Karin Slaughter at her best! I have read everything Karin Slaughter has written since 2002 and though the Grant County series is my favorite, I look forward to reading more in the North Falls series. Emmy Clifton is raw and real, dealing with her own issues while working with the sheriff’s department under her beloved father Gerald. When her best friend Hannah’s stepdaughter Madison needs to talk to her and Emmy blows her off, the repercussions are more than she could have ever imagined. Now, 12 years later, another girl has gone missing and Emmy is determined not to make the same mistakes as in the past and bring her home.
So many twists and turns and jaw dropping moments in this book! I stayed up way past my bedtime to keep reading and had no regrets. Don’t miss this one!

As a devoted Karin Slaughter fan, I run every time a new book is released and We Are All Guilty Here did not disappoint.

In the small town of North Falls, two teenage girls go missing and for Officer Emmy Clifton, it is personal. Her best friend's daughter is one of the missing girls. When a similar situaton happens 12 years later, Emmy is back on the case, wondering if they were wrong all along.

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for gifting me a copy of this fantastic book in exchange for my honest review.

A masterclass in character-driven suspense, dark, immersive, and impossible to put down.

We Are All Guilty Here is Karin Slaughter at her best, blending gripping procedural elements with gut-punch emotional weight. Set in the small town of North Falls, this novel kicks off what promises to be a powerhouse new series. And thank goodness, because these characters are far too rich, too complex, and too flawed to be confined to a single book.

At the heart of the story is Officer Emmy Clifton, a young cop trying to survive a toxic marriage, raise a child, and navigate the crushing pressure of working under her father, the town’s police chief. On the night of the Fourth of July, Emmy is pulled into a nightmare: her best friend’s teenage stepdaughter tries to reach out to her, and Emmy brushes her off. Hours later, the girl and her friend vanish.

The case is seemingly solved when a suspect is arrested and convicted…... but twelve years later, a new witness emerges, and the man is released. Not long after, another girl goes missing, and the past starts to look disturbingly like prologue.

Slaughter masterfully shifts timelines, slowly peeling back the truth behind both investigations. Just when you think you’re on solid ground, she leaps forward twelve years, and it’s jarring in the best way. You’re thrust into Emmy’s present-day world, now a seasoned officer working alongside her adult son, and suddenly everything you thought you knew starts to unravel.

The introduction of Jude, a brilliant and slightly enigmatic FBI agent who specializes in child predators, adds another layer of depth. Jude’s arrival turns up the heat, both on the case and on Emmy’s moral compass, forcing her to question whether justice was truly served all those years ago—or if she helped put an innocent man behind bars.

The real strength of We Are All Guilty Here lies in its characters. Emmy is layered, haunted, and refreshingly human. Her relationships with her father, her son, and the estranged best friend she let down are tangled and nuanced, and Slaughter gives each character space to breathe. The supporting cast, including family, colleagues, and even suspects, feels just as real, fleshed out with history and heartbreak. North Falls itself feels like a character too, full of secrets, silences, and the kind of small-town judgment that lingers like smoke.

Beyond the twisty plot (Slaughter doesn’t disappoint), the novel dives deep into themes of guilt, justice, and the terrible weight of hindsight. What happens when you think you did the right thing, but you were wrong? What does accountability look like, years later?

This is a suspense novel with soul, and while it’s a page-turner, it also stays with you long after you finish. The ending leaves enough threads dangling to make you anxious for book two in the North Falls series. I, for one, can’t wait to return.

Highly recommended for fans of smart, emotional thrillers where the stakes are personal and the truth cuts deep.

Hands down, a solid book and it most definitely will hold your attention enough to keep reading. At certain parts, it was slow but eventually picked up.

It's a small town Fourth of July celebration in North Falls, Georgia and everyone has come out to watch the fireworks. Deputy Emmy Clifton, daughter of the county sheriff, is approached by her best friend's 15-year-old stepdaughter Madison, but Emmy is too wrapped up in her own problems to talk just then. A couple hours later Madison and her best friend Cheyenne are both missing, but there's a lot of blood and two wrecked bikes at the crime scene. Emmy knows the longer it takes to find the girls, the lower their chance of survival. As she beats herself up for not helping when she had the chance, she desperately searches for the missing girls. But, will she be in time to save them? Emmy thinks she knows Madison, but as she uncovers more clues she wonders of anyone really knows the girls at all.

