The Good Daughter

I have read and loved the Will Trent books by this Author But this new standalone is ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT !!!!!

Twenty eight years ago Samantha and Charlotte Quinn's lives were torn apart ......their mother was murdered in front of them , Samantha was left for dead and Charlotte left emotionally and physically traumatised .
Now ............Charlotte , separated from her husband , has a one night stand ... she doesn't even know his name .
BUT he rings her to say he has her phone and she has his - would she meet him at the local school to exchange them ?
The meeting culminates in a shooting , leaving the Headmaster and a young pupil dead and a teenage girl arrested for the murders .
The events that follow will change Charlotte and Samantha's lives forever, for the past soon raises its ugly head bringing their memories of their mother's murder and the culprits to the fore .
What is the connection between the events ??
Who knows what ??
Can the two sisters ever repair their troubled relationship??

This book was an excellent psychological thriller with well developed characters and a plot leaving you guessing until the end .

I've been a big fan of Karin Slaughter since her first novel Blindsighted and my personal fandom continues on to her latest novel The Good Daughter.

Pre spoiler warning, there are no spoilers for The Good Daughter here but there may be a few for those who have not read the prequel Last Breath.

In Last Breath we meet Charlotte Quinn, defends lawyer, daughter of the notorious Rusty Quinn whose determination to defend all those who nobody else will, resulted in his wife and eldest daughter being shot. We follow the novella through Charlie's determination to help a young girl who seems likes she's in trouble, only for it to turn out that it is she who is the trouble. The story ends with Charlotte (Charlie) discovering she is pregnant to her loving husband Ben.

Imagine my surprise then on returning to the story in The Good Daughter to find that Charlie and her husband are estranged and there is no baby in sight.

Instead we are greeted by the harrowing story of the day that Charlie's beloved mother and sister were shot. It's really difficult not to give away spoilers for this one because there are so many things that are written into the story so well that everything is full of suspense throughout and you don't know what this novel is going to throw at you next!

In true Karin Slaughter style, nobody can be trusted, nothing is what you think it is and nobody is who you think either.

I really like the character of Charlie and feel that this will develop into an excellent series with her at the helm. Despite being feisty and determined she is likeable, you cry with her, you laugh with her and your heart aches for her as secrets of her past slowly rise to the surface.

I'm not going to lie that it's setting, so close to Atlanta is also giving me the vibe that maybe Karin plans to merge this series with the Will Trent series at some point. Which frankly, would be awesome!

A standalone from Slaughter where a brutal crime from 28 years ago is finally solved in the present, prompted by another act of violence.

In lots of ways, this is more about family relationships (sisters, father/daughter, mother/daughter) than about solving a crime in itself, though the two strands are intricately intertwined. This certainly gives an emotional charge to the text that kept me turning the pages so that I finished this in the early hours of the morning.

There are some problems with the pacing, though, with a blip in the middle where the protagonist changes and the narrative gets a bit repetitive before moving forward again. We also have a flurry of revelations at the end, not least a wholly unnecessary confession from not one, but two separate criminal perpetrators.

Niggles aside, this is certainly gripping with some excellent characterisation - not quite up to Slaughter's brilliant [book:Cop Town|18594594], but a compelling page-turner of a book.

While i enjoyed this book, i don't think it was as good as her last stand alone book Pretty Girls. There wasn't a lot of action and seemed more of a character driven story than an investigation which i wasn't expecting. It was very well written and there was a number of twists and turns i wasn't expecting.

In my opinion, Karin Slaughter is an amazing writer. From the moment I read her first book, I fell in love with her mind. She's so twisted (and graphic!). I like her Will Trent series, I love her characters and I admire the way she crafts her twisty plots. While Pretty Girls wasn't my favorite, I found it addictive and a gripping read overall. However, I firmly believe that The Good Daughter (despite its cliché title) is a much better book overall.

This is a book that covers many themes, such as family, grief and guilt. There are two main storylines and two main narrators, although as it usually happens, I got more attached to the one that came first. So yes, I'm looking at you, Charlotte. I can't help it, I love you more despite not understanding you most of the time.

This is the story of two sisters, Sam and Charlotte, who see their lives fall apart when two masked men come to their house and hold them at gunpoint. What exactly happened 28 years ago? Did everyone survive? Flashforward to 28 years later and tragedy finds Charlie again when she happens to be at her old high school when a shooting takes place. But the suspect is not your typical cold-blooded killer, so Charlotte is pretty sure that the young girl and someone else are keeping secrets.

Although this is definitely a mystery-crime novel, there is a lot of focus on family dynamics and marriage issues. I must say I loved this aspect of the book because I found Rusty (the father) to be an amazing character and I couldn't help but love him dearly despite his obvious flaws (and all the mistakes he made). I hope I'm not the only one. Another storyline I enjoyed: I was rooting for Charlotte and Ben from their very first scene together. Ben reminded me a bit of Ed Mackenzie from Big Little Lies and he won me over quickly.

This is not a short book at all, but it's as engaging and addictive as your typical psychological thriller. I also found myself highlighting various quotes and scenes I really liked, which is always a good sign.

"A person who has been up close when a gun is fired into another human being never mistakes the sound of a gunshot from something else".

"I loved your mother more than anything else on this earth. Every day with her was the best day of my life, even if we were screaming at each other at the top of our lungs".

Not everything is glowing, though, as I had some issues with the conclusion of both storylines. The two "twists" felt too contrived (especially the school shooting one) and I still think The Good Daughter is way too long. However, I believe that the fact that I forgot I had to cook dinner (and eat!!!!) while I was reading this book makes up for all of that.

So yes, of course, I'll read your next one, Karin. Always.

I have always been drawn in by Kain Slaughter books and this was no exception. I was hooked in with this wonderful book. I was glad to see this was a standalone novel, for me personally they are more enjoyable. Fantastic read and sure to be a top book

A departure away from the normal Karin Slaughter setting, however every bit a good as all the other titles. I couldn't put this book down.

I would like to thank Harper Collins and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Good Daughter’ by Karin Slaughter, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Twenty-eight years ago Charlotte and Samantha Quinn’s family was attacked leaving the sisters physically and mentally damaged and their mother dead. When Charlotte is involved in a shooting at Pikeville Middle School it brings both sisters together again and raises memories they’d hoped never to be reminded of.
I can honestly say that ‘The Good Daughter’ is one of the most involving and emotional books I’ve read in a long time. Although a little longer than the average book, I read it really quickly as once started I couldn’t put it down. The story was gripping and when I wasn’t reading I was thinking about it. Another well-written book by Karin Slaughter with strong storyline and characters, and one I can wholeheartedly recommend.

Great read. Gets you hooked from the start. Would highly recommend!!

I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperFiction for an advance copy of The Good Daughter, a stand alone novel set in North Georgia.

The novel opens with harrowing scenes of a home invasion and two teenage sisters being forced at gunpoint into the woods. Only one survives. Cut to 28 years later and the surviving sister, Charlie Quinn is now a lawyer with some self destructive issues. One of these leads her into the local school, just as a shooting happens. How these two events affect Charlie and her family form the basis of the novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Good Daughter. Ms Slaughter has a very inviting writing style and I was immediately pulled into Charlie's life. It is a long, sprawling novel with a fairly sedate pace and yet there is plenty to keep the mind occupied. The term southern gothic springs to mind. As it is set in a small town everyone knows everyone and all their business but there are still secrets and some of them are doozies. The twists come throughout the novel, some are surprising, some guessable.

The novel also has some surprises in its format. The opening chapter with its description of the attack on Charlie and her family is repeated twice more in the novel word for word (or so it seems) with extra information at the end of it. Does it work? I'm not sure, I found it strange to re-read the same thing I had read an hour or so earlier but it gives the new information a more immediate context even if the impact is lessened by skim reading what has gone before.

I don't think there's much new in Ms Slaughter's depiction of small town Southern America but I found the constant death threats against its liberal lawyer, Charlie's father Rusty, a bit hard to swallow. On the other hand the claustrophobia is well drawn and atmospheric.

I liked the slow burn of the novel and the gradual revelation of secrets. By the end of the novel most of the reasons for the secrets are revealed and it made me re-assess some of the characters and their actions, not in the sense of liking them better but in my understanding of them.

