I haven’t read a Karin Slaughter book I didn’t love, and this was no exception! I was engaged from the very beginning, and it kept me interested the whole time!

I'm a big fan of Karin Slaughter so was excited to read this Arc. The beginning was a little slow but picked up halfway through. She definitely knows how to write in great descriptive details. Some of the details were graphic and made me ill but adds that much more to the book. Thanks to NetGallery for this Arc.

4.5 stars

Karin Slaughter has done it again. This book kept me so engaged and made me keep reading to finish what happened. I needed to know the next events. The small town was so captivating and truly drags you into the story.

The twists were super well done. They were set up so well and one even surprised me but the set up was there, just overshadowed by other twists.

I can’t wait to read more by Slaughter and the next books in this series.

*thank you so much William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

We Are All Guilty Here
by Karin Slaughter
Pub Date: August 12, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
The first thrilling mystery in the new North Falls series from Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Girls and the Will Trent Series.

Welcome to North Falls—a small town where everyone knows everyone. Or so they think.
I’ve long been a fan of Karin Slaughter’s crime novels, known for their gripping blend of suspense, unflinching realism, and well-developed characters. One of Slaughter’s greatest strengths is her ability to craft compelling characters, and Emmy is no exception. Her flaws and vulnerabilities add depth and make her incredibly relatable. Karin Slaughter doesn’t shy away from difficult topics. While the subject matter is intense, it’s handled with sensitivity and care.
This book is fantastic. It took me almost a week to read but that is no slight in the book at all. It is one of those books, like all Karin Slaughter books, that needs to be savored. Yes, it is long but it is so worth it.

This was my first Karin Slaughter read and it was pretty great actually! I give it 4.5 stars.

A family with a complex history of mistakes and tragedy was introduced and depicted brilliantly. Having multiple POVs was a good way to pull everything together. Since I assume that there will be subsequent books to follow, I understand why the author wrote the first book the way she did. By the end of the story, connections were made with each character; A testament to successful character development.

The story of course is a whodunit. It was dark and it definitely kept me guessing. Of course there were twists thrown into the mix as well. I really enjoy books with investigative techniques and procedure, but that might not be for everyone. Some parts are drawn-out so that description of processing can lead to resolution.

I would definitely recommend giving We Are All Guilty Here a read! I’m sure that Karin Slaughter fans will be pleased with this new series!

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

A masterfully told 5 star story once again! Karin Slaughter is my favorite author and I'm so thankful to her, Netgalley, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this amazing ARC! I normally don't like longer books, but with K.S. it doesn't even feel like an almost 500 pager because everything is told in such vivid detail it feels like you're there. I really enjoyed getting to all the characters, but especially Emmy and Jude. The writing was intense and hard to read at times, but I also found myself giggling throughout. This book was about two children who go missing under suspicious circumstances. Emmy and her father start an investigation that takes many twists and turns with some red herrings thrown in all over the place. The ending was amazing and I am definitely looking forward to more books being added to this series!

I’ve long been a fan of Karin Slaughter’s crime novels and she never fails to deliver a gripping mix of suspense, raw emotion, and unforgettable characters. We Are All Guilty Here kicks off her new North Falls series, and it’s everything I hoped for. The story centers on Officer Emmy Clifton, who’s drawn into a chilling case when two teenage girls vanish during a fireworks celebration. Emmy’s personal connection to the case and her deeply human flaws make her one of Slaughter’s most compelling protagonists yet. The small-town secrets, the emotional twists and turns...this is Slaughter at her best. I couldn’t put it down! I can't wait for the rest of the North Falls Series

Karin Slaughter does it again! I am sooo wowed by this book.
Thank you netgalley and William Morrow's book for the ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this entire book from the beginning to the very end. It was so well written and I truly felt like I was watching a very detailed episode of Law and Order: SVU. I am a die hard true crimes girly and love watching crime shows, so this was right up my alley. This book follows a story about two teenagers who went missing on Fourth of July in a very small town. Emmy Clifton and her father (Sheriff) are both working the case to find out what happened with the girls. During Emmy's investigation, she begins to discover secrets that the town is hiding and what she thinks she knows is not the case. This book had SO many twists that I did not see coming, which made the book even better. When I tell you I was gripping onto my kindle the whole time, I mean it. The book does cover some heavy topics that may be triggering for some. I don't want to spoil the book but definitely check out the trigger warnings before starting. This was such a twisted suspenseful thriller and I highly recommend!

Karin Slaughter has done it again! She always hooks be with her story lines and character development. There was a twist that I didn’t see coming. I did see one twist coming, but one took me completely by surprise, so that’s a win in my book !

I enjoyed this book from the very beginning! I learned a lot about psychology and profiling and was very interested the whole way through. I loved the characters and how well Karin described everything and made you feel as if you were actually there seeing what the characters were seeing. I loved the twists and I didn't see any of them coming. Overall, I would rate this book 5 stars!

Thanks to Net Galley and William Morrow for the ARC! This is my first book I've read from her. I have to say I am disappointed. There wasn't much of a climax to the story. It seemed dragged on. In my opinion, less words/detail is more. Around 450 pages was too long for this story. I didn't guess who the killer was, but it wasn't jaw dropping to me. At the end, there was a revelation that did surprise me. The book has a lot of statistics and timelines for locating missing kids. At first I thought it was good information, but it continued and i skipped through it. Overall, I think it was pretty average.

