Sworn to Silence

A Thriller

By: Linda Castillo

Narrated by: Kathleen McInerney

Now the subject of the Lifetime original movie: An Amish Murder

A killer is preying on sacred ground....

In the sleepy rural town of Painters Mill, Ohio, the Amish and "English" residents have lived side by side for two centuries. But 16 years ago, a series of brutal murders shattered the peaceful farming community. In the aftermath of the violence, the town was left with a sense of fragility, a loss of innocence.

Kate Burkholder, a young Amish girl, survived the terror of the Slaughterhouse Killer but came away from its brutality with the realization that she no longer belonged with the Amish.

Now, a wealth of experience later, Kate has been asked to return to Painters Mill as Chief of Police. Her Amish roots and big city law enforcement background make her the perfect candidate. She's certain she's come to terms with her past - until the first body is discovered in a snowy field. Kate vows to stop the killer before he strikes again. But to do so, she must betray both her family and her Amish past - and expose a dark secret that could destroy her.

©2009 Linda Castillo (P)2009 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Deeply flawed characters in a distinctive setting make this a crackling good series opener, recommended for fans of T. Jefferson Parker and Robert Ellis, whose books take place in very un-Amish settings but who generate the same kind of chills and suspense." (Booklist)

Loved this

Certain parts of this book really reminded me of Clarice from the silence if the lambs. I loved that this book was easy to follow right from the start. Some authors start off a book with so many characters, and so complicated, that when listening to the audio version you have to go back and rewind or start over to understand what's going. Not the case with this one.
I was able to figure out, or at least suspect, who the killer was earlier than the author made the reveal, but that ended up adding to the suspense versus taking away from it.
Excellent book, excellent narration.

Pronunciations

I think that a reader of any audio book should do some homework and learn how to pronounce the localities featured in the book. I cringed each time I heard the reader say Coshocton or Newark (New-Ark???) when referring to Ohio places.

An incredibly imagined and tightly paced thriller!

An incredibly imagined and tightly paced thriller thst is sure to leave you at the edge of your seat! My favorite read of the summer! Highly recommended!

Scary with a Capital S

Would you listen to Sworn to Silence again? Why?

Suspenseful, Scary and amazing.

What does Kathleen McInerney bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I love listening to the same reader with every book. Kathleen does great.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Something wicked shows up in Amish country

Terrific series!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I listened to the entire 9 books in the series (so far) one after another. I love books that teach me facts (in this case about the Amish culture) while I enjoy a good story. Linda Castillo is an excellent writer. The characters are likable. The narration is excellent. The only downside is that the protagonist a little too often over the course of the series knows she shouldn't enter the dangerous situation but (of course) goes in anyway. Still, I can't wait now until the next in the series comes out -- I will purchase it the day it's available!

An unexpectant thriller

It was a bit graphics in horror details, but the story was so thrilling it did not destroy my interest in "need to know what happens next". Very good thriller.

GREAT THRILLER Keeps you engaged...

Definitely adults audience only. Language and adult situations are very descriptive and gruesome in latter chapters

Good Story...wordy telling

The plot and overall story performance here was good..sadly my short attention spanned wouldn't allow me to listen to the book in it's entirety because of Castillo's lengthy descriptions which seem to prolong the action. I discovered that Lifetime made a movie based on the book so I purchased it from my Amazon Prime account and watched the ending instead - lol. Would recommend however.

Loved this book!

This book was awesome. After reading her first two books Linda Castillo has become one of my favorite authors. Plan to read all the books in this series. Kate Burkeholder is such an interesting character,

story

Exdelleng storyline, really enjoyed this book. couldn't put the book down. will definitely read more of the authors books