The Good Daughter is a good, intriguing read which kept me up far too late turning the pages to see what was coming next so I have no hesitation in recommending it.

Absolutely AMAZING!!! Possibly even Karins best yet!
I've been a fan of Karins for years now, (though I have still not quite forgiven her for Jeffrey!!) And I am sure her books just get better and better. I have not been disappointed with any of them and this was superb!
I couldn't put it down, I was reading while walking to work, while cooking, while bathing, before bed etc etc
An absolute must read for any Karin fan, or anyone new to her books.

Karen Slaughter does it again! A brilliant stand alone psychological thriller that I couldn't put down. Fans of Karen and this genre will love it.

This is the first Karin Slaughter book I have read and I really enjoyed it. Will definitely be downloading some more!

The book starts about 28 years ago,then moves to present day,it was a good read,like all the books from this author,very well written

This is a superb, dark and brutal novel from the talented Karin Slaughter set in Pikeville, North Georgia. Two tragic set of events occur 28 years apart and their catastrophic repercussions on a family and their community are observed. Rusty is a notoriously able lawyer who believes that justice should be for everybody, such as defending innocent black people, and others deemed beyond the pale, like rapists. This has made Rusty a host of enemies, seen the family home burn down and bring fresh danger to his wife, the fiercely intelligent and double PhD genius, Gamma, and his two young daughters, Samantha and Charlotte, known as Charlie. Two masked men enter the family home, shoot Gamma dead, leaving Sam for dead, buried in a grave, though a bloodied Charlie manages to get away. This is a story that transcends the most violent of crimes, its about family, loss, love, sibling relationships, regret, survival, damage and forgiveness.

Twenty eight years later, the savage events that ripped the family apart have taken their toll on Sam and Charlie. The two sisters have not seen each other for twenty years after Sam's anger led to an estrangement. Sam is a highly successful New York patent lawyer, has lost her beloved husband, Anton, and hasn't seen her father for decades. Charlie's marriage to Ben is on the skids, she works from the same building as Rusty as a lawyer, and she has made the terrible mistake of indulging in a one night stand with a stranger, with whom she left her phone. She is in the process of collecting her phone at her old school when all hell lets loose. Charlie is traumatised once again as she finds herself in the midst of a distressing double school shooting that includes a young child. The perpetrator is a girl with learning issues called Kelly. With rising tensions, flaring tempers, fear, rage, and intense media coverage, Sam returns to Pikeville amidst a disturbing set of circumstances. She provides legal counsel for Kelly at her arraignment after Rusty persuades Sam that Kelly is the unicorn he has been searching for. The stage is set to see the original family trauma under a new light as the truth begins to emerge and to discover if it is remotely possible that Kelly is not the killer she is painted to be, in direct contradiction to the evidence available.

Karin Slaughter has written a brilliant novel that incorporates the worst of humankind, a veritable Pandora's box of horror and despair, and the faint wisps of hope for Sam and Charlie. The complex characterisations are astonishingly good and feel desperately authentic. The novel captures the small town meanness that can run through a conservative rural community and its young people, and the atrocious behaviour and actions that result. The strength and wisdom of Rusty, given all that happens, along with his ability to protect his daughters the only way he knew how, is awe inspiring. I will never forget the role that ice cream plays for Charlie in the novel, given all the feel good factor that surrounds it. A fantastic read that I highly recommended. Thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.

Recently I have been reading young adults and supernatural books, these are great I love them, I love the supernatural genre and I think the stories are fun,however, I have read a lot of them and this book really honed in on the fact that I have really missed a good old fashioned Suspenseful Thriller! It's absolutely amazing,I was hooked like a fish on a rod, I literally could not put this book down it got to the point where I'm reading it to the very last second before I need to leave for work or I can't quite go to sleep yet I just have to finish this chapter.

The writing is spectacular she has this amazing ability to really bring you into the story,you are invested in the characters, you want to know them, you want to be with them, you feel their pain, their joy and you want what they want and you're afraid when they're afraid and I think that's just such a fantastic skill set to have.
I love the characters I think Sam and Charlie are great and they really work of each other and I love rusty especially nearing the end when you find out more about him, you really find out who he is and what makes him tick and I think he has some really good advice that he gave them.
This book is painful and it's sad and it's tough but there is a light at the end of the tunnel there is good in it as well and I really don't want to say anymore as I don't want to say anything about the story as I don't want to spoil it but it is an amazing story and I truly recommend this.

Besides the mystery this book is about so much more, the endurance and strength of the characters. They go through so much. Karen Slaugther just gets better with each book,even when you think nothing Google get better than the last one you read, the characters were very real and I cared for them and what would happen to them. Read this book you'll being doing yourself a favor!

I've always been a huge fan of Karin Slaughter writing and have pretty much read every book she has ever written, so to say I was excited to see she was publishing in a new book was an understatement! The Good Daughter is a standalone no sign of Will Trent here (I love this series by the way) and once again the author has shown why she is considered to be one of the world's most popular and acclaimed storytellers. I was surprised to find The Good Daughter isn't as fast paced or as graphic as the authors previous books, although some of the scenes and subject matter may not be to ever reader's taste I must admit!

Like any book by this author there is plenty of mystery, hideous crimes but it also gives insight into family relationships when terrible things happen to them. Much of the book is about the horrifying events that happened to Charlie and her sister Samantha during their childhood , and how they are affecting their characters in the present and their relationships to each other and the people around them. I felt this novel was very much character led and the crimes almost felt secondary to the plot, that’s not a criticism by any means as The Good Daughter still made for a disturbing yet compelling read.


Karin Slaughter has created exceptionally complex characters, both sisters have their own demons that continue to haunt them, this novel is very much about the complexity of relationships and bad things happening to good people. With many themes running through the plot this novel made for an compelling read. Karen Slaughter never shies away from the darker side of life, in fact she hits it head on, The Good Daughter is dark, gritty and at times disturbing, with a superbly written plot yet again the author has shown me why she continues to be one of my all time favourite authors on the planet.

This review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog

Wow!!!!!! I love Karin slaughters books so was excited to have the chance to read before release thanks to Netgalley! Not one of the Will and Sara series so I was a bit worried I wouldn't like it..... but oh my days it's amazing! One of the only books I have read as fast. I was totally absorbed! Very raw and very real!

I have read many of Karin slaughter's earlier novels and I was pleased to get stuck into this stand alone. An well written police thriller with a family story at its heart

Brilliant. Karin Slaughter at her best. I sat glued to this book. I read it in one afternoon. It is brilliantly written and full of surprises. Charlie and Sam are really good characters there are so many shocks in the plot. The shocks keep coming throughout the novel. I really want to sit and read this book again. I enjoyed it so much. It is action packed and engaging the whole way through. There is so much happening in this story. I have read most of Karin Slaughter's books and love them all.

Karin Slaughter is one of, if not my favourite, authors of all time. It was at least seven years ago when I read the Grant County series and they're still fresh in my head like it was last week. I eagerly await all of her new releases, so when I received The Good Daughter from Netgalley, I was so excited.

The Good Daughter focuses on the lives of two women, who as girls survived a horrific attack that killed their mother and left them both with physical and mental scars.

What I loved about this book is how easy and quick it was to slot into the lives of Sam and Charlie, and feel like I'd known them forever. This is a common component of Slaughter's rich storytelling, no matter the character - how complicated or difficult they are - they still end up feeling like a beloved family member.

This book was brilliant, as I knew it would be, and I was sad to finish it. Now to wait patiently for the next release!

I was kindly sent a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Wow - what a fantastic book. Three dimensional damaged but likeable characters and a really great story line. The best book I have read in ages.

I'm a huge fan of Karin Slaughter. I've read all her books; this is not a typical Slaughter book, buts it's just as good! This is a book of families, a tragedy and it's aftermath. It's definitely worth a read!

Thank you Netgalley, bookouture and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. I Love Karin Slaughter's books and this The Good Daughter didnt let me down! In fact it was one of her VERY BEST!! I was kept on the edge of my seat right to the last page. I also had sleepless nights because I just couldnt put it down! If I could have given it more than five stars I would have! DEFINITELY recommend.

