Review: A Gathering of Secrets by Linda Castillo

A Gathering of Secrets by Linda Castillo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: 2018

Kate Burkholder is the chief of police for the small town of Painter's Mill in Ohio. When a young Amish man is found burned to death in his family's barn, Kate is determined to find out who is responsible. Being ex-Amish herself, Kate has a strong connection to the people. But trying out to find out who would have wanted Daniel Gingerich dead is turning into quite a list. You see, Daniel wasn't the good Amish boy every portrayed him to be. He had a dirty secret and once Chief Burkholder is able to uncover his secrets, she may be able to find his killer.

Thank you to Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

When I first heard about this book, I was quite intrigued by the story line. I didn't know that this was a part of a series, so that was a little disappointing, but I don't feel like I missed out on too much. I definitely want to go back and read the rest of the series.

Daniel Gingerich is in the period of an Amish person's life called Rumspringa. This is a time once Amish reach adulthood that they take the time to "find themselves". Daniel had a serious girlfriend and had plans to marry her. But he was a young man and attractive. He could have almost any girl he wanted. So why was he killed and who did it? When Kate finds out Daniel's secret, the suspect pool grows bigger and bigger the more she digs into this young man's life. The Amish community is so tight knit that no one wants to tell anyone's secrets.

This book was very hard to put down, and there were surprises I didn't see coming. I look forward to reading more books by Linda Castillo.

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Review--First Comes Love by Emily Giffin

First Comes Love by Emily Giffin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First Comes Love is the story of a family. A family that is devastated by an extremely tragic event, the death of a child and brother. The story takes place 15 years after this event, and is told through the eyes of the two remaining children, Josie and Meredith. Each sister has a different personality and they definitely see the world from opposing perspectives. When secrets that have been plaguing the sisters for so long come to the surface, the only thing that will keep their relationship together is the love that brought them into this world.

I am a big fan of Emily Giffin. Her books always bring out a host of emotions in me. Happiness, sadness, understanding, compassion. And this title did not disappoint. The newest from the author, it covers the relationship between two sisters in the aftermath of their older brother's tragic death fifteen years earlier. Both still haunted by the events of that night and the outcomes that came from it, will they be able to find the love they have for each other to sort out what is going on.

Josie is the oldest of the two and she is single and a first grade teacher. Starting out her new school year,she finds out that her ex-boyfriend's daughter is going to be in her class. This brings back a whole host of memories from when we they were together and the reason they broke up. Determined not to let this get her down, she makes a very important decision that will change her life forever, the only problem, she's not getting the support she wants, especially from her sister Meredith.

Meredith is the youngest child. She is married to Nolan and has a young daughter named Harper. From the outside, Meredith looks as though she has her life together. She is a lawyer and her and Nolan are living in her childhood home that they bought from her parents. But something is clearly missing from Meredith's life, she's just not sure what it is and how to find it. Hating to be overshadowed by Josie's need for things to be all about her, she takes some time for herself to recognize what is going on in her life and what she can do to fix it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me this advance copy of First Comes Love


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Review--Hiding Places by Erin Healy

Hiding Places by Erin Healy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kate and her family live at the Harrison Lodge, a hotel that has been in her family for generations. Together with her two older sister, Olivia and Alyssa; her mother Janet; her grandparents, Donna and Daniel; and her great grandmother, Pearl, Kate helps where she can around the lodge, but she spends most of her time in different hiding places listening in on her family and guests. When Kate discovers someone who is in need of her help, she doesn't hesitate to provide her assistance which helps to bring back the original purpose of the lodge. But when this stranger brings trouble to the only home Kate has ever known, will the hiding places be enough to keep them all safe.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book I have read by Erin Healy and I'm excited to read more by her. This book kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed that there was a child as the main character. Not because of the situation that they were involved in, but it showed strength and commitment to a character you may not always associate these traits with.

This is another book that was hard to put down. I got upset when I fell asleep or had other things I had to get done that would tear me away from the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a book that will hold your attention throughout its entirety.

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