Among the Wicked

A Kate Burkholder Novel

By: Linda Castillo

Narrated by: Kathleen McInerney

Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's Summary

Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called upon by the sheriff's department in rural upstate New York to assist in a developing situation that involves a reclusive Amish settlement and the death of a young girl. Unable to penetrate the wall of silence between the Amish and English communities, the sheriff asks Kate to travel to New York, pose as an Amish woman, and infiltrate the community.

Kate's longtime love interest, State Agent John Tomasetti, is dead set against her taking on such an unorthodox assignment, knowing she'll have limited communication - and even less in the way of backup.

But Kate can't turn her back, especially when the rumor mill boils with disturbing accounts of children in danger. She travels to New York, where she's briefed and assumes her new identity as a lone widow seeking a new life. Kate infiltrates the community and goes deep undercover.

In the coming days, she unearths a world built on secrets, a series of shocking crimes, and herself, alone...trapped in a fight for her life.

©2016 Linda Castillo (P)2016 Macmillan Audio

Critic Reviews

"[Narrator Kathleen] McInerney's masterly technique makes aural sense of the plain and kind Amish people bewildered by the violence, thuggery, and corruption that have come among them. McInerney's characters are alive, all human and believable...." ( AudioFile)

Love This Series

Maybe Tomasetti was right. Maybe I’d get up there and find myself in over my head. Then I thought of the dead fifteen-year-old Amish girl, the forty children at risk, and an Amish community that has fallen under suspicion, and I realize that I didn’t have a choice. All I can do is my best. It’s all any of us can offer. I hope it’s enough.”

FINAL DECISION: I am in love with these books. They satisfy my love for mystery and romance. This book has a mystery that kept me guessing and even gave me a jolt of surprise at the end. At the same time, I felt a deep connection with Kate as a character.

THE STORY: Police Chief Kate Burkholder is asked to take on a potentially dangerous undercover assignment. She is to infiltrate an Amish community in New York to see what is going on in the reclusive group because there are hints that children may be at risk including a teenager recently found dead. Kate’s background growing up Amish makes her the only reasonable option, but this assignment increases tensions with her live in lover.

OPINION: I have become a big fan of the Kate Burkholder books. They are a perfect melding of mystery with romance. This book allows Kate to consider her choice to leave her Amish community and explore a what-if life while aggressively pursing the mystery of what is happening in this New York state Amish community.

This case cries out for Kate’s particular talents since she grew up Amish. There is something strange going on in this small Amish community and police need someone to go undercover. With a charismatic and intensely conservative bishop, the community has shut itself almost completely from the surrounding community. Kate is pretty happy in her current situation and so this assignment shakes up her life a bit.
Kathleen McInerney was truly amazing with the delivery of the story

Another Good News, Bad News Disappointment

The good News is the story is interesting and Kathleen McInerney is flawless - as usual. But in the last two Kate Burkholder novels, (this and ‘After the Storm’) Linda Castillo has turned the Chief of Police into an airhead with a death wish. I hope she stops allowing her main character to be so illogical and rash, and stops having her partner, Tomasetti, continue apologising when he’s in the right.

The ending felt unfinished

I liked this book a lot but the ending didn't seem like an ending! I have a few unanswered questions like who was the pregnant girl living with Shrock? What did Rachel know that got her killed? why was Schrock trafficking women?

Like Visiting A Good Friend

Still after eight Kate Burkholder’s adventures in this series, I pre-ordering then count the minutes for each of Linda Costello’s latest to go live. I will continue to get so. I enjoy this strong character that is also sweet to those that live in a manner that she has not chosen for herself. The secondary stories and characters are like old friends as well. I was thankful that the author took Kate on the road to another community and adventure, this time - I am not sure how much tragedy Painters Mill can take?

Questions left unanswered

Who was with the initial murder victim when she died, and why did he let her freeze to death. These questions were never answered, it really, really annoys me. I kept on waiting for the answers, but they never came. Very disappointing.

Inspired by real life, little originality

The Constructive Criticism: Sad to see the ever-constipated Tomasetti didn't relocate to Canada or something. I got into this series looking for Amish mysteries & find myself ear raped more & more each book. But I'm determined to follow a series through. Hint: You can now skip the romance section of the book between Kate & Tomasetti & not miss a single thing. A wonderful mystery skips the heavy romance. There's books for that. He has way too many personality issues & the "tough cop" Kate blindly falls victim.

Real Life Amish Wisdom from someone who knows: The book uses 3, maybe 4 Pennsylvania Dutch phrases at least 30 times during the story. With a translation each time. By the end of the story you hear 3-4 phrases that are extremely rarely used that no longer required to have a translation. Like Tomasetti's repetitive name & constipated voice, it's overdone.

Sad to say most of the series has a great story line. However, this was unmistakably the Sam Mullet case straight from the newspaper. Interesting that the Bishop in the story is named "Shrock" which is also the same as Mullet's family. It was disappointing. With the twists here & there the author could have made this an amazing story. But it was a condensed version of Mullet & the stereotypical Bergholz Ohio story.

I hope if future Kate Burkholder books are written (which I do hope for) please ship Tomasetti off to Europe or something without Kate. He's pulling her character down. Otherwise, wonderful characters. I just don't care for the continually depressed character that makes everyone elses life miserable with a constipated voice that you can't take seriously during all the unnecessary romance & sex scenes.

Disappointing.

Have always loved her books. This one was no where near the caliber of her others.

Lacking Suspense

Predictable & boring, there was so much untapped potential. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

not as good as others in series

I found this one harder to listen to that the other books in this series. I missed the normal characters acting as support.

Performance is great but WAY too many TSTL moments

There is the base for a great story here but it is ruined by the SO MANY TSTL moments. I listened to book on audio while on a long drive and I think I spent the last two hours or more yelling at my car radio about how stupid Kate was!

First of all, a police chief should have figured out part of what was going as soon as a particular element was introduced (no spoilers). Secondly, so many idiotic moves on her part. Anyone who watches any kind of cop shows, hell, even who watched Murder, She Wrote, would have known not to some of the things she did. But a trained LEO? Ridiculous. I’m beginning to think Kate is getting dumber with each book I read.

Additionally, her relationship with Tomasetti continues to be problematic. The declarations of love and particularly her declarations about how he’s her home and accepts her for who she is are continually belied by the conflicts they have and more and more I’m viewing Kate as the problem. Her continual need to keep information from him certainly indicates a lack of trust and respect in the relationship. And if I were him, after this case I’d be thinking twice about staying with her.

And it’s too bad because the beginning of the story and the setting and elements laid out looked like the setup for a great mystery/crime story.

The performance of the story is very well done though.

Better than expected

After reading the reviews, I was apprehensive about book 8, in this series but I enjoyed it, one of my favourite.

Conclusion really disappointing

I love Linda Castillo stories. Love the characters and settings. This story did not hold up Kate Burkholder managed to get over every object put in her way, not believable, and the conclusion made it clear that she wouldn't have lasted five minutes in that hostile environment. Disappointing.

An Amish community in trouble.

Chief of Police Kate Burkholder leaves Painters Mill to go undercover in upstate New York. She goes into a reclusive Amish settlement to followup on the death of a young girl. Things on the outside look OK but the wall of silence within the community makes it hard to understand what is actually going on.

Kate takes on the assignment against the wishes of her partner John Tomasetti which doesn't bode well for their relationship.

I really enjoy this series of books but recently read a review that talked about the annoyance of Kate's and John's insecurity. I am in agreement with that reviewer! They need to take a risk!!

However, another good story read beautifully by Kathleen McInerney.