We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter is a gripping, high-stakes thriller that masterfully blends suspense, intricate character development, and an emotionally charged plot. Known for her razor-sharp storytelling, Slaughter once again delivers a novel that will leave you breathless as you race through its pages.

The story revolves around a seemingly simple event: a murder that sends ripples through a small, tight-knit community. However, as the novel unfolds, we learn that things are never as they seem. Slaughter has a gift for taking familiar tropes and twisting them into something much darker and far more complex. The book dives deep into themes of guilt, betrayal, and the moral gray areas people live in, leaving readers questioning the very nature of justice and accountability.

The characters in We Are All Guilty Here are one of its strongest assets. They are layered, flawed, and entirely human. Slaughter’s portrayal of their inner struggles makes them feel real, and the relationships that unravel throughout the book are raw and real. Each character brings a unique perspective to the mystery, making it feel not only like a crime novel but also a deep psychological exploration of the human condition.

As for the plot itself, it’s a thrilling ride full of unexpected twists that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The pacing is perfect, building tension gradually but never losing its momentum. Slaughter’s trademark ability to weave multiple plotlines into one cohesive narrative makes for an intricate, satisfying experience. The suspense is unrelenting, and there’s never a dull moment.

Slaughter's prose is as sharp as ever. She doesn’t shy away from difficult, sometimes uncomfortable topics, yet she presents them in a way that feels both necessary and compelling. Her writing is evocative, drawing readers deep into the story, where they can't help but feel the same tension the characters do.

Overall, We Are All Guilty Here is a standout in the thriller genre. Karin Slaughter demonstrates once again why she is one of the leading voices in crime fiction, offering a dark, intricate, and emotionally resonant novel that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page.

This follows the disappearance of two local girls in a small town in Georgia. And the town trying to find them before it's too late.

This book had some really well thought-out and planned characters that made it easy to get invested in them and their story (and all of the drama and chaos going on in their lives that really added another layer of depth to the characters). They felt more real than a lot of thrillers/mysteries make their characters feel.

Usually, if I like the characters in a thriller or mystery, I am invested and will enjoy the book. But that didn't totally happen here. The story fell a little flat for me, so it wasn't my favorite. The ending wasn't as climactic as I think it should've been given how dramatic the rest of the book and its characters were. It was another case of starting strong then the intrigue fading out. Maybe if this book was shorter it would've been fine? I'm not sure.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

In true Karon Slaughter fashion, this book DELIVERED. This book is the first in the North Falls series. As a seasoned writer, Karin does a great job of introducing and describing the characters in her stories. However, nothing compares to her masterclass of twists and turns. Just when you think you have everything figured out, another twist keeps you from putting this book down. I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery thriller. It was full of suspense and I look forward to the next book in the series. I gave this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. I highly recommend this book but encourage those that may be sensitive to the trigger warnings listed below not to read the book or have someone to check in with while reading.

Trigger warnings: child sexual abuse, child sexual abuse material (pornography), human trafficking, child abuse, rape, mental health issues, alcoholism, drug use/dealing.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the arc of this book. We Are all Guilty Here is the first book in Karin Slaughter's new North Falls series. I absolutely loved this book. It was my first book by this author but I really enjoy Will Trent which is based on another of her series. This book is a small town mystery thriller. This book had twists and turns and I didn't not want to put it down for the entire second half of this book. I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes mystery thrillers.

Karen Slaughter did it again. What a great start to a new series. I just hope Emmy is smarter in future books. This was a great start though. Can't wait to see where this series goes.

I suspected this would be a hit after the first chapter and boy do I love being right.

This is the first installment in a new series and I am already excited for what comes next. There is so much depth packed into this incredibly tense, dark, and thrilling police procedural. This mystery almost felt like two books in one: a horrific crime occurs in the beginning, then the same thing happens again twelve years later.

The twists are shocking and the crimes are odious. I was shook. I was thinking about this mystery when I wasn’t reading it, the stakes are so high and I could not sort out what happened. Slaughter is such a great storyteller and creates thrillers that get your blood pumping with intricate plots and excellent characters. I loved this book!

Thank you @williammorrowbooks for the #gifted ARC.

I initially picked this book up because I enjoyed Darling Girls and thought it was by Karin Slaughter (it was not, Karin has Pretty Girls, which is the same genre and similar cover). Thus, I was a little surprised by the crime-focused nature of the book rather than a female-centered domestic thriller. That was completely my fault so I will try not to allow it to alter my thoughts on this book.

