A GATHERING OF SECRETS (A Kate Burkholder Novel Book #10) by Linda Castillo is a gritty new small-town police procedural/crime thriller featuring Chief of Police Kate Burkholder in Painters Mill which is in Ohio Amish Country. This book can be read as a standalone for the crime thriller plot, but Kate’s personal and professional life have evolved throughout the series, and I enjoy reading them in order.
Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called late in the night when an Amish family’s barn burns to the ground and their son is missing. The fire investigator is called when the fire fighters smell gasoline and a charred body is found locked in the tack room. The body is identified as eighteen-year-old Daniel Gingerich who appears to be a well-liked and hard-working Amish young man, so who would want him dead?
As Kate investigates Daniel’s life, she finds herself impeded by the Amish community of which she was once a member. As dark secrets begin to surface, Kate is forced to once again face the personal crime perpetrated against her in her youth which has an eerie similarity to what is whispered about Daniel Gingerich. While the Amish are a peaceful and loving community, there are certain things that are not discussed and can go unpunished due to shaming of the victim, and which are crimes in the Englisher world. Kate has many suspects, but the solution to this crime will lead to danger and sorrow.
I love reading this series and following Kate’s life. Kate is a complex character. She at times misses the Amish life but accepts her current path is the right one for her, especially when it comes to justice for everyone. All of Kate’s officers have a strong bond, Tomasetti is once again a great personal partner, and finally Tomasetti has popped the big question. Yeah. The crime plot was dark and gritty, especially juxtaposed against the assumed always perfect Amish way of life. This crime thriller is perfectly paced with plenty of surprise twists along the way and a surprise ending I was not expecting.
I highly recommend this small-town police procedural/crime thriller!
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About the Author
Linda Castillo is the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Kate Burkholder series, set in the world of the Amish. The first book, Sworn to Silence, was adapted into a Lifetime original movie titled An Amish Murder starring Neve Campbell as Kate Burkholder. Castillo is the recipient of numerous industry awards including a nomination by the International Thriller Writers for Best Hardcover, the Mystery Writers of America’s Sue Grafton Memorial Award, and an appearance on the Boston Globe’s shortlist for best crime novel. In addition to writing, Castillo’s other passion is horses. She lives in Texas with her husband and is currently at work on her next book.
Siblings Martin, Kelsey, Beth, and Jonny are as different as can be, but they have one thing in common. They’re all longing to reinvent their lives. Raised by their divorced lapsed-Amish father and English mother, they only knew real stability and a sense of family when visiting their Old Order grandparents, Josiah and Sylvia Schrock, in peaceful small-town Millersburg, Ohio. Now the four want to try living with them and joining their faith—much to the Schrocks’ surprise . . .
Martin, the eldest, is reeling from a bad breakup, so he’s especially determined to make a fresh start. When he meets his grandparents’ neighbor, Patti Coblentz, he’s immediately drawn to her outgoing, helpful nature—but is so overwhelmed that he appears blunt and rude. Is there any way he can drop his defenses enough to admit she’s captured his heart?
Always self-conscious about the birthmark on her temple, Patti is resigned to never marrying and busying herself with the responsibilities of the large home and property she has inherited. Besides, Martin’s ill-mannered behavior and disconcerting directness make him the last man she’d ever want to wed—no matter how handsome he is.
Yet given time and patience—and adhering to their grandparents’ unexpectedly challenging rules—the whole family might just find what they’re looking for, even Martin and Patti.
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Elise’s Thoughts
A is for Amish by Shelley Shepard Gray has a premise where four English siblings with Amish grandparents are seriously thinking of becoming Amish. They are discontent with their lives and long for a change.
Beth, Jonny, Kelsey, and Martin Schrock had their father leave the Amish faith, marry an English woman, and then had their parents get divorced. The parents were pretty much doing their own thing, searching for their own happiness, and left the children to their own devices. They decide to try out the Amish lifestyle. It is not an easy choice as they would be leaving good jobs, homes, electricity, cars and all the English ways of life. They remember how wonderful the times were when they would visit their grandparents farm. The author explores that the fond times the grandchildren remember might have occurred only because it was a visit and now, they would have to abandon the life they knew forever.
