Reviews

Down a Dark Road by Linda Castillo

theavidreaderandbibliophile's review

4.0

Down a Dark Road by Linda Castillo is the newest A Kate Burkholder Novel. Kate Burkholder is the chief of police in Painters Mill, Ohio. Kate receives a call from Deputy Warden Jerry Murphy at the Mansfield Correctional Institute saying that Joseph King has escaped. Joseph was convicted two years prior of murdering his wife. His five children now live with their aunt and uncle on a farm outside Painters Mill. Kate grew up with Joseph until his family moved away when she was thirteen. She remembers the crush she had on Joseph and how he changed after his father passed away. Kate does not think Joseph will return to town, but she sets up a watch on Rebecca and Daniel Beachy’s home. Around 3 a.m. Kate is checking the perimeter when she is attacked. Joseph gets the drop of Kate and forces her into the farmhouse. Joseph is holding Kate along with his five children hostage. Joseph swears to Kate that he is innocent, but he refuses to give himself up. He does not want to go back to prison and he will not let the children go. Joseph wants Kate to investigate and prove he did not murder his wife, Naomi. Kate is set free and faces the criticism of her colleagues. She remembers what Joseph was like as a young boy. Kate sets off on her quest for answers. Did Joseph kill Naomi as the evidence suggests? Kate is in for a bumpy ride in Down a Dark Road.

I look forward to reading the latest Kate Burkholder book each year and Linda Castillo did not let me down with this tome. Down a Dark Road captured and held my interest. I found the book to be well-written and have a steady pace. The mystery is complex with many twists and turns along the way. I did solve the mystery early in the story, but I enjoyed reading on to see how it would unravel. I would find dealing with the Amish very frustrating if I was a police officer (Kate is so patient). Their reluctance to talk and help the law astounds me. Kate Burkholder is a complicated person. I liked that more of her youth was revealed to us (Kate looks back remembering her time with Joseph). It is nice to see how Kate was as a girl (she grew up Amish). I also appreciated seeing a more vulnerable side of Kate. My rating for Down a Dark Road is 4.5 out of 5 stars. While Down a Dark Road is the ninth book in the series, it can be read alone. Personally, I am glad to have read the whole series, because each volume builds upon the previous. A new layer of Kate’s character is exposed and we discover a little more about Kate. The epilogue was lovely and heartwarming. I look forward to reading the tenth book in A Kate Burkholder series when it releases next year.

alatinaandherbooks's review

1.0

Predictable

xxselenaj's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

aedmunso's review

3.0

Not a bad book, murder mystery with female lead

luciearan's review against another edition

4.0

Hodnocení: 4,5/5 ✩
Občas si říkám, že v případě takto dlouhých sérií musí nastat čas, kdy autorce dojdou témata a zápletky, a zákonitě se začne opakovat. To se však v žádném případě netýká knih Lindy Castello.

Devátý díl série Kate Burkholderové, vás nenechá na pochybách. Opět se jedná o originální příběh, který od prvních stránek vtáhne do děje a nepustí, až do samotného konce. Dokáže chytit za srdce, není zde ani nouze o zajímavé prostředí, zvraty, skrytá tajemství a to vše, zasazené do nevšedního prostředí Amišské komunity.
Sama po knihách této série sahám v případě, kdy si potřebuji přečíst příběh, který mě zaujme a nebude nudit. I když se nejedná o nijak náročné čtení, je to pro mě taková malá sázka "na jistotu". Vřele tuto sérii doporučuji.

dixie1090's review against another edition

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

llawlor's review

emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

rmarcin's review

4.0

Linda Castillo has written another great Kate Burkholder mystery. This novel is about Joseph King, a childhood friend of Kate's, who has been accused and convicted of the murder of his wife, Naomi. Now, 2 years later, he has escaped from prison. He continues to maintain his innocence, and asks Kate to help him prove it. She is hesitant, but as she delves into the situation, she starts to believe in Joseph. Kate's digging gets her in danger as she uncovers a world of cover-ups.
Thrilling read, couldn't put it down!

ksant's review

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Having read several Kate Burkholder Mysteries, I must say all were action-packed, thriller mysteries with great characters and plot twists. I’ve enjoyed them all.  As a northeast Ohioan, 
I‘ve found these mysteries to be culturally fun too. 

selinabe's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense

3.0