Reviewing: "Pray For Silence: A Thriller" by Linda Castillo

It isn’t too often that the second novel in a series is better than the first book. Texas author Linda Castillo wrote an incredibly good first book with her Sworn to Silence. The sequel, Pray For Silence: A Thriller coming out next month is better.

It has been ten months since the killings known as the “Slaughterhouse Killer” case rocked the small town of Painters Mill, Ohio. Amish and those that aren’t, often referred to as the “English” (by the Amish), once again live in mostly peaceful harmony. Police Chief Kate Burkholder, raised as Amish until she was excommunicated, understands both worlds and doesn’t easily fit into either world. The “Slaughterhouse Killer” case brought back to the surface painful memories that she is dealing with daily. The case took a tremendous toll physically, mentally, and emotionally.

The one bright spot was that the case ten months ago brought Detective John Tomassetti into her life. Tomassetti has his own horrible baggage and despite that found a romantic connection with Chief Burkholder while solving the case. Ten moths later, they are still seeing each other, the sex is great, and neither one is sure what is happening between them.

In fact, they haven’t talked in a couple of months. That soon changes when Burkholder calls and requests his help. She needs all the help she can get because there has been a massacre at the Plank family farm. The Plank family is Amish and recently moved to the area. Now, in a bloodbath in the house, yard and barn, all seven are dead. The brutal deaths are bad enough, but at first glance it appears that Amos Plank snapped and killed the family before killing himself which would be an unforgibale sin.

A closer look reveals that he didn’t. The discovery of the teenage daughters in the barn who were tortured and then finally killed makes it clear that another psychopath is at work. Based on what the killer did to Mary, age fifteen, Police Chief Burkholder sees parallels in her own life and begins to crack under the strain of this latest case.

This incredible novel ratchets up the tension throughout leading to a final and violent confrontation at the Plank family farm. Author Linda Castillo continues to add depth and nuance to her primary characters of Burkholder and Tomasseti while also adding to the numerous secondary characters. Each character has become a real person that the reader cares about thanks to her wonderful story telling ability and her ability to take what some would consider stereotypes and twist them inside out.

Like the first book, readers are cautioned that some sections are very graphic in terms of violence and detail. The violence is very descriptive, especially in terms of what was done to Mary prior to her death. Further more, because of the continuing character development of several characters as well as numerous detailed references, it is best to have read the first book Sworn to Silence.


If you have already read that one, Pray For Silence: A Thriller comes out next month marking simply a great way to start summer reading.



Pray For Silence: A Thriller
Linda Castillo
http://www.lindacastillo.com/
Minotaur Books
http://www.minotaurbooks.com/
June 2010
ISBN# 978-0-312-37498-3
Hardback
$24.99
320 Pages


ARC provided by the Amazon Vine Program in exchange for my objective review.


Kevin R. Tipple (c) 2010