Wow!
Karin Slaughter knows exactly what she is doing when she writes. She shocks and aws the reader with her prolific writing has you falling in love and fearing the characters in this book.

Grant County and The Will Trent series were and are always superb. Her stand alone books like Pretty Girls and The Good Daughter leave their lasting mark on you.
We are All Guilty Here is going to be one that will leave the reader wanting more.

The Cliftons are central to this book. Gerald and Emmy are fast at work to find two teenage girls who have been abducted.
But there is so much more to this book other than the disappearance of the two girls.
The first 50 % draws you in.. The last 50% leaves you so enthralled that taking a break and putting the book down is not even an option.
The last 50% of this book was the chefs kiss that made this book perfection.

Great read! Kept me guessing until the end. I love a book that you become invested in and want to solve the murder! Huge twist at the end that I did not see coming!!!

Wow. There was a lot going on in this book. First, Detective Emmy is looking for two missing girls, then that case is solved, then something ELSE that shatters her world happens, then more girls go missing.
And no, nobody is innocent in this small town. And everyone knows AND is related to each other. Then there are the rich Cliftons and the poor Cliftons...the family who built the town and the family that our main characters are a part of.
All in all, I was drawn into this story of small town life and it's graphic descriptions of violence only slightly hidden underneath the veneer of southern hospitality.
My only complaint is that too much happens in the book. The plot of this could have made two novels easily. I found it difficult to keep up with the time jumps and barely had time to start connection to a character before Slaughter added 12 years to their lives.
But I would definitely read more in this series. I loved the characters I finally got a chance to connect with: including Emmy and Jude. Especially Jude!

One of Karin's best books to date. The subject matter is tragic, but the story is so well-told and there were several plot twists I did not see coming. I hope these characters appear in future books. I will be recommending this to everyone!

read if you like:
🏘️ small town crime
🤷🏻‍♀️ missing girls
🧑‍✈️ police procedurals

summary:
This is a terrific slow burn mystery! It begins on a hot Fourth of July night in North Falls, when two teenage girls—Madison Dalrymple and Cheyenne Baker—disappear during the town’s fireworks celebration. Deputy Emmy Clifton, daughter of the local sheriff, is devastated, especially since one of the girls is her best friend’s daughter, who had reached out to her for help earlier that evening. She is haunted by never knowing what Madison wanted to tell her, and carries that forward in her career. Twelve years later, Emmy is now serving as Chief of Police when another girl, Paisley Walker, disappears under similar circumstances. This time, Emmy is determined not to repeat her past mistakes. She teams up with Jude Archer, a retired FBI criminal psychologist, to search for Paisley and connect the dots with the murder of Madison and Cheyenne. As they dig deeper, they uncover a web of secrets that challenge their belief of justice and truth.

This book is amazing, especially if you’re from a small town, at painting a picture of the community hit by these tragedies. With the first half focusing on Madison and Cheyenne and the second on Paisley, we get the chance to see the long term impact of the original crime on the town as a whole and all of the characters involved. Guilt also plays a major role in the story, and the guilt that Emmy feels with her family, with the original case and with the people in her life. She uses that guilt to find justice and retribution, making her a likable strong female protagonist, and one you can’t help but root for. While the book does move a little slow, much like many procedural novels, the ending picks up quick, and will shock you to your core. I almost want to read it again to see if I can catch the hints throughout the story.

Thanks to William Morrow and Net Galley for the advanced copy, and check this book out when it releases on August 12!

Oh my god this book was so amazing and it had me hooked. Yes, the small town feel with sheriffs that do things that wouldn’t really happen in real life and are extremely over-the-top was kind of annoying, but I put that to the side. I had no idea who the bad guy was and I’m so happy with what happened.

This is more of a 3.5 star book in my opinion. I loved the whole plot and it felt very much like an episode of criminal minds. I loved the whole concept of working through the crime with Emmy and then with Jude as well during the more present aspect of the book. I however guessed the unsure which drops it a little bit for me because I wanted to be totally shocked. Also, I am kind of hoping in the edits that the chapter lengths are a little shorter. Each chapter taking 25-30 minutes on my kindle of read time felt like a bit much. overall though, I really loved the story and the characters.

Thank you net galley for the arc.i am so so happy to have this.i really enjoyed the pacing, the plot twist. the hocking twist i am a fan of karin slaughter this was such a enjoyable read.

Thank you William Morrow publishing, NetGalley, and Karin Slaughter for the e-book ARC of We are All Guilty Here!
The book starts out very strong with the investigation surrounding the disappearance of two teenage girls. This was as expected from the summary blurb. Emmy Lou Clifton is the lead protagonist who I felt very neutral towards.
I wasn’t expecting the turn the book towards 30%, where it fast forwarded years ahead leaving the initial investigation in the past. However it comes up again when I new teenage girl goes missing. From there the two cases intertwine with similar key suspects.
There are many many many side characters so you have to keep track of who is who which sometimes became confusing.
There are bits of domestic drama in this thriller as well. I felt like this was really well developed and would probably make a great movie, lots of details.
Overall I enjoyed it and would recommend!
3.5 ⭐️