The grandparents suggest that only one or two of them at the most, come at a time. It is decided that Martin and Kelsey will be the first two to go. They are to live with their grandparents and try out the Amish lifestyle for one year.
Martin, the oldest, meets his grandparents’ neighbor, Patti Coblentz, and is immediately drawn to her outgoing, helpful nature, but he comes across as blunt and rude. Besides Martin’s ill-mannered behavior and disconcerting directness there is something that draws Patti to him. She cannot believe that he did not even react to the birthmark on her face. They eventually become very attracted and care for each other. The problem is that Martin was overly critical of himself and not completely happy in either the English world or the Amish world.
The other sibling, Kelsey, has completely taken to the Amish way of life. After meeting Preacher Richard, it becomes obvious that they are attracted to each other and want to spend their life together. Unfortunately, they must wait to get married until she is baptized.
This book shows the complexities of the Amish life and how it is not so easy for an Englisher to jump into the Amish faith. The author wrapped part of the story up with a beautiful happily ever after, while leaving a cliffhanger for the other relationship. Readers will take a journey with the characters seeing all the ups and downs of their feelings, questions, frustrations, and insecurities. Those who read book 1 will be waiting on pins and needles for book 2.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: How much of the alphabet are you going to have?
Shelley Shepard Gray: If it was up to me, I would do the whole alphabet, but right now it is the first three letters. In this book I had two of the four siblings’ stories. I had originally thought that the hero, Martin, and the heroine, Patti, would have their own story. But it was not going to be that easy for him to go from being English to Amish. Because of that I knew that the readers would want as part of the story a happily ever after. His sister, Kelsey, does not have as many qualms of becoming Amish. Also, since it is a three-book contract for now, I wanted to make sure each of the four siblings had their story.
EC: Was Martin’s story a cliff-hanger?
SSG: I did not see it as a cliff-hanger, more of his and Patti’s story a continuation. I wanted to be realistic, and not every relationship is easy with these characters being very complex. Their story will not get resolved until book three, but they will be in book two. Mainly they must get over the fact that he does not think he wants to become Amish and she has been baptized.
EC: How would you describe Martin?
SSG: When he was in his English environment he was relaxed, confidant, outgoing, and attentive. He doubts himself and is searching for happiness. I think he is direct, thinks a lot of himself, and sometimes rude. He is like a lot of people I know; he needs a reset. He must stop looking for an easy solution.
EC: How would you describe Patti?
SSG: Vulnerable, sweet, kind, patient, audacious, has a sense of humor, self-conscious of her birthmark, and is lonely. She is desperate to want to belong.
EC: What about their relationship?
SSG: They are in love with each other. The reader knows they are meant to be together, but it will not happen overnight.
EC: Being Amish versus English?
SSG: In some of my stories the characters must navigate that if they become Amish it will be a difficult life and that the problems they are facing in the English world do not just go away. While writing the second series I ever wrote, Seasons of Sugar Creek in the third book I had an Amish hero and an English heroine. In this story, the characters allowed me to delve into some tough issues. One of my Mennonite friends told me how serious the solemn vow is to become baptized. But people do break it, yet it is not something that should be taken lightly. Being Amish is not easy considering they do not have electricity or a car. The daily parts of their life are difficult although they do embrace it.
EC: Is this Amish community liberal
SSG: Yes, they would have to be. I have them as New Order. I based the town on my knowledge of Holmes County, which is a progressive Amish community.
EC: What was the role of Connor, who thought of himself as Patti’s beau?
SSG: I put him in the story for Patti to have a reminder that this is the person she had settled for. Even though Martin presented a bunch of different challenges, he was always nice, kind, and respectful of her. Connor is territorial, possessive, not respectful of her, makes her feel unworthy, a chauvinist, self-centered, a bully, and egotistical. She will decline his advances.
EC: What about the other sibling Kelsey?
SSG: She is independent, easily frustrated, at times a troublemaker, prickly, feisty, blunt, and is looking for stability as well as peace. She also can be a drama queen. She was loving the life as a middle child.
EC: How would you describe her beau, Richard?
