Thrillers with an Amish Twist

Every summer, right before my beach trip to Cape Cod, I hound my fellow library colleagues about what titles I should bring along to read on vacation.   It's my opportunity to try some new authors and to pick up some of the popular titles I've seem come across the Check Out Desk. 

This year the first two titles I read were from a series by author Linda Castillo and the books did not disappoint.  Set in the small town of Painters Mill, the series tell the story of Police Chief Kate Burkholder who gets the job mostly because she was Amish and the powers-that-be hope she'll be sensitive to the needs of the Amish who live in the community.  While she may be understanding of the behavior of the Amish community, they do not trust "the English" and are frequently less than cooperative when called on to help solve the crimes that hit this rural town.

In Sworn to Silence, the first in the series, a serial killer strikes this quiet Ohio town.  Could this be the same Slaughter House killer that terrified the community 16 years ago?  As the body count rises, Kate struggles to keep a secret from her past that might be the key to solving these new horrific crimes. This is a real page turner and readers of thrillers/mysteries should give this one a try as long as you can stomach some graphic descriptions of the murder scenses.  Kate is a really interesting character as is her love interest, a burnt out

cop sent in from the state to assist the female police chief in solving the murders.  Equally as good, and a little less gruesome, is Breaking Silence.  In the second of the series, Kate and her small police squad must respond to a series of a Amish hate crimes.  When three Amish turn up dead on their farm, police must determine if this is a tragic accident or perhaps an escalated hate crime.  Once again, really suspenseful and a quick read.  Enjoyed this one as well.

I'll be picking up the third in the series soon!