PamG's Reviews > Rage

It’s hot and muggy in Painters Mill, Ohio and things are heating up for Chief of Police Kate Burkholder and her team. Rage by Linda Castillo is chilling, suspenseful, and dark. Kate calls her husband Tomasetti with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Sheriff Mike Rasmussen for assistance as murders start to pile up for the team. A dismembered body that is found by children is only the beginning of this story. As the team investigates, it becomes clear that someone will stop at nothing, including killing police officers, to hide their crimes. Can they be exposed and arrested before this happens?

The characterization is excellent, making each person come to life for me. Readers of the series will be familiar with many of them. One thing that struck me as slightly odd was the number of nicknames for officers on Kate’s investigation team. She likes to finish what she starts, is focused, hates the politics and media side of the job, and is respected by her officers. She’s loyal, driven, intelligent, has good instincts, and is courageous, but she’s also impulsive and ends up alone in situations where she needs backup. Kate comes alive and it’s easy to connect with her and want her to succeed in finding the killer. Since she grew up Amish, she is mindful of the divide between them and the English communities and tries to bridge the divide and earn the trust of both sides.

As usual, the novel is descriptive to the point of being graphic at times with the murder descriptions. However, it also easily transported me to Painters Mill in summer. The plot twists worked well and the ending was action-packed. Ms. Castillo is an excellent storyteller who kept me engaged with gripping scenes and a creative plot that built suspense. The story captivated me from beginning to end. However, it is somewhat over-the-top from the standpoint that some events should have resulted in characters being on medical leave rather than retraining immediately to work. Ms. Costillo is clearly a master at building tension and delivering exciting results that keep readers engaged. Themes include trust, greed, respect, innocence, naivety, secrets, murder, and complicated family and community relationships.

Overall, this book was gritty, suspenseful, action-packed, and gripping. This novel should delight those readers that enjoy police procedurals, crime thrillers, and mysteries that have a strong female lead character. However, be aware that it is also unsettling at times. I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author. This is the seventeenth book in the series.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Linda Castillo provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for July 08, 2025.
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My 4.48 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.