SSG: Confidant, personable, and an advisor as an Amish preacher. I modeled him after a Bishop I once had dinner with. They are both young and very charismatic.
EC: What about their relationship?
SSG: Kelsey’s relationship with Richard was a nice contrast to Martin and Patti. They liked each other and their love came naturally. Their relationship was a lot lighter than the others. I hope the readers enjoyed the scenes where she is fighting with the hen. They become captivated by each other. Richard was willing to wait and be patient with her until she made the decision to become Amish.
EC: Do you have another book coming out next month that is a compilation with other authors Lenora Worth and Rachel J. Good?
SSG: Yes, it is titled The Christmas Gathering. It again has an English person that falls in love with the sister of his Amish friend. The novellas I write usually has a story around Christmas. This one has a fun gathering, with everyone getting along, the English and Amish. In this story there is a scavenger hunt. The heroine did leave the faith but was not baptized yet. The theme was reunions.
EC: Next books?
SSG: The second book comes out in January with another sibling, Johnny as the hero. It is titled B is For Bonnet. He ends up working in a bicycle shop. But of his storyline he must make amends with his father. C is for Courtship; the third book comes out in November 2025.
But before these I will be writing the second book in another series, Unforgotten, out in November. It is a suspense story set in Kentucky.
THANK YOU!!
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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
It’s August in Holmes County, and that means it’s time for the Holmes County Fair. It’s the county’s biggest annual event, drawing tourists and locals alike to see livestock, eat too much fried food, and watch the rodeo and speed racing contests. This year, Millie has entered the quilting competition—while her very not Amish best friend, Lois Henry, is distracted by her new dating app and her search for husband number five. In a place where quilting is a way of life, the competition is fierce—especially this year, when an anonymous donor doubles the winning cash prize. Amish and English women are up against each other, and some will do anything to win—even murder . . .
When someone attacks the quilt barn by slashing the quilt display, it’s unsettling enough. But when a quilting judge is found murdered, Millie knows it’s time to for Lois to get off her app and help her hunt for a killer instead—before the competition is wiped out for good . . .
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Elise’s Thoughts
Dating Can Be Deadly by Amanda Flower is a great cozy mystery. Readers never get disappointed with any book Amanda Flower writes. As with all her cozy mysteries there are many suspects, a lot of humor, learning more about the Amish community, and some very touching moments.
There is always a contrast between the Amish characters and the English characters. Millie is Amish and someone who is unassuming, quietly competent, and not eager to call attention to herself. Her best friend, Lois, is English, very flamboyant, and quite vocal. Both are trying to solve murders while trying to figure out their romantic lives. Lois decided to use a dating app to find a love interest, whereas Millie is struggling to get beyond the love of her life, her late husband.
Readers will not get sidetracked with the character’s personal life because the focus is still on the mystery. In this book at the Holmes County Fair Millie has entered a quilt competition with other Amish women. Millie’s nephew, Micah, has also entered her goats, Phillip, and Peter, in a contest. The goats are known for being rambunctious and decide to escape their pen and explore the fair. Millie and Lois search for them only to find them at the quilt barn along with a dead body, the quilting judge. Now they must find who is the murderer before others get hurt including a ten-year-old Amish boy, Zach who possibly witnessed the murder.
This story has it all. The humorous part of the story always comes from Lois’s antics including her trying to find a suitor along with the rascally goats. Because of Millie’s apprehension about pursuing a romantic relationship she finds solace in turning to Amish proverbs, which is where readers learn more about the Amish community. The touching part of the story is how Zach has no family after his grandfather abandoned him and he only has Scooter, his belove Pygmy goat.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Why was the story centered around an axe?
Amanda Flower: I always wanted to write about the Holmes County Fair. A year ago, my husband and I went to the fair to research for the book. One of the first things I see is an axe-throwing booth just like in the book. It seemed like a perfect fit for a mystery novel. Of course, I had to try it. I did hit the bullseye although not on the first time. As soon as I saw it. I knew I wanted to write about it.
EC: The quilts also play a role.
AF: I knew I wanted the main character, Millie, to enter her quilt in the fair. I went to the quilts at the fair and saw how they were displayed. She and her friends were in a quilt group and many of them entered their quilts in the fair contest.
