Chief of Police Kate Burkholder races against the clock to find a missing child in this new original short story from New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo.
As a violent thunderstorm rages in Painters Mill, Kate Burkholder receives a call from a frantic young Amish woman: her two-year-old son is missing. Kate and her officers brave the downpour to search for the toddler, fearing he may have been swept away in the rising creek waters. But an explosive family secret leads Kate to believe this disappearance may be more complicated than anyone is letting on. Can she find the boy and uncover the truth before darkness falls?
Linda Castillo is the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Kate Burkholder mystery 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, a nomination for the Mystery Writers of America’s Sue Grafton Memorial Award, and a nomination for an “Audie Award” for best mystery audiobook. Her work has appeared on numerous bestseller lists and earned a spot on the Boston Globe’s shortlist for best crime novel.
In addition to writing, Castillo’s other passion is horses. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, three Appaloosas, and two feisty, but loveable Blue Heelers.
She loves hearing from readers. Contact her at books@lindacastillo.com.
A search for a missing two year old Amish toddler during a raging storm. Quick and engaging short story. Disappeared can be read as a standalone or sample to see if this series is to your liking. 1H 34M
Linda Castillo shows again that she is as good at putting together a novella as she is a full length book. Disappeared is less than sixty pages but an awful lot is packed into it.
Kate is called to an Amish home where a two year old boy has disappeared, and it is at first assumed that he has wandered off. A full scale search is called, unfortunately in a particularly bad rain storm. Luckily Kate has all her wits about her and is suspicious of the family which leads her in another direction altogether. The story is nicely rounded off.
A short read but a good one and I am now keen to get to the next novel in the series!
the setup… Is there any worse call for law enforcement than a missing child? Police Chief Kate Burkholder gets one for a two-year old before dawn in the middle of a raging thunderstorm. Everyone is dispatched to find this little Amish boy.
the heart of the story… It’s a race to find little Joe Klein as the storm is causing nearby creeks and other bodies of water to rise. Kate and her teams don’t have many clues but what little there were leads them to question whether the child strayed away on his own or was abducted. The prologue helped me out on that but still…
the narration… It’s Kathleen McInerney, the voice of the series, and she didn’t help my tension level with her typical performance and great storytelling skills. My listening experience wouldn’t be the same without her.
the bottom line… It continues to surprise me that these short stories in the series manage to feel full length. I enjoyed this one as it took several turns before the mystery was solved and not completely the way I’d imagined. Normally, I dread series novellas but not these as the author has yet to disappoint.
Here a great short story with a strong thriller, with a hint of romance and suspense created with a book with only 60 pages.
As a violent thunderstorm rages in Painters Mill, Kate Burkholder receives a call from a frantic young Amish woman: her two-year-old son is missing. Kate and her officers brave the downpour to search for the toddler, fearing he may have been swept away in the rising creek waters. But an explosive family secret leads Kate to believe this disappearance may be more complicated than anyone is letting on. Can she find the boy and uncover the truth before darkness falls?
4⭐ Genre ~ police procedural Series ~ Kate Burkholder #12.5 Others in the series ~ #1-16 + 0.5's Setting ~ Ohio Publication date ~ April 27, 2021 Est Page Count ~ 49 Audio length ~ 1 hours 34 minutes Narrator ~ Kathleen McInerney POV ~ single 1st, present tense Featuring ~ missing toddler
Kate and Glock get called out during a raging storm to help locate a 2 year old Amish boy who went missing from his bed in the night. Kate's gut says the mother and grandmother are not telling her everything, and Kate's gut is never wrong.
Another quick and tense read that had my mama heart pounding and breaking by the conclusion.
Series notes: The novellas are fine to be read as standalones, but the whole series is great so why not read them all.
Narration notes: She does fine. When she does the male parts she sounds a little stiff, like she has to think about it.
Police Chief Kate Burkholder is contacted by an Amish family. A two-year-old has vanished from his bed. The family has searched the house, barn, and sheds; but there is no sign of him. Little Joe's mother is distraught. Kate calls in additional officers to start searching. It has been storming all day and the creek is up to the top of its banks. She worries that the child may have accidentally fallen into the raging waters.
This was a quick read. We know from the first page that someone walked into the Amish home and took Little Joe out of his bed while his mother was sleeping. Who would do something like that? Is Little Joe being cared for or is he in danger? My rating: 4 Stars.