Um, the first few paragraphs are a bit pretentious? Looks like someone has tried really hard to come up with some very different descriptive words...I can't say it worked well!
However...after reading the rest of this book, I really enjoyed it! It took me a while to read this but not through lack of motivation, it was just a long book which was great as normally I read books very quickly and before you know it, it's over. This book keeps you guessing right till the end and I didn't know what was going to happen.
The premise of the books is an awful and tragic brutal murder which two sisters witness. The resulting story maps what happens in the aftermath and the impact of the events on their loves and of those who also were affected.
It's an intellectual insight to the legal system with the different views of the defense and prosecution parties.
Although, about 3/4 of the way through there was an extract about Charlie straddling the gear nob which seemed, er, totally out of place and I had to re-read it and see whether it was really needed. It definitely isn't needed.
A great book though, a solid 8 out of 10. I found it pretty easy to get through and looked forward to finding out who it was and why. Thanks NetGalley!

Five star all the way.
A stunningly good book, packed with believable flawed characters and endless twists and turns. It's impossible not to be involved and desperate to know what happens next.
All of this is written in a deceptively colloquial laidback style which adds to the credibility.
I loved it and recommend it most highly

This is a standalone novel which attracted me, having read Karin Slaughter's other standalones and really enjoyed them.
This is a gripping psychological thriller with events occurring some 28 years after a break in which leaves the mother of Charlotte and Samantha Quinn murdered, and Samantha left for dead.
The trauma of the past has stayed with the sisters throughout their lives, but their lives change forever following an u expected incident.
Charlotte arranges to meet someone she has has a one night stand with, to exchange phones they mixed up on their evening. The meeting place is outside a school.
A shooting takes place that results in the deaths of the headmaster and a pupil. A teenage girl is arrested.
How is this connected to the murder or her mother 28 years earlier? Charlotte is now a defense lawyer, and Samantha has left the area to fight her own battles with the past.

The sister's troubled relationship is put to the test in this e,exciting thriller who h keeps you guessing until the last page.

Now, this was the first book I have read by Karin Slaughter and it was also a very enjoyable experience.
first I will say that The Good Daughter was totally different to what I was expecting but this was so not a bad thing for me.
I'm a sucker for a good psychological thriller, but I also love the drama that comes with a good ole family saga, This story brilliantly combined these two elements giving us an insight into the fallout that comes when horrific tragedy strikes an ordinary family and how these dynamics can spiral, taking on a life of their own through miscommunication and prideful behaviour.
The outcome of this incident echoing down the unfolding decades.
This story describes the events that occur to the Quinn family, resulting in a death and two young teenagers with scars both physically and figuratively for life.
Samantha and Charlotte's lives are about to come full circle when events in their home town bring them along with their father together again.
This was a very easy read, that kept you guessing until the end, the graphic descriptions both pulled you in while equally repelling you with the realness behind the visuals provided.
I'm not easily grossed out but MAN!!! it was way EWW!!! in places.
So, in conclusion, I would definitely give The Good Daughter a big thumbs up, a very intriguing read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy it was thoroughly devoured by me, this is my own personal opinion of this book.

As a new reader of Karin Slaughter, I had no idea of what to expect when I picked up The Good Daughter. From the cover, I imagined it would be a dramatic thriller with a selfish middle aged woman taking the lead, made to feel paranoid and jealous until all is revealed that she has been done a huge wrong. From the very first page I realised I was in for something different. The Good Daughter isn't a trashy thriller, written for the sake of a trend, but a well-written criminal story that could easily become a classic.

It starts when two girls are marched into the woods at gunpoint. Twenty-eight years later, their whole worlds have changed. Charlie has become a lawyer, like her father. When she's the first witness at another tragedy, she's wrapped up in the one thing that has the power to bring the two girls back to that horrendous day.

With snippets that could come straight from To Kill A Mockingbird and the modern day dramatic edge of every good BBC mini-series, The Good Daughter is one of the most suspenseful reads I've come across in ages. When the second tragedy occurred, I couldn't figure out how the two linked and how the second would unravel, especially as The Good Daughter edged on with seemingly no resolution. For the final hundred pages, I couldn't figure out how the story could be resolved. It's not often that I can say that I couldn't guess it for the life of me, but this book was written so intelligently that I felt completely helpless to the twist.

That's part of what makes The Good Daughter a stand-out read. I'm tired of picking up thrillers and finding repetitive tropes and overdone stereotypical characters. Yet, Charlie and Sam are intriguing from the offset. They're upfront, which is refreshing, and while they had their own personalities, their sisterly relationship was perfectly captured. Not everything is sunshine and daisies, but likewise not everything is stabs in the back.

I may not have gone into The Good Daughter as the biggest Karin Slaughter fan, but I am now. Let me know what you think of this one.

I always enjoy Karin Slaughter books but this was something else. A richly layered story with fabulously well drawn characters in Sam and Charlie and the drama and tension of the two interwoven crimes was just fantastic.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. LOVED it!

Georgia, 1989. Samantha and Charlotte Quinn are 15 and 13 respectively. Two masked men break into their home one evening, effectively ending their childhood. Life will never be the same again. The target was their lawyer father Rusty, nicknamed "Attorney for the Damned" because he represents people that nobody else would touch.

28 years later, Charlie is a defense lawyer. She witnesses an incident that makes her think about the past, and forces her to reconnect with her sister. Sam has been living away from the small town for years, but must also face her demons in order to help her father and sister.

I read this book in two sittings - I loved the relationship between the two sisters and their father. There are two writers that know how to do this claustrophobic, rotten-to-the-core small town stuff better than anyone else - Stephen King and Karin Slaughter. This was excellent, possibly my favourite book of Karin's yet.

Recommended.

The Good Daughter starts with a horrific scene with sisters Samantha and Charlie and their mother being attacked. The descriptive writing pulls no punches and this continues throughout the book.
We are plummeted from the opening chapters to 30 years later where the effect of this attack continues to impact on the lives of many people. Not wanting to give away any spoilers I do not wish to reveal anymore storyline.
There are some great scenes, one in particular occurs in the courtroom where Samantha now a lawyer has had to return to the area and act on behalf of her lawyer Father, her incisive dialogue and legal arguments were so good I wanted it to continue a lot longer.
This is an excellent well written book, full of twists, turns, heartache and suffering.
A compelling crime/legal thriller.

I downloaded this on Friday night and over a sunny weekend I could not put this book down and finished it by Sunday afternoon. Karin Slaughter is at her best with this one. It does contain some graphic, horrifying violence in many forms. But ultimately it is a tale of the relationship and survival of two sisters after an appalling act upon them by intruders.
I liked the way the story unfolded, what happened to Charlie, what happened to Sam but then intriguingly the next section is what really happened to Charlie. There are a couple of plot twists that take your breath away.
The characters involved are sympathetic, even Kelly who has committed what seems to be a senseless act of violence.
Ultimately the novel ends in hope but at no time does it become sentimental or disappointing. Riveting.

Karin Slaughter's standalone novel The Good Daughter is a riveting read. Set in the small town of Pikeville it brings with it all the small town 'closeness' (for better or worse) present in such communities. Sam and Charlie are sisters and living with the havoc that this 'closeness' can bring. Rusty, Sam and Charlie's father is the local Defence attorney and believes strongly in justice for all, this is, of course just what a good Defence lawyer should believe and Rusty is one of the best. He defends all comers be they murderers, rapists, petty thieves etc. This has won Rusty many enemies which not only resulted in the family home being burned down but also with Sam and Charlie witnessing Gamma, their quirky and intelligent mother being shot to death and leaving them both with their own demons to deal with.

28 years later the sisters, both lawyers, are living separate lives but when Charlie witnesses another brutal shooting, this one involving the local head teacher and a small child .. well, things 'come a cropper' and both of their carefully constructed existences are 'torn asunder'.

