Shamed: A Novel of Suspense

Shamed by Linda Castillo is the 11th A Kate Burkholder Novel. I thought Shamed contained good writing with a well-plotted crime. It can be read as a standalone, though, you would know and understand the characters better if you read the series in order. Shamed gets off to a shocking start with the death of Mary Yoder. Kate, John, and other police personnel begin searching for clues and for the missing child. Elise is seven years old and has Cohen syndrome. Kate has a gut feeling about the case that does not take her in the same direction as Tomasetti. Kate's hunches, though, are rarely wrong. Kate ends up in a small, isolated Amish community that calls into question everything Kate knew about the Amish. The mystery is a tense one which ramps up the longer the little girl is missing. The author created a multifaceted whodunit that is complex and suspenseful. The beginning is violent and gory. There is a significant amount of foul language in the book as well. I enjoyed the authors vivid descriptions of Painters Mill, the people, and the other Amish town. You will find yourself quickly turning the pages to find how Shamed plays out. Shamed is a gripping tale with kidnapped child, a messy murder, a crazed killer, incomprehensible information, close calls, and a stupefied police chief.