I've never been disappointed with a Karin Slaughter book, although some are definitely better than others. This one was no exception. It isn't my favorite, but it grabbed me from the beginning and kept me up way too late at night! I did NOT want to put this one down. I guessed the second and third twists, but the first one I didn't see coming at all The characters are flawed and real and it's easy to follow and believe. Slaughter writes with such precision, accuracy, and detail that I felt like I was sitting next to Emmy the whole time.

I hope Slaughter isn't done with Will Trent, but I am definitely looking forward to reading more in the North Falls series!

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was my first 5-star read of the year, and for good reason. I’ve always loved Karin Slaughter, but this is hands down my favorite book of hers so far. I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy—it completely lived up to the hype. Slaughter is the definition of a master thriller writer. I read a lot and usually have a sense of where a story is going, but this one kept me guessing the entire time with its nonstop twists and turns.

What really set this book apart was how emotionally layered it was. I laughed, I cried, and I was completely invested—not just in the mystery, but in the characters and their relationships. It wasn’t just about solving a crime; it was about the power of family, friendship, and the sacrifices we make for the people we love. And that twist at the end? It broke me. I’m so glad to see this is going to be a series—I’m all in.

4.5/5 stars for Karin Slaughter's newest thriller, We Are All Guilty Here. I am so excited to see how this cast of characters develops in Slaughter's newest series, North Falls.

The story opens with a literal bang on the Fourth of July when two teenage girls go missing. Emmy, a local police officer, is thrust into a race against time to find them. One small caveat is one of the missing girls is her best friend’s daughter, which raises the emotional stakes even higher.

Slaughter introduces a compelling and complex cast as the investigation unfolds and everyone is suspicious at one time or another. Twelve years later, the man convicted in the original case is released from prison and another girl goes missing.

Emmy finds herself racing the clock once again, haunted by guilt over how she handled the first case. Could solving this new mystery offer her a shot at redemption?

I really enjoyed this twisty thriller. As always, Slaughter delivers a well-paced plot with excellent character development.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much for this eARC! I was so excited to read a Karin Slaughter book, as this was my first!

My honest opinion is there was way too much pointless detail. It also had so many moving storylines and unnecessary characters. It gave me a sense of "whodunit" like Agatha Christie, or Murder She Wrote style, but in the same sense was trying to be a mini series, I swear! About 10 chapters in, I was dying for it to be over.. then all of a sudden KS flipped the script on us and entered an entirely new main character (or additional main character) - so the book lost focus for me on the whodunit, and turned into a Virgin River drama...

I can appreciate all of the strategy in this book, but in the end, it wasn't purposeful to me. Instead, I was disappointed that it felt wasted on a conclusion that felt thrown together with tidbits of information that weren't highlights throughout the book, or maybe not even mentioned? It felt insignificant and anticlimactic. I will try another book of hers with great reviews.

Thanks Again!

thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC!

Jesus Christ this was A LOT. this is my favorite Karin Slaughter by a lot and one of the best books I've read this year. it's like everything you expect from a book from her, but the character work is even better and more thorny and complicated than usual, and there are also way more super emotional twists that truly knocked me on my ass. like this legit has one of the best midway twists I've ever read.

but again, what makes this book is the characters. you get to know Emmy and others so well. after a certain point in this book, it got almost overwhelmingly emotional. I will probably give this book a re-read in the near future because I devoured it over the past couple of days but I feel like a book like this needs to be truly savored. and yeah, I cried a lot over that last chapter.

man, Karin. I dunno what is up in your brain but keep writing like this, girl.

Twisted family dynamics? Check. Secrets that make your stomach drop? Double check. I couldn’t stop reading. If you love books like Stillhouse Lake or The Chestnut Man, read this now.

Small town Officer Emmy Clifton serves the very town where she grew up. The Cliftons are "that" influential family in North Falls & Emmy knows everyone. But after the towns Fourth of July celebration, there are two young girls missing. One of girls is her best friend's daughter.
Suddenly everything she thought she knew is in question. Look for this suspenseful book!