This is an excellent book, I have read some of Karin Slaughter's previous offerings and always enjoy them but tend to dip in and out, not anymore, I am now an avid Slaughter-ite. The Good Daughter is intelligently written, it's grown up, the characters are brilliantly flawed (except for Ben, I think he may be just perfect) and the plot is appropriately tricksy. A heartfelt thank-you to Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A rivetting crime story (even the repetitions are gripping) focusing also on family's dysfuntions, intertwined with memory as it is coloured by violence and love. A stalwart campaigner as criminal lawyer Rusty, who we hardly see, alienates wife and daughters are brings murderous violence down on all their heads - we are living the aftermath with the survivors and what it has done to them - after dreadful loss. All of them are high-powered forensic specialists as either lawyers or investigators - and the men in the daughters' lives play important roles - the truth 'outs'only in the last pages and you are held until that last moment.... I was unable to put it down. SHe is a bestseller and she lives up to it here.

A multi-layered novel, with echoes of "To Kill a Mockingbird".

The central crime isn't what it appears; the clues are there and I found it quite easy to deduce the twist. To be honest, it's simplistic compared to crimes in her other novels and it's conclusion feels rushed. It's almost incidental as the real focus is on the dynamic between sisters - Samantha and Charlotte - and their father Rusty and how they coped (Or didn't) with the brutal murder of their mother and it's aftermath.

You draw conclusions about each of them only to find them challenged later in the story.

All in all, not quite up to the authors usual standards, but still enjoyable.

As a huge fan of the Grant County series, I was eager to read this new stand alone book from Karin Slaughter. I absolutely loved it and it even had me in tears at the end (I can probably count on one hand how many books have made me cry). The characters were amazing and the story was full of twists, turns and emotion. 5 out of 5 *****

I'm almost ashamed to say this is the first Karin Slaughter book I have read. I have friends who are big fans of her novels. They've recommended her books to me several times. I should have listened to them! I got completely engrossed in this one.

A family are torn apart by a brutal and terrifying attack on their home. The mother is shot dead, the father, a criminal defence lawyer, who wasn't at home, is left devastated. One teenage daughter is left mentally broken, the other physically broken.

Twenty eight years later one of the daughters, Charlotte, finds herself first on the scene of another horrendous attack that affects the whole town, this time a school shooting. Two people are dead, one of them a child, and a 16 year old Goth, Kelly Wilson is sitting with a revolver in her hand. The sound of gunshots gives Charlotte flashbacks to her mother's brutal murder and the terrible assault she and her sister suffered.

Charlotte is a defence lawyer like her father but although they work in the same building she does not work for her father. And she doesn't take on the same type of cases. Unlike her sister, she has a some kind of relationship with her father. She's remained in Pikeville because her husband Ben liked it there, although they have been separated for several months. Ben is an assistant district attorney but he appears to be a good person.

Her father Rusty, takes on the Kelly Wilson's case. He's quite a complex character. He always does what he thinks is right but I think he takes risks too. He is assisted by his long term secretary Lenore who is quite a character too. He also manages to get Charlotte to help him with the early formalities of Kelly Wilson's defence. He isn't particularly popular around town as he believes in justice for all and will represent anyone accused, no matter how awful the alleged crime. A lot of people hate him for the cases he takes on. At the time of his wife's murder, they had recently been forced to move to another property following an arson attack on their home.

Meanwhile Samantha, the older sister, is a very successful patent lawyer living in New York but she struggles physically with problems that are a direct result of her injuries sustained in the horrendous attack. She has no contact with her father or sister and knows nothing of what is going on in their lives. Although her father sends her a regular voicemail, she never responds. She's never returned to Pikeville even when her business takes her within 2 hours drive of the town.

It's a wonderful, multi-layered plot about two sisters with completely different characters, both lawyers but practising in difference areas of law, and their relationship (or non-relationship) with each other and their father. There are two horrendous events separated by twenty-eight years. How are they linked? Apart from Charlotte being there, are they linked?

It's a dark and brutal story. It's never boring. The author brilliantly weaves an engrossing story linking two brutal attacks twenty eight years apart.

I like that both girls' stories are told from each one's point of view both in the past and the present. There are chapters headed, “What happened to Samantha”, “What happened to Charlotte” and “What really happened to Charlie.” I feel it's an interesting device. I was slightly confused at first and had a feeling of deja vu as I knew I had read that part before, but it seemed to work. You read about a brutal, life-changing attack; then when you come across it again later in the book (almost identical words but with differences) the attack is even worse than you first thought. It certainly ramps up the tension and fear.

When the father ends up in hospital again with serious stab wounds, thought to be because he was representing the teenage school shooter in court, Charlotte who was already fragile, just can't cope. Her husband makes contact with Samantha and there is an attempt a some kind of reconciliation between the sisters. There are some recriminations and words but ended up investigating the school shooting case on their father's behalf. That is definitely not the end of the story.

There are a couple of excellent twists to the story leading ultimately to a shocking revelation. I really didn't see that ending coming.

For me, this book definitely gets 5 stars.

Twistier than a slinky, this is a brilliantly written, well paced book.

I do read a lot of psychological thrillers, most of which are very good, having been recommended to me by people I trust. But only about 1 in every 20 of these is anywhere near as good as this.

Every time I thought I knew what was happening, something would come along to subtly or severely change my perception. Throughout the exploration of the excellent plot, the key characters were developed appropriately, and I look forward to reading more about them in future books.

I won't say more because anything will give away some of the pleasure of being surprised. Just go and get this book, and clear your weekend because you're not going to be able to put it down.

I have quite a collection of Karin Slaughter books in my bookcase and have enjoyed her writing for years, and it is really great to read a book with new characters, not that I'm complaining about the old ones! Karin really is a mistress of her trade she writes complicated stories with very well drawn characters and this book was no exception Just when you think you have some thing sussed she throws in another red herring ,I feel like I have to have my wits about me when I'm reading one of her books and I love that. This book kept me on my toes and made me think am I reading a book or unpeeling an onion there were so many layers .Not going to give anything away I will leave the pleasure of discovering the intricacies of the plot to other readers but hope they enjoy this book as much as I did.

For some reason, I haven't gotten around to reading any books by Karin Slaughter until now. Big mistake! Slaughter's position as a worldwide bestselling mystery writer is no coincidence as the flow of the story, the believable twists and turns and the strategically placed flashbacks make the book a genuine pleasure to read. The characters are sufficiently well developed as there is plenty of psychological elements in the past that play into the current developments. The book is a combination of legal thriller with only minimal courtroom action and mystery in a laid back fashion where the developments just happen naturally without somebody frantically chasing the leads. And it works really well for Slaughter!
Another thing that I really liked about the book is the fantastic dialogue/banter between the main characters - especially the Quinn sisters - which had me snickering numerous times throughout the book although it deals with plenty of serious matters.
Although Goodreads indicates that the book is the first in a new "Good Daughter" series, I see no indications of such a series building on this first book - quite on the contrary - and on KarinSlaughter.com, it is also listed in the "standalone novels" section.
Well, summing up, I really enjoyed my first encounter with Karin Slaughter and now totally get what all the fuzz about her is about!

Its Karen Slaughter!! If you dont know her as an author, you're missing out on something VERY special!! Longtime fan and this was NOT a disappointment, just fantastic!!

*Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* As readers have come to expect from bestselling author, Karin Slaughter, 'The Good Daughter' is a dark, brutal and at times violent book. However, the heaviness of the material is counterbalanced by a certain lightness and humour that comes from the interactions of the characters in the novel and the love you can feel between them. I am hesitant to describe too much of the plot as, like so many of Slaughter's works, 'The Good Daughter' is full of twists and turns that I simply did not see coming. The book most definitely kept me up reading past my bedtime and absolutely gripped by what was unfolding on the pages. Without revealing too much, it is suffice to say that the novel is, like most of Slaughter's work, set in a typical southern town and focuses on a crime from the past, as well as a crime from the present. I am sorry to say that none of Sara Linton, Jeffrey Tolliver or Will Trent make an appearance in the book.

