I've only ever read one of Karin Slaughter's books before (All the Pretty Girls), which I thought was well written but still difficult to read because of the authors unflinching descriptions of sexual violence. I was chose to read this book hoping it would be well written, quickly paced and interesting enough to keep my attention. The first 50% of this book dragged. It has to set up a mystery from previous years to impact the case handled 13 years later, but it meanders. I kept plugging away, not out of open interest but in hoping the book would pick up. I do think the book picks up a bit in the future time line when the character Jude is introduced but similarly slogs its way through police procedural work. Like a very long Law & Order SVU episode watching the cops track down their leads. Some of the jumps in police work didn't necessarily make sense to me. I liked the characters of Emmy and Jude but agree with other commenters that they are not as well fleshed out as they should be as main characters. Skippable.

Another strong crime drama by one of my favorite authors! This novel took place in Georgia and referenced assistance from the GBI, but otherwise was a one-off from the Will Trent books. I did not expect the twists and turns that were revealed at the ending and I was burning through the last two thirds of the book. Great female characters! Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

One of my favorite (yet) disturbing thrillers by Karin is All the pretty girls. I was hoping the first couple chapters would draw me in but that wasn’t the case.

Set in the quiet, close-knit town of North Falls, We Are All Guilty Here unravels a tense and haunting tale of secrets, loss, and the shadows lurking beneath small-town life. When two teenage girls vanish during the fireworks, the community is thrown into chaos, and Officer Emmy Clifton finds herself confronting her past mistakes as she searches for answers. Her pursuit reveals startling truths about the girls—and herself—shattering the illusions of trust she once held.
Slaughter expertly captures the complexity of her characters and the dark undercurrents of a town hiding its own secrets. As Emmy digs deeper into the mystery, she uncovers a web of lies that makes her question everything—and everyone—around her. The story builds to an intense crescendo, highlighting how dangerous secrets can be and the devastating consequences they carry.

We Are All Guilty Here is a gripping, emotionally charged novel that explores the fragility of innocence and the harsh realities beneath the façade of small-town life. It’s a compelling reminder that no place is perfect, and everyone has something to hide.

I read Pretty Girls a few years back and couldn’t stop thinking about it. As disturbing as that book was, Karin Slaughter has a way of writing a book that you can’t help but get sucked into. We Are All Guilty Here has solidified the fact that Karin Slaughter is a truly, gifted storyteller.

As I was thinking about the best way to describe the book, two television shows kept popping into my head. This book is a cross between Mare of Easttown and Law and Order SVU. This book takes place in a small town where everyone knows everyone with a kidnapping/murder thrown into the mix. The town has its secrets and you can’t help but want to know how it’s all going to turn out.

In addition to the kidnapping/murder plot, there’s lots of family drama with lots of layers to it. The main characters (Jude and Emmy) were so well written. I found them to be relatable. I felt like I was right there with them at every turn. Actually, all the characters were so well written, even the despicable ones.

It was well paced. I didn’t feel it drug on too long. It had me on my edge of my seat at times. I look forward to reading more books about the North Fall folks.

The only negative I have is there were a few times that a character would show up and I couldn’t quite figure out who they were. There were quite a few people introduced throughout the book so I had to go back to jog my memory on a couple people. This is such a minor thing, but I wanted to mention it.

If I could give this book more than five stars, I would. I HIGHLY recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the Arc. I will be purchasing a hard copy once it’s released because I loved it that much!

Karin Slaughter is such a good storyteller. I’m so excited for another series from her as the Will Trent series was exceptional. This book had great character development, tied up every single loose end, and like every single one of Karin’s books I was sad when it was over. I can’t wait for another! Thank you for the ARC.

