RAGE

5 stars out of 5

My initial interest in this wonderful series began mostly because of the location; I'm familiar with the part of Ohio in which the stories take place. I also have an interest in the Amish, often making trips to another section of the Buckeye State that gets mentioned in the books once in a while (in fact, in this, the 17th book of the series). That said, I wouldn't keep coming back for more unless the books are really, really good; they are, and this one carries on that honored tradition.

Now-veteran Painters Mill Police Chief Kate Burkholder is the primary reason for my enthusiasm, a unique character because she was born and grew up Amish but left the order in her late teens. Needless to say, that didn't sit well with anyone in the community where she later returned to work in law enforcement as an "English" - the term used for anyone who isn't Amish. Over the years, though, she's built up a healthy relationship with her family and neighbors, for the most part earning their respect. Kate's hunky husband, FBI agent John Tomasetti, complements her and adds both personal interest and professional help when needed - and he gets quite a bit of page time here, much to my delight.

This one begins with a grisly find - the dismembered parts of a young Amish man Samuel Eicher, who's been murdered and half buried not far from his landscaping business. According to a few sources, he and his best friend Aaron Shetler had been involved with some pretty shady characters, including a beautiful young woman named Cassidy, but by all accounts he was returning to the Amish fold. The search for Aaron takes up more of Kate's team's time, and that, too, ends in tragedy with the discovery of his body in a barrel that's been rolled down a ravine.

What on earth were the two friends into? And where is Samuel's reported girlfriend Cassidy? The search takes Kate to a couple of local bars and private clubs in which pole dancers and sex trafficking may be at play, so to speak - places in which Kate and her questions clearly are not welcome. When Kate's unrelenting investigation and yet another murder brings her way too close to the truth, she becomes the target and threatens to make a widower out of Tomasetti. It's a whirlwind finish that kept me on the edge of my recliner for sure. In short, it's another winner, and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to stay tuned in by way of a pre-release copy. Bring on the next!

Rage by Linda Castillo (Minotaur Books, July 2025); 296 pp.