I am a massive fan of Karin Slaughter’s books so I was thrilled to read her latest standalone novel and it is phenomenal – which is exactly what I expect from a superstar of the genre. I honestly don’t think Slaughter could write a bad book if she tried. False Witness follows Leigh, a successful lawyer who is asked to take on a new and important client by her boss. She soon comes to realise that this client knows her and knows about something criminal Leigh and her sister Callie did two decades earlier which has shadowed both of their lives and he wants them to pay.

I flew through False Witness, glued to the pages and desperate to find out how and if Leigh and Callie could find a way out of the horrific situation they find themselves in. I don’t want to give much away about the plot because the way it unfolds is part of what makes this book so exceptional. The story delves into so many different areas like the far reaching consequences of childhood neglect and abuse, the nature of often misplaced guilt and shame, the tragedy of addiction and the both the darkness and light in human nature. The characters are beautifully nuanced, especially those of Callie and Leigh, who I was rooting for from the start. Their bond as sisters even in the face of the terrible trauma they have both lived through is the heart of False Witness. Slaughter also sets the book in the present day and weaves the horror of the Covid pandemic into the story in a way that feels unforced and gives the book a heightened resonance and impact.

As with all her books, this is not a book for the faint hearted. It is full of truly shocking and sometimes tough to read violence. However, for all its brutality, False Witness never feels gratuitous in any way. It is a sad fact that terrible things sometimes happen to good people and it is never more heartbreaking than in a book like this. I really cannot recommend False Witness highly enough. It is a gut-wrenching, intense and unrelentingly compelling thriller that had me hooked from the beginning and in tears by the end. Stunningly good.

This is now one of my favourite Karin Slaughter books!
What I partly loved about this book was the 'legal thriller' information dispersed throughout. Legal thrillers are my favourite genre and I loved this addition!
There were some great characters, but what I love about Slaughter books are the emotions she gives the readers about those characters. Andrew was one of the most vile I've ever read and Callie and Leigh were complex but I loved their relationship and how what happened to them dictated their lives years later.
Be warned, it is VERY graphic at times- Slaughter lives up to her name again! I was wincing and grimacing several times throughout, this is a disturbing book!
I didn't need constant reminding of Covid though, Slaughter wanted it to be present in the book rather than avoiding it, but the mentions became quite irritating for me. It didn't add any more substance to the plot than if it was set outside the pandemic.

I appreciate that I am in the minority but this book wasn't for me. I have read a previous book by this author, but struggled to get into this one and gave up on it. I also found words/phrases not commonly used in UK and with no explanation of what they meant. It's not going to stop me reading her books, but it's a long way from her best.

Lake Point, Atlanta, home to sisters Leigh and Callie who scrape and claw their way through their diabolical childhood babysitting for local neighbourhood kid Trevor. Even now, living separate lives as adults, memories of a period of time riddled with violence, abuse and neglect, culminating in one particularly horrific episode are forever etched on their minds. There is little respite from their dark thoughts, each sister battling their demons in their own individual ways. Callie is a street junkie ricocheting from jail to rehab to seedy motels to the ER room whilst her sister Leigh is a successful defence attorney (half) divorced from Walter who currently has custody of their only daughter Maddy. The past is brought back into sharp focus when Trevor resurfaces as Andrew Trevor Tennant, a man accused of the kidnap and rape of Tammy Karlsson but who could be accountable for similar crimes across the city. At Andrew’s own insistence, Leigh’s law firm instruct her to take over the case, the stakes of which are incredibly high not only for the accused but for Leigh, Walter, Maddy and Callie too. This is a case of mutually assured destruction.

False Witness is one seriously good thriller. From the opening chapter Karin Slaughter grabs you by the jugular, maintaining her cast iron grip over you, taking you hostage as she regales you with this ‘horror’ story direct from the hood. Be warned, it’s unrelentingly brutal in its violence, both in a sexual and physical way. It’s also bloodthirsty, sleazy, sordid, gritty and down in the gutter dirty as the author addresses tough themes including paedophilia, addiction, child abuse and domestic violence. Yet as you’d expect from this author it’s equally humane towards those in society who find themselves at the bottom of the heap, suffering from the injustices and inequalities that STILL exist in a first world nation. Slaughter focuses on the men who hold all the power, and the wealthy privileged men who hold even more as they exert their sexual dominance, impervious to the consequences of their deplorable transgressions, almost flaunting their freedom to act as they desire, safe in the knowledge that in all probability justice will be evaded, again and again. Written in the context of the coronavirus pandemic Karin Slaughter combines a social commentary on the current state of American society amidst this current crisis with a tense, riveting and highly addictive storyline.

