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lorikeenom's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this book, but not one of my favorites of the series. Features some of Kate's backstory, where she meets her friend Gina and how she decided to join the police academy and become a police officer. Gina befriended Kate and they became roommates during their rookie years, early on Gina made some choices that Kate did not agree with so Kate left and found her way back home to Painter's Mill where she eventually became Police Chief. Years later after more bad choices Gina finds herself on the run and in need of the help of her old friend Kate. While, it isn't one of my favorites, I did enjoy reading the backstory and loved Adam's character.
shellbell31's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
Outsider by Linda Castillo is the 12th A Kate Burkholder Novel. It can be read on its own for those new to the series, but I recommend reading this suspenseful series in order. I thought Outsider was well-written with developed characters and it moves along at a fast pace. Outsider starts off with a bang in the prologue with Gina Colorosa, a vice unit cop from Columbus, on the run after a no-knock warrant is executed at 3 a.m. on her home. Gina was prepared for this action and was able to escape, but she was shot in the shoulder. Gina knows only one person whom she can trust and that is Kate Burkholder. Adam Lengacher, an Amish widower with three children, rescues Gina and takes her into his home. Kate is shocked when she sees Gina because it has been ten years since they parted. Kate would not have become a police officer if not for Gina. Gina tells Kate about corruption within the police force in Columbus. There is suspense, action, mystery, and intrigue in Outsider. You wonder if Gina is disclosing all the information to Kate, who is involved in the corruption, and what will happen next. There is graphic violence in Outsider and along with an extensive amount of foul language (fair warning). I thought Outsider was more violent than the earlier books in A Kate Burkholder series. I like that we get to learn more about what happened to Kate after she left home, her time at the academy, and her early years on the force in Columbus. We also discover why Kate has not spoken to Gina in ten years. There are some cute moments in Outsider as well. Adam’s three kids are sweet. Sammy was my favorite. He is a curious boy. There was a calf who had been spurned by his mama that needed nurturing. I like the relationship between Kate Burkholder and John Tomasetti. They manage to balance their work and their private life. I liked the author’s descriptive writing which brought the scenes to life. I enjoyed the vivid word imagery of the sleigh ride especially. I like the glimpses of Amish life which felt authentic. Outsider is a suspenseful novel with a cute calf, a well-proportioned widower, a friend on frightful footing, substantial snowfall, corrupt cops, an auto accident, and a barrage of bullets.
dixie1090's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
xxselenaj's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I really enjoy Kate Burkholder and her adventures! While I loved getting to see into her past, I thought there were a lot of repetitive passages that I didn’t care for. I also want more Tomasetti and Kate! I loved her realization about moments and to treasure them all.
“I smile, but I’m still thoughtful. “We take so much for granted. You always think you have time to do the things you want to do, or say the things you want to say to someone. So you put it off, and you never expect fate to intervene. Or old mistakes to come back to haunt you. You never expect to run out of time.”
He tilts his head, looks at me with a little too much intensity. “A lot of weighty philosophy coming out of the chief of police’s office this afternoon.”
“Everything that happened … I guess I’ve been thinking about what’s really important.”
“And what is that?”
I scoot back my chair, get to my feet, and face him. “Us,” I say simply. “Our future.” I look around. “This moment. The people around us. The people we love.”
“Maybe it’s time we did something about it,” he says.”
Kate has such a beautiful view on life and I wish I could be her friend.
“Life is the greatest teacher of all things wise despite the fact that the vast majority of us are reluctant students. One of the most important lessons time has taught me is that of appreciation. Not just the big moments—those milestones of life—but the small signposts that oftentimes go uncelebrated. Those are the moments I’ve learned to value. Those snatches of time spent in some mundane but meaningful way that might otherwise be forgotten.”
Such a beautiful quote.
ehamlett's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Police brutality, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Alcohol
rmarcin's review against another edition
4.0
This is a slight departure from the other books in the Kate Burkholder Amish series in that the Amish have not committed a crime. Instead, in this book, an old friend of Kate's, Gina Colarosa, is a cop on the run, when an Amish man, Adam Lengacher, and his son, Sammy, find Gina injured and nearly frozen in a snow drift. Gina claims to being framed by other cops in Columbus, OH, but Kate isn't sure whether or not she should believe her.
The setting of being stranded due to a snowstorm adds to the tension, but it is balanced by the simplicity of the Amish life. Always enjoyable
#Outsider #LindaCastillo
The setting of being stranded due to a snowstorm adds to the tension, but it is balanced by the simplicity of the Amish life. Always enjoyable
#Outsider #LindaCastillo
dreamsonpaper's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This story focus on the main character’s former best friend and it just wasn’t as interesting. Also quite vulgar in a way that it stood out in a bad way.