A five-star mystery-thriller that keeps you turning the pages! I loved the writing style, character depth, small town setting, complex family drama, the pacing and plot and story twists. If you enjoyed the Will Trent series, you'll love this book.

Karin Slaughter has a masterful way of telling a story and she has done it once again with We Are All Guilty Here! This is the first in a new series and I am 100% here for it. I don't think anyone writes characters quite as well as this author does. The characters are flawed but relatable. In the first part of the book, Emmy seemed young and impulsive and questionable as a cop. The Emmy in the later part of the book has clearly grown both as a person and as a police officer, but you can still see her cracks.

There are red herrings galore and you don't know who to trust. I think everyone was a suspect in my eyes at one point or another. In true Karin Slaughter fashion, the way everything wrapped up and the way the book ended was perfect. The twists and turns were a lot of fun in this one and I can't wait to see where this series goes!!!!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

“We Are All Guilty Here” by Karin Slaughter is book one of a new gripping thriller series that combines razor-sharp plotting with emotional depth. Set in a small town with a close knit community, the story begins with the dramatic abduction of two teenage girls during a fireworks celebration. Our new heroine is the deputy sheriff who works along side her father the long serving sheriff. Together they work to peel back the layers of the suspects alibis to locate the teens before time runs out.
As the plot progresses to 12 years later, another female teen from town mysteriously disappears and numerous secrets, shocking twists and family dramas are revealed in a most disturbing way.
Ms. Slaughter never shies away from difficult topics, and this book deals with child abduction, dysfunctional families, and violence against women. It is written in a very effective style bringing much needed awareness to these topics.

The book is long being the first in the series to give readers the back stories on the multitude of intriguing but very flawed characters. I enjoyed this book a lot and am looking forward to the next book in the series!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Karin Slaughter did it again!

The new series kicks off with Emmy, a deputy chief in a small town where everyone knows her family, the Clifton's. Her father is Sheriff and he works side by side with Emmy to figure out what happened to 2 missing girls. They land the culprit .... or did they?

Years later, Emmy's son, Cole is working with her in the field and a girl disappears. Is it the same culprit as before or did a copy cat start?

This story has so many twists that the story is perfection. One of the best reads so far this year!! 👏

I love Karin Slaughter and was stoked to get the chance to read her upcoming book, We Are All Guilty Here. Equally dark, meticulous and skillfully written as her other novels, combining the lives of the characters with such small yet crucial details. Karin Slaughter can nail an unexpected twist like no other. This book was gut-wrenching and heartbreaking on multiple occasions, but also made me continue to root for justice. I’m already looking forward to the rest of the North Falls series. Thank you NetGalley & William Morrow Books for the e-ARC.

Karin Slaughter is salt it again. This felt like a badass episode of Criminal Minds or SVU, I loved how the story leaned into police procedures rather than graphic crime details. It made the characters feel grounded and the stakes more realistic. Slaughter delivers strong, layered women and a justice system that’s anything but simple. The pacing slowed a bit in places, but overall, this was gripping and satisfying. I seriously cannot wait to see more of this series!

I’ve crowned many authors queens of the twisty thriller, but with We Are All Guilty Here, Karin Slaughter doesn’t just wear the crown she grabs it and will never have to let it go. This is a masterclass in the detective thriller!

Set in the tiny, quietly haunted town of North Falls, the story centers on the Clifton family. A sprawling group of some rich, some not, all deeply entangled in the fabric of the community. The “less” Cliftons, like Police Chief Gerald Clifton and his daughter Emmy Lou, are the ones holding the town together in all the ways that matter.

Ten years before the present timeline, Emmy Lou is caught up in the tragic death of her best friend's stepdaughter. A man is arrested, charged, and put away. Case closed. Until it isn’t. When he’s exonerated and released, due to another. crime, Emmy is broken.
But once another girl goes missing, she knows she has to pull it together and follow her instincts.

