Thrilling mystery set in North Falls where two teenage girls vanish.

Karin Slaughter does it again. I binged the heck out of this book and I am READY for the next one. These characters have you rooting for them every step of the way. There were so many twists and turns to this one and I never expected any of them. A true delight - highly recommend!

rating: 5 stars

read if you like:
- mystery/thrillers
- police procedural
- twists and turns

quotes:
“If you’re looking for people to blame, we are all guilty here.”

thank you so much to William Morrow for allowing me to be an early reader. All thoughts are my own!

I am a big fan of Karin Slaughter, so I was eager to read this book as it is the first book in a new series she is writing called North Falls. North Falls is a small town where everyone seems to know everyone’s business. The Clifton Family is one of the town’s most prominent families and the main character of Emmy Clifton is the deputy sheriff. She’s a very interesting character - smart, determined, tough, and caring. However, she is also flawed - particularly when it comes to her husband Jonah, who walks all over Emmy in their marriage. Emmy’s best friend is Hannah and the night of the big Fourth of July fireworks show, Hannah’s daughter, Madison, wants to talk to Emmy. Emmy has just had a very public fight with her husband and she is heading to the restroom to collect herself so she tells Madison “not now”. Later that evening Madison and her friend Cheyenne go missing and it looks like foul play is involved. Emmy is desperate to find the girls. She is also crushed to think she let Madison down by brushing her off and how will Hannah react when she knows this. The story involves the investigation of the missing girls and the family dynamics in Emmy’s family. We meet several members of her family during this time. The story then jumps ahead twelve years and we meet another member of the family - Jude Archer. Jude is a well known FBI agent that has been involved in a large number of missing children cases. She comes to Emmy to offer her services when another child disappears. Are the cases connected? Jude is Emmy’s sister who has been gone for all of Emmy’s life. Why has she returned? I found the story very interesting and loved the writing. It hooked me in and didn’t let go! I give the book 4.5 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on August 12, 2025.

Karin Slaughter has done it again! Love her characters, love the story, love it all. I was sucked in from the very beginning, and was absolutely SHOCKED at one of the revelations.
READ THIS BOOK!

We Are All Guilty Here is a gritty, emotionally charged thriller that explores justice, loyalty, and the haunting weight of the past. Karin Slaughter delivers a powerful story with sharp writing, layered characters, and twists that hit hard. This book kept me hooked from the first chapter to the final reveal. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was beyond excited to be approved for a Karin Slaughter book. She has been one of my favorite authors for quite some time. This book was AMAZING!!! In true Karin Slaughter fashion, she thinks out and writes down even the smallest of details and they are always super important to the story. You could feel all the emotions the characters were going through while reading and just really drew me more and more into the story. I loved this and was so sad when it was done. The big saving grace is knowing that this is book 1 in a new series. I cannot wait to read more!! Thank you so much NetGalley for this ARC, I feel honored to get the approval to read this.

I could not put this book down! It had me from page one! It gave me Criminal Minds vibes. Beware that the case does center around children, in case that is a turn off for you.

It is the best murder mystery I have read in a really long time. Lots of messy, well developed characters. I am so excited that this is the first in a series. I'm looking forward to being able to follow up with these characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the early read in exchange for an honest review.

The story centers on the disappearance of two teenage girls during a Fourth of July celebration in the small town of North Falls. Officer Emmy Clifton is assigned to the case, but it’s personal—one of the missing girls is her best friend’s daughter, and Emmy regrets missing a warning sign before they disappeared. Years later, another girl goes missing under similar circumstances, forcing the town to confront what was never solved.

The book started strong but spent too much time on repetitive interviews and police procedure. The chapters also felt too long for the amount of plot. But if you like police-heavy stories, you may enjoy the twists this book offers.

Another fabulous crime story from Karen Slaughter! I love the way she takes you through the entire finding of evidence process. The characters were fun, quirky and actually portrayed women as smart instead of needy and taken advantage of. I look forward to more of the North Falls series!

✨Book Review✨
📖 We Are All Guilty Here
✍️ Karin Slaughter
📅 Publication: August 12, 2025

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
North Falls is the kind of town where everyone thinks they know one another.
But everything changes on the night of the fireworks, when two teenage girls vanish without a trace, and the quiet town erupts with fear and suspicion.
For Officer Emmy Clifton, the case is personal. She ignored the warning signs and looked the other way when her best friend’s daughter needed help. Now, she’s determined to bring the girls home, no matter what the cost.
As Emmy pieces together the clues they left behind, she begins to realize just how little anyone knew about them. Every teenage girl has secrets, but some are worth killing for.
And in a town built on buried truths, Emmy isn’t the only one with something to hide.

𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
While the story had a solid foundation and moments that genuinely drew me in, the overall experience was a bit uneven. The pacing was slow for much of the book, with some parts feeling overly drawn out. A large cast of characters made it difficult to keep track of everyone, and the heavy focus on the Clifton family sometimes felt excessive or unnecessary. There were also abrupt transitions and disjointed sections that disrupted the flow. That said, the story did pick up toward the end, and I genuinely enjoyed the conclusion; it wrapped things up in a satisfying way. There are glimmers of strong storytelling throughout, and I appreciated the author’s ambition. I didn’t hate the book, but it was a bit of a slog at times. Also, I’d recommend checking trigger warnings before reading, as some themes may be sensitive for certain readers.

Thank You, @Netgalley and @William Morrow, for allowing me to review this book.

Slaughter brings us another MINDBLOWING story with an ending that will make your jaw drop!

The small town of North Falls is shaken when the on night of the fourth of July fireworks two teenage girls vanish. Officer Emmy Clifton makes it her mission to bring these girls home, especially since one of them is her best friend's daughter. But as Emmy combs through the clues, she realizes the girls had more secrets than she could've ever imagined. What is the town hiding and why is it enough to kill for?

Karin's the queen of a twisty, convoluted plot and the way every piece comes together in WE ARE ALL GUILTY HERE is just genius. The tension, the dark, gritty atmosphere: it's all-consuming and the pacing never lets go. Each time another buried secret is brought to the surface, we realize this town is anything but safe. The traumatic family dynamics add to the palpable tension. Even with the long chapters, I never wanted to stop; it's an addicting thriller. With twist after twist, the ending was a gut-punch that left me SHOOK. Emmy as a protagonist is a FORCE and I can't wait to explore more of her character. Just like Slaughter's usual storytelling, the content is heavy and extremely dark so proceed with caution.

With the first book in the North Falls series being such a knockout, I'm looking forward to following where she takes this small town and its questionable characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Karin Slaughter for an ARC of We Are All Guilty Here. I need 5-10 business days to recover from this book. I have only read a couple of Karin’s books previously and I’m a lifetime reader now. This book was absolutely astounding. I was completely immersed in this story and everything going on in life went to the back burner (well as much as possible lol). If you are ever in a reading slump, this book will fix you right up. It was so gripping and horrifying and so well written that it’s so hard to put down. We all need more Emmy in our lives and I can’t wait for more to come! This is absolutely a book that will stick with you for years to come. This story follows a small town in Georgia, North Falls, where everyone knows everyone. On July 4th, two teenage girls vanish during the towns fireworks. Officer Emmy needs to bring her best friends daughter home. Emmy finds out she really didn’t know her best friends daughter, but that’s expected with teenagers - but who would kill to keep those girls quiet? Heart pounding, thrilling, horrifying - don’t sleep on this new book!

This book was incredible. I’ve read other books by this same author and have enjoyed them, but have also at times thought her work was too graphic. This book was a work of art, if you like your art to scare you a little.

Two teenage girls go missing in a small, Southern town where everybody knows everybody. The ensuing search and drama take you places you don’t expect. So many twists and turns. At one point, I got excited because I thought the case was coming to a climax, and then I looked at my kindle and realized I was only 33% of the way done with the book.

I don’t usually go for police procedurals, but this was very well done. The father-daughter sheriff duo was a relatable and enjoyable angle. The main characters were all well-written and 3-dimensional. Highly recommend, if you’re not squeamish.

This was my first Karin Slaughter book, and I have to say that I will be adding all her books to my TBR now!
Right away, this book held my interest. I had sorta been in a reading slump with some other books I'd been reading, but now I'm ready to charge back into my thrillers! so much description I felt like I knew each character personally. the storyline was great, and I didn't figure it out until they did! I would highly recommend it.

We Are All Guilty Here is the first book in a thrilling new series by the popular Karin Slaughter. Set in a small town in Northern Georgia, two girls go missing at a Fourth of July celebration. The entire town is turned upside down and our main character, Officer Emmy Clifton, is racing against time to find them. She is also battling small town politics and family drama which make for a compelling read.

I particularly enjoyed the police procedural parts which were very realistic and interesting. A slow burn then a hit of adrenaline plus a couple twists for added fun.