EC: You introduced a new character, Zach. Can you describe him?
AF: He is a ten-year-old boy who is a friend of Millie’s nephew, Micah. His mother left him with his grandfather who thinks poorly of him because he was born out of wedlock and his father was an “English” man. His grandfather basically abandons him. He is a sweet little boy in a bad family situation. As I was writing this story the adoption was being finalized for two of my nephews who were in the foster system.
EC: Why the dating app?
AF: I thought of it funny to think of Millie’s friend, Lois, trying to use it. She is very zany but is a hopeless romantic. She loves being in love. Even though she is almost seventy she tried it. I wanted this to be the humorous part of the story.
EC: The goats played a major role in the story. Do you agree?
AF: Yes. Millie’s great nephew, Micah, wanted to enter her goats, Phillip, and Peter into the fair. Near the beginning of the book, they get out of their pen a lot because they are rascals. Because they were out and everyone was looking for them, they are found in the place with a dead body. They lead Lois and Millie to a dead body. Zach also had a goat, Scooter, who he loved very much because his mother gave it to him just before she left. Scooter is a Pygmy goat.
EC: Where are you going with the relationship between Millie and Uriah?
AF: I used the Amish proverbs to help Millie decide on where she is going with her life. She was really torn between her past and possible future. She is one of my most loyal characters. Even though her husband had been gone for over 20 years it is still hard for her to pursue another relationship. Uriah knows she is struggling and is very supportive of her and cares for her a lot. He realizes she is independent, is frightened of marriage, and how she is dedicated to her husband’s memory forever.
EC: Next books?
AF: There will be another Emily Dickerson mystery coming out this November. Then in March of next year there will be a series with the Wright Brothers written from the point of view of their younger sister Katherine. It is titled To Slip the Bonds of Earth.
It will be a while before there will be another Amish book. Going forward I will be writing one historical book and one Amish book, alternating between the Amish Candy Shop Book and the Amish Matchmaker Book.
The end of next year will be the Candy Shop Book titled Gingerbread Danger. It is a Christmas mystery. There is a life size Candyland Game throughout the village, and someone gets killed.
Then after that will be the Millie and Lois book where they go to Pinecraft Florida where there is an Amish community. There will be a lot of new characters and of course a murder.
THANK YOU!!
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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
At just 30 years old, with dark-blonde hair and freckles, Barbara Weaver was as pretty as the women depicted on the covers of her favorite “bonnet” stories – romance novels set in Amish America. Barbara had everything she’d ever wanted: five beautiful children, a home, her faith, and a husband named Eli. But while Barbara was happy to live as the Amish have for centuries – without modern conveniences, Eli was tempted by technology: cell phones, the Internet, and sexting. Online he called himself “Amish Stud” and found no shortage of “English” women looking for love and sex. Twice he left Barbara and their children, was shunned, begged for forgiveness, and had been welcomed back to the church.
Barb Raber was raised Amish, but is now a Conservative Mennonite. She drove Eli to appointments in her car, and she gave him what he wanted when he wanted: a cell phone, a laptop, rides to his favorite fishing and hunting places, and, most importantly, sex. When Eli starts asking people to kill his wife for him, Barb offers to help. One night, just after Eli had hitched a ride with a group of men to go fishing in the hours before dawn, Barb Raber entered the Weaver house and shot Barbara Weaver in the chest at close range.
It was only the third murder in hundreds of years of Amish life in America, and it fell to Edna Boyle, a young assistant prosecutor to seek justice for Barbara Weaver.
A KILLING IN AMISH COUNTRY: Sex Betrayal, and a Cold-Blooded Murder by Gregg Olsen and Rebecca Morris is a surprising true crime saga from a community we associate with innocence and peacefulness, but just as in all societies, there are individuals who break the rules, both moral and criminal. This story is told through the eyes of the investigators and the prosecutor with snippets at the start of each chapter taken from the murdered woman’s personal writings.
Barbara Weaver has always been content with her Amish way of life. Growing up she was a fan of Amish romance books and dreamed of finding her own “Happily Ever After”. Now at 30 years old, she has five beautiful children and a husband named Eli.
