A new Karin Slaughter thriller will predictably be swiftly devoured by her many ardent fans. False Witness is her latest release, and it is neither the best nor the worst novel in her expanding repertoire. Slaughter’s main protagonist this time is Leigh Coulton, a successful defense attorney who has risen from an impoverished and troubling childhood. She and her younger sister, Callie, both suffered through outrageous abuse and deprivation. Callie, unfortunately did not fare as well as her sibling. She is plagued with drug dependence, medical issues and instability. Due to their diverging paths, they have become increasingly estranged. When Leigh is specifically requested to represent a wealthy client, she is puzzled about the client’s identity and motive. She soon learns that they are connected by a past that Leigh has buried for 20 years. The client threatens her future and her family, so she has no option but to stretch some moral and ethical lines as his attorney. Leigh and Callie reunite to protect their secrets and face some escaped consequences from long ago. This broad description, however, fails to capture how deftly Slaughter is able to refresh a well-worn plot. The author is great at creating sympathetic and fully rounded characters without skimping on the gory details. In False Witness, the flashbacks and slow unspooling of details feels a bit rushed and confusing- the actual plot being just a vehicle to explore the many interconnected relationships in the book. Despite this novel not being Slaughter’s best effort, it is still obviously the work of a highly skilled author—thereby making it miles above other rehashed thrillers.

Thanks to the author, William Morris and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of False Witness by Karin Slaughter.
This is my first Karin Slaughter novel, and it won't be my last. This book was a gripping, psychological page-turner that I will think about long after the last page. Slaughter creates characters that although flawed, are lovable and easy to sympathize with. The antagonist couldn't be more creepy or psychologically scary; becoming more twisted as the pages turn. Slaughter's use of legal terms and definitions help the reader understand the character's motives. Well done!

My thoughts are a bit all over the place with this one. For starters I found the first half of the book to be slow. This could be due to two factors for me, one being the super long chapters and secondly I’m not a fan of reading about addicts and heavy drug use as it makes me really sad.

But, then the second half of the book I really enjoyed because the story line was really good and it started to pick up.

The characters were portrayed well, you definitely feel the fear and pain in Callie and Leigh, and despise Andrew and Buddy. I have to say that I absolutely love Leigh’s husband Walter.

Overall, this is a very suspenseful thriller that keeps you wondering what the outcome will be.

It is the 3rd book that I’ve read from Karin Slaughter and it won’t be my last!

Another great one from Karin Slaughter. This one was current during covid, and it was gruesome, haunting, a page turner. Andrew (Trevor) was the worst psychopath that makes your skin crawl and you can’t wait for him to get caught in his lies. The story of the sisters and their suffering with guilt and horrors was so well written. Be sure and read the author’s final notes.

An excellent dark thriller about two sisters tied together by a very dark secret and a lifetime of guilt.

Loved this! Had all the elements of a great book! This was my first Karin Slaughter book but it will not be my last. I found it gripping both in subject matter and the intensity of the characters. It stayed with me long after I finished the last page. I did not want it to end.

I received an e-galley copy for review.

Leigh Coulton is living the American dream even if it is happening during the Covid pandemic. She has a good job as a defense attorney at a prestigious law firm, a daughter who is doing well in school, and an ex-husband with whom she has a good relationship though they are getting a divorce.

But then she is tapped by the senior partner to defend a wealthy client, who is accused of rape. But this isn't just any client--he is someone from Leigh's past. A past that Leigh has been running from for two decades and an incident that could ruin her life.

In order to find out the truth regarding the case, Leigh must enlist the help of her estranged younger sister, Calli. Leigh has created a fiction about Calli's life--and her client is very interested in finding her. How to keep Calli away from this man and still have her help her solve this case and resolve their past?

This wasn’t my favorite of Slaughter’s. It was very slow and I think a huge part of that was the incorporation of Covid. It felt unnecessary to the main story. I appreciated the strong female characters in Leigh and Callie, and the big “twist” but for some reason the story never quite all came together for me.

Gritty, raw and brutal portrayal of sisterly bonds in the face of abuse. Arollercoastr ride of a story that kept me intrugued and engaged. The bond between sisters and the retelling of the horrible events they endure is at once fascinating and yet gutwrenching. I will definitely recommend to my readers and have my library acquire this title.

This was a wild rollercoaster ride of a book! Karin Slaughter has always been an author on my "to read" list but before this book I had yet to pick up one of her titles and now I'm wishing I had discovered her sooner. There is a grit to her writing and she has such interesting characters and a fast-paced plot. I can't wait to read more of her books!

This book seemed sooooooo long and slow. I just wanted it to end. It was well written, but "slow burns" aren't for me. The characters were also very frustrating with the dumb decisions they constantly made. I did like the ending, when it finally came. I also appreciated the COVID references (though they did seem a bit constant). The book is graphic and violent, but that doesn't bother me.

Can you out run your past - do things you did when you were 13 haunt you?

They do Leigh and her sister Callie! Definitely a thriller page turner.

