I always enjoy Karin Slaughter's work, she's always been one of my favorite authors, but We are all Guilty Here is excellent. The characterization works very well, flaws in each character are written well, all characters are portrayed as real individuals. I found it reminiscent of some of her other stand alone books. in particular Pretty Girls.

We Are All Guilty Here is a standalone thriller written by Karin Slaughter.

*Child sexual assault
*Family secrets
*Small town antics

Karin Slaughter’s latest novel follows the life of small town deputy Emmy Lou and her law enforcement family that includes her Sheriff father, FBI psychologist sister Jude, and sheriff deputy son.

This novel begins with the disappearance of two teen girls and the investigation into what actually happened that tragic 4th of July. Twelve years later another young girl has gone missing and the family is back at it trying to find out what happened, and who is behind the disappearances/crimes.

Fans of this author will know what to expect, trigger wise, in this novel. New readers will need to be aware of the on page assault of teen girls, child pornography, death of a family member, family member with dementia/Alzheimers.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Format: NetGalley ebook
Genre: Mystery / Suspense
Overall score:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level:🌶️
Characters: Emmy Lou (FMC) & Jude (FMC)

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

A very average Karin Slaughter. Very good writing, but the plot got too in the weeds for me and as always, she goes a bit too far for me with the sexual violence.

Well, this is a damn good novel. Some didacticism mars the denouement (thanks for the free indirect discourse about how raping teenagers is bad), and I sussed out the surprise culprit quite early. But although no one really needs yet another missing-girl story with yet another good cop protagonist, if we have to have one, Slaughter’s the best around.

Karin Slaughter’s We Are All Guilty Here is a dark, emotionally charged thriller that masterfully combines small-town intrigue with a deeply personal investigation. Set in North Falls, a seemingly close-knit community, the novel begins with the disappearance of two teenage girls during a Fourth of July fireworks celebration. For Officer Emmy Clifton, the case is personal—one of the girls is her best friend’s daughter, and Emmy carries the guilt of having turned away when she was needed most. As Emmy digs deeper into the mystery, she uncovers shocking secrets about the girls and the town itself, revealing that no one is as innocent as they seem.

Slaughter excels at creating an immersive atmosphere, capturing the claustrophobic tension of North Falls and its undercurrents of secrecy and betrayal. The novel’s pacing is relentless, with twists and revelations that keep readers hooked until the explosive climax. Emmy Clifton is a compelling protagonist—flawed yet determined—and her emotional stakes in the case add depth to her character. Through Emmy’s journey, Slaughter explores themes of guilt, redemption, and the hidden lives of teenagers, making the story both suspenseful and poignant.

The book doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, including violence against women, child abduction, and betrayal. Slaughter handles these subjects with sensitivity while maintaining the raw intensity that characterizes her writing. The forensic and procedural details are meticulously crafted, adding authenticity to the investigation.

Critics have praised We Are All Guilty Here for its layered characters and sharp social commentary. Emmy’s strained relationships with her family and community are explored alongside broader themes of parental influence and rebellion. The twists are expertly executed—some shocking and others quietly devastating—ensuring readers remain engaged throughout.

While some readers may find the book’s graphic descriptions unsettling or its pacing slower in certain sections due to extensive character development, these elements ultimately enrich the narrative. The emotional weight of Emmy’s guilt and determination resonates deeply, making her a protagonist readers can root for.

Overall, We Are All Guilty Here is another triumph for Karin Slaughter—a gripping thriller that combines razor-sharp plotting with emotional depth. Fans of Slaughter’s previous works will appreciate this new series opener, which promises even more intrigue in future installments. For those who enjoy thrillers steeped in small-town secrets and morally complex characters, this novel is an absolute must-read.

I would read the back of a cereal box if Karin Slaughter wrote it. I have to admit I was disappointed at first that this was not a new Will Trent book. My disappointment was gone after reading the first page. A new set of characters to meet and fall in love with! They mention the GBI in the book, so one can only hope they are setting up for a crossover! Wonderfully written and heartbreaking in the way only Karin Slaughter can break my heart but leave me wanting more!

Ok, the book description in no way prepared me for what an epic read this was. I love all things Karin Slaughter, but We Are All Guilty Here was top notch. A story that included mystery, family dynamics, regrets….my emotions were everywhere. Not sure if this is the start of a new series, but I cannot give this enough stars! Well done, Ms. Slaughter.

Karin Slaughter is one of my mother-in-law's favorite authors and she had me give her a try. I wasn't as into this book as I would have liked but it wasn't terrible.

Another great work from Karin Slaughter. Well developed characters, an interesting plot with lots of twists and turns, and of course lots of red herrings.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars. Superb!

