By Ande Jacobson
Linda Castillo’s seventh Kate Burkholder novel is After the Storm. In a sense, this book feels like a brief respite from the shocking crimes that Castillo has brought forth in the series so far, at least early on. Of course, when Kate Burkholder is involved things get complicated rather quickly. The book starts out with a celebration with Kate and John enjoying the company of Kate’s family for a change. Before the afternoon is out, a massive storm and tornado descends upon the little town of Painters Mill. Some areas are hit harder than others, and Kate and John attempt to help where they can. In the immediate aftermath, they attempt to rescue a young woman and her infant from a mobile home that has been ravaged by the storm. Another part of the cleanup involves a troop of Boy Scouts cleaning out the remains of a barn that was a storm casualty when they discover some bones.
Alas, these two events in the aftermath of the storm signal that the respite is over, and that’s when things start to get dicey. While the baby that Kate rescues surely would have died in the trailer without her help, it dies a short while later setting off a retaliatory lawsuit and threat against her that eventually shows she did nothing wrong, but the infant’s parents can’t say the same. The bones the scouts find also set off a chain of events that bring a horrific crime from the past to light and spawn some new crimes committed in part to hide and to avenge the past. As usual, Kate ends up in the middle of a dangerous situation because she doesn’t wait for backup, although to be fair, her actions are necessary to prevent even more destruction and injury.
Castillo brings in many aspects of Amish life in this series, and in this installment, she takes a deep dive into the divide between the Amish and the Mennonites. While both sects stem from a similar history, the Amish are far more insular and judgmental overall. In some ways, the Mennonites who don’t ascribe to the most conservative interpretation of their doctrine can be seen as the gentler branch of the Anabaptist tree embracing modernity and not shutting out the outside world to the same degree as the Amish. If an Amish person and a Mennonite person seek a relationship though, they’ll likely get resistance from both communities, but the Amish disdain for the Mennonites takes a dangerous turn in this story echoing a Romeo and Juliet type past.
Castillo examines relationships from numerous angles in this story, some reaching well back into the past. Kate’s and John’s relationship is a constant since they got together early on, and there are various obstacles that they navigate mostly dealing with the dangers associated with being police along with the fact that both of them carry serious scars from tragedies in their lives before they met. The other relationships Castillo explores are unique to the insular communities that play such a prominent role in series. As the investigation into the bones unravels, Kate is drawn toward an amicable young woman who she suspects was somehow involved in a crime, although it takes a while to determine whether it was in the past or the present.
Through the course of the story, Castillo educates readers on some of the aspects of Amish farms. Most of the Amish in this series are farmers, most raising some animals along with various crops. There are some differences in the facilities depending on which animals are raised. The types of barns used for various animals is relevant to the plot this time as there are differences between farms where horses and chickens are the only animals vs. those that also raise pigs. And as becomes clear, pigs can be very dangerous. Because they don’t use modern transportation, most Amish families have at the very least a horse or two to pull their buggies. They also sometimes use bicycles to get around, although that’s not a very reliable mode of transportation in the snows of winter.
The prose itself has a few editorial errors as is common in this series, but they are minor and don’t detract from the flow of the story. The series moves quickly, and readers who’ve read more than one of the books in the series quickly learn the pattern of the story arcs. An initial crime is described, sometimes in the present, and sometimes in the past. Either way, that crime isn’t as simple as it initially appears and is important later in the story. Castillo also hides some crucial aspects of the initial crime. As Kate uncovers the truth, she ends up in physical danger. She eventually is either able to get herself out of the situation, or she’s rescued by a member of her team or John but not without first suffering a serious injury. In this series, it is surprising that she’s survived to her early thirties given the dangers she’s faced as the Painters Mill police chief. It’s also a little surprising that she ends up in the field as much as she does as the chief, but to be fair her police department is small, and she’s also got a stubborn streak pushing herself to finish what she starts, even when she really shouldn’t.
Castillo’s characters are colorful and engaging, although some of the perpetrators aren’t fully developed. For those who are, the crimes they commit are understandable.
All in all, Castillo gives readers a thrilling ride and an interesting puzzle or two to solve.
Kate’s team includes:
- Mona Kurtz – the night shift police dispatcher
- Lois Monroe – the day shift dispatcher
- Jodie Metzger – the newly hired second shift dispatcher
- J. Banks – the youngest police officer on the team
- Rupert “Glock” Maddox – a former Marine and Kate’s most experienced officer
- Chuck “Skid” Skidmore – another veteran police officer
- Ludwig Coblentz, the local coroner and physician
- Roland “Pickles” Schumacker – a retired officer who serves as an auxiliary officer and brings a wealth of experience and expertise to any case
- John Tomasetti – a BCI officer and Kate’s boyfriend
The primary Kate Burkholder series includes:
- Sworn to Silence (2009)
- Pray for Silence (2010)
- Breaking Silence (2011)
- Gone Missing (2012)
- Her Last Breath (2013)
- The Dead Will Tell (2014)
- After the Storm (2015)
- Among the Wicked (2016)
- Down a Dark Road (2017)
- A Gathering of Secrets (2018)
- Shamed (2019)
- Outsider (2020)
- Fallen (2021)
- The Hidden One (2022)
- An Evil Heart (2023)
- The Burning (2024)
- Rage (2025)
There are also a few Kate Burkholder novellas beyond the primary series, but they are side stories and break from the formula and tone of the primary series though still involve Kate and company.
References:
Sworn to Silence, by Linda Castillo
Pray for Silence, by Linda Castillo
Breaking Silence, by Linda Castillo
Gone Missing, by Linda Castillo
Her Last Breath, by Linda Castillo
The Dead Will Tell, by Linda Castillo
After the Storm, by Linda Castillo
A Good Reed Review 