Pray for Silence

The horrific murder of an Amish family rocks the small town of Painters Mill, Ohio, in Castillo’s second thriller featuring Chief of Police Kate Burkholder. A lapsed member of the community herself, Burkholder confronts the life she abandoned many years ago—and its very dark secrets. Castillo builds a fascinating story that delves into a little known universe and populates it with authentic situations and characters. Kathleen McInerney does an excellent job of portraying this diverse cast, especially the Amish, who she instills with a shy, quiet dignity, and she handles the Pennsylvania Dutch language with the ease of a native. Although the brutality in the story can be quite disturbing in places, McInerney’s grounded reading keeps it from feeling gratuitous. A compelling listen, well-written and expertly narrated. A Minotaur hardcover (Reviews, Apr. 12). (June)