I have read all of Karin Slaughter's books set in Grant County, Georgia and the Will Trent spin off series. They are always compelling and enjoyable reads and leave me eagerly awaiting the next book.
The Good Daughter is a stand alone novel and it is just as good as all of the earlier books. This author's writing just gets better and better!
Although , like all her books, The Good Daughter is primarily a crime thriller, it is also a family story about the relationship between two sisters, Charlie and Sam and how they deal with an awful event that happened to them as children. This has affected their relationship with Rusty, their crusading lawyer father who always represents the criminal underdog, putting all their lives in danger.- it is his job that caused the earlier tragedy.
The reader sees the dreadful event in the novel as flashbacks both from Charlie's and Sam's point of view and it is only as more information is revealed about the awful day that both the reader and the sisters learn the truth of what really happened to each of them.
The catalyst to all this is a school shooting in the present day which Charlie is accidently caught up in and this brings back memories of her earlier tragedy. When Rusty is subsequently stabbed, whilst representing the shooter, Sam rushes back to see him after a long estrangement from the family and the two sisters start to talk again. Both are lawyers and Sam has to represent the teenager accused of the shooting whilst Rusty is in hospital. Charlie is a witness and cannot help her father with her legal skills.
This book has a detailed well contructed plot. Sam and Charlie are great characters who gradually get to know each other whilst coming to term with past events. They have tried to move on with their lives as best they can but both are still severely affected by what happened to them as teenagers., physically as well as mentally and for Charlie this has started to impact on her relationship with her husband, Ben.
The central theme of this book is what constitutes a good daughter, father, sister? None of the family behave normally, expressing affection towards each other due to these past events but although damaged they do care a lot and gradually learn to be more open as the book progresses.
A thoroughly enjoyable read and highly recommended to all fans of this genre. If you haven't read any Karin Slaughter you've got a real treat in store.
Thanks to Netgalley for my arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

Karin Slaughter is simply on another level as an author. She genuinely works so hard to research and put the content into her books it puts some other authors to shame. The Good Daughter is a tale of love, anxiety, bigotry, hope and shame. With two mysteries, one decades old and one happening now, the stories slowly unravel. Slaughter walks us through the complexities of family relationships with amazing dialogue between Rusty (Dad), Charlie and Sam.

This decades old destruction of a family and modern school shooting kept me hooked from the first page to the last.

I enjoyed this book from the beginning to the end. I would thoroughly recommend this book. It is Slaughter at her best. I love her book with the exception of Coptown.

My first Karin Slaughter, certainly won't be my last.
A great read: well-drawn characters, lots of twists and turns, and enough suspense to make the world disappear for a few days.
A story based around one family and their home-town. The parents flawed but interesting, the sisters close as children, but torn by the hideous occurrence in their teens. A family you can believe in, and root for.

Fiction - Crime

Score: 10/10


Once every few years you read a book that you know you will never forget reading. The Good Daughter is going to be that one for me. Slaughter has an amazing style of writing that gets you to feel the characters so deeply that they stay with you for days after you finish reading about them. I just couldn't put this book down, it captured you from the beginning right to the end. I rarely give out 10/10 but this is one of those occasions, it was absolutely brilliant.

This is the first Karin Slaughter book that I've read and I was pleasantly surprised. The plot deals with a pair of sisters who, after an awful tragedy in their lives 23 years earlier, find themselves together again in North Georgia having to deal with a school shooting incident which brings back memories of what they went through as teenagers. They learn a lot about themselves and each other while solving the case through their legal background and their astute intelligence.
Characterization is key in this slow boiler of a thriller as the events are fairly straight-forward. The writing is fluid and engaging and the reader is not snowed under my too much description. This novel is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys a good yarn and an interesting mystery novel

I have only just discovered this author (yes, I know!) and am still playing catch-up with her other series and am thoroughly enjoying that ride, so I really couldn't help myself when I saw that this was book one of a brand new series that I could join at the very beginning.
We start in the past as two small girls are at home with their mother when tragedy strikes and the mother is killed. It appears that this violence stems from the fact that Rusty, the father of the family, is a lawyer specialising in defending really bad guys and has recently been successful in getting an alleged rapist off, sparking the suicide of the victim.
Fast forward 28 years and one of the girls, Charlie, is now working alongside her father as a lawyer. One day after a one night stand, she realises that she has the wrong phone and tracks her "date" down and arranges to go swap. As she is doing this, in the local school where he is a teacher, tragedy strikes again as a school shooting. The shooter being Kelly, a young girl with learning difficulties. Obviously Rusty wants the case but circumstances prevent him so it is his daughter that takes the baton, to try and work out what happened and why.
This was an extremely well and tightly plotted book that kept me on my toes and held my attention throughout. As the layers were peeled back from both the present and the past, I lost count of the number of times my jaw dropped or I held my breath or sat back and said to myself "oh, of course, yeah!" It was also very character driven. Centered around Rusty's family, in both the present and the past, and Kelly's story in the present it really was a wonderful example of perfectly drawn characters that were so easy to connect to playing out intricate stories that merged, diverged and wove around each other all the way right until the end when all was finally revealed.
One of the things I love about this author is the brutal way she doesn't pull her punches with her writing. She also writes the most deliciously flawed character so very well without glorifying or caricaturing them and puts them in all sorts of challenging situations. Here, we have the lawyers defending the undefendable both morally and against the evidence. Everyone is entitled to the best defense they can afford and someone has to defend the real bad guys. Sometimes even win. Also, someone has to defend those whose guilt is pretty much nailed on, clinging onto every small shred of hope available. This book has both these things and, for me, it was a fascinating insight into this world. We also have characters in the present that have been affected badly by a shared past and how it has affected them all quite differently.
I really had to rein myself in towards the end though. I do tend to speed read a little, dictated usually by the pace of the book but the final scenes of this book were so frenetic that I really had to try and slow down, to savour every delicious twist turn and reveal as they were served up, desperate not to miss anything. I just about managed it and boy was it worth it.
All in all a wonderfully plotted, character driven book that kept me on my toes throughout and left me completely satisfied at the end. Definitely another winner from Ms Slaughter.

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

The Quinn family lives in Pikeville and consists of Rusty, his wife Gamma and their two daughters Samantha and Charlotte (Sam and Charlie). Rusty is well-known locally as a defence lawyer who will take on any case and is hated by many for defending a rapist, whose victim subsequently committed suicide. Their lives are then torn apart by an episode of unspeakable violence.

Twenty-eight years later Charlie is involved in another dreadful event in the town which again threatens to tear apart all the individuals involved. Everyone is hiding something and the truth is something which very few want to surface. The pain and the consequences would be too much to bear.

As always, Ms Slaughter has the talent to weave a storyline which is complex yet easy to follow. The characters are individual personalities in their own right and the reader will acutely feel their pain and their raw emotions. The dialogue in any novel is the most difficult part to get right but it feels real and not at all wooden. The plot progresses well as the different pieces of the jigsaw fall into place. Of course, there has to be a twist at the end and, in this book, we have the pleasure of being surprised by not just one, but several.

If I have any criticism at all it is that the novel is too long but it’s easily forgiven when reading a thriller of this quality.

mr zorg

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

It's good to read a successful author's work when she's on top of her game and this is a great example. Ms Slaughter's ability to capture the reality and impact of violence without making the reader wonder if it was necessary is a real talent, especially - as in this work - when the violence is a necessary part of the story. It's a long book, certainly, but not one that loses pace or the reader's interest. Ms Slaughter's writing is never less than fluent and has an ability to paint characters so that they take on a life in the reader's mind.

Can I just up the ratings system so 10 stars are available, please? I read this on the back of a disappointing offering by another big name thriller writer, which made it even more welcome. The characters in this jumped off the page and lived, almost making the plot irrelevant. Almost. I thought at first that this was going to be a bit of a John Grisham court case narrative, but it was soooo much better than that. What impressed me the most was that, even though the plot twists were crackers, they weren't the main event. I'm struggling to articulate exactly what I mean, but I think it boils down the fact that, particularly in the last couple of years, thriller writers have been grasping for ever more outrageous turns. This book, however, proves that the twists don't have to be outrageous, they just have to be inevitable. The ones here (and they were good!) grew organically from an absolutely believable plot. I can't make a comparison with other Slaughter books, as I've so far not read any. An omission to my reading pile that I will be putting right as soon as I can. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I'll post a review on Amazon on publication day.

