False Witness by Karin Slaughter
I give this book 4.5 stars.

Meet Leigh and her sister Callie. One night, two decades ago, they did something terrible. And the result was a childhood tarnished by secrets, betrayal and violence.
Years later, Leigh now a successful lawyer – is forced to take on a new client who knows the truth about what happened 23 years ago. He knows what Leigh and Callie did. And unless they stop him, he's going to tear their lives apart …

This is a gripping,dark suspense thriller (my favourite kind of book).l was drawn in right from the start by the deep and riveting storyline, l completely felt for the two main characters whose stories were so tragic .The well written narrative develops and unwinds at a perfect pace so you just can’t put it down!
A highly recommended superb read from an author l love.
Thank you Netgalley,Karin Slaughter and Harper Collins UK for my chance to read and review this book.

If you like thrillers and mysteries then this one is for you. Karin Slaughter has written this novel really well taken into account all the topics explored within the story. Loved every minute of it.

** ARC provided by Netgalley via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ***

This is another stand alone novel from Karin Slaughter, ideal for those who haven't delved into the Grant County/Will Trent series. In my opinion, Karin Slaughter is the best writer in this genre and she has never disappointed me. This book adds to the list of novel by Slaughter where she keeps you guessing right until the very end.

Our main characters are Leigh and her estranged sister Callie who we follow in the present day as well as looked back into their past. Really, anymore information than that does Slaughter a discredit, let her tell you about it and you won't regret it!

I am giving up at 40%.

It is an interesting idea but the actual writing is repetitive and dull, especially now we have wandered into Callie's narrative. At least Leigh's held early and increasing tension.

COVID is used like a character in its own right. After over a year I get the gist of the protocols surrounding COVID. I think being mentioned once or twice is fine as a reminder of the setting but I was bored of it pretty quickly.

I don't particularly like either Leigh or Callie so while I feel the tension, I am not overly invested in the outcome to be honest.

The writing and descriptions of the various crimes are all graphic and brutal. I don't mind this but it seems like it is being used as substitute for having a more eventful plot.

It also reads in quite a 'listy' manner. Instead of giving one or two examples to support an idea, there are pages. For example, Callie goes through the list of animal patients with Jerry. Almost immediately she goes back through all of them again to explain their real status to the reader. Then we go back through all the drugs each takes and how she manages them. It was so long, added nothing to the plot and was a bit condescending. If it had just been explained that she takes animals drugs then I am capable of understanding.

I also found the plot up to this point repetitive. We read first hand about Buddy, then got an overview from Leigh. Then we got full chapters full of the details. If there had been other subplots or events to focus on then maybe this wouldn't have bothered me but again, I got the gist the first two times...

Not for me this one at all, it just feels like it needs a good edit.

Holy h%^*, Karin Slaughter just wrote her next PRETTY GIRLS, and it’s mind blowing good! Starts with a bang and ends with a boom!!! If you are like me and love dark, brutal, and disturbing, but oh so delicious thrillers, THIS IS YOUR BOOK! A Well written, intense, dark, unputdownable, fast paced roller coaster ride through hell, but one you’ll enjoy througoiuy the twisty, dark ride! I cannot say enough about this book, but I highly, highly recommend!! Grab today, don’t delay, but word of advice, clear your schedule and do not start prior to bed time!

I will make sure to buzz around and use low Amazon reviewer number!

What an amazing book, not that I expected anything less from Karin Slaughter. The plot itself was so well created and the relevance to today’s COVID situation was so brilliant. It made me sob my heart out. Fabulous book

This has been a read filled with tension and suspense and I have been completely hooked. I have adored the way this has been written and fully engaged in this novel.

When Leigh is asked to defend a potential rapist who she believes may be guilty she is compromised, she has no choice in defending him as he is someone from her past who could destroy both Leigh and her sister Callie.
The book is dark and tense wondering how Leigh will deal with the dilemma and can she save her sister again.

A good story, but I found it much too violent for my liking, and I couldn't find any sympathy for the main characters.

As teens, Leigh and her sister Callie have both done babysitting stints for Andrew Trevor Tennant while his dad, Buddy Waleski and his mum, Linda are working. One night Buddy attacks Callie and she manages to nick his femoral artery. While he is incapacitated, Callie phones her big sister, Leigh who cleans up.

20 years later and Callie is a drug abuser and Leigh is a defence lawyer. Leigh has separated from her husband, Walter and their 16 year old daughter, Maddy lives with Walter.

Leigh is asked by her boss to defend a rapist, someone who knows her. She never expects it to be Andrew Tennant, who she babysat for. Leigh soon finds out that Andrew knows what happened all those years ago and is planning on destroying hers and Callie’s lives.