We Are All Guilty Here is a crime novel from the perspective of a detective (Emmy) split into 2 parts: the past, where Emmy's best friend's daughter goes missing and, and the present, where a similar crime occurs. Emmy is at the center of the investigation of both cases and moves throughout the small town trying to figure out the details of the case.

The split nature of this book made it difficult for me to be fully interested in either storyline. Both were pretty developed, but cut a little bit short. As this book is the first in a series, it may have made more sense to split the cases between 2 books and delve into each crime a lot more. Emmy had to interview many suspects, uncover a lot of details, and solve the crimes quite quickly for each half.

There were so many characters introduced at the start of the book that it was hard for me to keep track of who each name mentioned was and how they were related to the other characters. This was especially true when it came to the suspects, as they were all men in the same age range, so I had a bit of trouble keeping them all straight in my head.

I did enjoy trying to figure out the culprit and was able to correctly guess who it was, which made my reading experience a little bit better (as I am usually wrong). The book had a good ending that wrapped all the plot points up pretty well.

Overall, I was surprised by this book but had a pleasant reading experience.

Thank you to NetGalley + William Morrow for the ARC

Karin Slaughter can really weave a story together, and this one is story-weaving at its best. I was excited to receive an advanced reader’s copy of this story, because I knew it would be a good story. Slaughter has yet to disappoint based on my reading experience with her books, but this exceeded my high expectations.

This is apparently the start of a new series that takes place in a small town in Georgia called North Falls. The story is told in two parts, twelve years apart. Central to the story is the Clifton family that is very prominent in the county, with one branch of the family being local law enforcement. If familiar with Slaughter books, the LEO members are the main characters. The characters are flawed and relatable (even if the events are not very relatable). They tug at your heart strings. My reactions were overwhelming enough that I could not simply read straight through. Breaks were needed.

While I don’t want to give too much away, I do think it worth noting that the book does have triggers that could be challenging for readers. Triggers include (spoiler tag for those that would rather not read) <spoiler>murder, violence, child abduction, sexual assault, child molestation/pedophilia, complicated family dynamics, and drug use. However, note the despicable villain(s) get their due</spoiler>.

Ultimately, this book was special and left a mark on me. I would definitely recommend to anyone who that likes mystery/suspense and doesn’t mind some tougher themes. My first Slaughter book was <i>Triptych</i>, which I found to be remarkable, and this one left me similarly impacted if you would like a comparison. It left me guessing until the end, and I am tempted to start over to see what I missed for clues.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book. Views are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5
The book had a great premise and the story itself was another hit. However, I struggled to stay engaged with the inner thoughts of the sheriff and agents—it didn’t quite hold my attention the way I’d hoped. I was craving a bit more of a fast burn. Still, the plot was solid and worth the read!

Wow!!! So much happens in this book!
We start off with two girls who go missing. At first I thought the entire book was about this but we flash forward 12 years and another girl goes missing in a similar way👀

This one has ALL the small town feels! Everyone has secrets that come out along the way during the investigation into the missing girls.

I could not figure out who behind these disappearances but the ending is so shocking! So manny twists in this one.

Read content warning because it’s dark!

5 ⭐️

Big thank you to William Morrow Books for the digital ARC!

This was the first book that I have read by this author but will certainly not be my last. This book genuinely felt like watching a movie/show in the best way. I felt as if I was witnessing the events firsthand and often mirrored the emotions felt by the main character (I definitely cried a few times). Everything about this book was perfect: the pacing, the complex character development and the plot. A very minor note is that the chapters are fairly long especially compared to most other books that I have read, so this book was a bit harder to binge as I could not squeeze in a chapter here or there throughout the day. However, I had a hard time putting the book down and often paused in the middle of the chapter and squeezed in reading a few pages when I could.

The characters felt really well-developed. They were complex, not all-good or all-bad (just like all humans actually are). As we learned more about characters and their backstories, we began to learn more about why they thought and behaved the way they did.

This book was fast-paced and exciting. It was hard to read at times due to the nature of the crimes, but that is just because this book felt so real. I am so thankful to have been able to read this ARC and cannot wait to read more of the author's work in the future.

North Falls is a small town where everyone knows everyone. When two teenage girls go missing, they’ll soon find out that everyone has secrets; especially teenage girls.