What an absolute belter of a book!! I didn't think Karin Slaughter could write anything better than the Grant County series but by God this had me gripped from the very first page. I could not put it down. The story is about Sam and Charlie and what happens to them during one horrible day back when they were young. The writing is impeccable and if this book doesnt turn into a series I'll cry more than I did when reading it......wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!!!

would like to thank harper collins uk for letting me read and review this book

what a stunning and disturbing book all rolled into one...two sisters who had the world at their feet and one night their lives are changed dramatically...

karin slaughter can write an amazing book this one i couldnt even put down..i needed to know what happened to all of the characters, no spoiler alerts you will need to read it yourselves but know if you start this book you wont be able to put in down...

What another outstanding book from this brilliant author. I review each book on its own merits, so although Karin Slaughter is one of my favorite authors, if I didn't like it , I'd say so.

Karin has such a talent in writing, totally engrossing the reader with the strength of her characters and stunning plot. Charlie and Sam have followed in their father's footsteps, however much they despise him as a criminal defense attorney. Both woman take very different lives, although bound by the same bond. Outstanding.

If you're looking for a book that will keep you awake whole night, look no further than this book by Karin Slaughter. The Good Daughter is seriously good. The author is a well know mystery and thriller writer, but this book is the first I read by her. I will soon read something by her, because if all her books are so well written and thought out, then I'm in a mystery reader heaven. And hell at the same time, because Slaughter is really mean to her readers. She makes us read all the disturbing and horrifying details of a crime, not once but thrice. From different points of view, but every time with excruciating details.

The Good Daughter examines quite a few important aspects of our life - family, trauma, grief, love. First, we learn about the scary past. And then we learn about a scary present. Character development is exquisite, and I have no words on how impressed I am. The dynamic between characters, the awkwardness, love, hate, anger, disgust, you can feel them yourself. It all works perfectly together. The author created strong and flawed characters, that are too real.The book is filled with sadness. Grief and trauma and one of the main issues of the story, they drive the plot. I was hard for me to read some of the more heartbreaking and horrifying stories. Slaughter is not only mean to her readers, she is an embodiment of evil to her characters. Throughout the book, she hits them and hits them again with more and more destroying events and news.

I'm deliberately trying to avoid providing any information about the story. I prefer to know nothing about a thriller I'm about to read. It's just much more fun when you have a chance to learn all the details as you read, and don't look forward to when stuff mentioned in the blurb will happen. If you're willing - trust me and read this book.

I’ll start by admitting that I love Karin Slaughter’s books. I’ve been an avid reader of hers since the Grant County series began way back in 2001. Check out “Blindsighted” and you’ll be on the right path. She just has a way of writing about damaged Southern folk that is so vivid that you feel like you’re right there in the dustbowl with them.
The Good Daughter is a new standalone novel. Set in a small town called Pikeville, the book begins with a tragedy. A mother is killed in her own kitchen. Her two daughters are forced out into the woodland surrounding the house at gunpoint. One daughter makes a run for it and escapes. The older daughter is shot in the head and buried in the forest.
Twenty eight years later Charlie works with her father at his law practice in Pikeville. Rusty is still ornery and unpredictable – loved and hated by his neighbours – defending abortion centres and convicted killers alike he has made his mark on the area.
Charlie has rebuilt her life in the town after recovering from her dreadful childhood ordeal. Estranged from her husband Ben she is questioning everything and not finding many answers. An early morning errand stop at a local middle school finds Charlie in the middle of another blood bath. A student with a gun shooting at staff and students alike leaves the whole town devastated. When Rusty takes on the role of the spree killer’s defence attorney all of the carefully erected psychological barriers start to fall away. Can Charlie cope when the truth about what happened to her starts to emerge?
This is a gripping thriller, full of twists and turns. I had guessed part of the twist but the main denouement knocks you for six. Its a shame that it is a one off novel because I was really enjoying the characters and the setting. Pick it up for your holiday reading now. You won’t regret it.
Supplied by Net Galley and Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review.
UK Publication Date: July 13 2017. 512 pages.

Possibly the best book ever written by this author - a brilliant plot with so many unexpected twists and characters that jump right off the page. Hard to say too much without spoilers but basically if you enjoy gritty crime with depth then this is the book for you.

I loved this book. I really enjoy Karin Slaughter's novels and I am so happy that this one was no exception. The two main characters, Sam and Charlie, were flawed, genuine, likeable, believable people and I adored them both. I liked the way the story came together too, and read parts of this book with bated breath, reading as fast as possible so I could find out what happened. There are certain parts of this book that are difficult to read but I did feel that each and every word was necessary to the story, and the story was perfectly told.
Many thanks for letting me read this book.

I thought I'd spend 10 minutes reading the start of this book before I went to sleep.Big mistake!I couldn't put it down! Completely gripping start to a book.Thoroughly enjoyed it the whole way through.Loved the characters and brilliantly written.One of my favourites this year.Triptych is the only other Karin Slaughter book I've read(also good), but will definitely be reading more.

I have read and enjoyed many of Karin Slaughters books and this is one I would put to the top of my list of most enjoyed. A really good plot, believable characters who I felt I knew by the end. I could not put this down, could not wait to get to the end but also did not want it to finish as I was enjoying the read so much. Thoroughly recommended, what more can I say!

Fans of Karin Slaughter know before they open one of her books, that it will be a page turner, so they will need to set aside a couple of hours, because they will not want to put it down. There will be grisly murders, a mystery and a surprise towards the end. Very rarely, but occasionally as in this one a HEA, of sorts.

This book takes place in the small Georgia town of Pikeville. The story opens 28 years ago, when after their home was torched, because their father is the town's notorious defense attorney, the dilapidated farm house that they have temporarily moved in to is invaded by two mask men. Their mother is murdered, one of the sisters (Samantha) is shot so the other (Charlotte) could run away.

Devastation and secrets from that night have pulled the family apart. Now another violent crime brings that back together. Neither daughter has psychological healed from that night. The story is a roller coaster of twists and turns, but also a lesson in how the two sisters have coped and finally are able to reconcile.

I read a free e-ARC for an honest review.

Brilliant! Couldn't put it down! Have recommended to everyone I know!

When Charlotte and Samantha were thirteen and fifteen respectively, two balaclava-covered men came to the beaten up old farmhouse they’d been living in for only a short time. They had had their brick home burnt down and lost everything – the farmhouse was empty, so they moved in. But Rusty, their father, wasn’t home that night and although the men were after him, they decided on second best. Charlie and Sam’s mother Gamma was murdered and the girls were herded into the nearby woods; they knew they wouldn’t live to tell the tale…

Twenty eight years later, Charlie had done her best to bury those events – she was a lawyer like her father, though he was Pikeville’s defence attorney and his reputation was well-known. At the local junior school early one morning, Charlie was witness to a terrible trauma that brought her past rushing back – the memories hit her like a run-away train. As she tried to identify truth, the dark secrets from the past threatened everything she held dear. Would she be able to keep the secrets she had vowed never to reveal? Or would she crack from the intense strain she was under?

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter! Wow! This author NEVER disappoints! Filled with suspense, incredibly chilling events, twists that I didn’t see coming, and gripping, heartbreaking emotion, this long book (at 583 pages!) blew me away! A stand-alone thriller, The Good Daughter is one I highly recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy to read and review.

Karin Slaughter has been one of my top authors for years, this book just blows you away.

The plot intertwines very cleverly, dealing with the aftermath of a harrowing and life changing event the family finds themselves involved in.

The family characters are so strong, you are just engrossed, giving you a story which is disturbing, haunting, emotional and unforgettable.

My favourite book for 2017

Thank you Netgalley, Harper Collins and especially Karin Slaughter for allowing me to read and review this unique book.

A thrilling and very enthralling read. Excellent story.

With Karin Slaughter you never quite know what to expect..... Except it will ALWAYS be a good read! I read this as a stand alone and found it a little slow going at first.... But then again, I started with an expectation based on other books by this wonderful author. The characters are all well developed - if not all likeable. Paints a vivid picture of what I perceive to be 'bible belt' America. The tension is excellent but I don't want to spoil it for you soooooo, just read it and see for yourself!

