Unti Karin Slaughter #21: A Novel
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- Create Date：2021-07-16 10:52:25
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Karin Slaughter
- ISBN：0062860887
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Reviews
Brittany
，
*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review。 All opinions are my own。* I went into this book being a little torn。 On the one hand， I've loved everything that Ms。 Slaughter has ever written。 On the other， the topic at hand is a difficult one for me， especially this time of year。 But I powered through it and whoo boy am I glad I did。 "False Witness" tells the story of Leigh， an Atlanta lawyer who takes the case of a rapist， who happens to be someone from her past。 It *I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review。 All opinions are my own。* I went into this book being a little torn。 On the one hand， I've loved everything that Ms。 Slaughter has ever written。 On the other， the topic at hand is a difficult one for me， especially this time of year。 But I powered through it and whoo boy am I glad I did。 "False Witness" tells the story of Leigh， an Atlanta lawyer who takes the case of a rapist， who happens to be someone from her past。 It was， like many of Slaughter's other novels， gritty and disturbing in the best of ways。 I DID not put it down until I finished it， and though my own pain， loved every minute of it。 I will continue to read everything Ms。 Karin Slaughter puts out because she is just fantastic。 "False Witness" will be published on 7/20/2021 and I highly suggest picking it up when it comes out！ 。。。more
Karen
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This left me so unsatisfied and disappointed！Why with that ending。。。。
Lindsey Domokur
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4。5 Stars。 This one was HEAVY。 So heavy。 I just finished and I feel a little like sobbing。 Leigh is a defense attorney that is hired to defend a new client。 He is accused of terrible acts against a female and she is tasked with getting a jury to find him innocent。 It isn't until she meets her client that she realize just who he is。 When Leigh was young， her sister and her did something devastating and her new client could bring down the carefully constructed house she has built around her。 With 4。5 Stars。 This one was HEAVY。 So heavy。 I just finished and I feel a little like sobbing。 Leigh is a defense attorney that is hired to defend a new client。 He is accused of terrible acts against a female and she is tasked with getting a jury to find him innocent。 It isn't until she meets her client that she realize just who he is。 When Leigh was young， her sister and her did something devastating and her new client could bring down the carefully constructed house she has built around her。 With the help of her junkie sister， Leigh needs to delve into the past and find out how to defeat this maniac。 I won't sugar coat this， this book had all the triggers。 If you have a trigger， it is in this book。 It took me a long time to get through it and my heart was in my throat most of the time。 I absolutely love Karin's books and this one was no exception。 It was expertly written and Dr。 Jerry and Walter were the best parts of this story。 The good balancing out the evil。 。。。more
Robyn Connor
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Amazing as usual。 Love how complex Will and Sarah’s relationship is。 I think Slaughter’s writing about people and emotions and relationships has now equaled her writing about blood and guts！
Chloe
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A highly ， addictive engrossing read in which difficult topics were handled sensitively
ckj
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Karin Slaughter's writing always get to me。 I love how she always writes sisters relationship so well。 A solid 4 star reads for me！ Karin Slaughter's writing always get to me。 I love how she always writes sisters relationship so well。 A solid 4 star reads for me！ 。。。more
Mandy White （mandylovestoread）
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Review to come
Saswati
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Story: 3。75-4 stars ⭐Audio: 4 stars ⭐This book right here shows how pedophilia destroys lives。 It's also the reason I will never be able to get into certain books。 Story: 3。75-4 stars ⭐Audio: 4 stars ⭐This book right here shows how pedophilia destroys lives。 It's also the reason I will never be able to get into certain books。 。。。more
The CurvyJones
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Wow。 Just wow and wow again。 I stalked Netgalley to see if I could get an ARC because I have been on pins and needles waiting for this next book。 Karin Slaughter is always a twisty turny read that grips and rips you through the current of the novel。 This is a standalone and while I love the Wil Trent series， I think Karin shines in her standalones。 Just。。。 a great storyline about two sisters who have no choice but to persevere， come hell or high water。 And both come。 Absolutely enjoyed and the a Wow。 Just wow and wow again。 I stalked Netgalley to see if I could get an ARC because I have been on pins and needles waiting for this next book。 Karin Slaughter is always a twisty turny read that grips and rips you through the current of the novel。 This is a standalone and while I love the Wil Trent series， I think Karin shines in her standalones。 Just。。。 a great storyline about two sisters who have no choice but to persevere， come hell or high water。 And both come。 Absolutely enjoyed and the audiobook ARC was well-performed and greatly appreciated。 。。。more