Karin Slaughter's new series is off to a great start. I will definitely be reading more. Her characters are compelling and the reader will identify with something in all of them. The mystery actually kept me guessing until the end (and when you read a lot that is an apt challenge for an author).

Thanks to NetGalley the author and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

In We Are All Guilty Here, Karin Slaughter introduces a new mystery series set in the tight-knit town of North Falls, Georgia. Twelve years ago, two teenage girls were abducted and murdered during the Fourth of July fireworks. Officer Emmy Clifton, daughter of the town’s sheriff, never forgave herself for not saving them. When the convicted killer is released due to new evidence—and another girl vanishes—Emmy, now acting sheriff, must dig back into the case that haunts her while navigating a community full of secrets.

Slaughter’s trademark grit is here: dark pasts, unreliable townsfolk, and a deeply flawed yet determined protagonist. Emmy’s personal and professional lives blur as she sifts through guilt, grief, and long-buried truths. The book is packed with characters—perhaps too many—and the story meanders with heavy exposition and uneven pacing. Just as the tension builds, the momentum stalls, only to pick up again later. The sheer volume of red herrings and side characters can overwhelm, but there’s no shortage of twists.

While the novel struggles with excess, the emotional stakes and small-town claustrophobia feel authentic. Readers who enjoy a slow-burning, character-driven mystery with plenty of drama and a layered female lead may find this a compelling, if somewhat bloated, read—a solid foundation for a new series—but one that requires patience.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I was so excited to start this new series and yet again Karin Slaughter has hit it out of the park.
This story is riveting with tons of reveals that left my jaw on the floor. Her writing is so immersive, she has the ability to make me attached a character in one chapter. (Granted these chapters are long which may be my only criticism of her ever)
Just when you think you know what's going on, you realize you really don't. And although I did predict one huge reveal it never took away from the story for me.
With a new town and new protagonist I cannot wait for this North Falls series to continue.

We are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter
North Falls #1
4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (rounded up to a 5)
Spice: 1/5
Cursing: min+
Format/Source: ebook ARC from NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers
Genres/Tropes: Thriller, mystery, suspense, small town
Settings: North Falls, GA
Audience: Adult
Characters: Emmy, Madison, Cheyenne, Hannah, Jonah, Brett, Felix, Ruth, Cole, Jack, Jude, Dale, Virgil, Gerald, Myrna, Carol, Paisley, Elijah, Adam
Quotes:
👍 multi POV, character development, family ties, psychological profiling, storyline
👎 long chapters, cursing (especially God's Name in vain)

Description:
Welcome to North Falls—a small town where everyone knows everyone. Or so they think.
Until the night of the fireworks. When two teenage girls vanish, and the town ignites.
For Officer Emmy Clifton, it’s personal. She turned away when her best friend's daughter needed help—and now she must bring her home.
But as Emmy combs through the puzzle the girls left behind, she realizes she never really knew them. Nobody did.
Every teenage girl has secrets. But who would kill for them? And what else is the town hiding?

My Opinion:
Karin pens another fabulous thriller that has you guessing whodunit the whole book. I never was able to figure it out before the big reveal; and boy was shocking! The multiple POV made for an easy/quick read. The characters in the novel were written very well and grew throughout it. The family ties were intriguing. I always love a book with psychological profiling, and Slaughter doesn’t disappoint. I did not appreciate the cursing that polluted the storyline. I was truly entertained by this novel and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys whodunit thriller stories.
#bookstagram #arcreader #booklovers #thrillerbooks #suspense #booktok #karinslaughter #netgalley
***I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book has a great storyline and compelling characters that kept me interested overall. However, I’m giving it 4 stars because there was a bit too much filler for my taste, and I found myself losing interest in parts. That said, it’s still a well-written and enjoyable read, and I’d definitely recommend it to others.

This story follows the tale of two missing young girls in a small town, and the fallout it leads to.
Lots of twists and turns, some time jumps, and a lot of family drama.
This story was really captivating and definitely dark.
The way this woman writes is so encompassing, even during parts that weren’t realistic I felt like I was right there.
This story wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty close!! I do recommend this, but only for those who can stomach a lot of dark topics.
TW: death and sexual assault of children

Wow. What an emotional rollercoaster.