Slaughter doesn’t just tell a story—she builds an entire town. The novel reads like three books in one, each piece fitting perfectly into the next. Secrets stretch across generations. Characters are flawed, human, and sometimes impossible to root for. That’s part of what makes the story so compelling.

This is a novel about guilt in all its forms: personal, inherited, communal. If you're a fan of thrillers that are as emotionally complex as they are gripping, this one’s a must. I desperately need the next book in the series asap!

#WilliamMorrow #WeAreAllGuiltyHere #KarinSlaughter #NorthFalls #UnmissableThriller

This book had a great plot and well developed characters. However, I wish the chapters had been broken up into shorter chapters as they were quite long. I mentally find shorter chapters in a mystery/thriller keep me more engaged

Karin did it again. This book got me so excited. I wasn’t sure I’d like it, but it sucked me in from the start. Some chapters are a little long for my liking, but overall good.

As always Karin knocked it out of the park no notes 5 stars. I have been a huge Karin slaughter fan for a while now and every time a new book pops up I eat it up. This was no exception.

4.5

thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

ALL HAIL THE QUEEN OF MYSTERIES!!!

omg i was so excited when i got the opportunity to read this book and it did NOT disappoint

yes, this book was super long but it’s so worth it. karen slaughter does such a great job at creating a world that you can fully immerse yourself in and introducing characters that feel real.

the characters in this book were flawed and sad and smart and just so realistic. i love how they all connect

the mystery in this book was laid so well! i’m usually pretty good at guessing the murderer in books but this one caught me off guard! i love a good shocking betrayal.

i’m so excited for a new series from her! i can’t wait to read the next one.

Karin Slaughter is a fantastic writer and I’ve been a fan of work for quite some time. While this book starts out strong, it suffers from long-winded plots and the complex relationships between the characters, that normally works for adding to the plot, does very little to advance the story. In truth, the novel would work a lot better by simplifying its overall flow. While the ending is surprising, it felt a little forced.

This is great! It has the traditional Slaughter darkness, which I know isn’t for everyone, great characters and several good mysteries. The relationships between the characters are interesting, you kind of see some of the resolution coming but it’s still a good ride to the end. It’s a nice stand alone, not connected to any of her series.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review!

Karin Slaughter does it again! She knows how to write a thriller that makes you want to keep reading to find out what happens.

This book had multiple twists and some I guessed and some I had NO idea. I love that Slaughter makes some things easy to guess so you’ll be blown away by the others she throws in.

A negative I have is that a lot of the statistics and details were very repetitive. I think every chapter mentioned the same detail about child abductions. I understand mentioning it at first because it fit in, but the rest of the time was redundant.

En North Falls, un pequeño pueblo del sur de Estados Unidos, donde el Cuatro de Julio una celebración que debería ser alegre se convierte en el escenario de una tragedia inquietante: dos adolescentes, Madison Dalrymple y Cheyenne Baker, desaparecen durante los fuegos artificiales.

La novela se centra en la oficial Emmy Clifton, una policía local con fuertes vínculos personales con las chicas desaparecidas, especialmente con Madison, hija de su mejor amiga. Emmy se enfrenta no solo a la presión de resolver el caso, sino también a su propio pasado, su conflictiva vida personal y la sensación de que todos en el pueblo tienen algo que ocultar.

Desde el primer capítulo, Slaughter construye una atmósfera sofocante y opresiva: elas tensiones familiares, la desconfianza entre vecinos, y una comunidad que se desmorona lentamente bajo el peso de las apariencias.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest

This was very good but a hard read along the line of all of Karin Slaughters books. I find her writing style so captivating to that I want to read her books regardless of the plot. That said, this was a solid mystery with enough clues laid out along the way but not enough to make the ultimate solution too obvious. The subject matter is dark and there are certainly a lot of trigger warnings to be cautious of. I am interested to see how this is a kick off for a series and whether she will follow the same characters or focus on the community. Either way I am in for the next installment.