This is an extremely emotional book to read but at the same time, the story has you gripped. Karin Slaughter excels at writing sensitive subjects in her stories and this one is no different, it has murder, drugs, torture and child abuse. You can’t not feel a range of emotions for the main characters, Leigh and Callie and feel absolute revulsion for Buddy and Andrew. A truly powerful story.

This is one harsh, violent, gritty read.
Quite a lot of detail packed into this one and for me it lost a bit of the pace because of it. Found myself crawling through it. Lots of covid reference too which one of the reasons I read is to forget the covid situation.

The prologue in this book is fantastic. Such tight powerful writing and a twist I didn’t see coming.
I was so excited to read more.
However as each page in chapter 1 spoke more and more about the pandemic. I gave up.
Sorry but I just don’t want to read about it in fiction.

Karin Slaughter is an expert at racking up the tension - and keeping it there.

When Leigh Collier is called on by the head of her firm to defend a man accused of rape, she doesn't realise that his presence will raise demons she thought long buried.

A tense, chilling novel, which will keep you reading till the last page. Don't miss it.

Leigh is a lawyer, focused, compartmentalised and keeping a secret she really doesnt want to think about. Her younger sister, Callie, is a mess, especially since an accident put her in almost constant pain. And then she is assigned a case that brings everything back to the both, something neither wanted to revisit ever again.

As you would expect from this author, very strong story lines, believable characters and a pace that keeps you on the edge of your seat. One of those books you don’t want to finish too quickly but are desperate to know how the story can possibly be resolved. I occasionally felt a bit frustrated with Leigh’s character, but then I’ve never been in a position like this thankfully. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Amazing ! Love reading books by Karin Slaughter, you always know it will be a great book ! And you will not be disappointed ! this is a stand alone book, about two very different sisters, you get into the characters very early on,, didn’t want to put it down!

Sisters Leigh and Callie have a secret in their past, something awful. Fast forward to the present day, when Leigh is a successful lawyer. She has to take on a client who has committed multiple rapes, but discovers that he was a witness to what Leigh and Callie did all those years ago. He then manipulates them to try and get away with his crimes.

This was a brilliant book with an excellent plot, but definitely not for the faint-hearted!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

A new standalone from Karin Slaughter. Leigh Collier is a defence lawyer and brought in to represent a rape defendant at the last minute. She soon realises she knows this defendant and is worried a deep dark secret from over 20 years ago is going to unravel her world. Leigh has tried so hard to step aside from her abusive, dysfunctional childhood and is now a successful lawyer with daughter and technically, still a husband.
Leigh enlists her estranged junkie sister, Callie when she realises the defendant knows what they did all those years ago and is seeking revenge.
True to form, a gripping thriller from Karin Slaughter with some hard hitting characters.

I love Karin Slaughter and have read all her books, I love the Will Trent series and he will always be my favourite Character but her stand alones are always amazing too, The Good Daughter is one of my all time favourite books. This one did not disappoint, while the subjects of child abuse, drug addiction and torture are hard to read you find yourself having to read to find out what happens to Leigh and Callie, you become so invested in the sisters and their relationship and you will them to come through it all, I love Karens gritty writing style, she has touched on so many social issues throughout her stand alone books and this is the first book Iv read which touched on Covid while not being “all” about it, it didn’t overpower the story, Karin will always be an author I wait with baited breath for her next book so here’s to the next one
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the privilege of reading this early proof!

I haven't read Karin Slaughter in ages and I forgot how good the writing is. Very well developed. I really enjoyed how she built in the last year into the story line but as an adjunct and not a main player.

I got really engrossed in the story and needed to know how it ended.

There was great character development and the plot although simple to follow was well developed with some twists in there which I was not expecting.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

I can't say I enjoyed this brilliant book as enjoyment signifies taking pleasure in something. However I can say I was totally hooked from the first sentence to the last. Karin exhibits such a depth of knowledge of both child sexual abuse, rape and addiction that I can only imagine the depth of research she did into these dark subjects. The pain and horror engendered by the distressing subject matter was mitigated in part by the characters of the loving Dr Jerry, the loyal Walter, the sisterly bond between Calli and Leigh plus the delightful depictions of animals. I literally wanted to shower and surround myself with puppies in order to banish the images burnt on my brain, so powerful is Slaughter's prose. The setting of the story amidst the pandemic added another layer of oppression and seemed quite symbolic. I can highly recommend this book albeit with a warning that it will make you want to cry, shout, scream!