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Pray for Silence  By  cover art

Pray for Silence

By: Linda Castillo
Narrated by: Kathleen McInerney
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Publisher's summary

The New York Times bestselling author of Sworn to Silence delivers an electrifying thriller—Chief of Police Kate Burkholder must confront a dark evil to solve the mysterious murders of an entire Amish family

In the quiet town of Painters Mill, an Amish family of seven has been found brutally murdered on their farm. Chief of Police Kate Burkholder and her small force have few clues, no motive, and no suspect. Formerly Amish herself, Kate is no stranger to secrets, but she can't get her mind around the senseless brutality of the crime.

State agent John Tomasseti arrives on the scene to assist. He and Kate worked together on a previous case during which they began a tentative relationship, but each is wary of commitment. The disturbing details of this case will push them to their limits and force them to face demons from their own troubled pasts.

When Kate discovers a diary, she realizes a haunting personal connection to the case. One of the teenage daughters may have been leading a lurid double life. As the case develops, Kate's list of suspects grows. Who is the attractive stranger that stole the heart of the innocent young Amish girl? Did her estranged brother—a man with a violent past who was shunned by his family and the Amish community—come back to seek out revenge? Driven by her own scarred past, Kate swears she'll find the killer and bring him to justice—even if it means putting herself in the line of fire.

Topping her own bestselling debut, Linda Castillo once again immerses listeners in the world of the Amish with a chilling story that is both a fast-paced thriller and compelling psychological puzzle.

©2010 Linda Castillo (P)2010 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“This sequel to SWORN TO SILENCE, narrated by Kathleen McInerney, gives us the continuing tribulations of Police Chief Kate Burkholder and the town of Painter’s Mill, Ohio…With creativity and authenticity, McInerney skillfully navigates a wide variety of characters—from cops and criminals to the Pennsylvania Dutch-speaking Amish. Her performance takes diverse situations in stride” —AudioFile magazine

“Kathleen McInerney does an excellent job portraying this diverse cast...A compelling listen, well-written and expertly narrated.” —Publishers Weekly

“Kathleen McInerney portrays Burkholder's unquiet feelings and the complex feelings of a heroine who can't help remembering her own difficult teenage years growing up in the Amish faith.” —The Chapel Hill Herald

What listeners say about Pray for Silence

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Suspenseful...

Pray for Silence is the second book in the Kate Burkholder series. Again, I thought this was an excellent book. I'm not sure I understand why there are so many negative reviews. I found this book suspenseful, well written with believable and likable characters (the good guys anyway!).
These book are centered around the Amish community and aside from a really good story I also find them informative.
This particular book deals with the murder of an entire family. It all seems to go back to a young Amish girl/woman working at a shop in the community, her interaction with non Amish, her naïveté and willingness to trust.
Because Burkholder grew up Amish and had a traumatic experience as a child she takes this case very personally.
Kathleen McInerney does an excellent job narrating.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this series and will be purchasing the remaining books. I am already listening to book #3 and it is equally as good.
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29 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome!!! Betty from Butler, PA.

I am not normally a mystery listener, but I do love Amish stories of all kinds. This book kept me glued to listening. The narriator was wonderful, and the writing was detailed in a very good way. The killer is a mystery, but the reason is very normal in this troubled world. I read Linda's first book, and I would also recomend it very highly.

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10 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Not For The Faint Hearted

First off, if you are at all squeamish, stay away from this book. Linda Castillo is a very talented author that has a knack for being able to draw the reader into very horrific scenes describing every nuance to the point that not only can the reader see it, they can almost feel it.

Once again the Amish community of Painters Mill is rocked by the apparently senseless brutal killing of the entire Plank family. Called to the scene, Police Chief Kate Burkholder and her small force are thrown into one of the most horrific scenes that any of them have ever been witness to. Knowing once again that this is over her head, her first call is to State Agent John Tomessetti. They have a history, both professionally and personally, but Kate knows that if anyone can help her figure out this mess then it is John.

But John comes with his own demons, two and a half years ago his wife and daughter were brutally murdered and John threw himself into a downward spiral of prescription drugs and alcohol in which he "sucks them down with the self- destructive glee of an addict". Now on administrative leave and seeing an overly preppy therapist, John is on a road to recovery but he is not exactly the ideal patient. He wants back to work, he wants to be a contributing member of the BCI force and most importantly he wants to be with Kate and help her through this investigation.

