Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo (reviewed by readafew)
Talk Reviews reviewed
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1readafew
Opinions welcome, it feels a little clunky to me. Sworn to Silence
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Sworn to Silence was a pretty good book, the opening was fairly intense and makes you jump in with both feet. It starts as first person during the last 10 minutes of the most recent victim of a serial killer. You want him punished! The book keeps up a good pace and it never gets boring. There was one place in the middle where 2 important people seemed to be bent on destroying themselves and their careers in almost teen aged angst, but it is short lived. I will say that there were a couple questions that kept coming up in my head as I read that just weren't answered until the last third of the book, but just asking the questions would be too much of a spoiler. I also was able to pick out the killer immediately after the killers profile was put together and then had to wait almost a hundred pages to have it confirmed.
Chief Kate Burkholder has been the chief of police for the sleepy little town of Painters Creek, Ohio. She was raised Amish, but after a traumatic experience at 14, her views on life changed rather dramatically. Eventually she left her family and town (under the bann) to strike out on her own and by luck more than anything ended getting a criminal justice degree and becoming a police officer. Coming home for her mother's funeral, the local 'English' asked her to be the chief of police since the current chief just retired. After 2 years of her successfully running the police department one of Kate's officers finds a murdered woman in a cow pasture and it appears to be the work of the serial killer who terrorized the town 16 years earlier. Is it the same person? Where have they been for 16 years? Why are they back now?
*********************************************
Sworn to Silence was a pretty good book, the opening was fairly intense and makes you jump in with both feet. It starts as first person during the last 10 minutes of the most recent victim of a serial killer. You want him punished! The book keeps up a good pace and it never gets boring. There was one place in the middle where 2 important people seemed to be bent on destroying themselves and their careers in almost teen aged angst, but it is short lived. I will say that there were a couple questions that kept coming up in my head as I read that just weren't answered until the last third of the book, but just asking the questions would be too much of a spoiler. I also was able to pick out the killer immediately after the killers profile was put together and then had to wait almost a hundred pages to have it confirmed.
Chief Kate Burkholder has been the chief of police for the sleepy little town of Painters Creek, Ohio. She was raised Amish, but after a traumatic experience at 14, her views on life changed rather dramatically. Eventually she left her family and town (under the bann) to strike out on her own and by luck more than anything ended getting a criminal justice degree and becoming a police officer. Coming home for her mother's funeral, the local 'English' asked her to be the chief of police since the current chief just retired. After 2 years of her successfully running the police department one of Kate's officers finds a murdered woman in a cow pasture and it appears to be the work of the serial killer who terrorized the town 16 years earlier. Is it the same person? Where have they been for 16 years? Why are they back now?
2jimroberts
#1: readafew "After 2 years of successfully running ..."
Presumably it's Kate who's been doing the running, but that's not what it seems to say.
Presumably it's Kate who's been doing the running, but that's not what it seems to say.
4jimroberts
I think it still reads like it's the officer who's been running the department, but if you say
— After 2 years of her successfully running the police department, one of Kate's officers finds a murdered woman ...
it becomes clear.
— After 2 years of her successfully running the police department, one of Kate's officers finds a murdered woman ...
it becomes clear.
6atimco
From just a quick read, I would say make your first sentence "Sworn to Silence was a pretty good book." and then launch into the plot description.
Also, plot summaries seem to flow much better if they are written in the present tense. Ex: "After coming home for her mother's funeral, Kate is asked to step into the shoes of the town's recently retired police chief."
Next paragraph should start with your reactions to the book: "The opening was fairly intense and made me jump in with both feet." (Though perhaps "jump in with both feet" is a bit clichéd; maybe "The opening scene was fairly intense and pulled me quickly into that world." or something similar?).
Just a few ideas. Take or leave as you wish :)
Also, plot summaries seem to flow much better if they are written in the present tense. Ex: "After coming home for her mother's funeral, Kate is asked to step into the shoes of the town's recently retired police chief."
Next paragraph should start with your reactions to the book: "The opening was fairly intense and made me jump in with both feet." (Though perhaps "jump in with both feet" is a bit clichéd; maybe "The opening scene was fairly intense and pulled me quickly into that world." or something similar?).
Just a few ideas. Take or leave as you wish :)
7jimroberts
#6: wisewoman "plot summaries seem to flow much better if they are written in the present tense."
I agree, with slight reservations. readafew starts in the present tense (with perfect aspect), "Kate Burkholder has been the chief of police", then drops into a flashback: "She was raised Amish", which needs to be past tense, and returns to the present, "one of Kate's officers finds a murdered woman".
The perfect is a little questionable in the first sentence of the summary, it would fit better if the sentence were "Chief Kate Burkholder has been the chief of police for the sleepy little town of Painters Creek, Ohio for two years.", and that might also make it possible to simplify the later sentence which I originally quibbled about.
I agree, with slight reservations. readafew starts in the present tense (with perfect aspect), "Kate Burkholder has been the chief of police", then drops into a flashback: "She was raised Amish", which needs to be past tense, and returns to the present, "one of Kate's officers finds a murdered woman".
