kolymaarasto's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
laurenjodi's review against another edition
5.0
Pray for Silence
5 Stars
Painter’s Mill Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder, is called to a horrific crime scene at the Plank farm where the entire family has been brutally murdered. As the Planks secrets slowly come to light, Kate uncovers a depraved web of evil that threatens the peace and tranquility of her supposedly innocent small town.
Intense from the very first with a crime that is both heartbreaking and sickening.
***Warning:*** The descriptions of the crimes are dark, disturbing and even stomach churning.
The villain is an exceedingly cold-blooded and twisted sociopath. The suspect pool is varied, and even though some are obviously red herrings, it is still difficult to narrow down the focus despite the obvious motive and clues that lean in a particular direction. In this respect, Castillo’s writing and plotting is excellent as she keeps you guessing right up until the end. Nevertheless, I did manage to figure out most of it -.
Kate’s relationship with state agent John Tomasetti is very complex. Although they are open and honest with one another about their personal issues and conflicted feelings, they are wary of taking things to the next, emotional level. It will be interesting to see where this goes as they both desperately deserve to be happy.
All in all, an excellently paced story with a hard pounding climax and satisfying resolution. Kathleen McInerny’s narration is gripping and the last 2 hours had me on the edge of my seat.
5 Stars
Painter’s Mill Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder, is called to a horrific crime scene at the Plank farm where the entire family has been brutally murdered. As the Planks secrets slowly come to light, Kate uncovers a depraved web of evil that threatens the peace and tranquility of her supposedly innocent small town.
Intense from the very first with a crime that is both heartbreaking and sickening.
***Warning:*** The descriptions of the crimes are dark, disturbing and even stomach churning.
The villain is an exceedingly cold-blooded and twisted sociopath. The suspect pool is varied, and even though some are obviously red herrings, it is still difficult to narrow down the focus despite the obvious motive and clues that lean in a particular direction. In this respect, Castillo’s writing and plotting is excellent as she keeps you guessing right up until the end. Nevertheless, I did manage to figure out most of it -
Spoiler
I had the right suspects but the wrong hierarchyKate’s relationship with state agent John Tomasetti is very complex. Although they are open and honest with one another about their personal issues and conflicted feelings, they are wary of taking things to the next, emotional level. It will be interesting to see where this goes as they both desperately deserve to be happy.
All in all, an excellently paced story with a hard pounding climax and satisfying resolution. Kathleen McInerny’s narration is gripping and the last 2 hours had me on the edge of my seat.
snwdngo's review against another edition
5.0
This story was a bit hard and graphic but brilliant. I am in for a wild ride with Linda Castillo, I’d devour her books like chocolate.
alliereneau's review against another edition
5.0
Awesome book! Read it in a day:) That must mean I love it!!!
nrsbekah's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
patsycathcart's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
mdpbernal's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
kleedc73's review against another edition
4.0
This is the second book featuring police chief Kate Burkholder, a former Amish woman turned police officer. In this book, Kate must investigate the vicious murder of an entire Amish family. As Kate investigates, the parallels between herself and one of the murdered Amish girls cause Kate to have more of a personal investment in the case than might be wise. Her continuing and complicated relationship with BCI detective John Tomasetti cause further complications. The strength of this series lies in the complexity of the two main characters (Kate and Tomasetti), combined with the originality of a murder investigation set in Amish country in Ohio. The book is expertly plotted and gruesomely riveting. That said, I do wonder how long a series set in a such a remote venue can continue -- how many murders/vicious crimes can reasonably take place in a small, Amish tourist town, after all? That said, I will keep reading until that proves to be the case.
sarahd3's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Better than the first book. Still not sure if it all works for me.
lichtgeist07's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75