Michaela
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As with all Slaughter books that have come out since I discovered her books， this was an instant read for me。 There is just something about Slaughter's writing and storylines that compels me like no other， and I go through her books in one sitting。 As always you get sucked in from the very get-go， but this time I feel like we're not sucked in by questions like 'what' and 'who'， but more like 'how' and 'why'， which I think pushes this firmly into the thriller-genre， more than the crime-genre。 Nor As with all Slaughter books that have come out since I discovered her books， this was an instant read for me。 There is just something about Slaughter's writing and storylines that compels me like no other， and I go through her books in one sitting。 As always you get sucked in from the very get-go， but this time I feel like we're not sucked in by questions like 'what' and 'who'， but more like 'how' and 'why'， which I think pushes this firmly into the thriller-genre， more than the crime-genre。 Normally I'd say that the majority of Slaughter's books are about 50/50 thriller and crime， but there's been a few that's diverted firmly into one genre more than the other， and this is one that lands firmly in the former category。 I can't say I didn't miss more of a crime-aspect， but that didn't make it any less enjoyable。 As always Slaughter creates characters that you can both empathize and despise at the same time， which is something I always appreciate。 Would I have liked this to be the next book in the Will Trent series？ Yes。 But there is something to be said for a good standalone novel， where everything is neatly tied in a bow。 Not that every case is not that in the series， but the standalones let you sort of 'let go' of the characters， whereas I - along with many others - are not ready to let go of Will and Sara just yet。 I will read everything this woman writes。 。。。more
franzi
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Rating: 4。5 stars。 Ever since reading Slaughter's book Pretty Girls earlier this year， I've been searching for a book that I love quite as much， and that gives me the same high as reading that one， and - it finally happened。 I would even say that this one was even better， but that might be because I just finished it 5 minutes ago。 Slaughter has such a distinctive style of writing， which surely isn't for everyone but for me it's everything I could ask for in a thriller。 I loved the way the story Rating: 4。5 stars。 Ever since reading Slaughter's book Pretty Girls earlier this year， I've been searching for a book that I love quite as much， and that gives me the same high as reading that one， and - it finally happened。 I would even say that this one was even better， but that might be because I just finished it 5 minutes ago。 Slaughter has such a distinctive style of writing， which surely isn't for everyone but for me it's everything I could ask for in a thriller。 I loved the way the story was build up especially towards the end， whenever I thought I couldn't be more shocked she proved me wrong。 The plot was really well thought-through， there were so many little details which kept up the suspense and there wasn't a single dull moment during the story。 I read this entirely in one sitting because I could barely put it down for even a minute because I was so invested in the plot。 I really grew attached to the characters which made some parts incredibly hard to read， but I think that also characterizes her writing。 The prologue was already so intense and the pacing didn't let off at all during the read， which is something I haven't had with many books。 As a law student， I also especially enjoyed the bits about court procedure and Leigh's work at the law firm。 The ending was not what I had expected， but at the same time so much better and just really fitting for the story。 I will definitely reread this in the future。 。。。more
Torrie Tovar
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"That's how it is with abusive parents。 They only remember the good times and you only remember the bad。" This book was brutal。 I haven't read a Karin Slaughter book since Pretty Girls and I completely forgot how rough her books are。 And they are rough。 But because I am a masochist I really enjoyed this book。 She really is great at thrillers and weaving social commentary in。 This book is centered around the pandemic so if you're not ready to read about it then you might want to hold off。 From th "That's how it is with abusive parents。 They only remember the good times and you only remember the bad。" This book was brutal。 I haven't read a Karin Slaughter book since Pretty Girls and I completely forgot how rough her books are。 And they are rough。 But because I am a masochist I really enjoyed this book。 She really is great at thrillers and weaving social commentary in。 This book is centered around the pandemic so if you're not ready to read about it then you might want to hold off。 From the very first pages this was absolutely disturbing。 And it only got worse。 It was like a even more brutal Long Bright River。 It does deal with drug use and it is a big part of the book。 This book also deals with rape and sexual assault which is prevalent and described throughout。 There are times when I had to stop listening and come back to it。 If you can handle those things I highly recommend this one！ It is out July 20th！ Thanks to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for this ALC。 。。。more
