Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo

Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When a serial killer strikes bucolic Painters Mill, Ohio, the killer's signature -—Roman numerals ritualistically carved into each victim's abdomen- —matches the MO of four unsolved murders from 16 years earlier. Police chief Kate Burkholder, who's reluctant to dredge up the past, must keep secret that she knows why the old murders stopped. Not satisfied with the case's progress, local politicos set up a multijurisdictional task force to assist, including a law-enforcement agent battling his own demons. The added scrutiny and the rising body count threaten to push the chief over the edge. Adept at creating characters with depth and nuance, Castillo smoothly integrates their backstories into a well-paced plot that illuminates the divide between the Amish and English worlds.

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I was lucky enough to get Sworn to Silence, the first book in the series cheap as an Ebook after being rejected on NetGalley for Among the Wicked the latest book in the series. So, all and all it was probably for the best since I did enjoy starting this series from the beginning instead of the latest book. 

Police chief Kate Burkholder, ex-Amish, has to stop a vicious killer in this book that may be a copycat or a killer that murdered several women 16 years ago. However, she has personal reasons for believing that it has to be another killer. It doesn't get easier for her when her role as police chief is getting questioned as more people are killed while she is trying to figure out who the killer is. Some local people just don't think she is trying hard enough... 

I found the book to be very good, and very different from other crime novels. I like that Kate Burkholder has a history with the Amish community and I liked that she is a complex character with a dark past. Also, this case really brought back bad memories for her. The case also brought agent John Tomasetti into her life as he who was hellbent on wrecking his life and career seems to have finally found someone that can get his life back on track. I quite like the chemistry between them. 

The case was interesting, is it the same killer or a copycat? What is really going one and what happened to Kate all those years ago? I did, however, figure out the killer when Tomasetti listed the killer profile, it was actually quite easy to do so I thought and then I just kept on reading to see if I was right, and I was. But, it did not take away the enjoyment of reading the book. I still found the book pretty good, despite not being surprised over the killers identity.

It was a good first book and I'm looking forward to reading more books in the series!