When I saw that Slaughter had a new series starting AND that it was available to request on NetGalley, I may have squealed. Literally. While I've not loved all of the books by her that I've read, I've enjoyed at least parts of them all. I'm currently in the middle of the Will Trent series and Criminal nearly broke me. While that might be my favorite so far of the series, We Are All Guilty Here may be my most favorite of all.

We've got the gruesome crimes, the reprehensible characters, the difficult family situations, and, sort of, idealistic police officers. But for me, it was the raw emotion in the pages that won me over. I don't often cry while reading police procedurals, but my face leaked several times. I had to put my ereader aside for a few minutes more than once so I could regroup. I also read nearly all day and stayed up until 2am to finish. Luckily, my wife is out of town this weekend and only the cats and dog were annoyed with me.

Some may find some of the twists and turns to be too much to suspend disbelief over, but I think Slaughter put enough work in to lay the foundations - especially with the family dynamics - to make it work. Or maybe I was just so into the story and characters my brain was okay with it all. Either way, no one has the same reading experience. I loved the whole damn book.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the ebook and getting me hooked on a new Slaughter series.

Author Karin Slaughter returns with a new crime thriller series set in a small town where everyone knows everyone, or do they? WE ARE ALL GUILTY HERE is a highly addictive, well-crafted suspense thriller that's impossible to put down, featuring flawed characters with a ton of baggage that bears a closer look. Slaughter draws readers in from page one and doesn't turn them loose until the final shocking revelation slaps them in the face. Take care of business and find some alone time before settling in with this masterpiece.
WE ARE ALL GUILTY HERE explores the many layers of life in a typical small town in the south. On the surface, everyone's life is an open book. No secrets, right? Peel back a layer or two and you'll find almost everyone has nasty little secrets, something they'd do anything to keep hidden. These dark secrets begin unraveling after two teenagers disappear on the night of the town's annual Fourth of July celebration. Police Officer Emmy Clifton and her father Chief Gerald Clifton are on the scene working the case from the start, and they follow the evidence eventually putting the bad guy in prison despite Emmy's lingering doubts. Over a decade later, another girl disappears under similar circumstances. Emmy is now Chief of Police and faced with the possibility they may have put the wrong guy away. To uncover the truth, Emmy and Jude Archer, a retired FBI agent and psychologist, work together in a race against time. It's soon clear the small-town neighbors Emmy thought she knew are hiding secrets that could destroy them if revealed. How far would they go to keep them hidden? With a few skeletons rattling around in her own closet, Emmy is forced to face her own demons and the complexity of relationships within her own family when her personal and professional lives clash.

Author Karin Slaughter slays it with this gripping, tension laden, tautly written thriller balancing smalltown dynamics with compelling, richly developed characterizations led by a flawed, yet likable protagonist burdened with guilt and regret. The dual timeline connects past crimes with the present setting a chilling tone of malice throughout. As the story unfolds, characters and readers are sent reeling with each shocking revelation until it becomes clear no one in North Falls is as blameless as they may seem . . . even Emmy.

We Are All Guilty Here is an emotional, gripping thriller that highlights how the past can dictate the path of the future while throwing open all the doors in a tightly knit town. As always, Slaughter excels at turning small-town settings into vivid, living elements that shape the story and drive the pace. Guilt, secrets, and family dynamics all collide and explode across the pages of this suspense thriller. No one does it better than Karin Slaughter. I can’t wait for the second book in this series. Highly recommended for readers who love a challenging whodunit and fans of mysteries and psychological thrillers.

As an avid Karin Slaughter fan, I was excited to get my hands on her newest book- and the start of a new series!

For those who are fans of the Grant County and Will Trent series, come along with chief Emmy Clifton in North Falls for another crime mystery that spans 12 years, and will leave you convinced you have the answers, only to find out you don’t, even to the very end. This book has lots of twists and turns, exposing a town full of secrets. The only downfall? It’s not a complete series and I need more!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC. The views expressed are my own.

A tense and emotional story with strong characters and surprising twists. The writing kept me hooked, and the themes were handled thoughtfully. Trigger warnings in this book should be taken seriously. Another solid read from Karin Slaughter.