Sara
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I love Karin Slaughter’s standalones so I was thrilled when I heard we were getting another one。 From the opening chapter， False Witness is very dark and intense。 I do like the way Slaughter can give such an explosive start to a book （a particular one that has always stuck with me is The Good Daughter， what a ride that first chapter was！）。 Sisters Leigh and Callie share a devastating secret and when someone from their past shows up and somehow knows what happened that night， they have to stop hi I love Karin Slaughter’s standalones so I was thrilled when I heard we were getting another one。 From the opening chapter， False Witness is very dark and intense。 I do like the way Slaughter can give such an explosive start to a book （a particular one that has always stuck with me is The Good Daughter， what a ride that first chapter was！）。 Sisters Leigh and Callie share a devastating secret and when someone from their past shows up and somehow knows what happened that night， they have to stop him。 Another great book by Karin Slaughter。 Not many twists and turns but it still kept me gripped。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced reading copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Kristine
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My thoughts on this book are a bit all over the place。 First of all， I am a fan of Ms。 Slaughter and I really LOVE her Will Trent Series。 I was lucky to receive an ARC for this latest stand alone and I have to admit - actually reading a REAL book was an experience that I haven't done in a while。 I did not realize how much I had come to rely on being able to listen to a book in audio format when necessary and then switch to the eBook format when I was able to be still。 I had to "make time" to sit My thoughts on this book are a bit all over the place。 First of all， I am a fan of Ms。 Slaughter and I really LOVE her Will Trent Series。 I was lucky to receive an ARC for this latest stand alone and I have to admit - actually reading a REAL book was an experience that I haven't done in a while。 I did not realize how much I had come to rely on being able to listen to a book in audio format when necessary and then switch to the eBook format when I was able to be still。 I had to "make time" to sit down and read。。。。I know， I know。。。。。that's what you normally do。 I've just really gotten used to the alternating back and forth between listening and reading so that I can continue through a book as I move through my day。 First world problems， right？Okay。 Why was this book a challenge for me？ Well， first of all - I just really didn't like the MC's。 There were not really any likeable characters in this book。 If I had to choose one， it would be Walter as the only one who had any redeeming qualities。 For some reason， Leigh really got on my nerves。 I mean REALLY got on my nerves。 I had a hard time relating to her because she was a difficult character。 She was supposedly full of guilt， yet she continued to act in ways that exacerbated the negative reactions that caused the problems in her life。 And her reactions toward Andrew。 It never felt natural。 The crying， the shaking - her absolute terror that she was paralyzed around him。。。。really？ This was a woman who did some pretty difficult things when she was much younger and now， at this point in her life is educated， older， much more knowledgeable about a lot of things。。。it just never set well and it really irritated me。 It ended up pulling me out of the story several times because I wanted to shake her and tell her that she was smarter than that。 Why was she reacting in a way that gave up her power？ Ugh。Callie， for all of her issues， was a more well rounded character。 She was spunky， her thought processes - while not always healthy - were at least consistent。 It made SENSE in a very convoluted way。 With Callie， what you saw was what you got。 She knew her strengths， but more importantly， she knew her weaknesses。 Honestly though， I felt for her - in a way I could never feel for Leigh。And I know this has been mentioned in many reviews， but I have to just say it。 The constant talk of Covid， the masks， the social distancing - it was too much。 I get what she was trying to do - but for some reason， it didn't work。 I just finished another book that incorporates Covid and the lockdowns into it and it was much less in your face。 I'm sure we are going to be getting a bunch of books coming out as writers are writing during this timeframe and we are just going to have to find a happy medium。 I have no idea what that is - I just know that in this story， it was too much。