Eli Weaver has never been satisfied with his Amish way of life. He has abandoned his wife and children to live among the “English” several times over the marriage, but always repents and returns. With the cell phone he is not supposed to own and the computer at his business, he goes on-line to dating sites and finds women as “Amish Stud”. Eli wants freedom from his family but is not willing to give up his business or home.
Barb Raber is a Mennonite driver who is used by Eli, not just for transportation, but also for sex. Eli asks several of his girlfriends to kill his wife which they take as a joke, but Barb takes him seriously and agrees to do it. Just before dawn as Eli is on his way to Lake Erie to fish, Barb enters the Weaver home and shoots Barbara Weaver in the chest while in her bed sleeping.
I was shocked when I heard about this criminal case. I live in Ohio and have visited Amish country many times. While I knew “Who did it”, the forensics of this case are not the only focus of this case, the psychological analysis is what pulled me in. Eli Weaver was a manipulative sociopath who was immature and only interested in his own pleasure. He was abusive to his wife, dismissive of his children, and a liar. He was able to pick just the right type of women to manipulate and Barb Raber was his ultimate conquest. Eli was not sophisticated enough to know how to cover up his crime, but he was smart enough to push as much of the blame as possible on to Barb Raber. My only problem with this book was it is repetitive in places which at times slows the pace, but the story is still overall so interesting. It is a sad story that happens in our society often, but you just do not expect it in the Amish community.
I recommend this true crime murder investigation for an intriguing read.
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About the Author – Gregg Olsen
I live in rural Washington State (about a mile as the crow flies from Dr. Linda Burfield Hazzard’s infamous Starvation Heights sanatarium). My thriller, THE LAST THING SHE EVER DID was an Amazon Charts bestseller. LYING NEXT TO ME was a reader favorite, charting at No. 1 in the Kindle store and the bestseller’s list at the Washington Post. My true crime book, IF YOU TELL, found a home on Amazon Charts for more than 140 weeks. In fact, it was the bestselling Kindle ebook of 2020 (and the second-bestselling of 2021). I’ve been a guest on Dateline NBC, NPR, Good Morning America, The Early Show, FOX News, CNN, Anderson Cooper, Entertainment Tonight, Inside Edition, Extra, Access Hollywood, 20/20, Snapped, Deadly Women, William Shatner’s Aftermath, and A&E’s Biography. You can find out more about me at www.NotoriousUSA.com.
About the Author – Rebecca Morris
REBECCA MORRIS IS THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR of Boy Missing: The Search for Kyron Horman; If I Can’t Have You: Susan Powell, Her Mysterious Disappearance, and the Murder of Her Children; A Killing in Amish Country: Sex, Betrayal and a Cold Blooded Murder; Ted and Ann: The Mystery of a Missing Child and Her Neighbor Ted Bundy; a true-crime memoir, A Murder in My Hometown; and other books. A native Oregonian, she worked as a journalist in New York City, Seattle, and Portland, Oregon. She appears frequently on network and cable TV as a crime expert, and works with other authors as a book coach and consulting editor. She lives in Seattle where she teaches Journalism, Researching and Writing True Crime, and Playwriting.
Please read about her books and contact her at RebeccaTMorris.com.
Two years ago, Joseph King was convicted of murdering his wife and sentenced to life in prison. He was a “fallen” Amish man and a known drug user with a violent temper. Now King has escaped, and he’s headed for Painters Mill.
News of a murderer on the loose travels like wildfire, putting Chief of Police Kate Burkholder and her team of officers on edge. But this is personal for Kate. She grew up with Joseph King. As a thirteen year old Amish girl, she’d worshipped the ground he walked on. She never could have imagined the nightmare scenario that becomes reality when King shows up with a gun and takes his five children hostage at their Amish uncle’s farm. Armed and desperate, he has nothing left to lose.
Fearing for the safety of the children, Kate makes contact with King only to find herself trapped with a killer. Or is he? All King asks of her is to help him prove his innocence—and he releases her unharmed. Kate is skeptical, but when the facts and the evidence don’t align, she begins to wonder who she should trust. Spurned by some of her fellow cops, she embarks on her own investigation only to unearth an unspeakable secret—and someone who is willing to commit murder to keep it buried.