This was such a disappointment. I have loved Slaughter’s other books but this one was too long and slow. I really don’t care about police procedural and there was so much of it. The ending was creepy and I definitely didn’t guess it so I did appreciate that.

i am honestly in shock at how much i loved this?? i knew karin slaughter was a fantastic writer & that i enjoy her work, but oh my god this blew me away.

when i tell you i was absolutely sucked in from the first page…. i could not stop reading this!!! i stayed up late reading, work up early to read, read this walking across campus, like i was glued to the pages!!!!

i knew very little going into this book and i’m glad that was the case. i was shocked & gasping out loud so many times i lost count. the mystery/plot were fantastic and gripping. the plot twists truly had me gasping out loud and clutching my pearls.

the characters in this are so very complex and well written, reading like real people with human problems. the relationships were excecuted amazingly and brought more layers of tension to this already agonizingly tense novel.

this book is very very heavy and i could feel it like lead weighing down my chest the entire time. i was terrified and genuinely sick to my stomach throughout the story. the topics that are dealt with in this book are disgusting and, unfortunately, all too real.

i honestly am at a loss for words and feel like this review is hardly coherent - the book impacted me that much. i will be thinking about this one for a long, long while.

fair warning: this is a dark book that deals with very heavy topics. please look into the trigger warnings before picking this one up.

Wow. I’m nearly at a loss for words. This is a tour de force creation for an author, who in my opinion, already defines the crime fiction sub-genre. This is a masterpiece.

This story is so intricately told. Every detail is carefully crafted and vividly depicted. I felt like I was in some magical, vicarious voyeur machine that catapulted me into every scene in this book and allowed me to observe with my own eyes. And because I watched each scene firsthand, I also experienced every resulting emotion on a very personal, profound level.

I love that we only got one side of the story, and we were just as in the dark as our protagonist was. It amplified the tension and ratcheted up the suspense significantly as a storytelling mechanism.

The characters were flawed and believable. Their motivations and actions all made perfect sense. Emmy and Jude amazing and I hope they become the centerpiece of many more novels. I will be reading every single one.

I feel very lucky to have been gifted this advanced copy, and I appreciate being able to be part of the hype machine leading up to its release. Thank you to William Morrow Books for the ARC!

Very excited for another series by Karin Slaughter. I have loved all her others and this one did not disappoint! Welcome to North Falls. A small town that has many secrets. In true Karin Slaughter fashion this book is very character driven. You fall in love with them and become so invested with everyone and their every move. I will say this book did seem a little less graphic and some of her others and that surprised me. But the longer you read the more twists that come. Can’t wait to see what the next book brings with North Falls and these characters.

Solid and thoughtful, but a little too developed in the places that don't matter. I'm all for tertiary characters with fully involved backstories, but did I need to know about the intrusive thoughts of a character who shows up on scene for less than a minute exactly two times? It's a fine detail but added to the bloat a bit.

I knew this was going to be a page turner in every sense of the word I love it and was biting my nails trying to get to the next page I will recommend this read

Karin Slaughter has started a new series! North Falls is a small town in Georgia located in Clifton County and there are a whole lot of the Clifton family active in government and town and county activities. The focus in the North Falls series first novel is on the life and responsibilities of Officer Emmy Clifton and her father Sheriff Gerald Clifton. The story begins with the abduction of 2 young “wayward” teens on July 4th. One is the daughter of Emmy’s best friend Hannah which makes it all the more difficult. The resolution of the disappearance has aftershocks in years to come. The next phase of the story is in a new timeline. Twelve years after the abduction another teen disappears and the Sheriff’s department and Emmy are not going to let the earlier event happen again. Nothing will stop her from solving the disappearance. A host of well presented characters are there from the good, to the presumed innocent, to the presumed guilty, to the downright cruel. As a police procedural, talk about tension, twisty plot, mystery, action, and great characters! To go into more detail would not be fair to the reader as they, like me, need to deal with the shocky conclusion. Slaughter’s plot deals with the emotional topic of child abduction, dysfunctional families and violence against women. Readers should be aware of the topic but know the author does it all in a sensitive yet effective way bringing awareness to the topic. A must read! Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC

I have to be honest and say that the book does start extremely slow. That being said it’s excusable when you see that this will be a new series for her. There is a lot of set up that needs to happen and it’s woven into a very detail oriented story. Because you have a family of deputies and the FBI involved you’re going to get a lot of cop speak. If you hate that- I’m not sure why you’re reading this kind of true crime but go off I guess?