Because I had a problem with the MC's， it took me a little longer to get through this book。 I actually felt like it was difficult to get through。 The story was dark， but I knew that going in。 Ms。 Slaughter does not usually shy away from violence and has a history of writing things that are very "in your face"。 It is not for everyone， but there is also usually an underlying theme or lesson in what she is trying to get across。 This story was hard。 It covers topics that are very difficult to think about so I'm sure that contributed to my challenges。 I will admit though that the very end， say the last 10% had my complete interest and I could not turn the pages fast enough。 My eyes watered as we finally completed this story arc so that is something。 Was this Ms。 Slaughter's best book？ No， not by far。 Was it worth it to read？ I think so。 If you are a fan， you will give her some leeway。 If you are a first time reader - just know that she is an author worth reading。 Thank you to NetGalley for this opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Tonya
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This is definitely a new favorite！ It was a wild ride from the beginning to the very end。 I loved the characters and their flaws， the plot， the twists， the turns， the thrills， and even the sad parts。 Karin Slaughter literally took everything I would normally complain about in books and turned it into a page turning work of art。 Disclaimer: I won an ARC of False Witness in a Goodreads giveaway。 The opinions above are my honest and unbiased thoughts。
Kevin
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Stunning book
Charlotte Booth
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I have to admit I struggled with this book。 And I haven't finished it。 The main storyline was gripping with little twists and turns at the end of the chapters which had me gasping with surprise。 I found the storytelling gripping and the characters well defined。 I really wanted to find out how the story was going to develop and I felt the writing really showed the darker side of human nature。 However， the main problem with the book is the really， what appears to be， arbitrary and constant mention I have to admit I struggled with this book。 And I haven't finished it。 The main storyline was gripping with little twists and turns at the end of the chapters which had me gasping with surprise。 I found the storytelling gripping and the characters well defined。 I really wanted to find out how the story was going to develop and I felt the writing really showed the darker side of human nature。 However， the main problem with the book is the really， what appears to be， arbitrary and constant mention of covid， masks and sanitizer。 It didn't seem to add a huge amount to the storyline but from a reader's point of view it was a distraction。 I have been reading a lot during the last 16 months to forget about covid， and get away from the barrage of fear/stats/rules so having this as part of the story， made me reluctant to return to the book。 Which isn't what you want with a thriller。 。。。more
Bookread2day
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False Witness is another good standalone from Karin Slaughter。 What I liked is how the author added in masks， gloves and hand sanitizers， all with what we have all been accustomed to with Covid-19， this made the setting seem real-life。 I love reading a bit of legal business。 Leigh Collier is a defence attorney and she has the task of defending Andrew Tenant Trevor who is being charged with kidnap， rape， aggravated assault aggravated sodomy and aggravated sexual battery。 The story maps out how so False Witness is another good standalone from Karin Slaughter。 What I liked is how the author added in masks， gloves and hand sanitizers， all with what we have all been accustomed to with Covid-19， this made the setting seem real-life。 I love reading a bit of legal business。 Leigh Collier is a defence attorney and she has the task of defending Andrew Tenant Trevor who is being charged with kidnap， rape， aggravated assault aggravated sodomy and aggravated sexual battery。 The story maps out how some states use degrees to rank the severity of a crime。 What made this story come together in a way that’s extraordinary is that Leigh knew Andrew， from her past and he scared her， but now she has this violent man as her client， which is going to go deeper into Andrew’s life。 What keep me reading on was that， Leigh knew Andrew and Andrew Tenant Trevor knew Leigh， will Leigh fight hard enough to get him off the hook for aggravated sexual battery， and will she believe in his alibi。 Andrew Tenant Trevor was a character of a man that I didn’t like and I didn’t like the fact that Leigh was going to help him get a not guilt plea and I wasn’t totally convinced that Andrew’s alibi was coincidental。 I wanted to see him locked up for what he did。 But was I right too ？ 。。。more
Krystal