DOWN A DARK ROAD (A Kate Burkholder Novel Book #9) by Linda Castillo is another suspenseful addition to this crime fiction/police procedural thriller series featuring Painters Mill Chief of Police Kate Burkholder. Even though I am behind in my reading of this series, I always look forward to catching up when I can slip one in from my TBR list.
This novel intertwines two stories: Kate looking back on her Amish adolescent first crush, Joseph King, and the search for the truth of his wife’s murder. He just escaped from Mansfield Correctional and has only served two years after being found guilty of killing his wife. He overpowers Kate and takes his her and his children hostage. He swears to Kate he is innocent, but his actions, past and present are not helping his case. He releases Kate, but not his children.
As Kate begins looking into the old case, she discovers that the facts and evidence do not align. Kate gets closer to the truth, and it just might be the last case she works.
This book had me engrossed from page one. Both storylines, the crime investigation and the youthful crush of Kate and Joseph were well paced with life mistakes made, both good and bad behaviors that made them realistic. The climax was as intense as usual with Kate going off on her own once again, but I also always love how she is triumphant with or without help. I love Kate, the Amish settings and cultural inclusions, and of course her boyfriend Tomasetti, although he is not a big part of this crime investigation.
I recommend this engaging crime fiction/police procedural thriller and I am looking forward to enjoying many more in the series.
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About the Author
Linda Castillo is the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Kate Burkholder series, set in the world of the Amish. The first book, Sworn to Silence, was adapted into a Lifetime original movie titled An Amish Murder starring Neve Campbell as Kate Burkholder. Castillo is the recipient of numerous industry awards including a nomination by the International Thriller Writers for Best Hardcover, the Mystery Writers of America’s Sue Grafton Memorial Award, and an appearance on the Boston Globe’s shortlist for best crime novel. In addition to writing, Castillo’s other passion is horses. She lives in Texas with her husband and is currently at work on her next book.
On a crisp autumn day in Painters Mill, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder responds to a call only to discover an Amish man who has been violently killed with a crossbow, his body abandoned on a dirt road. Aden Karn was just twenty years old, well liked, and from an upstanding Amish family. Who would commit such a heinous crime against a young man whose life was just beginning?
The more Kate gets to know his devastated family and the people—both English and Amish—who loved him, the more determined she becomes to solve the case. Aden Karn was funny and hardworking and looking forward to marrying his sweet fiancé, Emily. All the while, Kate’s own wedding day to Tomasetti draws near…
But as she delves into Karn’s past, Kate begins to hear whispers about a dark side. What if Aden Karn wasn’t the wholesome young man everyone admired? Is it possible the rumors are a cruel campaign to blame the victim? Kate pursues every lead with a vengeance, sensing an unspeakable secret no one will broach.
The case spirals out of control when a young Amish woman comes forward with a horrific story that pits Kate against a dangerous and unexpected opponent. When the awful truth is finally uncovered, Kate comes face to face with the terrible consequences of a life lived in all the dark places.
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Elise’s Thoughts
An Evil Heart by Linda Castillo is once again another home run. She blends an intense crime mystery with some light-hearted scenes and detailed insight about the Amish community.
The story opens with twenty-year-old Aden Karn being violently killed with a crossbow. He was well-liked, kind, funny, hardworking, and engaged to be married. Now Kate Burkholder, Painters Mills police chief, must find his killer. But as she delves into Karn’s past, Kate begins to hear whispers about a dark side and wonders if Aden Karn wasn’t the wholesome young man everyone admired.
Then there are the scenes that show Kate is getting ready to wed her longtime love, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation agent John Tomasetti. She is trying to make amends with her family after leaving the Amish community. Now readers see how her family is also reconciling her departure from their culture and is willing to participate in the wedding celebration.
The gripping scenes that include family, jealousy, lies, betrayal, and friendship will have readers turning the pages at a brisk pace.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Why a crossbow weapon?