Kate and John are drawn into Mary Planks life and into a world that she was ill equipped to handle. What had Mary gotten herself into? Who was this English boy that she writes about in her journal? They needed to find him. They needed answers as to why the whole family is now dead and Mary's cryptic writings may hold the answers.

The climatic ending was a bit predictable with a few "oh my gosh" moments. A couple characters stood out to me as reasonable suspects though Ms Castillo blended them into the background of the story she was telling. No one is above suspicion and the Kate Burkholder series teaches you to pay close attention all characters, not just the obvious ones.

This second book in the Kate Burkholder series after (Sworn to Silence) most certainly lives up to its predecessor. I highly recommend that you start there since there are many references to the Slaughterhouse Murders, which was the case that originally brought Tomasetti and Burkholder together.

Kathleen McInerney was good with the delivery of the story

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

The language is too foul for me.

What disappointed you about Pray for Silence?

It seems like every other word was a swear word. That is so offensive to me, that I have a difficult time following the story line.

What was most disappointing about Linda Castillo’s story?

see the above

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator was fine.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Pray for Silence?

All of the offensive language. I guess I'm just old fashioned.

Any additional comments?

I won't buy anymore books by this author.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Very expected - not worth a credit

I was really keen to listen to this story - i thought the Amish setting would give some interesting culture insights and that it did do. BUT the story line was so typical - strong woman who can hold up her own, thinking of the dark handsome man all the time - and then the unravelling of the mystery, just seemed too easy. This is really a romance hiding behind a mystery - not my cup of tea. Wont read this author again.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Cliched with Dumb Protagonists

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Kathleen McInerney?

No. David Suchet is the narrator against whom all are measured, and Ms. McInerney does not approach his greatness. She delivers the lines in one of three ways: 1) nervous stutter 2) over-the-top emotive or 3) threatening. Every scene requires one of them, apparently to the same degree. If the scene requires menace, it is treated with the same degree as the last scene that required menace. There is no modulation, but part of that is not Ms. McInerney's fault. The dialogue she is given to read is so terrible and cliched, that one could almost forgive her for the terrible narration. Almost.

What character would you cut from Pray for Silence?

All of them, including the author.

Any additional comments?

The main character (Kate) is obtuse and extremely annoying. On countless occasions, I rolled my eyes at her dumbfounded reaction to what a rationale person would believe are obvious conclusions or clues. In addition, Kate's constant brooding about her past quickly became tedious, and -- when combined with the plaintive narration -- made her into a self-absorbed character who couldn't contemplate the murders without repetitive comments and mournful regrets about her own past.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

a good listen

I enjoyed this book and as a result, will listen to books written by Linda Castillo again. She has a prequel to this book which I probably should have listened to first.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Such a disappointment!

Reading the description of this book prior to buying it, the plot seemed to have possibilities. Such a disappointment. The writing is sophomoric. The narration is worse. The characters were foolish. Profanity can be used within the confines of the character in such a way as to enhance the character. Here it seems to have been tossed in wherever possible to no apparent end. The author would have done well to find consultants to help with such things as proper use of police radios and the basics of handling a crime scene. The only positive I can give this effort is that the plot did have possibilities.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Sappy

Would you try another book from Linda Castillo and/or Kathleen McInerney?

Nope. I'm sorry I bought the 3rd one. I remember enjoying the 1st. But this one was sappy, painfully so. The narrator may have made it worse with her overly dramatic "heartfelt" this that and the other thing. Sorry -- just not for me.

Would you be willing to try another one of Kathleen McInerney’s performances?

I doubt it. Way too dramatic in a cloyingly sappy way. I returned another one she was reading after about 10 minutes because of the same thing. Granted -- some people may really like that style.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting story with elementary writing.

What made the experience of listening to Pray for Silence the most enjoyable?

The Amish element adds some interest. The story moved quickly, but contained suspense elements.

Who was your favorite character and why?

John, because he is damanged. Knowing it is a series, you want to learn move about him in future books.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene when Kate gets caught in the grain elevator. There are so many things going through her mind.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

It is a movie. That is why I first heard of the book. I did not see the movie.

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