This one is fairly long for a murder mystery and police procedural, but it has two different timelines; kind of a before and after. I enjoyed the main characters and the process of investigation. There’s a lot of characters and a lot of possibilities, as I imagine a real investigation is. I will definitely read the next in this series.

“Even a caged animal doesn’t forget how to hunt.”

We Are All Guilty Here comes out 8/5.

In true Karin Slaughter fashion, her newest release, We are All Guilty Here is DARK. Luckily, I am a fan of twisty and turny story lines, as well as books with female law enforcement officers as the MC. Everyone in the story is flawed and under suspicion of something, but that just adds to its compulsive charm. I'm excited to continue reading this series and can't see where it goes.

4.5 stars rounded up

Karin Slaughter kills it with her upcoming release! I was so excited when I saw she was coming out with a new book, especially because it’s the start of a new series. I’ve read a handful of her other books so I immediately requested this one on NetGalley.

This one definitely had a dark storyline like her other books do. It’s not necessarily scary, but creates unease as she explores crimes and the evil that could be living in the same small town as you. I enjoy her writing and how she goes about doing police procedurals. It feels as if you’re right there in the middle of the investigation. The tension throughout this one was definitely high and I was on the edge of my seat reading it.

While the main character Emmy Clifton wasn’t my favorite character (due to some of her questionable choices), it was an adventure following her through finding missing girls and navigating her family. I’m so ready for more in this series so I can delve more into the complex Clifton family.

‼️Please check trigger warnings for this book before diving in since it contains some heavy subjects! (M*rder, SA, kidnapping)

Karin Slaughter did it again! She is an auto buy author for me and I am so thankful I got this book as Ann ARC. Kept me in the edge of my seat all the way through! There were so many times that I thought I had it all figured out and BAM another twist. Very well written! Great book by a great author!

10 stars for this book. Karin Slaughter is the master and she doles out storytelling secrets in such a tight, suspenseful way. I was on vacation and saved this book to read while I was away. I actually told my friends "I have to go sit down, I'm about to find out who did it!"

LOVED this book, thank you so much for the early read.

I am so grateful to have received an ARC of this book.
I thoroughly loved the characters. Each character was so deep, well developed, loveable, and yet incredibly flawed.
While the plot was dark and heavy, there were some really beautiful life lessons woven into the storyline.
The plot was entertaining and kept me hooked. The twists were beautifully written - surprising and yet not totally outlandish.
Yet again, Karin Slaughter doesn't miss.

We are all guilty here by Karin slaughter. This is another great best seller by Karin slaughter. Two girls are dead in a small town and there are so many suspects. Does everyone have secrets

First, I’d like to thank NetGalley, Karin Slaughter, and William Morrow for sending me this ARC for free in exchange for my honest review.

I’ll be honest — it took me a minute to get through this one. Not because it wasn’t good or engaging, but simply because I was in a wicked reading slump! Once I pulled myself out of it, though, I absolutely devoured this story.

I really enjoyed meeting Emmy and her family and being drawn into the emotional, sometimes heartbreaking, events unfolding in their small town. This story was captivating and kept me guessing about what would happen next. Even though I called the "whodunit" early on and wasn’t entirely surprised by the twist, it was still a satisfying and well-executed reveal.

I simply love Karin Slaughter’s writing. Her storytelling is sharp, emotional, and immersive, and We Are All Guilty Here is another compelling addition to her incredible body of work.

Thank you to William Morrow, Karin Slaughter, and NetGalley for the advanced electronic copy We Are All Guilty Here. All opinions are my own.

Summary:
In North Falls, during the 4th of July night of family fun, community, and a sky full of fireworks, two teenage girls go missing. Officer Emmy Clifton is determined to solve the abduction, but she is up against some big hurdles in a small town where everyone knows everyone and everyone is connected in some way.

Reflection:
Karen Slaughter does not shy away from difficult, gruesome, and dark content. We Are All Guilty Here delivers this is spades. I loved the flawed, dynamic female main character and the various ways she handles different relationship throughout the story. There are a lot of characters and most are tied to one another in various ways – so I definitely needed to take notes to keep up with everyone.
The story itself is pretty intricate with the original kidnapping and then 12 years later a similar kidnapping that brings the past back into everyone’s lives. I felt the pacing was a bit off and dragged a bit with the book being longer than needed. There was a lot of police procedural included in this book and that isn’t always my favorite.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but not sure if I am invested enough to continue with the North Falls series as it publishes.

Publishes on August 12, 2025