It’s the relationship between these two siblings that is my favourite aspect of this thriller. Leigh is more of a mother to Callie than their biological, shitty, violent bipolar one could ever be. The love they share for one another is phenomenal leaving you in no doubt these two will stop at NOTHING to protect one another from any outside threats. But you can also feel the weight of responsibility Leigh shoulders in terms of Callie who is hell bent on self destruction, her pain and guilt at the way in which her sister has ‘chosen’ to lead her life a cross that she alone must bear. However psychologically or physically damaged these sisters may be they are survivors, the result of a society which turns a blind eye to their plight, and to people like them, allowing them to slip through the cracks and fend for themselves. I was rooting for Leigh and Callie all the way! Characterisation is as important to this author as her plotting skills so the portrayal of Andrew as a master manipulator, cold hearted and sadistic is excellent whilst in contrast Dr Jerry is like a life raft in an ocean of misery and hopelessness.He adds some much needed levity to this overwhelmingly grim storyline.

I have mixed feelings about the author setting this standalone thriller in the midst of the pandemic. Some readers (and I include myself in this category) may read to escape the harsh realities of the world we currently live in not wishing not be reminded of all the restrictions in place, the worldwide death toll and the job losses and the lack of social interaction which the author is at pains to point out, over and over and over again whilst others may be of the opinion it’s a predicament too serious to ignore. Although the continual references to masking up, using hand sanitizer etc did grate on me, at worst they were mildly irritating and either these sufficiently tapered off for me to not to notice or I simply was too engrossed in Leigh and Callie’s continued battle for survival. Whichever camp you fall into I would urge you not to let it detract from your overall enjoyment of what is a superbly plotted well written humdinger of a thriller.

Karin Slaughter has a unique writing style; her hooks are so powerful, her twists unpredictable and her portrayal of complex relationships which lie at the heart of her novels unbeatable. False Witness is no exception. I’ve only read a handful of her novels but each time I’ve picked one up it’s as if I’ve embarked on the most exhilarating, shock inducing, terrifying white water rafting experience ever. The adrenaline rush you get from the speed at which the narrative progresses and the thrill and excitement that accompanies you at every twist and turn are just two reasons why this author is so popular. I found her use of imagery in describing Callie’s inner demons and the tragic path she treads both illuminating and shocking. Needless to say I was with Leigh and Callie every torturous step of the way as they fight dirty, pitting their wits against one dangerous, crazed, depraved psychopath. As tension mounts so does your heart rate which feels dangerously high as you reach the intensely dramatic, nerve shredding but also moving conclusion. Karin Slaughter produces one final satisfying twist of the knife before the curtains come down on this not to be missed thriller.

I’ve never used the term book hangover before but I definitely think it applies to how I felt upon completion; mentally and emotionally drained (in a good way). These siblings get under your skin! I’ve yet to read a Karin Slaughter book that I haven’t enjoyed so once again it’s all the stars for False Witness.

My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a novel. Another hit by Karin slaughter. Tense, exciting and thought provoking/ heartbreaking at the same time. Loved getting to know Leigh and Callie.

Wow, what a book! Karin Slaughter is one of my favourite authors, who I have been following for many years. I was really excited to get this new book from her and it didn't disappoint. The story is about two girls called Callie and Leigh who are abused by a man called Buddy while they are babysitting for his son Trevor. The story is very dark, gritty, violent, shocking and hard to read, but I really enjoyed the suspense and thrill of it all and all the twists and turns. I got very attached to the main characters and I felt as though I was right there in the story with them. I was sad at what happened to Callie, especially at the end, but this was an important part of the story and it made sense. Karin is a magnificent author and I look forward to her next masterpieces in the future. I highly recommend this book, which is wonderful and very clever.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw I got accepted to review this book, I was so excited! This book was a great thriller, just what you would expect from Karin Slaughter. It was chilling, very graphic and the storyline was good.
However, I have to say I was absolutely fed up reading about Covid and the pandemic. I appreciate that the book is set in 2021. Although, Covid is still mentioned every single day on social media, the news, we hear about it so much. The last thing I want to do is hear about it in my latest novel as well. To make the book current and set in modern day, Covid could have been mentioned as a passing comment in a sentence. Unfortunately, this took away the greatest of the story and ruined it a bit for me.
Thank you to Karin Slaughter, NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for the opportunity to read and review this book.