Leigh and Callie are sisters who shared a pretty desolate childhood and they have a secret. Callie has used drugs to cope with the events from their tragic past and struggles every day to survive. Then one day, as a junior lawyer in a large defense law firm, Leigh is called up to top office to defend someone who requested her specifically. Who is he, and what does he know? The sisters team up in an effort to escape the past but end up running right into everything they have been afraid of for so long. How could this possibly end?
Guys, I loved this book so much! The characters are very complex and interesting and, as a reader, you can never quite guess where the story is going to take you next. While the plot seems fantastic at times, the writing itself has a genuine and an emotional feel. If you are a fan of Karin Slaughter, legal thrillers, and or domestic suspense, you will definitely love this book!

I love Karin Slaughter, and I especially love her standalone books, so I was extremely excited for this one! I really enjoyed the writing, as always. Slaughter is so good at writing a detailed thriller without feeling repetitive and over-stretched. I was completely invested in the story right after the first chapter. I love when this happens! The book gave me major Pretty Girls vibes! The two main character, Leigh and Callie are both badasses in their own ways, and I really loved reading about Callie throughout the book.


𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦:
I'm not ready to read about the pandemic. Although this book is not about the pandemic and just references it, I just can't do it. Not yet. I'm struggling hard with Covid fatigue. So when the book first referenced it, I almost set it aside but then decided to push myself, because this was a book I'd been waiting for for a while and it's one of my favourite authors. I'm glad I did be ause I liked the book.

CW:
I'm going to start off with saying that this book was very graphic in depicting murder, violent sexual assaults, and drug use. Several scenes, all very detailed. If you're struggling with addictions or are in recovery, this book could be difficult and triggering. The same goes for people who have been victim of sexual assault.

Leigh Collier may not have liked the cards she was dealt in life, but she has played them well. A successful defense attorney, a teen daughter Maddy, a decent divorce and plenty of cases to keep her occupied. However, her latest case is about to make her carefully built house of cards come toppling down. Leigh had a disturbing past. A past she had buried neatly and secretly away. With this new case - defending a man accused of rape - she could lose everything.

Something happened in Leigh's life nearly two decades ago. Shockingly when she meets her newest client she immediately sees the connection to her long-held secret. If she does not get him acquitted, she will most certainly lose everything. Of that there is no doubt. One person could help her, and that is her estranged younger sister Calli. With very good reason, Leigh doesn't want to get Calli involved. However, needs must and Leigh is forced to contact her.

I became a Karin Slaughter fan just one year ago, and have read two dozen of her books, including her Will Trent and Grant County series. I knew going in that they are going to be gritty. She doesn't pull any punches. This standalone novel is one such book. Leigh's past comes face-to-face with her present and the results are not pretty. Not by a long shot. This book gave me all the feels, forcing me to cycle through a gamut of emotions.

Leigh and Callie are polar opposites. As mentioned, Leigh is an attorney. Conversely, Callie is a heroin addict. Different as night and day. Additionally, factor in Ms. Slaughter bringing Covid into the story by means of how some of us are living our best lives despite this terrible time in history. This was done in a seamless manner and in no way took anything away from this riveting, well-written story.

It might be hard to imagine that this book - practically a tome at its over 500 pages - could be read in one sitting, but that is exactly what happened, as it was utterly compelling, difficult and painful at times with drama so intense that it could be described as breathtaking.

Many thanks to William Morrow and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Every time I read one of Karen Slaughter’s novels my heart jumps into my throat and I have physical symptoms of terror. Make sure you clear your weekend for this one you’re not putting it down once you start!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55809780-false-witness

He saw what you did. He knows who you are…

From the New York Times bestselling author of Pieces of Her and The Silent Wife, an electrifying standalone thriller.

AN ORDINARY LIFE…

Leigh Collier has worked hard to build what looks like a normal life. She’s an up-and-coming defense attorney at a prestigious law firm in Atlanta, would do anything for her sixteen-year-old daughter Maddy, and is managing to successfully coparent through a pandemic after an amicable separation from her husband Walter.

HIDES A DEVASTATING PAST...

But Leigh’s ordinary life masks a childhood no one should have to endure … a childhood tarnished by secrets, broken by betrayal, and ultimately destroyed by a brutal act of violence.

BUT NOW THE PAST IS CATCHING UP…

On a Sunday night at her daughter’s school play, she gets a call from one of the firm's partners who wants Leigh to come on board to defend a wealthy man accused of multiple counts of rape. Though wary of the case, it becomes apparent she doesn't have much choice if she wants to keep her job. They're scheduled to go to trial in one week. When she meets the accused face-to-face, she realizes that it’s no coincidence that he’s specifically asked for her to represent him. She knows him. And he knows her. More to the point, he may know what happened over twenty years ago, and why Leigh has spent two decades avoiding her past.

AND TIME IS RUNNING OUT.

Suddenly she has a lot more to lose than this case. The only person who can help is her younger, estranged sister Callie—the last person Leigh would ever want to drag into this after all they’ve been through. But with the life-shattering truth in danger of being revealed, she has no choice...

Another standalone from New York Times best selling author Karin Slaughter. Does not disappoint!

