Pray for Silence

By: Linda Castillo

Narrated by: Kathleen McInerney

Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's Summary

New York Times best-selling author Linda Castillo delivers an electrifying thriller in which Chief of Police Kate Burkholder must confront a dark evil to solve the mysterious murders of an entire Amish family.

The Plank family moved from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to join the small Amish community of Painters Mill less than a year ago and seemed the model of the Plain Life—until on a cold October night, the entire family of seven was found slaughtered on their farm. Police Chief Kate Burkholder and her small force have few clues, no motive, and no suspect. Formerly Amish herself, Kate is no stranger to the secrets the Amish keep from the English—and each other—but this crime is horribly out of the ordinary.State agent John Tomasetti arrives on the scene to assist. He and Kate worked together on a previous case, during which they began a volatile relationship. They soon realize the disturbing details of this case will test their emotional limits and force them to face demons from their own troubled pasts—and for Kate, a personal connection that is particularly hard to bear.

When she discovers a diary that belonged to one of the teenaged daughters, Kate is shocked to learn the girl kept some very dark secrets and may have been living a lurid double life. Who is the charismatic stranger who stole the young Amish girl’s heart? Could the brother—a man with a violent past, rejected and shunned by his family and the Amish community, has come to seek out revenge? As Kate’s outrage grows, so does her resolve to find the killer and bring him to justice—even if it means putting herself in the line of fire.

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

©2010 Linda Castillo (P)2010 Macmillan Audio

Critic Reviews

"Though the violence level is high, the brutality is offset by Kate’s and her team’s very capable police procedure and investigation. Another solid effort that will appeal to fans of Karin Slaughter and Tami Hoag.” ( Library Journal)

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.
If you found this review helpful please indicate so.
Thank You.

17 of 19 people found this review helpful

Too Predictable

Had killer figured out early so just a matter of time to get to the end.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Good Story Line, Great Performance

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Time well spent as far as the story goes. However, the focus on personal emotional trails and tribulations grew tiresome.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Recommend but don't expect surprises

I recommend this book if you're looking for a fairly routine crime thriller with an Amish slant. Actually the Amish slant is probably the most interesting part of the book though I feel like a voyeur at a circus. I quite like the 'gutsy, with angst', police captain though a tad too emotional for the job. There's a bit too much 'mills and boon' for a crime novel.

The narrator wasn't bad at all. At first I found her 'girlish' high pitch irritating but I got used to it and she does a great job with the different character voices.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

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.

8 of 10 people found this review helpful

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.

6 of 8 people found this review helpful

Good plot but writing is cliche

I really want to like Linda because I have enjoyed the first two plots but the writing is lazy. She repeats herself, she uses a ton of cliches and it is just not tight. They are more of an beach read and one that can be enjoyed. I would probably not listen to one again because I become too annoyed.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

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.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

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.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Dead boring, prayed for it to end...

It was read well but the plot is painfully slow and predictable. The reader has a good voice but no emotional inflection.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Brilliant (Book 2)

In the small Amish community of Painters Mill an entire family of seven was found slaughtered on their farm.

Chief Kate Burkholder (former Amish) and her small team have few clues.
Then Kate discovers a diary that belonged to one of the victim and is shocked to learn the girls secrets.

State Agent, John Tomasetti, himself in trouble at work, arrives to assist.

Can be read on its own but follows on beautifully from Book 1, Sworn to Silence.