative elements. You are taken through the entire investigation, which is highly interesting and fairly accurate.
*** Mentions of rape and violence that may be triggers for some people****
