Kate is preparing for her upcoming wedding to Tomasetti when she gets a call that someone has been killed by a crossbow. He is identified as Aden Karn, Amish and engaged to Emily. He is painted as a kind and sweet young man. However, Kate finds out that he ran with a cruel and sadistic group of men, those who enjoyed a lot of sex.
Then, another body is found, this time a young woman. As Kate continues to investigate, she finds that people are lying to her, or concealing information. When someone finally confesses a terrible story to Kate, and with a tip from the coroner, Kate remembers an important detail. When she goes to investigate, she realizes that she is in grave danger. ( )

Days before Kate Burkholder's wedding to John Tomaseiit, an Amis man, Aden Karn is found dead on the road. What at first glance looks like an accident turns our to be murder and the weapon used was a crossbow. Kate has only a few days to solve the murder before her big day. Kate digs into Aden's past to find out why someone would want to murder an Amish man everyone has good thins to say about him. Is there more to Aden's past that is not known? Another outstanding Amish mystery from Linda Castillo ( )

Good read. Amish county murders. Former Amish female sheriff digs into past of young man murdered with crossbow ( )

Another great Chief of Police Kate Burkholder mystery. You just never know what someone is hiding and appearances can be deceiving. Kate gets called out to the death of a young amish man with an odd wound shape. This may one of Kate's hardest cases to crack yet. Everyone has nothing but great words about this young man and not one ill will word of his background but there has to be something unless this was just some random murder? Tomasetti has his own case of missing girls he is buried with and Kate doesn't think she will get anywhere until another dead body is found. Even though this person is not Amish, Kate knows in her gut they are connect, but how and who is doing this? I also loved the ending. I am looking forward to see what case Kate has to solve next. This review is of my own opinion and accord. ( )

An Evil Heart by Linda Castillo takes us back to Painter’s Mill, Ohio days before the wedding of Kate Burkholder and her fiancé, John Tomasetti. An Evil Heart is the fifteenth A Kate Burkholder Novel. While it can be read as a standalone, I do recommend reading the series in order. It allows readers to get to know Kate and see how her relationship with John came about. Each book in the series builds upon the previous one. I thought An Evil Heart was well-written with realistic, developed characters. Kate Burkholder is a strong, smart woman. Her background (being raised Amish but she is now Englisch) helps her when it comes to cases she handles. John Tomasetti works for the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. He is a good partner for Kate. He understands her long hours and her devotion to her job. The pair work well together when John joins Kate on a case. Chief of Police Kate Burkholder’s latest case is a gruesome one. Amishman Aden Karn was killed on his way to meet his ride to work. Kate delves into the case. Kate questions Karn’s family, friends, girlfriend, roommate, and coworkers. She wants to get to know the victim and discover what could have led to the victim’s demise. Kate works to piece together the clues and then narrows in on the guilty party. Kate is methodical in her investigation. She is a hard worker. Kate has a good team to assist her. The mystery can be solved early in the story. The why takes longer to uncover. The reveal scene was action packed and full of suspense which had me quickly flipping the pages. There are graphic details that could disturb some readers and trigger others. The story also contains foul language. Kate and John’s wedding day is special. The planning is emotional for Kate. She grew up Amish and dreamed of an Amish wedding. But now she is English. Kate wants to find a way to merge the two cultures. Kate is also working on her relationship with her family. The wedding can, hopefully, bring the Burkholder clan closer. The author beautifully blends the whodunit and Kate’s life into one engaging story. I especially enjoyed the ending. An Evil Heart is a suspenseful story with a macabre murder, wedding worries, dubious acquaintances, an unusual weapon, a curious clue, and a cruel killer. ( )