A woman is being chased through a cornfield. When she escapes from her pursuer, she can’t remember her name or who was chasing her. Kate is contacted and tries to help the woman discover who she is and why she is in Painters Mill, as her clothing is not of the Amish sect there.
When they discover her identity, there is some sinister reason the woman was running. Kate is put into a precarious position.
Good novella about Kate Burkholder. ( )

A woman dressed in clothing similar to Amish, yet somewhat different, shows up at a home in the wee hours of the morning. She knows only she was running from someone and was terrified. Kate Burkholder investigates and tries to protect the woman from the unknown threat. A trip to toe heritage center proves helpful in establishing her identity and her story. This short story maintained my interest. I've wanted to try this series, but the first installment is never available. It's definitely a series I want to read as I found the short story very enjoyable. ( )

In Dark Company: A Kate Burkholder Story is not a novel, but a short story. It is also mighty good. Released last May to boost sales for the planned release of A Gathering Of Secrets last July, it serves as a bridge between books; it is also a superb introduction for readers unfamiliar with this great series.

Kate Burkholder is Chief of Police for Painters Mill, Ohio. A four in the morning wakeup call is never a good thing and this one isn’t. A woman has arrived at a residence in the surrounding rural area. It is clear that she has been assaulted and she is terrified. What isn’t clear is who did it, what happened to her, and the identity of the suspect or suspects. The case is going to be difficult as the woman seems to have no memory of what happened and does not even know her name.

In Dark Company: A Kate Burkholder Story, the focus is on Kate, the mystery woman, and the resulting very complicated investigation. While long time series characters including Agent John Tomasetti have bit role appearances here and there, the focus is on the investigation. There is also a minimum amount of backstory regarding Kate and the other principals. That fact makes the read a good candidate for those who have yet to read the series as those readers won’t get information here that ruins other reads. At the same time, series readers are not forced to go back over information already known.

In Dark Company: A Kate Burkholder Story fits the current publishing model of cranking out a novella a few weeks before the new novel drops. In this case, unlike some of the other ones in this series, readers get a very good and very complicated tale worthy of the author and the series. A very good mystery novella with plenty of twists and turns, Dark Company: A Kate Burkholder Story is strongly recommended.

For another take on the book, make sure you read Lesa Holstine’s review from last June.

Dark Company: A Kate Burkholder Story
Linda Castillo
http://www.lindacastillo.com/
Minotaur Books (St. Martin’s Publishing Group)
http://www.minotaurbooks.com/
May 2018
ASIN: B07CWRZ23V
eBook Only
69 Pages
$1.99

Material was picked up by purchase at a lower price before publication date.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2018 ( )

I really love Linda Castillo’s short stories featuring Kate Burkholder including this one. So many short stories make you feel like you are in the middle of a book with no start or ending. Linda actually tells a story, start to finish and keeps me engaged. ( )