This wasn't my favorite book by this author, but still a great, engaging read. I love how in every book, the characters come to life and I always have a picture of them in my mind while reading. This one didn't grab me at the beginning but once it hit it's stride, it was a good read.

My favorite authors are those whose stories I would pick up, no questions asked. The books I wouldn’t wait for at the library.

The ones for which I would pre-order.

And pay full price.

For the hardcover.

No need to even tell me what the story is about; if you say “Karin Slaughter”, here’s my card number and the security code on the back. Do with it what you must. She is in town for a book reading? I’m there, buying 2 copies and fangirl-ing all over her when I get to the front of the line.

She is the MacGyver of crime fiction; this woman can take a recipe and turn it into a criminal fictional masterpiece, I am SURE of it.

Read her books. Like, all of them.  Like, now.

Her Sara, Jeffery and Will series? Amazing. Her stand-alone novels? I would use PTO to spend a day with one. (And have done so).

Side note: I remember watching an episode of “Bar Rescue” once.  The big tough guy who “saves” the bar was educating the viewer on the science of a menu. It is all about placing certain items in certain places that will entice diners and increase the profit margin. Truly. It’s a thing.  There have been actual studies where people monitor and research how and where your eyes land initially on a menu.  It is in those spaces where a restaurant will place their highest profited item. Actual studies.

Honestly, I think Slaughter invented the science of WRITING.

I don’t know how she does it.

Once again, Karin Slaughter has knocked it so far out of the park, it is super human.

“False Witness” is Slaughter’s new book that hit the shelves on July 20th. Ever since reading “Blindsighted”, I have been 100% committed to this author. The way she writes is so consuming that time seems to stand still when I am engrossed in one of her stories.

She has a talent of placing her words in such a way that we readers keep ordering and devouring and coming back for more. An amazing talent of giving the reader *just enough* gore (sometimes it is just one sentence!) to hook them; then she is back to telling the story, and we find ourselves catching our breath, frantically trying to simultaneously figure out what the heck just happened and reading to see what happens next.  Her gore sneaks up on you;  you don’t know it’s there until you feel its hot breath on the back of your neck. (I went there. You’ll see. Read the book).

The number of characters is right on- there are enough players to keep things interesting and allow for different story lines in each book, but not so many that it gets confusing. Her back story on each character is told in such a way that she is not at all “wordy”, but descriptive enough that we can paint a picture of the character, right down to Callie’s small stature, Phil’s Sex Pistols t-shirt and dog collar and Andrew’s curled-lip smirk.  The fact that Buddy is a HUGE part of the storyline, yet we only experience him in the very beginning. We feel the Atlanta heat, we feel Leigh’s terror when she is face to face with her past. We feel the sensation of a needle delivering a drug and the restlessness Callie feels while she is waiting for it.   I can honestly say I know more about fused vertebrae, shooting up through an abscess on one’s leg and the sound a serrated blade makes when stabbing someone in the stomach than I did yesterday.

So. To recap:

This is one of my MOST favorite authors;
Her books are amazing;
You should read them all. (Start with "Blindsighted").

Now, onto the story at hand!

Calliope and Leigh Colliers are sisters who grew up in an abusive, poverty-stricken household.  As young babysitters, they are abused at the hands of the child’s father, Buddy Walenski.

A horrifying tragic event occurs early on and the residual effects follow Calliope and Leigh into adulthood.  One sister moves into a professional role, including a family and child. The other becomes a drug addict, wandering through her life trying to find her next high. Fate brings them together when the child, Andrew Tenant, is grown and proving to be just as dark and depraved as his father.  Hired as his defense attorney when Andrew is accused of raping a local woman, Leigh struggles with her choices- help him go free, or protect her integrity and possibly wind up in prison herself, once the truth gets out.  Add into the mix that Andrews knows about the events of the past and will use any means necessary to be acquitted, and there it is.  The Slaughter Special. Best item on the menu.

ORDER IT.

The sister connection (one Slaughter uses in a lot of her stories) was back and full steam ahead; Leigh and Calliope fiercely love one another and have done many, many things for the other. And, although she is a bit of a train wreck, I adored Calliope.  The girl knows her flaws and tries to do the right things, all the while carrying this (very heavy) monkey (gorilla?) on her back. In one moment, she is shown as a thieving, disappearing addict and in the next, gives a gift so blindingly beautiful to her sister that it almost brought me to tears.  Reading the abuse these two girls suffered at the hands of those who should have protected them was heartbreaking.

Slaughter does tie up things at the end, but that doesn’t mean her books always end happily ever after. There is a price to pay to be safe and happy.  She finishes things, for now.  But I don’t doubt for a second that one of these characters will end up in the background of a future Slaughter novel. (Can't wait to see ya'll again!).

Another absolute, without-a-doubt, no-questions-asked 5 star read that I cannot wait for you all to experience.

I really found it interesting how Slaughter chose to include and write about covid while living in it when writing the story. It was an interesting aspect and interesting to hear her thoughts about why in the author's note.

In true Slaughter form this book was dark, twistu, distrubing, and gritty, definitely not for the faint of heart.