Reviewing: Fallen by LInda Castillo

From the Publisher:

When a young woman is found murdered in a Painters Mill motel, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is shocked to discover she once knew the victim. Rachael Schwartz was a charming but troubled Amish girl

who left the fold years ago and fled Painters Mill. Why was she back in town? And who would kill her so brutally?

Kate remembers Rachael as the only girl who was as bad at being Amish as Kate was—and those parallels dog her. But the more Kate learns about Rachael's life, the more she's convinced that her dubious reputation was deserved. As a child, Rachael was a rowdy rule breaker whose decision to leave devastated her parents and best friend. As an adult, she was charismatic and beautiful, a rabble-rouser with a keen eye for opportunity no matter who got in her way. Her no-holds-barred lifestyle earned her a lot of love and enemies aplenty—both English and Amish.

As the case heats to a fever pitch and long-buried secrets resurface, a killer haunts Painters Mill. Someone doesn’t want Rachael’s past—or the mysteries she took with her to the grave—coming to light. As Kate digs deeper, violence strikes again, this time hitting close to home. Will Kate uncover the truth and bring a murderer to justice? Or will a killer bent on protecting a terrible past stop her once and for all—and let the fallen be forgotten?

My Thoughts:

Fallen is the first book I have read by Linda Castillo.  It is very different that I expected. Although this book is #13 in a series, I found it to stand on its own nicely. It opens with a hook that will keep you reading. It is full of suspense with a few chapters that flashed back to other times in the lives of those involved.  The Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder is a former member of the Amish community where the murder occurred.   Knowing what she knows about the families involved certainly helped solve the crime but she soon learned that she didn't really know them at all.

 No spoilers allowed on my watch but I will say that although I can usually solve the mystery before the end of the story, this one took me nearly to the end.  I was stunned by the ending, but as it was all unfolded, it made sense.  I was just very surprised.  Well written and definitely not your usual Amish fiction.  It was a good read as I relaxed on a much needed vacation.  This book will appeal to those who enjoy a good mystery.