Pray for Silence
"...a very talented author and a book that must be read."
Synopsis:
In the quiet town of Painters Mill an Amish family is found slaughtered on their farm. Kate Burkholder and her small police force have few clues, no motive and no suspect. Formerly Amish herself, Kate is no stranger to secrets, but she can't get her mind around the senseless brutality of the crime.
State agent John Tomasseti arrives on the scene to assist. He and Kate worked together on a previous case, and they're still setting the limits of a complex, difficult relationship. They soon learn that the disturbing details of this case threaten to push those boundaries to the breaking point.
When Kate discovers a diary, she realises a haunting personal connection to the case. One of the teenage daughters kept some very dark secrets and may have been leading a lurid double life. Driven by her own scarred past, Kate vows to find the killer and bring him to justice - even if it means putting herself in the line of fire.
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Review:
Often when a second novel follows a superb debut, it is not always possible to deliver another book of the same quality. But Pray for Silence does not fall into this category. It is as exciting and gripping as Castilo's first book and builds on the main characters, Kate and Thomasseti, both in their personal and professional lives. Castilo's novels are set partly in the Amish community and the facts given about this lifestyle can only add interest to what is a well planned and executed plot. I didn't find that I wanted to discover who the killer was, although I did keep guessing, but - because of the style in which Castilo writes - I found myself more just enjoying the book, which is not a regular occurance. Castilo does not overtly spend too much time on describing people and situations, but this is done in such a subtle way that by the time you have finished reading the book you feel as though you know Kate and have even been to or seen pictures of the town, Painters Mill. In my opinion, a very talented author and a book that must be read.