A Fugitive in Amish Country: Outsider

I hope you had a Happy Valentine’s Day and picked up a few new mysteries from my For the Love of Families post this weekend. If not, hop on over and see what you can find!

If you happen to be in Texas, cuddling up to a fire with a book might be your best bet right now! Those of us who have been experiencing -40 temperatures might have a chuckle at your unexpected wintry weather, but of course poor road conditions and power outs and no central heating are no laughing matter. Stay safe!

And be sure to come back on Friday for a stack of new releases!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.

In today’s book, Outsider by Linda Castillo, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is snowbound in Amish country in Ohio, along with a fugitive who happens to be an old friend. While she would like to think that Gina is blameless in the situation she finds herself in, Kate knows that her friend is keeping things from her and that she cannot keep Gina’s presence from the men who are looking for her for long.

I always enjoy Linda Castillo’s Kate Burkholder series. They are warm and homey, with a sharp edge of suspense to keep you from getting too comfortable. Who knew that Amish suspense would be such a great mashup?

He saw blue-tinged lips set into a face that was deathly pale. She wore a scarf at the collar of her coat. A single leather glove on her right hand. The other was bare and covered with blood. Her skin was cold to the touch and for a terrible moment he thought she was dead. Frozen to death.

Linda Castillo, Outsider

While enjoying a sleigh ride with his children, Amish widower Adam Lengacher discovers a car stuck in a snowdrift and an unconscious woman inside. He calls upon Chief of Police Kate Burkholder for help, and she is surprised to recognize the driver: fellow cop and her former friend, Gina Colorosa.

Years before, Kate and Gina were best friends at the police academy and patrol officers in Columbus, but time and distance have taken them down two very different paths. Now, Gina reveals a shocking story of betrayal and revenge that has forced her to run for her life. She’s desperate for protection, and the only person she can trust is Kate—but can Kate trust her? Or will Gina’s dark past put them all in danger?

As a blizzard bears down on Painters Mill, Kate helps Gina go into hiding on Adam’s farm. While the tough-skinned Gina struggles to adjust to the Amish lifestyle, Kate and state agent John Tomasetti delve into the incident that caused Gina to flee. But as Kate gets closer to the truth, a killer lies in wait. When violence strikes, she must confront a devastating truth that changes everything she thought she knew not only about friendship, but the institution to which she’s devoted her life.

2 thoughts on “A Fugitive in Amish Country: Outsider”

Tell me what you think!

Scroll to Top