The Clifton’s are king of the County- it’s named after them after all. Emmy Lou’s dad is the sheriff she’s the chief and the clock is ticking in a race to find her best friends missing step daughter. When the two girls are found dead their quaint North Falls is turned upside down when the case goes cold. Until 12 years later another young girl goes missing from the same spot. Emmy Lou is determined to solve the case for good this time.

This really sucked me in around the 40% mark. I forced myself to turn my kindle off at 2am and immediately grabbed it to finish right when I logged off for the day. After 50% the book is non stop. There were a few times I was sure I had it figured out and I did in some capacity. But there are curve balls left and right that will have your jaw on the floor.

Don’t miss this when it’s released August 12th!

I have long been a fan of Karin Slaughter, but something about "We Are All Guilty Here" missed the mark for me.
The book's first quarter took place over the course of 1 day, but it dragged on for far too long for me. The rest of the book attempted to make up for the slow burn of the first section, but there were a couple of swings and misses for me. I enjoyed the characters for the most part, but the story ebbed and flowed with my interest.
I'm not sure if Slaughter is planning for this to become her next series,s but I do hope so. I want more about the characters and the small town, and I hope we get more if there is a second book.

I am a fan of Karin Slaughter’s Will Trent series. Now she is introducing a new character…Emily Clifton. I am already excited for the author to continue this series and watch the growth of Clifton .This is a case of two missing girls and along the way the impact on a friendship. Great read.

Wow! Wow wow wow!!! Karin Slaughter has done it again!! This book was so painstakingly well written. This book is the first in a new series featuring Emmy Clifton. Emmy has an long and often traumatic story, and I can’t wait to keep reading the series to see where life takes her next.

Excellent read. One of my favorite by the authors. Looks like a new series which is great. So many pieces to untangle

We Are All Guilty Here is the first novel in the new North Falls series by Karin Slaughter. Slaughter’s writing is precise and deliberate, and every word is chosen with care to drive the narrative forward. As a longtime fan of her work, I was thrilled to dive into this new series, and it delivers everything I love about her novels – taut suspense, compelling characters, and a story that lingers long after the final page.

This first book introduces Officer Emmy Clifton, a relatable and layered character who’s easy to root for. Slaughter has a knack for creating characters that feel real, and Emmy is no different. In the first half, her vulnerabilities really stand out as she tackles a case that hits close to home. Her emotional reactions make sense given her youth and the personal stakes involved, and her growth over the course of the story felt genuine.

This novel skillfully balances character-driven storytelling with the intricacies of police procedurals, weaving a twisty plot that kept me guessing. I read a lot of crime fiction, and Slaughter is still able to surprise me! She dives fearlessly into dark themes, shining a compassionate light on issues like violence against women and children. Her unflinching approach is matched by sensitivity, creating a narrative that’s as thought-provoking as it is thrilling.

We Are All Guilty Here is a fantastic start to a new series. Slaughter’s ability to blend intricate plotting with deeply human storytelling is unmatched, and this novel is no exception. With surprising twists, a strong sense of time and place, and relatable characters, this is a fantastic start to what promises to be another unforgettable series. Bring on the next installment!

Many thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Karin Slaughter for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Note: these reviews will be posted to socials on August 1st ahead of the release date. It will be posted to YouTube and TikTok

Thank you William Morrow publishing for providing me this ARC through NetGalley for my honest review.

Karin Slaughter will. Never. Miss. This is the first book in the new North Falls series and it was a fantastic opener to what I know is going to be an amazing series. We follow Emmy as she solves a double kidnapping and twelve years later as she investigates a very similar kidnapping. I was on the edge of my seat. This book was full of tension and suspicious characters. There were twists and reveals all the way up to the final pages. I eagerly look forward to the continuation of this series.