Linda Castillo books

Linda Castillo is a New York Times bestselling author of crime fiction, best known for her Kate Burkholder series set in Ohio's Amish country.

High Country Heroes Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
A Hero To Hold 2001 Buy
Just A Little Bit Dangerous 2002 Buy
A Cry in the Night 2002 Buy

Kate Burkholder Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Sworn to Silence 2009 Buy
Zwijgplicht 2009 N/A
La lunga notte 2010 N/A
Pray for Silence 2010 Buy
Breaking Silence 2011 Buy
Gone Missing 2011 Buy
Scomparsa 2012 N/A
Long Lost 2013 N/A
Her Last Breath 2013 Buy
The Dead Will Tell 2014 Buy
A Hidden Secret 2015 N/A
After the Storm 2015 Buy
Grausame Nacht 2015 N/A
Seeds of Deception 2016 N/A
Among the Wicked 2016 Buy
Tra i malvagi 2016 N/A
Only the Lucky 2017 N/A
Down a Dark Road 2017 Buy
In Dark Company 2018 N/A
A Gathering of Secrets 2018 Buy
L’anima del male 2018 N/A
In Plain Sight 2019 N/A
Shamed 2019 Buy
The Pact 2020 N/A
Outsider 2020 Buy
Disappeared 2021 N/A
Fallen 2021 Buy
Blood Moon 2022 N/A
The Hidden One 2022 Buy
Hallowed Ground 2023 N/A
An Evil Heart 2023 Buy
Dark Storm Rising 2024 N/A
The Burning 2024 Buy
Rage 2025 Buy

Kate Burkholder Short Stories/Novellas Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Long Lost 2013 Buy
A Hidden Secret 2015 Buy
Seeds of Deception 2016 Buy
Only the Lucky 2017 Buy
In Dark Company 2018 Buy
In Plain Sight 2019 Buy
The Pact 2020 Buy
Disappeared 2021 Buy
Blood Moon 2022 Buy
Hallowed Ground 2023 Buy
Dark Storm Rising 2024 Buy

Kate Burkholder Short Story Collections

Title Published Buy on Amazon
A Simple Murder 2021 Buy

Lights Out Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Royal Lockdown 2007 Buy
Team Orders 2017 N/A
Safe Before Dawn 2007 Buy
A Baby Before Dawn 2007 Buy
Meet Me at Midnight 2007 Buy
Anything for His Son 2007 Buy

Operation: Midnight Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Operation: Midnight Tango 2005 Buy
Operation: Midnight Escape 2005 Buy
Operation: Midnight Guardian 2006 Buy
Operation: Midnight Rendezvous 2006 Buy
Operation: Midnight Cowboy 2007 Buy

Standalone Novels

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Remember the Night 2000 Buy
Cops And … Lovers? 2001 Buy
Lay Down the Law 2001 Buy
The Perfect Victim 2002 Buy
Uncharted Waters 2003 Buy
The Shadow Side 2003 Buy
Midnight Run 2003 Buy
Fade To Red 2004 Buy
Dead Reckoning 2005 Buy
Depth Perception 2005 Buy
A Whisper in the Dark 2006 Buy
In the Dead of Night 2007 Buy
Overkill 2007 Buy

Linda Castillo has written crime fiction since 2000, but she is best known for the Kate Burkholder series, which began with Sworn to Silence in 2009. The series is set in Painters Mill, Ohio, a fictional town in the heart of Amish country. Kate Burkholder is the town’s chief of police and a former member of the Amish community, giving her a unique perspective when crimes occur that involve or affect Amish residents.

Each novel presents a new murder case that Kate must solve, often revealing hidden tensions between the plain-living Amish community and the outside world. The books explore dark themes beneath a peaceful surface, including family secrets, religious conflicts, and violence. Kate’s own troubled past, including a secret she has carried since childhood, adds personal stakes to the investigations.

Before the Burkholder series, Castillo wrote romantic suspense novels and series for Harlequin, including the High Country Heroes trilogy, the Operation: Midnight series, and several standalone thrillers. Her earlier work combined romance with danger, often featuring law enforcement heroines. The Kate Burkholder books marked her transition to straight crime fiction and earned her a much wider readership.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Linda Castillo written?

Linda Castillo has written 73 books across seven series.

What was Linda Castillo's first book?

Linda Castillo’s first book is Remember the Night, published in 2000.

What is the Kate Burkholder series about?

The Kate Burkholder series follows the chief of police of Painters Mill, a small town in Ohio’s Amish country. Kate grew up Amish but left the community, and each book involves a murder investigation that often connects to the tensions between the Amish and non-Amish worlds. The series started with Sworn to Silence in 2009 and has grown to over fifteen novels.

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