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I love Karin Slaughter and how her mind works。 Other books I've read that incorporate Covid into their story have been， well， not so great。 Karin brought in just enough to remind you that we are dealing with this in many ways; from health， to relationships， to the long-term effects。 The book is based on two sisters and their traumatic past。 It reminds you that things happen behind closed doors that never should。 It shows you the difference the same events can have on two different people。 There I love Karin Slaughter and how her mind works。 Other books I've read that incorporate Covid into their story have been， well， not so great。 Karin brought in just enough to remind you that we are dealing with this in many ways; from health， to relationships， to the long-term effects。 The book is based on two sisters and their traumatic past。 It reminds you that things happen behind closed doors that never should。 It shows you the difference the same events can have on two different people。 There are twists in the story， as you would expect from a Slaughter book。 No spoilers from me！ But obviously there's a trigger warning for what you typically expect in her books。The book did keep me engaged， it only took me 3 days to read。 However， I was hoping for a little more at the end。 Don't get me wrong， I was not disappointed， I just felt like I was waiting for one more twist at the end。 I will mention， I did receive this book for free as a winner of a Goodreads giveaway。 。。。more
Ellinor
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Holy shit this is the best one of her books。Haven’t cried like this because of a book in a long， long time。
Beth
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This story is very different from Karin Slaughter’s usual tales。 Leigh is tough - she’s a lawyer， after all - but she’s also a wonderful mother， in love with her husband， and watches out for her sister， whom she constantly worries about， due to her addiction。 But Leigh’s got a secret that could ruin her perfect life， and someone is determined to share that secret。 Not everyone will survive。 It’s hard to read about many of the themes in this book - drug addiction， rape， murder， pedophilia。 Slaugh This story is very different from Karin Slaughter’s usual tales。 Leigh is tough - she’s a lawyer， after all - but she’s also a wonderful mother， in love with her husband， and watches out for her sister， whom she constantly worries about， due to her addiction。 But Leigh’s got a secret that could ruin her perfect life， and someone is determined to share that secret。 Not everyone will survive。 It’s hard to read about many of the themes in this book - drug addiction， rape， murder， pedophilia。 Slaughter does a terrific job of throwing in little zingers that take the story down a whole new path。 。。。more
Julie Mcgill
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I've enjoyed Karin Slaughter's books both the series and stand alone and this book is the best stand alone from her so far。 It is powerfully written about raw emotion， addiction and violence towards women。 I kept reading well into the nights。 I've enjoyed Karin Slaughter's books both the series and stand alone and this book is the best stand alone from her so far。 It is powerfully written about raw emotion， addiction and violence towards women。 I kept reading well into the nights。 。。。more
Kristin
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Leigh and Calli are sisters who had a devastating childhood。 Now they've grown up and thought that they had put their past behind them -- of course， that's never the case。 The past comes back to haunt them， and it's worse than ever。 Karin Slaughter did not disappoint with this one！ While I really enjoy the Will Trent series， I live for Slaughter's stand alone's， so I was so excited when I was approved for the audio on NetGalley。 I love how different False Witness is from other books。 After I hea Leigh and Calli are sisters who had a devastating childhood。 Now they've grown up and thought that they had put their past behind them -- of course， that's never the case。 The past comes back to haunt them， and it's worse than ever。 Karin Slaughter did not disappoint with this one！ While I really enjoy the Will Trent series， I live for Slaughter's stand alone's， so I was so excited when I was approved for the audio on NetGalley。 I love how different False Witness is from other books。 After I heard the first chapter， I was hooked and could barely put this down。 False Witness touches on so many different topics -- COVID， addiction， family/sisterhood， childhood guilt and more。 Slaughter really finds a way to weave all of it together into one truly great story。 I highly recommend False Witness。Once COVID started becoming a present storyline in television， I've been wondering how I would feel about reading books about COVID。 While False Witness isn't strictly about COVID， it touches on the pandemic -- there's a lot of mention of mask wearing， long haulers， etc。 I thought this was really tastefully done here where it added to the storyline for sure， but definitely didn't take away from it either。 I really liked Slaughter's note at the end about why she chose to include it and how COVID has affected her personally as well。 。。。more
Jenny
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Least favorite Karin Slaughter novel so far。
Christine Davies
