By Ande Jacobson
The twelfth Kate Burkholder novel, Outsider, delves into Kate’s more recent past. The Prologue starts with a deadly and graphic raid where the target, Gina Colorosa, barely escapes. Gina is the person who helped Kate the most when she first left the plain life. At present though, Gina has troubles, and she quickly brings them to Painters Mill. She’s a detective with the Cleveland PD, but there’s far more than readers are aware going on with the raid. She’s badly injured and barely gets away, but as she gets to Painters Mill, she encounters a horrific blizzard, and crashes her truck into a tree. As Gina comes close to freezing, Adam Lengacher happens by in his sleigh with his three young children. Adam is an Amish man who lost his wife only a couple of years before and is doing the best he can. Their initial meeting is less than ideal, but despite Gina’s off putting manner, he rescues her and brings her to his home to get her out of the freezing cold. She tells Adam to contact Kate Burkholder which he does. So begins a convoluted and dangerous adventure. The trouble that Gina left behind eventually follows her putting Adam and his children at risk, but Adam is model of Amish good will. When somebody needs help, he doesn’t judge them. He helps them.
When Kate arrives, she’s surprised to see Gina. Although they were more like sisters back in the day, a lot happened since then, and Gina is one of the reasons that Kate left Cleveland to return to Painters Mill as the Police chief. Theirs is a complicated and engrossing history. Fortunately with the storm and the whiteout conditions, they have time to recount much of it. Along the way, Gina tells Kate and John Tomasetti of the BCI some of what’s happening. Neither Kate nor John is sure she’s telling them the whole story, and things take a decided nasty turn before long.
Castillo deals with police corruption and abuses that go well beyond common decency in this one, and she shows that even well-meaning police can succumb to the allure of abusing the power that comes with the badge. She lets readers know early on that a major confrontation akin to the raid that begins the story is in the offing, but unlike most of the series, this book drags a bit. Readers know the inevitable confrontation is coming, but the story attempts to build tension that’s more contrived than usual. Perhaps the tempo of the story is intended to be a reflection of the winter weather, encumbered as it is by the incessant snowfall.
The delay gives a budding romance time to tempt but never complete, and it shows some of the mundane nature of day to day living on an Amish farm where Kate and Gina are stranded for a time. It also gives the former friends time to talk through their falling out, each realizing that some of their assumptions were slightly misguided. They still have a healthy respect for one another despite their unfortunate past rift. John is less patient with Gina, angry that she’s holding back, but he doesn’t know exactly what it is that she’s not telling them. Kate doesn’t either, but she’s more willing to give Gina some benefit of the doubt.
When the confrontation eventually comes, it’s not a question of whether everyone survive but more one of who won’t. The resolution makes sense, and seems somewhat just in the end. Still, Kate and John will feel the sting of this one for some time to come.
Unlike the earlier books in the series, in this one the Amish angle is more of a side plot rather than a major focus. Yes, Adam and his children are integrally involved in the story, but they aren’t integrally involved in the wrong doing that has transpired. That’s all within the police force, though not Kate’s department. Kate of course finds herself in danger as well, but it wouldn’t be a Burkholder mystery were that not the case. Unlike so many past stories, this time it’s not due to any lapse in Kate’s judgement. She doesn’t go where she shouldn’t without backup. She tries her best to protect those around her, and she does have some not quite expected help along the way. She is tormented by her unchecked emotions surrounding Gina. She wants to trust her, but she’s not sure if she can or even if she should. For her though, without Gina, she wouldn’t be the person she has become, and she never would have found her calling in life. For that she will always be thankful for their friendship.
Kate’s team includes:
- Mona Kurtz – the night shift police dispatcher, and newest rookie officer
- Lois Monroe – the day shift dispatcher
- Jodie Metzger – the newly hired second shift dispatcher
- J. Banks – formerly 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
Among the Wicked, by Linda Castillo
Down a Dark Road, by Linda Castillo
A Gathering of Secrets, by Linda Castillo
A Good Reed Review 