I have read all of Karin Slaughters Will Trent books and was excited for a new lead. So much happened in the book I don't even want to go into too much detail. Officer Emmy Clifton has grown up the daughter of local Sheriff Gerald Clifton. At a 4th of July celebration two girls go missing, one being the step daughter of her life long best friend. Lots of secrets in the town. Lots of twists in the book. I really enjoyed the book.

We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter. The first book in a new series is an amazing page turner. The characters are complicated and their motivations and challenges bring depth to the plot. Another winner for Ms Slaughter. Hopefully Emmy and North Falls will have many new investigations and crimes to solve.

Thank you to the author, William Morrow, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Karin Slaughter’s We Are All Guilty Here opens with a disappearance. Two teenage girls vanish during a Fourth of July celebration in North Falls, Georgia—a town that prides itself on familiarity and tradition. Officer Emmy Clifton is devastated. One of the girls is the stepdaughter of her closest friend, and Emmy is determined to find them before it’s too late.

Emmy is early in her career, working alongside her beloved father, the town’s sheriff. She is also a mother, a sister, a wife in a marriage that is quietly unraveling, and a member of the Clifton family—a long-established clan whose roots in North Falls run deep. Her marriage may be faltering, but her life is full of responsibility and connection. She is shaped by loyalty, instinct, and a steady commitment to doing what’s right. She is not hardened or brittle. She is present, capable, and fully embedded in the world around her. I liked her tremendously.

Slaughter has long excelled at writing strong willed women who, no matter what is thrown their way, survive, even thrive. Emmy is one of her best. In her work life, she's committed to using the power of the law to help others. In her personal life, she's a gift to those she loves. Slaughter makes her relatable and real--in fact, all of the characters are vividly limned.

Her parents, George and Myrna, age over the course of the novel in ways that will be immediately recognizable to anyone watching loved ones grow older. Her son Cole, in his twenties, is a standout. He's such a 20 something and yet, like his mom, is observant, decent, and emotionally steady in a way that matters. Emmy’s friendship with Hannah, her closest confidante, and her relationship with her sister-in-law Celia are equally vivid. These women comfort, challenge, and support each other with a mix of candor and care that feels earned. The Cliftons, as a family, struggle to talk openly about their emotions. They are strong, often quiet, unfailingly loyal, and surprisingly funny. They love without flourish. That limitation becomes a strength. Emmy is not idealized, but she is the kind of person you want nearby when things fall apart.

The Clifton family, in fact, is every bit as compelling as the villains and the havoc they create. Slaughter gives them the kind of layered attention most thrillers reserve for the perpetrators. Their affection is messy and enduring. Their friction feels lived-in. They linger because they are drawn with clarity and warmth.

The novel unfolds in three parts. The first reads like classic Slaughter: girls go missing, predators hide in plain sight, and a town’s surface calm begins to crack. It is grim in places and occasionally familiar. Then the narrative leaps forward twelve years, and the book opens up. Assumptions fracture. Histories shift. One late reveal genuinely startled me—not for its shock value, but because of how fully it reframed what had come before.

The final section, an extended epilogue, is the most affecting. With the case resolved, Slaughter gives her characters time to breathe. After so much violence, the tenderness of these closing chapters is striking. People reach for each other. They find language, however limited, for what they feel. There is grief, but also connection. Slaughter allows love to emerge not as a reward, but as a consequence of survival. I cried.

Jude, the FBI consultant who arrives in the second half, is unforgettable. She is astute, composed, and uninterested in performance. She does not draw attention, but her presence recalibrates every scene she enters. Her competence, insight, and dry humor offer something rare in fiction: a woman entirely unbothered by expectation. More characters like her would be a gift.

This is the first in a series, and that direction feels right. Not every thread is resolved, and several characters—Jude, Dylan, Cole, Millie—are clearly positioned for more to come. The Clifton family alone could sustain multiple books without losing energy.

One element falters. There is a medical blind spot late in the novel—something that touches several characters and carries emotional weight—that feels implausible and insufficiently examined. Slaughter is usually meticulous, so the lapse is noticeable. It is not a minor detail, and it weakens an otherwise well-constructed world.

[su_spoiler title="a true spoiler" icon="caret-square"]It turns out that Emmy's mother is Jude and that the latter was a teen alcoholic for much of her pregnancy. And yet, there is no mention of or indication that Emmy might have been influenced by that. Additionally, Emmy's birth father is the very stupid Adam--again, wouldn't this have impacted Emmy in some way? It just left me unsatisfied. [/su_spoiler]

The title also misleads. We Are All Guilty Here suggests sweeping communal complicity that the story does not support. There is, without revealing specifics, some shared culpability, but not at the scale the title implies. It introduces a thematic promise the novel does not fulfill, and distracts from the clarity of the story itself. Slaughter does not need the misdirection. The novel holds up without it.