LC: I never did fire a crossbow but did speak to my neighbor who is a hunter and had used a crossbow. I read a lot of stories about it and saw some videos. In the UK people have been shot or murdered using this weapon. I thought it is an interesting and unusual choice of weapon. The bolts are incredibly powerful, fast, and accurate. The broadhead tip could graze and nick someone to cause injury. The bolt (arrow) has tremendous velocity and can penetrate bone and even go through it.
EC: The scene with the murder was horrific?
LC: When I first wrote that scene, I wrote it as a shooting. It felt a little familiar and I decided to dig deeper. I started looking at different crimes and happened upon the crossbow weapon. I chose the broadhead bolt because the tip of it has four wings which will cause a tremendous wound. Instead of a wound there will be four slits in the shape of a cross. It cannot be pulled out but to get it out it must go all the way through.
EC: Also interesting was that the Amish person was riding a bike, not a buggy?
LC: They do. I had lunch with an Amish man in 2019. He rides his bike everywhere. I got the idea from him. I wanted to make the story a little bit different, fresher, yet accurate.
EC: Do you ride a bike to get the description you wrote about in the book?
LC: I used to, but not where we live now in rural country. When we lived in Dallas my husband and I rode bikes all the time. I did write the description from my experience of being able to cover ground a lot faster.
EC: How would you describe the killer?
LC: They were cruel and wanted to cause pain. They are calm and confident. The killing was targeted, planned, and cold blooded. There were strange motivations so inwardly they did not take away all the blame.
EC: How would you describe Aden, the victim?
LC: He appears to be an enigma. The first couple of chapters describe him as an outstanding citizen, bright, and kind. A typical Amish young man about to embark on his life. Pretty early in the book Kate starts to realize there is something else going on and not everything is as it appears. She recognizes that this guy has secrets with a dark side. I explore the question of how someone’s lifestyle could put themselves into a situation that leads to a bad end.
EC: In the last couple of books do you explain more about the steps of a homicide investigation, which makes the story more interesting?
LC: It was not intentional, but I did want to get the police procedural aspect correct. I did in the last couple of books spend a good bit of time on the investigation. Part of the reason is that they were difficult investigations. Even though I am the writer and know the answer I must go through the struggle of going through the crime. I want it to be reasonable and credible, not coming out of left field. I hope readers enjoy this.
EC: Readers get to understand more about Tomasetti the cop?
LC: He is strong, obsessive, intense, direct, and driven. His experience tells him what will happen and causes him to be cynical. I also went into his backstory more. What happened to him was a life alternating event. He has come very far and has grown since the first book in the story. Readers learn where his family is buried when he takes Kate there. This helps them to get closure. It was a very satisfying scene for me to write.
EC: Readers also find out a little more about Kate’s sister Sarah?
LC: She is traditional, a peacekeeper, an optimist, a diplomat, and they are getting closer. Because of the darkness with the story, I wanted to add some lightness and comfort, which was Sarah. For example, the scene with the wedding dress. Kate must take off her gun to get measured for the dress. Kate told Sarah how uncomfortable she was with some of the things on the wedding dress and said she wants to brighten it up more. Sarah came up with the idea of the sash because she is smart enough and kind enough to read between the lines. They had good common ground. I think this is an important scene.
EC: Why do you think that was an important scene?
LC: Kate is coming to acknowledge that she is not Amish but still can have an important relationship and be close to her family. She is not turned off to her Amish heritage. She chose a middle ground for her wedding between the Amish and English worlds by getting married in a Mennonite wedding. In the end, this is the message of that wedding dress scene and the wedding scene. The wedding scene where the bishop came was also important. When Kate was young, she had a love/hate relationship with him. Throughout this entire series he has been a hard man to her sometimes. Yet, it meant something for him to show up at her wedding as a friend, not as the bishop.
EC: Next book?
LC: The working title is The Burning and should be out in early July next year. Kate must adjust to being married but is feeling the tick of the biological clock, of having a baby. She has always envisioned herself with family. But in the next several books she must balance being married and being a Police Chief in a high-risk profession. The murder in the next book is centered around the birth of the Anabaptist reformation movement. The Amish were burned, drowned, hanged while being persecuted.
THANK YOU!!
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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