The perfect is a little questionable in the first sentence of the summary, it would fit better if the sentence were "Chief Kate Burkholder has been the chief of police for the sleepy little town of Painters Creek, Ohio for two years.", and that might also make it possible to simplify the later sentence which I originally quibbled about.
8jseger9000
I agree the plot description at the beginning of the review would work better. But I remember your review for The Spies of Warsaw and am assuming you used the same reasoning here. Leaving the synopsis till the end is no big thing.
I think your first sentence should be two separate ones: Sworn to Silence was a pretty good book. The opening was fairly intense and makes you jump in with both feet.
The next sentence, how about: It starts as a first person narrative of the last 10 minutes of the most recent victim of a serial killer.
The first sentence of the second paragraph, I wouldn't use 'chief' twice. Maybe just: Kate Burkholder has been the chief of police...
That 'successfully running the police department' still reads a little funny to me. How would 'She's been successfully running the police department for two years when one of Kate's officers...' sound?
Anyway, good review. It made me interested in picking up the book and that's a compliment to any review.
I think your first sentence should be two separate ones: Sworn to Silence was a pretty good book. The opening was fairly intense and makes you jump in with both feet.
The next sentence, how about: It starts as a first person narrative of the last 10 minutes of the most recent victim of a serial killer.
The first sentence of the second paragraph, I wouldn't use 'chief' twice. Maybe just: Kate Burkholder has been the chief of police...
That 'successfully running the police department' still reads a little funny to me. How would 'She's been successfully running the police department for two years when one of Kate's officers...' sound?
Anyway, good review. It made me interested in picking up the book and that's a compliment to any review.
9readafew
Thanks for all the wonderful tips. You all hit the parts I had problems with but couldn't quite figure out how to say it. Couldn't use all the suggestions but I liked them. I even made a few more changes of my own! Any other suggestions on improvements?
6, 8> yes same reason, Lots of people here don't read reviews if they have a summary so I will 'hide' it at the end about %60 of the time.
7 > jump in with both feet is a reference to the opening scene where the victim is hung by a chain around her ankles. Granted you have to read the book to get it but I tend to put 'inside' things in my reviews for good or ill.
*******************************************
Sworn to Silence was a pretty good book. The opening was fairly intense and makes you jump in with both feet. It starts as a first person narrative of the last 10 minutes of the most recent victim of a serial killer. You want him punished! The book keeps up a good pace and it never gets boring. There was one place in the middle where 2 important people seemed to be bent on destroying themselves and their careers in almost teen aged angst, but it is short lived. I will say that there were a couple questions that kept coming up in my head as I read that just weren't answered until the last third of the book, but just asking the questions would be too much of a spoiler. I also was able to pick out the killer immediately after the killers profile was put together and then had to wait almost a hundred pages to have it confirmed.
Kate Burkholder has been the chief of police for the sleepy little town of Painters Creek, Ohio. She was raised Amish, but after a traumatic experience at 14, her views on life changed rather dramatically. Eventually she left her family and town (under the bann) to strike out on her own and by luck more than anything, ended getting a criminal justice degree and becoming a police officer. Coming home for her mother's funeral, the local 'English' asked her to be the chief of police since the current chief just retired. Kate's been successfully running the police department for two years when one of her officers finds a murdered woman in a cow pasture. It appears to be the work of the serial killer who terrorized the town 16 years earlier. Is it the same person? Where have they been for 16 years? Why are they back now?
6, 8> yes same reason, Lots of people here don't read reviews if they have a summary so I will 'hide' it at the end about %60 of the time.
7 > jump in with both feet is a reference to the opening scene where the victim is hung by a chain around her ankles. Granted you have to read the book to get it but I tend to put 'inside' things in my reviews for good or ill.
*******************************************
Sworn to Silence was a pretty good book. The opening was fairly intense and makes you jump in with both feet. It starts as a first person narrative of the last 10 minutes of the most recent victim of a serial killer. You want him punished! The book keeps up a good pace and it never gets boring. There was one place in the middle where 2 important people seemed to be bent on destroying themselves and their careers in almost teen aged angst, but it is short lived. I will say that there were a couple questions that kept coming up in my head as I read that just weren't answered until the last third of the book, but just asking the questions would be too much of a spoiler. I also was able to pick out the killer immediately after the killers profile was put together and then had to wait almost a hundred pages to have it confirmed.
Kate Burkholder has been the chief of police for the sleepy little town of Painters Creek, Ohio. She was raised Amish, but after a traumatic experience at 14, her views on life changed rather dramatically. Eventually she left her family and town (under the bann) to strike out on her own and by luck more than anything, ended getting a criminal justice degree and becoming a police officer. Coming home for her mother's funeral, the local 'English' asked her to be the chief of police since the current chief just retired. Kate's been successfully running the police department for two years when one of her officers finds a murdered woman in a cow pasture. It appears to be the work of the serial killer who terrorized the town 16 years earlier. Is it the same person? Where have they been for 16 years? Why are they back now?