Still, this is one of Slaughter’s strongest books. It is emotionally textured, precisely plotted, and anchored in relationships that feel alive. It addresses violence, but more powerfully, it explores what endures afterward: the effort of staying connected, the quiet resilience of flawed families, and the slow work of choosing love in the face of failure. This story belongs not only to Emmy, but also to Jude, Cole, Myrna, and the many others Slaughter gives space to grow. Their lives feel unfinished in the best way, and I will follow them wherever the series goes next.

Karin Slaughter has done it again! I always look forward to her next who-dun-it with eager anticipation and this latest does not disappoint.
Emmy, following in the footsteps of her admired sheriff dad, is his deputy and becomes embroiled in the murder of 2 young girls in her fictitious small town, North Falls, where everyone knows everyone and all their business. And, hence, the mystery begins.
There is so much in the plot that keeps you turning that page, as soon as you finish the last word. The numerous plot lines never fail to include details to keep you guessing as to who is responsible for what.
The cast of characters are so well-developed. As with all of the author's books, this story is not for the faint-hearted. The darkness of human nature permeates the pages. Yet, the details of these calamitous events never seem baseless but more as an admonition of human nature. The characters' analysis of their foibles and inept upbringings all helps to understand what happened.
It is a taut and riveting story. Another winner!

I love Karin Slaughter books and was thrilled to learn she had a new one coming out. It was everything that I've come to expect from her books - a suspenseful, mysterious, twisting whodunnit that made it hard to put down.

Emmy is a sheriff's deputy when two girls were abducted and killed. Unfortunately, they find the girls' bodies floating in a nearby pond and arrest the prime suspect. When he is released twelve years later, another girl is abducted, leading Emmy and her team to realize that not only did they get the wrong guy, but there is a killer still out there. The book is a whirlwind of emotions as they work around the clock to find the missing girl and solve both cases.

This book is not for the faint of heart. It deals with some difficult subjects (sexual assault, pedophilia) that some readers may find disturbing. I didn't see a trigger warning, but one should definitely be added.

I have heard rumors that Emmy will be Karin Slaughter's next series protagonist. I love how in the Will Trent series you get to know those characters better and better with each new novel. I'm excited for more books in this series.

Karin Slaughter is an auto purchase for me - I love that their quick reads that always leave me in suspense, reading late into the night to find out the twist. I loved this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced reader's copy. This book is scheduled to be published on August 12, 2025.

As a devoted fan of Karin Slaughter, I eagerly dove into her latest novel, thrilled to meet a brand-new protagonist, Officer Emmy Clifton. Set in the seemingly quiet town of North Falls, the story kicks off with a Fourth of July celebration that takes a dark turn when two teenage girls vanish without a trace. Emmy finds herself at the center of the investigation, determined to uncover the truth—not just for the town, but because one of the missing girls is the daughter of her best friend. As she peels back the layers of the town’s polished facade, she realizes that North Falls is anything but safe, and every resident harbors secrets that could shatter lives.

Slaughter masterfully crafts a deeply immersive mystery, balancing procedural authenticity with psychological depth. Emmy is a flawed yet compelling protagonist—tough, relentless, but burdened by past regrets that shape her every move. The dual timeline adds an extra layer of tension, revealing how a crime from over a decade ago still casts a long shadow over the present. As the investigation unfolds, the narrative is laced with gut-punching twists and morally gray characters, keeping readers on edge.

While the pacing occasionally lingers on heavy descriptions, Slaughter’s signature storytelling prowess ensures that even the slower moments simmer with suspense. The town’s suffocating small-town politics, buried betrayals, and desperate attempts at self-preservation make for an unsettling but riveting read. By the time the shocking conclusion arrives, it’s clear that no one in North Falls is truly innocent.

With its gripping whodunit plot, richly developed characters, and relentless tension, this is yet another knockout from Slaughter—one that fans and newcomers alike will devour. Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for sharing this unputdownable thriller's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The start of a new series, We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter is an absolute page turner. Emotionally charged and powerful, Slaughter enters into this new world with a bang. The characters are complicated, each with their own depth and intricacies that make them stand out. Their motivations and struggles add layers to the story, making them feel real and unforgettable. Emmy is my new favorite character, flaws and all. There are graphic parts but I never felt as though it was gratuitous, more Slaughter reminding us that evil is real. We Are All Guilty Here is a five star read and will be on my list of favorite books for 2025.