I was so graciously given an ARC of this title.

All I can say is this will be another Karin Slaughter classic!!

I loved this book. I will say about half way through I was a little concerned that I was going to lose interest, because I couldn’t understand where she could possibly go from there. I was 100 percent wrong. Not only did it continue to get better and more and more twists but by the end my jaw was on the ground!

Ultimately a 4.75⭐

This was such a great start to a new series - I cannot wait to read more.

I loved the mystery and the small town feel. The case itself was so personal that it really allowed the reader to get to know the characters (admittedly I think there were a couple minor downsides to it being so personal for the first book but ultimately it worked to introduce characters).

I enjoyed Emmy’s character, though more so after the time jump. Jude and Cole were favorites, and I enjoyed the side characters, particularly Taybee. The mystery was very well done, and true to Karin Slaughter’s with an intense and engrossing plot. She has a way of making the investigation seem realistic, showing characters actually working out the problems.

The personal elements that were introduced were very well-done. I can’t wait to see how all the different relationships evolve.

Now for the minor issues I had, which were all from before the time jump:

It was difficult to get behind the wording Emmy used to beat herself up for not talking to Madison since in the first chapter we see that Madison only wanted to talk to Emmy to find out if she knew where Cheyenne was. I think even if Emmy had stopped to talk to her that Madison would have quickly turned back into a surly teenager.

I understand the illogical guilt Emmy would feel, but it took me out of it a bit that Emmy was so sure that Madison was even asking for help or finally reaching out. It might just be me personally, but I would’ve preferred if what was disturbing Emmy was the uncertainty of what Madison wanted and if it would have changed anything anyway.

Trying to be as vague as possible not to spoil anything, but I had a few nit-picky issues with Emmy from before the time jump, particularly leaving me wondering if she was even good at her job. The biggest example of this was when Emmy “searches” a house. I think it was a little too impulsive/emotional, especially to that point that she injured herself that much.

Then when she was insisting on still going forward with the investigation made me think of stubborn teenager who would just be in the way and cause more problems (I did like how it came together in the end, I just wish it was changed slightly so she was left behind more because she wasn’t thinking clearly and dialed back the almost bumbling nature of her injuries).

Sometimes I felt the point might be that she wasn’t as seasoned in her job, but then I would think she’s 30 and not that new at her job. Then I thought it was because this was book one, just being introduced to her character, and it’s a personal case that of course she would be emotional about, and if this was book three or four I would already know her character and not be questioning some of her characterization.

Then my mind kept going - wondering if it was trying to set up the difference of Emmy before and after the time jump, but at that point it was taking a bit out of my enjoyment out of the story to try to figure out why Emmy’s characterization was bothering me, so I focused on enjoying her character after the time jump instead.

Karin Slaughter has another winner with We Are All Guilty Here.

I especially loved the first half of the story— you can see all the nuances of this small town and the people in it. I really liked the MC, Emmie Clifton. She is passionate about her job, clearly loves her son and her friends, and yet is flawed. I really empathized with her several times throughout the story.

The first half of the book focuses on the two missing girls. I was fully invested. Where it went down slightly for me was the “Twelve Years Later” second half of the book. It seemed like out of nowhere, absolutely every person in Emmie’s life suddenly has a sordid backstory that was in no way even implied in the first half. And an entire page was devoted to her cousin suddenly having severe OCD and tapping everything three times, latching the door three times, blowing three kisses etc. Which would be fine if we hadn’t met her in the first half of the book and she didn’t behave that way at all. I still enjoyed the focus of the second half, but the jarring difference in the family dynamics kind of pulled me out of the story a few times. It felt sooo layed on thick just for…effect maybe?

Regardless, I still really liked the book, and actually got choked up at two different places. Would definitely recommend.

Trigger warnings for SA
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Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.