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What a book！！ I couldn't put it down！ It grabbed me from the first chapter & I was hooked。 Leigh & Callie are sisters who together kill a paedophile， cut him up & bury his remains。 Their lives are haunted by what happened & it follows them。 Two great characters who I liked instantly & then spent the next 24 hours finding out more。 A highly recommended read & would love to see this book as a film。 Gripping！ What a book！！ I couldn't put it down！ It grabbed me from the first chapter & I was hooked。 Leigh & Callie are sisters who together kill a paedophile， cut him up & bury his remains。 Their lives are haunted by what happened & it follows them。 Two great characters who I liked instantly & then spent the next 24 hours finding out more。 A highly recommended read & would love to see this book as a film。 Gripping！ 。。。more
Sarah-Grace
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4。2 🌟TW: Rape and Sexual Assault; Child Abuse; Drug AbuseLeigh Coulton is a defense attorney distancing herself from her dark and traumatic past or so she thinks until her past stumbles back into her life in a big and life-altering way。 Feeling pressured to defend a wealthy and high profile man accused of rape or risk losing her job， she realizes the man has requested her to defend him and it is no coincidence why。 Leigh needs her estranged sister Calli's， help， but worries her sister's drug add 4。2 🌟TW: Rape and Sexual Assault; Child Abuse; Drug AbuseLeigh Coulton is a defense attorney distancing herself from her dark and traumatic past or so she thinks until her past stumbles back into her life in a big and life-altering way。 Feeling pressured to defend a wealthy and high profile man accused of rape or risk losing her job， she realizes the man has requested her to defend him and it is no coincidence why。 Leigh needs her estranged sister Calli's， help， but worries her sister's drug addiction and own trauma will get in the way。 Karin Slaughter， no stranger to suspenseful storytelling， captivates the reader from the very first pages with such vivid and descriptive language， the reader can't help but want to unravel the story and fight alongside Leigh and her sister。 While the story and characters pull you in， the detail and trauma woven through this novel are dark， twisted， and can be hard to process at times。 。。。more
Lindy Crichton Bezuidenhout
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Even before reading the first page I knew I was going to give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ because that is what Karin Slaughter delivers each and every time！ This book is a stand alone novel so you can read and enjoy it， no previous knowledge or reads needed。 It is a gripping page turner that 🤯🤯🤯🤯
Christina Mama-Kyriacou
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A great book， well written with a good plot and lots of tense moments， with a few twists thrown in - what's not to love？！ A great book， well written with a good plot and lots of tense moments， with a few twists thrown in - what's not to love？！ 。。。more
Grace
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4。25 starsThis is a gritty standalone full of triggers （pedophilia， drug trafficking， rape， torture） set during the COVID timeline。 A sunshine of a tale， lol。 But really， what did you expect from this author？I won't walk you through the whole story， because either you are a fan of this author and will read anything she writes （like me） or the triggers and dark nature of the book will scare you off。 Not judging， trust me。 What I can tell you is this story is one where it is hard to cheer for any 4。25 starsThis is a gritty standalone full of triggers （pedophilia， drug trafficking， rape， torture） set during the COVID timeline。 A sunshine of a tale， lol。 But really， what did you expect from this author？I won't walk you through the whole story， because either you are a fan of this author and will read anything she writes （like me） or the triggers and dark nature of the book will scare you off。 Not judging， trust me。 What I can tell you is this story is one where it is hard to cheer for any particular character - they all do questionable things。 What I found myself cheering for was justice， no matter whom it may take down in the process。Being a fan of the anti-hero/anti-heroine trope， I'm ok with some acts committed for the right reasons， but those right reasons are overshadowed by all the wrong in the story。 As I mentioned the triggers previously， one tragic night in 1998 changes the course of three lives - Callie， her older sister Leigh， and Andrew。Callie is now a junkie with a boatload of medical issues。Leigh is a lawyer who is brought in to defend Andrew in his trial。Andrew is a rich car salesman with multipule rape accusations。 And his past ties directly to Callie and Leigh。Throughout the story， I wanted:Callie to miraculously recover from her addiction。 Unlikely to happen。Leigh to do the right thing despite how it would impact her life。 Unlikely to happen。Andrew to burn in hell。 Given this author， this wasn't a longshot， lol。Despite the disturbing nature of this story， the author does what she does best， delivering a complex crime story with a twisted form of justice。 While this book may not be for everyone， fans of the author or fans of dark criminal thrillers， will find this worth a read。For more reviews， visit 。。。more
Joycekirkham
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