This book is so great. I couldn't put it down. So highly recommended!!!

I would like to thank HarperCollins UK for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.

I have yet to pick up one of Karin Slaughter's books and be disappointed. The Good Daughter had me completely engrossed from start to end. There are so many fascinating layers to the plot, there's always something going on and the pages couldn't turn fast enough. Every time I thought I had all the information, another layer was revealed and it got better and better with every page turn.

The characters were complex and well developed, they were living, breathing, real people and I was right there with them throughout. I shared their pain, their fear, their anger, and their sadness. I can honestly say that I loved everything about this one.

Definitely one I would recommend.

If you are looking for a compelling, well written, gripping read that you can't put down, then look no further.
I highly recommend this book and give it five shiny stars.

This is a terrific book and well worth reading, Karin Slaughters best so far. For a full review please go to the blog linked below.
I would highly recommend reading this book and have rated it five stars.

This is the second thriller I've read lately that opens with a shitstorm of drama. In the best kind of way, of course. But The Good Daughter is, in some ways, much darker than Stillhouse Lake, and in other ways slower and more character-driven.

It's not a bad thing. Slaughter more closely resembles my beloved Tana French in style, making her books more about the detectives or, in this case, lawyers than about the actual crime/mystery. It's a clever technique that always ensures I'm invested, whether or not I can figure out the twists and whodunnits. The very best mystery/thrillers, in my opinion, are about so much more than the twists and whodunnits.

The Good Daughter is essentially a deeply emotional, character-driven family drama, set to the backdrop of two brutal crimes. The first happened years ago - two armed men forced their way into the home of young Samantha and Charlotte, murdering their mother and turning their lives completely upside down. The girls, now adult women and lawyers, are left with both the physical and mental scars; it is hard for the sisters to be around each other without serving as a reminder of the horrendous night that ruined everything.

The second crime, twenty-eight years later, is a school shooting that Charlie finds herself a witness to. When Sam returns to town, both of them are caught up in the case. It seems pretty obvious what happened - mentally slow teenager, Kelly, is caught literally with the smoking gun in front of two dead victims. But how much can Kelly be held responsible? Is everything as it seems? And, Charlie must ask herself: what, exactly, did she really see that day?

I don't know which story was most compelling - the gradual unveiling of what happened all those years ago, the investigating of the shooting and the dark secrets behind it, or the complex relationship between Sam and Charlie; the web of guilt, bitterness and love that they are tangled up in.

I should warn potential readers that there are some very disturbing and gory scenes of violence and (view spoiler). Slaughter doesn't gloss over details and there were some parts that had me cringing. If you are particularly sensitive to this, I wouldn't recommend The Good Daughter for you. But I was able to get past it.

My one main complaint about the book was that Slaughter does like to waffle on a little too much in parts. Some conversations between Sam, Charlie and Rusty go on for pages and pages without really adding anything. Though Tana French is occasionally prone to over-detailing, so I'm forgiving of it. Other than that, though, I thought it was a great read. Both drawn-out and complex, but also dramatic and compelling. The author gets the balance just right.

I really am going to have to rave a bit about this one! I had never heard of the author before but this book started like a rocket, straight into the action and I was hooked.

This book opens graphically with a violent that far from gratuitous is brilliantly written in a deeply descriptive way Karin. The way the author depicts the opening scenes is incredible, so accurate that the scenes are set to perfection! I had a few shocks that made me catch my breath and have to re read which is an element I love- if you can suddenly throw something at me that really shocks me because I didn't see it coming - you have my attention.

This story is is pacy at times and a little slower at others but I believe this was well thought out .It allows the reader to get their breath back, reaccess and prepare for the next adrenaline rush. There's plenty of intrigue in here as well as courtroom drama and you are kept guessing throughout, we know from the back page synopsis that there are secrets from the past and we watch the use unravel as the two daughters and father reunite together to fight the case of a school shooting. Karin hints that's that not is all as it seems by offering the two sisters versions of events from the attack on them which killed their mother and set the scene effect my for explosive revelations. We watch how these past events have affected them all mentally and physically over the years and we see who Samantha and Charlie's have become as a result of the trauma. Sam has serious health issues while Charlie's marriage is in deep trouble. I loved the switch of narratives, the differing perspectives really added strength in the unusual way the story is told.

Each and every character in this story is brilliantly depicted but my favorite had to be the father - Rusty, he is described as such an unusual character, with some funny mannerisms and a quirky sense of humour.

I also thought the way that the book is written invites a lot of pondering and is definitely thought provoking. I highly recommend this its gripping, well written and pacy, if you live intrigue and family drama and crime fiction this is a must. I will definitely be looking to read Karins other titles as a result.
Ok.... Now let's Join Karin for a short Q and A session based around the book

W.O.W. This was one hell of an amazing read! Really. I was drawn in from the first few opening pages, and got hooked on these characters within moments. Slaughter delivers, once again, a solid story, told with such finesse. You get drawn in. The characters become genuine, real people to you, the women are strong (I will always appreciate this), and you never feel like you are reading a book. It is like someone is telling you this story.

I was a big fan of the characters in the book. Sam, Charlie, Rusty, Lenore and Ben all brought a distinctly unique voice to the book, and I appreciate that. You always knew who was who and what was going on. You could identify with each and every one of them. Rusty is described in such a way that even though the town hates him on principle, you cannot help but like the man. He is witty and entertaining and loves his kids. Lenore is strong and stands her ground. Charlie, while totally damaged, is difficult to hate, though originally you think you are going to. Sam, brusque and stubborn as she is, has such a brilliant mind. Ben is absolutely adorable, and a strong, supportive man. I really liked it.

The story that Slaughter tackles here is a heavy one, something I know Americans are particularly touchy about – school shootings. They are vile things, and a horrible, tragic occurrence. Slaughter delivers the goods here again in terms of story – we have a truly savage, brutal back story for the Quinn family, and to see how they all come together again 28 years down the line over a school slaying is quite something. Slaughter gets right up to her elbows in the narrative. The writing flows smoothly and is genuine.

I barreled through this book. I did not want to put it down. I was engrossed for every single second, and thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the story. I was hooked, plain and simple. Definitely one of Slaughter’s strongest novels, and very interesting to see a story told from the perspective of the sisters. Absolutely a solid read and well worth it, I highly recommend this standalone novel from such an accomplished writer.

A great story which is just what I would expect from this very accomplished author. You can never relax reading a Karin Slaughter because she pulls no punches and offers no promises of happy ever after endings either.
This book was explosively brutal in some places but not in a sensational way. I usually like her characterisation and this was no exception I loved some and hated others just as she wanted me to I am sure.
Buy it today and settle down for a fabulous read... I wish I was just starting it today!

I’m a massive Karin Slaughter fan, I can’t get enough of her books so to say I was excited by the release of new book The Good Daughter is a bit of an understatement. The Good Daughter is another standalone novel and at first I was little disappointed that we weren’t going to be seeing Will Trent (love this series) however within a few pages I chastised myself for such thoughts. The Good Daughter was great in its own twisty, slow burning and emotionally charged way.

The Good Daughter takes us into the lives of the Quinn family. Beginning with the death of their mother, two teenage sisters, Charlie and Sam are faced with unspeakable violence. After their home comes under attack, the family is never the same again and the girls react very differently to this trauma. Twenty eight years later, we see the toll the horrors of 1989 have taken on the sisters. In the present day, Charlie is inadvertently caught up in another violent crime. This leads to revelations and confrontations with the past. What is the truth about the events in 1989?

“I loved your mother more than anything else on this earth. Every day with her was the best day of my life, even if we were screaming at each other at the top of our lungs.”

The Good Daughter is most definitely all about the characters. Slaughter has the ability to write such beautiful characters with such twisted and intricate dynamics. Both Sam and Charlie are unsurprisingly complex and have issues both interpersonally and with oneself. I adored Rusty, their father, despite his flaws. I could have just kept him in my pocket. He had lost so much over the years and endured so much heartbreak but he kept on keeping on. His quirky and quippy lines showed how deeply he cared for his daughters and how he never wanted them to see his own suffering.

