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dontmissythesereads's review against another edition
4.0
Book #44 read in 2019
After the non-stop action of the last book in the series, this was a little bit of a letdown. However, I love Kate and her supporting cast.
After the non-stop action of the last book in the series, this was a little bit of a letdown. However, I love Kate and her supporting cast.
rebleejen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
chaspelin's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty disappointed in this book in comparison to the others in the series. Kate kept making poor decisions based on thinking the Amish or the cops can’t be the bad guys. This book should be the first of her cop career rather than the ninth since she acts so naive. She acts surprised to be nearly killed (yet again) by these people even though she suspected them all along! Taking a break from this series for a while as it really irritated me.
chelz286's review against another edition
4.0
As always, another suck you in Kate Burkholder read. Great story line and interesting that she kept fighting when it could have all been ended. Looking forward to the next one!
rebecca_isreading's review against another edition
4.0
If you aren't reading the Kate Burkholder series, you are missing out on one of the most reliably wonderful mystery series out there. In Down a Dark Road, Painters Mill Chief of Police Kate Burkholder gets a phone call that a convicted murderer has escaped from prison and may be headed towards her town, where his children are living with relatives. Kate has a personal tie to the convict- once upon a time, he was her neighbor and first crush. When Joseph King shows up, he manages to convince Kate that his case is worth a second look.
Despite a scene towards the end I found somewhat implausible, Down a Dark Road was an excellent addition to the series. The flashback scenes to Kate's life as an Amish teenager with a crush were perhaps some of my favorite glimpses into Kate's Amish life that we've had yet. This book managed to have a really intriguing case for Kate to investigate and also really showcase the characters that Castillo has written for the Painters Mill police department. This really is a rock solid series that, despite being on the ninth book, feels like it has a lot of life left in it.
Advance e-galley provided by Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.
Despite a scene towards the end I found somewhat implausible, Down a Dark Road was an excellent addition to the series. The flashback scenes to Kate's life as an Amish teenager with a crush were perhaps some of my favorite glimpses into Kate's Amish life that we've had yet. This book managed to have a really intriguing case for Kate to investigate and also really showcase the characters that Castillo has written for the Painters Mill police department. This really is a rock solid series that, despite being on the ninth book, feels like it has a lot of life left in it.
Advance e-galley provided by Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.
hmicheau's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
4.0
fxtrtr's review against another edition
5.0
When Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder gets a phone call that Joseph King, convicted for the murder of his wife, has escaped from prison, she can't help but wonder what happened to her first crush. The Joseph King everyone talks about, from the police to the Amish, is an alcoholic and nasty tempered man, which is in contrast to the Joe she knew from her childhood.
Then Joe takes her hostage, along with his children, and insists that he did not kill his wife and he wants Kate to look at his case. Despite her pleas to him to surrender, Joe is adamant that he is not returning to jail. How can Kate look into this murder when even she believes Joe is guilty - she read the police reports and followed the trial - and yet, there is something in his eyes that makes her doubt her beliefs - is there something there or is Kate being misled by her childhood remembrances of Joe?
Then Joe takes her hostage, along with his children, and insists that he did not kill his wife and he wants Kate to look at his case. Despite her pleas to him to surrender, Joe is adamant that he is not returning to jail. How can Kate look into this murder when even she believes Joe is guilty - she read the police reports and followed the trial - and yet, there is something in his eyes that makes her doubt her beliefs - is there something there or is Kate being misled by her childhood remembrances of Joe?
booksuperpower's review against another edition
4.0
Down a Dark Road by Linda Castillo is a 2017 Minotaur Books publication.
Another solid addition to this outstanding series!!
Do you ever really forget your first crush?
For Kate, Joseph King was the first boy she ever had tender feelings for. But, eight years ago, he was convicted of murdering his wife and sent to prison. However, he has managed to escape, and although it’s foolhardy, the first thought in his mind is his children.
Apprised of the situation, Kate isn’t convinced Joseph would come back home, but when he ambushes her, a standoff ensues, with tragic results. But, Kate soon comes to believe Joseph might not be the person who killed his wife.
Compelled to investigate the matter out of respect for her old friend, Kate manages to stir up a hornet’s nest, putting her career on the line and maybe even her life.
I love cold cases and this storyline fits neatly into that category. The author once again does a terrific job of portraying the Amish community and how is contrasted with the ‘Enlischers’. Kate, of course, understands bother sides of the equation, which is a big help in many ways, but also works against her in some cases.
Her past friendship with Joseph complicates things for Kate. Not only are her loyalties questioned, but she is also in danger of losing her hard won battle for respect in the law enforcement community. It looks like the odds are against her, but Kate is determined to get to the truth. In the meantime, some shocking revelations spill out, with repercussions, no one could have seen coming.
I will admit I was onto parts of the game, early on in the story, but the well -placed revelations and twists still kept me on my toes.
As always, the characterizations are stellar, and my familiarity with the cast only makes that even more impressive. The story is well constructed, deeply absorbing, with just the right blend of emotion, action and suspense, with the added personal touches capping everything off.
This is one of the best mystery series out there right now. Kate is a balanced character that makes her identifiable and likeable, but her background and the darker aspects of her life, also makes her a complex character with many layers.
The roadblocks and difficulties of communicating with the Amish, takes away the usual avenues of investigation at times, and the team must resort to old fashioned leg work to solve the case, while working around some deep -rooted suspicions and peculiarities of the residents.
This setup never fails to fascinate me, with the only drawback being I finish the book too fast and have to wait too long for the next one!
Overall, this was a very satisfying installment in this superb series!!
Another solid addition to this outstanding series!!
Do you ever really forget your first crush?
For Kate, Joseph King was the first boy she ever had tender feelings for. But, eight years ago, he was convicted of murdering his wife and sent to prison. However, he has managed to escape, and although it’s foolhardy, the first thought in his mind is his children.
Apprised of the situation, Kate isn’t convinced Joseph would come back home, but when he ambushes her, a standoff ensues, with tragic results. But, Kate soon comes to believe Joseph might not be the person who killed his wife.
Compelled to investigate the matter out of respect for her old friend, Kate manages to stir up a hornet’s nest, putting her career on the line and maybe even her life.
I love cold cases and this storyline fits neatly into that category. The author once again does a terrific job of portraying the Amish community and how is contrasted with the ‘Enlischers’. Kate, of course, understands bother sides of the equation, which is a big help in many ways, but also works against her in some cases.
Her past friendship with Joseph complicates things for Kate. Not only are her loyalties questioned, but she is also in danger of losing her hard won battle for respect in the law enforcement community. It looks like the odds are against her, but Kate is determined to get to the truth. In the meantime, some shocking revelations spill out, with repercussions, no one could have seen coming.
I will admit I was onto parts of the game, early on in the story, but the well -placed revelations and twists still kept me on my toes.
As always, the characterizations are stellar, and my familiarity with the cast only makes that even more impressive. The story is well constructed, deeply absorbing, with just the right blend of emotion, action and suspense, with the added personal touches capping everything off.
This is one of the best mystery series out there right now. Kate is a balanced character that makes her identifiable and likeable, but her background and the darker aspects of her life, also makes her a complex character with many layers.
The roadblocks and difficulties of communicating with the Amish, takes away the usual avenues of investigation at times, and the team must resort to old fashioned leg work to solve the case, while working around some deep -rooted suspicions and peculiarities of the residents.
This setup never fails to fascinate me, with the only drawback being I finish the book too fast and have to wait too long for the next one!
Overall, this was a very satisfying installment in this superb series!!