The Burning by Linda Castillo is the sixteenth book in the Kate Burkholder series. Kate Burkholder is the Chief of Police in a small town. Painters Mill is the town she grew up in as a member of the Amish community. As the Chief of Police, Kate is in an usual position for understanding the Amish and working for the “English”. She is married to Tomasetti – newly married and still figuring out things.
Kate is called out with the information that there is a suspicious fire, only to discover that there is a man being burned at the stake. The horrific crime started a headlong journey for Kate and eventually Tomasetti into trying to understand the Anabaptist past. Kate puts herself in dangerous situations asking questions and is threatened by unknown people.
Milan Swanz was an evil person. His death upset no one with his abrasive personality and his temper. Kate followed the clues, even those that lead to her own family and brother. Despite her diligence, she was put on administrative leave while the task force continued to investigate, but Kate just can’t let anything go.
I enjoyed how the tension built. I was fascinated hearing about the past of the Anabaptist. Every step into the story brought more information and pulled you in deeper. What I didn’t like was how Kate was injured (seemingly more seriously) than in the past and I felt it was too much. The Burning might be one of the better of all the Kate Burkholder series. Linda Castillo is another go-to writer for me.
