In quiet Painters Mill, Ohio, Officer T.J. Banks finds the body of a naked woman the snow. Some marks on her body make the police force suspect the murderer has killed a number of women before, but stopped fifteen years ago.
The local Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder, knows the area well, as she grew up in the Amish community. She left after the first round of murders, however, and in spite of the evidence, she has good reason to believe the murderer is a copycat. Her private knowledge makes her hesitate to call in help, but soon the decision is forced upon her by the mayor.
The book offers an interesting and probably quite realistic setting, e.g. the Amish community of Ohio, and I liked the taste of Pennsylvania Dutch, which seems much like German. Besides Kate Burkholder is an engaging, well-drawn character, a modern woman in a leading position, who feels torn between her ´English police´ and her loyalty to her family and old friends.
Several plusses to the writer for the setting, the main characters and the level of excitement, but a minus for unnecessary brutality when it comes to the descriptions of the serial killer´s torture of the young, female victims.
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11 kommentarer:
Dorte - What a fine review, as always. I, too, felt that the description of the Amish community was well done. I didn't grow up in Ohio, but there are a lot of Amish in the part of Pennsylvania where I did grow up, and Castillo's descriptions ring true. I agree, though, that the story could have easily been told - and told well - with much less brutality. Perhaps it's just a matter of taste, but I really don't see that much description of violence as necessary.
Margot: well actually I think I only gave you the very bare bones. I could have told much more about the cooperation between Burkholder and whatshisname, plus the love interest which several of my readers would like.
On the other hand I am not going to excuse that I spent 30 minutes on my blog yesterday, but wrote 1700 words on my manuscript. I think I have become better at putting my fiction first ;D
if you thought that one brutal stay away from the second one - much worse. There's also more romance between kate and whatsisname but I can't imagine those elements appealing to the same readers.
Good to put the fiction before the blog :)
Dorte - I like your priorities! I can't wait to read The Cosy Knave. When you become wildly popular with rave reviews from everyeon, and are touring the world, I will tell everyone I know you : ).
I am so glad you ladies understand me. Margot, I am sure you will be my fan no 1 ;D
Bernadette; I know; I read your review the other day. A pity as she does so many other things well.
See you later - I am off on a car chase.
For some reason when you mentioned finding a body in the snow it brought to mind a Cadfael mystery (Ellis Peters) where they found a body frozen in the ice.
This sounds interesting. I've enjoyed the books I've read set in Amish country.
Kelly: I am sure it is not the first body I have found in snow ;D
- but I have not read any of the Cadfael mysteries. I like some historical mysteries, but prefer 18th or 19th century.
I haven't heard of this one before but I was born in Ohio (far from Amish country) and now live near many Amish farms. I think I'd really enjoy this.
Beth. so do I.
Sounds good to me, and I don't mind some brutality now and then (in my fiction reading!)
Louise: I am glad you added the parenthesis :D
I think you´d enjoy the protagonist and the environment a lot so I hope you´ll try this one.
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