A Boston Globe Best Book of 2014.
Everyone in Painters Mill knows the abandoned Hochstetler farm is haunted. But only a handful of the residents remember the terrible secrets lost in the muted/hushed whispers of time--and now death is stalking them, seemingly from the grave. On a late-night shift, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called to the scene of an apparent suicide--an old man found hanging from the rafters in his dilapidated barn. But evidence quickly points to murder and Kate finds herself chasing a singularly difficult and elusive trail of evidence that somehow points back to the tragedy of that long ago incident. Meanwhile, Kate has moved in with state agent John Tomasetti and for the first time in so long, they're both happy; a bliss quickly shattered when one of the men responsible for the murders of Tomasetti's family four years ago is found not guilty, and walks away a free man. Will Tomasetti be pulled back to his own haunted past?When a second man is found dead--also seemingly by his own hand--Kate discovers a link in the case that sends the investigation in a direction no one could imagine and revealing the horrifying truth of what really happened that terrible night thirty-five years ago, when an Amish father and his four children perished--and his young wife disappeared without a trace. And, as Kate knows--the past never truly dies . . . in The Dead Will Tell by Linda Castillo
I received this book for free from Publisher Gifted in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
With The Dead will Tell it is all about the Amish community and how they deal with the “Englischer” investigating a murder in their community. The prologue is heartbreaking. I felt like I was there alongside Hoch. That is how vividly Ms. Castillo is able to weave a story. With her insertion of Pennsylvanian Dutch when Kate, a former Amish member turned chief of police speaks with Amish families it shows that Ms. Castillo does not just want to tell a story but does her research to ensure that her novel is authentic and meaningful not just in plot but in voice.
This book was really enjoyable, the twist was not what I was expecting and it really hit me alongside the head. It is a police drama and so not your typical paranormal fare, however there is some paranormal that you really have to be careful of. The author was able to really immerse the reader in the Amish community and tell the story of Kate Burkholder as well as the Amish people.
About Linda Castillo
Linda Castillo is the New York Times bestselling author of the Kate Burkholder series, including Sworn to Silence and Gone Missing, crime thrillers set in Amish country. Sworn to Silence was recently adapted into a Lifetime original movie titled An Amish Murder starring Neve Campbell as Kate Burkholder.
Castillo is the recipient of numerous industry awards, including the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence and the Holt Medallion, and she received a nomination for the Rita. In addition to writing, Castillo’s other passion is horses, particularly her appaloosa George. She lives in Texas with her husband and is currently at work on her next novel.