The Good Daughter covers many themes, such as family, grief, and guilt. There are two main storylines here (past and present) and two main narrators Charlie and Sam, and Slaughter does a stellar job of seamlessly alternating between them. Confession time: It wasn’t until I was 40% through the book I realised that Sam had managed to survive the horror of 1989, so my head was pretty much spinning for a while. Even though there is a few violent events in the story, the violence is never graphic or gratuitous leaving this novel sitting solidly in the mystery category.

Set in the town of Pikeville, North Georgia (is Pikeville a real town, I struggled to find it on the map?) the author sets the scene as a small southern town, struggling with poverty in some parts, brimming with busybodies who know your business in all parts. Written and described so well, you can feel the claustrophobic and almost incestuous air of the town suffocating you. It’s a wonder that only one sister chose to start her life elsewhere.

The Good Daughter is a gritty and suspenseful read that will have you immersed from the first few chapters. It’s not a quick read, 525 pages meaning it’s leaning on the heavy side, it took me about four or five sittings to get through, but it is worth every minute. Highly recommend this multi-layered expertly plotted story. Overall five stars from me. Thanks to Karin Slaughter, Harper Collins and NetGalley for my advanced review copy.

I'd been craving a properly involving, gripping thriller that wouldn't make me shout in frustration at ludicrous plot twists or grit my teeth at sympathetic depictions of police brutality, and The Good Daughter ticked all my boxes and then some. Slaughter's standalone novel, set in smalltown Georgia, is on the surface about two tragedies within the community - a family attacked 30 years ago by masked gunmen, and a subsequent school shooting in the present day - but it goes much deeper than that, asking challenging questions about guilt, complicity, family and trust. Refreshingly for a US crime novel, the town police are portrayed not as highly trained investigators who'll always save the day, but as bumbling at best and trigger-happy at worst, while the central characters are all entirely believable and utterly sympathetic. The perfect summer holiday read, 4.5 stars.

Karin Slaughter writes the best twists and turns!!!! Like most of her books, I could NOT put this one down, desperate to get my answers and at the same time not wanting it to end.

I want to say that I loved the way the story began. Seriously, the first few pages had me thinking that someone was running for their lives, a few pages later and it was not at all what I thought. I honestly laughed a little because of the direction it took. Misleading in the best way. She also has the best descriptions I could practically see everything that I was raeding. This book, like many of hers, is messed up! You can't imagine stuff like this actually happening, and you even become a little uncomfortable, but you can't put it down, and you wonder about these types of people that do seriously messed up stuff to others. A

At a specific moment, I thought I had figured it out, but Karin Slaughter twists me up like whip lash and I'm lost once again. I love the mystery and the thrill of trying to figure it out. This book sheds light on the ugly, but on the strength that people have to get them through the ugly. It was a great story, and I'm so glad I picked it up. Highly recommended!

Been a massive fan for years and this book did not disappoint in any way. Great characters, well thought out plot and brilliant storytelling. Brought a tear to my eye in a few places and a smile to my face in others. Very enjoyable read.

The story of a family ripped apart by brutal events. Another event, a school shooter, is the unlikely catalyst to unite them. Father Rusty is the lawyer who defends the indefensible, not something that has made life easy for his wife or daughters. The school shooting is an unusual one, with the perpetrator being a young girl. Of course Rusty must defend her, although it seems a cut and dries case. Of course things are not so simple. When his daughter Charlie returns to the home town and reluctantly becomes involved many old wounds between Rusty and his daughters Charlie and Sam are opened. Plenty in this book to keep you turning the pages!

The Good daughter by Karin Slaughter is an amazing 5 star read.
Rusty Quinn is a lawyer who will represent the criminals that no one else wants to, even after his house is burned to the ground and his wife is brutally murdered and his eldest daughter left for dead, no body likes Rusty and his daughters aren't well liked either.
After 28 years Charlie has put the past behind her, she's now working as a lawyer and trying to fight to save her marriage but after she leaves her phone with a one night stand her life is about to take a disastrous turn. Witnessing the aftermath of a terrible school shooting brings back the nightmare of watching her mother murdered and her sister left fighting for her life, Charlie must try and put all the pieces together and figure out what really happened.
This was an amazing story it had me hooked from the very first page, I would highly recommend it.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley.

Every now and again a book comes along that you don’t want to put down, you don’t want it to end and you wish you could write as well as Ms Slaughter!. This is such a book.
An engrossing read, with well defined characters. Yes, they are flawed, but you don’t feel the flaws are in any way over the top, rather you perfectly understand who they are and why they are that way. The narrative grips you from the early pages and doesn’t let go until the very end of the book. Full of intrigue, mystery and double dealing there is a revelation in every chapter and I didn’t work out who did what they did and to whom! A seriously satisfying read for lovers of crime fiction.

As a fan of Karin Slaughter's other novels I was keen to read this one, it didn't disappoint.
Fast paced, gritty and descriptive in a way that only this author can, this story is a harrowing tale of abuse, revenge and maybe even a little forgiveness.
Switching back and forth between the past and the present this book is cleverly put together with solid characters and an interesting, tense storyline.
I could not put this book down, hard to read in some places regarding the abuse but highly recommended!

Here in the Literature Works office, we think there’s nothing that marks the heady days of summer better than indulging in the hottest new crime fiction, so when we were given the opportunity to review The Good Daughter, Karin Slaughter’s latest release, we just couldn’t say no! Nothing provides better antidote to humidity than a spine-chilling thriller and this is a novel that certainly delivers on that point.

Before we begin, I must make a small confession, fitting given the genre… I have read EVERY SINGLE ONE of Slaughter’s novels and short stories and I am well and truly hooked on both her series and standalones. When the opportunity of an early review for this latest release came in, I did something which is entirely outside of my usual practice as a reader. I dived into the novel without having read the blurb… I put my trust entirely in the author’s reputation and my previous experience of her work and I’m glad I did.
The Good Daughter completely knocked me for six with its excellent woven storyline, characterisation and unique approach to the genre. Let me expand. The novel tells the story of Sam and Charlie, two women, two sisters in fact who are both bound and separated by a tragedy that happened in their youth. Now, here’s the strikingly refreshing news: there are NO detectives. I would say that the novel is still a procedural of sorts – but it is a legal procedural.

Following Sam and Charlie in their adult lives, the story, set in Pikeville, Georgia introduces the reader to two women who are fragmented from each other, from themselves and from their sense of what happened to them one chilling day in the 1980s when one girl was shot and one was left behind…

An exceptional look at the meaning and power of family to influence, to support and even to destroy, The Good Daughter is a nail-biting thriller which pivots on the notion of secrets and truths and what happens when these become blurred and ultimately revealed.

With perhaps one of the most affecting crimes ever at its heart The Good Daughter explores the human ability to see things from a certain perspective and to build a version of ourselves that we think is true even if one small detail in the history of us can change everything for ever.

One of the most innovative elements of the narrative structure was for me, the inclusion of the distinctive ‘What really happened to Sam’ and ‘What really happened to Charlie’ additions in the progress of the plot and in their inclusion a most terrible truth is revealed, one that both women have been avoiding – until they are both drawn back together by a new tragedy and new violence in Pikeville which might have more to do with them than they thought. An exceptional novel with a chilling twist and fantastically realised reveal, Slaughter leaves readers with one question, who exactly is The Good Daughter?

Another 5 star gem of a story from Karin Slaughter who has cemented her place as my No 1 favourite author ever!
This is a standalone novel following sisters Charlie and Sam and their family in the small town of Pikeville, Atlanta. The girl's father is a local defence lawyer who attracts unwelcome and in this case violent attention due to his work in defending some very questionable characters accused of some awful crimes.
A violent and brutal attack is carried out on the family and the effects on Charlie and Sam are long-lasting and life-changing eventually resulting in a lengthy estrangement from each other.
A present day violent incident rocks Pikeville and the girls are drawn into this forcing them to examine their relationship and face the horrors of their past. We follow every detail of that fateful night in flashback from both Charlie and Sam and what is revealed is truly horrifying but terribly moving leading to long buried secrets being revealed.
The climax is fast and furious and hit like a truck - another triumph from Ms Slaughter!
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for advance copy. Link to Good Reads 5 star review below.