This is an Amish Mystery Novella, and this is the 12.5 book in the Kate Burkholder series. This is a very short story. I really enjoy the short story/Novella in this series. They are so well written, and they have so much packed into less then 100 pages. This book was so good, and I love all the characters in this book. In this book a 2 year old amish boy goes missing. Kate uncovers so much about the parents of this boys, and I love the ending of this book. I love that this book shows Kate's caring heart and the love that she puts into the cases she works. I cannot wait to pick up book 13 "Fallen" in this series.
This novella can be finished in one sitting and is very interesting. Any of Linda Castillo‘s books are wonderful and I enjoy the latest novella every year leading up to her newest release. This story is about a missing child who disappeared during a terrible thunderstorm. The river is starting to flood over its banks and no one knows what happened to the little boy. Kate and Tomasetti solve the mystery and there is a happy ending for all.
3.5 Stars for Disappeared: Kate Burkholder, Book 12.5 (audiobook) Linda Castillo read by Kathleen Mclnerney.
The Police Chief Kate Burkholder gets a call that an Amish child is missing and a terrible storm is raging in her small town. She pulls together everyone she can to search for the boy as she tries to figure out who abducted him.
Another Amish short story from Castillo leading up to her next full novel release in July. I always enjoy these extras -- and the same goes here. Young love, mistakes and bad choices, but sometimes love conquers all. And always fun to check in with Kate and Tomasetti!
Another solid novella in the Kate Burkholder series. I am looking forward to reading the newest novel, Fallen. Castillo is one author I feel like does a good job with the novellas in between novels. They are mini-mysteries that I always wish are longer but still satisfying.
I used this short story to assess whether I wanted to read this author and engage with her character. Mission accomplished. Yes. Northeastern Ohio, an Amish connection, and a female sheriff.
These quick short stories between books draw me in so fast. This one seemed more so as there was a missing boy. I was glad that Kate jumped to figure things out and that she was as through as possible. Was also glad that this one ended in the best possible way.
Kate gets a call in the early morning hours about a missing Amish toddler. It’s pouring rain, and the river is flooding and about to crest. Everyone is anxious and fearful that the boy won’t be found in time. The child belongs to a young Amish woman, unmarried, and the father is English. The parents of the Amish woman insist that the father has no say in the child’s care, but Kate isn’t so sure. She enlists the help of her friend Tomasetti to find the child and sort out the details. This short story shows that Kate (and Tomasetti) sometimes skirt the law a bit, and show compassion to distressed people who have broken it. Well written, this short story is a good addition the series, and further develops Kate’s character as a person who appreciates her Amish upbringing, even though she left her community.
Whether a novel or short story I Love the Kate Burkholder series. The whodunit I figured out pretty quickly what I didn't figure out was why and how this would end. Kate finds herself racing to find a kidnapped two year old while flash floods are happening. The question is, is it a kidnapping and if so who took the child and why? All may not seem as it is. I love getting a short story before the new Kate Burkholder novel comes out it helps in the wait for the new book.
Disappeared is NOT a brain-burner mystery, but it is a good short story. A 2 yr toddler is found missing from his crib, his toy is found on a road with freshly made tire tracks, a boot imprint is left in the babies room.
Love Linda Castillo’s style of writing, and always look forward to her books whether full length or short reads.
I like Castillo’s series book shots that gives us another glimpse into Kate’s world in Painters Mill. This was a short story about a child disappearance, or so it seemed, at first. Without getting into any spoilers, the story ends up being more about tolerance, or rather the lack of it. I liked the ending and I'm glad it ended the way it did. I was really hoping it would end that way.
On another note, I’ve always found it odd that some religious groups and people will claim that the non-religious are so intolerant of them and their religious beliefs. So often, to me at least, it seems like it’s the other way around. So many religious groups and people are so intolerant of people who are not religious or even other religious people who are of a different faith. The world could certainly benefit from some tolerance from all, regardless of whether they’re religious or not.
The Kate Burkholder series is one of my absolute favorites and I look forward to reading the newest novella and then addition to the series in the summer. In Disappeared a two year old Amish boy has been taken from his room in the middle of the night during a horrible storm. Kate is called in to help find the boy and we soon are looking into who could have taken him. This was a solid novella and it has put me in the mood for the newest book. I do wish we had more from Kate's crew at the police station. I need more Pickles!
A quick novella by Linda Castillo. Disappeared has Kate Burkholder looking for a 2 year old that went missing during the night. I continue to love this series, which is a look at the Amish life and a Police Chief that left that way of life. I can't recommend this series enough.