Sometimes the best way to know a person is by asking questions, so let’s meet Kate.

What is your name?
Kate Burkholder.

How old are you?
About 35 years.

What is your profession?
Chief of Police.

Do you have a significant other?
Indeed, I do and significant he is.

What is his name?
John Tomasetti.

What is his profession?
He’s an agent with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Before that he was with the Cleveland Division of Police.

Any children?
No children. I lost a pregnancy a couple years ago, which was difficult and reminded me that I want to have children some day. My clock is quietly ticking. . .

Do you have any sibling(s)?
Jacob is my brother. Sarah, my sister. They have remained Amish, while I left the fold. I love them very much; we were close as children. But there is tension there.

Cats, dogs or other pets?
I work too much to have a dog. I do have chickens, however.

What town do you live in?
Near Wooster, Ohio, which is just north of Painters Mill.

House or building complex?
Farmhouse on six acres.

Do you rent or own?
Own.

What is your favorite spot in your house?
The dock on our pond.

Who is your best friend?
John Tomasetti.

Amateur sleuth or professional?
I have been in law enforcement the entirety of my adult life. I was with the Columbus Ohio Police Department before I became chief.

Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
I have a dedicated team of five officers working for me and they are like family. Sometimes I work in conjunction with the sheriff’s department. If it’s a serious crime, and it usually is, I work with Tomasetti . . .

Favorite meal?
Fish or seafood is always a treat.

Favorite dessert?
Ice cream with chocolate syrup. Or rum raisin.

Favorite hobby?
I work too much to have a serious hobby. When things slow down, I want to spend more time on the farm. Chickens. A garden. Landscaping. Stuff like that.

Favorite vacation spot?
After my first major case as chief, which took place in the midst of a bitterly cold winter, Tomasetti and I went to St. John in the Caribbean. That will always be my favorite vacation spot.

Favorite color?
Blue, of course.

Favorite sports team?
None.

Movies or Broadway?
No.

Are you a morning or a night person?
I’m generally a morning person. I like to get a jump on the day. When I’m working on a case, I’m one of those people who can get by on little sleep and often work around the clock.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
I usually arrive at the police department around 8 AM. My third shift dispatcher, Mona, is leaving, and my first shift dispatcher, Lois, is arriving. Always nice to see them and get myself up to speed. Roland “Pickles” Shumaker—who is in his 80s and my only part time officer—usually works the elementary school crosswalk. (don’t underestimate the old timer, by the way. He’s been a cop for fifty years and spent much of those years working undercover narcotics.) My first shift officer, Rupert “Glock” Maddox is on patrol. Most days we handle minor calls such as loose livestock, the occasional domestic dispute, bar fights, minor incidents. But even small towns like Painters Mill see their fair share of violence.

You can read about Kate in A Gathering of Secrets, the tenth book in the “Kate Burkholder” mystery series. The first book in the series is Sworn to Silence.

A deadly fire exposes the dark side of Amish life in A Gathering of Secrets, a harrowing new thriller in the New York Times bestselling series by Linda Castillo.

When a historic barn burns to the ground in the middle of the night, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called in to investigate. At first, it looks like an accident, but when the body of eighteen-year-old Daniel Gingerich is found inside―burned alive―Kate suspects murder. Who would want a well-liked, hardworking young Amish man dead? Kate delves into the investigation only to find herself stonewalled by the community to which she once belonged. Is their silence a result of the Amish tenet of separation? Or is this peaceful and deeply religious community conspiring to hide a truth no one wants to talk about? Kate doubles down only to discover a plethora of secrets and a chilling series of crimes that shatters everything she thought she knew about her Amish roots―and herself.

As Kate wades through a sea of suspects, she’s confronted by her own violent past and an unthinkable possibility.

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About the author
Linda Castillo is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Kate Burkholder novels, including Sworn to Silence which was recently 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 Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence, and a nomination for the RITA. 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 novel.

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