What You Don’t Know…

With “We Are All Guilty Here” Karin Slaughter introduces her new North Falls mystery series. The series takes place in the seemingly idyllic small town of North Falls, a close-knit community where everyone seems to know everything about everyone– until their dark secrets come to light.

When two young girls vanish during the Fourth of July festivities, Sheriff Gerald Clifton and his daughter, Deputy Emmy Clifton, launch an immediate investigation. Their chances of finding the girls alive dwindle with every passing hour. Emmy is particularly burdened by guilt, as one of the missing girls had attempted to reach out to her just before disappearing.

Twelve years later, another young girl vanishes in a similar manner. A recently retired FBI agent, Jude Archer is compelled to arrive on the scene, revealing her secret ties to both the town and the Clifton family. Her methodical approach clashes with Emmy's emotional struggle to control her feelings.

Emmy is a wonderfully flawed heroine. She is driven to physical and emotional exhaustion by her powerful sense of justice and overwhelming guilt. This guilt, however, is not hers alone, as the title implies, every character harbors a secret. At one point, the Andy Griffith show is referenced– but this is not Mayberry.

Despite occasional slowdowns due to police procedural explorations, the narrative gains momentum through unexpected twists. The North Falls locale is stocked with well-crafted characters, establishing a solid foundation for a compelling series. Going forward, the two women look to work well together, with Jude’s analytical skills complimenting Emmy’s passionate approach.

This highly suspenseful and entertaining book comes with a warning: some readers may find the depictions of violence and abuse disturbing.

Thank you to William Morrow and Netgalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #WeAreAllGuiltyHere #NetGalley

I debated back and forth between 3 and 4 stars. There was a lot of the story that dragged on. Where I almost stopped reading entirely. The good parts were really freaking good and exciting or extremely heartfelt. Maybe 3.5? The good parts were that good. The ending was perfect. Not as good as Pretty Girls or The Good Daughter, but I still very much enjoyed it.

Its a disturbing thriller. In a good way. If you decide to read this book, keep in mind that it will touch on delicate, disturbing, and dark themes.
It has several interesting twists and revelations, and although I could easily guess who was behind it all early on in the story, what makes this book so good is the way it keeps you in a constant state of suspense.
I felt tension and an intense need to find out how the story would unfold throughout the book. It is an extremely compulsive story, its fast pace combined with the disturbing theme of the case make this book impossible to put down

I will read all things Karin Slaughter, and We Are All Guilty Here is no exception. When two teens go missing and a town implodes over it, Emmy Clifton must uncover secrets that can unravel a community. If you’re one who enjoys a town conspiracy trope, this will deliver it in spades.

3.5 rounded down. I'm docking this a half star because it took me absolutely ages to get through. I have no idea why but the narrative just could not keep my attention-- it's possible that something about the POV switching in addition to the time jump just took some of the wind out of the sails of the story. It's a shame because at its heart, I think this is a really excellent book that occasionally gets in its own way. Emmy is a fantastic character and so is Jude, and I think the time jump actually works incredibly for the story being told (the changes in technology, seeing certain characters grow up) but it definitely made certain elements feel less urgent even if I knew intellectually that they weren't.

I'm glad this is labeled as the beginning of a series because North Falls is an amazing setting. The Clifton family is fascinating and fun to read about, with so many memorable characters (Millie at the end telling Emmy to have Kaitlynn pick up the pickles on the way to get her is just such a perfect detail that exemplifies what a fully fleshed out world this is). However, there are a LOT of characters in this book and at the pace I was reading I definitely lost track of who they all were (Brett and Tommy and Dylan and Jonah were the toughest... I had to pause and remind myself of their relationship to Emmy almost every time.) I did really love the mirroring of Emmy and Hannah with Jude and Celia-- the female friendships in this book are written extremely well. The reveal of why Taybee is named that is incredible.

For all my complaining, the last hundred pages of this is stunning. I was very proud of myself for picking up on a specific detail and my suspicions were correct, but the ending is so complex that it's the kind of thing a reader would never guess or parse out on their own, which is really fun. I did get choked up during both the climax and the epilogue. I am really looking forward to what Karin Slaughter writes next for this series because I would read Emmy Lou as sheriff forever, but I would also take North Falls flashback episodes as well.

I am a Karin Slaughter fan, and this book was another great review. Two teenage girls disappeared from a small town celebration. One of the girls has close ties with the main character, who is also the sheriff's daughter and a cop herself. When the investigation begins, town secrets begin to quickly become unraveled. Just when you think you have it all figured out, here comes another twist. This is one of my favorite by Slaughter yet.