There’s a reason why Karin Slaughter is a firm favorite of so many. She never, ever disappoints. And this latest offering is no exception, delivering everything her readers expect —a tense, twisty, dark thriller, with a baddie evil enough to curdle your blood and goodies you want to cheer from the rooftops.

It is gritty, grisly and grim. Shockingly, graphically brutal. And it builds to a blistering climax that leaves every nerve end tingling.

After an upbringing blighted by poverty and neglect, sisters Leigh and Callie have seen their lives take very different paths. Leigh is a successful lawyer, while Callie is a drug addict. But it is both lives that are threatened, when Leigh takes on the defence of a new client. A man who knows every detail of the horrific act the sisters committed as teenagers over two decades ago and who will stop at nothing to make sure Leigh wins his case.

Slaughter never shies away from difficult subjects. And here she’s taken on not one, but four: child sexual abuse, child murder, drug addiction and rape. For most authors, this would be too much to handle plausibly in one narrative. Yet Slaughter succeeds — magnificently so. And why? Because she’s not afraid of the detail. And it’s the detail that makes the plot so convincingly real.

There are few authors who can combine plot- and character-driven narrative quite as well as Slaughter. And here she outdoes herself. Not only was I gripped by the razor-sharp plot, I was consumed by the relationship between Leigh and Callie and the childhood experience that went on to define it.

Slaughter’s meticulous unpicking of the sisters’ mutual loyalty and protectiveness, and of the burden of guilt they’d each carried and kept hidden from the other for 23 years adds a powerful edge to the story, which is ultimately as much a tale of sisterly bonds as of a psychopathic monster (hopefully) getting his just desserts.

The ending is unexpected and sad and a brave choice on the part of the author. But then again, Slaughter has never been one for happy ever afters. It’s part of her brilliance, and I for one wouldn’t have her any other way.

A great psychological thriller that didn’t disappoint. Leigh and Callie have a hard childhood with a mother who doesn’t care about them. Something that happens to them in their developing life comes back to haunt them in later life. Leigh has become a lawyer but Callie has struggled and is drug dependent. How they come together again in the face of adversity could shape their lives forever.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for an advance copy of False Witness, a stand-alone thriller set in Atlanta, Georgia.

Leigh is living a successful life as a lawyer when she is strong armed into taking on accused rapist Andrew Tenant as a client. She realises she knows him and he knows her, insinuating that he knows all about what Leigh and her sister Callie did one terrible night twenty three years ago. Now the sisters are in a fight for their lives.

I enjoyed False Witness after a rocky start. Initially I found it difficult to get in to and it really didn’t hold my attention as it switched between present day events and a frankly unbelievable scenario from twenty three years ago. Once, however, it gets in to the present I found it more engrossing as the ladies decide how to deal with Andrew’s threat and use the past events to colour their narrative and influence their decision making.

The novel is mostly told from Leigh’s point of view as she tries to fend off Andrew’s threats and insinuations and prepare a legal defence, with Callie giving her perspective from time to time. She’s funny and quirky but her drug addiction and lifestyle overshadow a personality that otherwise would have been very likeable. Leigh, on the other hand, is a neurotic bunch of nerves and I have no idea how she gets through her days. In fact, I found that I couldn’t connect at all with their actions and thought processes so I was less invested in the outcome than I would have wanted to be.

The plot slowly unravels the secrets Andrew is keeping and Leigh’s most pressing question, how he came to know them. I’ll let the reader judge for themselves how likely that is, but it’s ingenious. It has its tense moments, mostly driven by Leigh’s fear and Andrew’s monstrosity, and then there’s Callie, who is the proverbial spanner in the works, unpredictable and who marches to the beat of a different drum. It is also long and quite slow moving, which I think is designed to build the tension and sense of menace. I just found it a bit wordy.

It should be noted that this novel has sexuality at its heart, how men perceive and treat women of all ages and how they deal with it. It’s not always pleasant to read but it tells a truth all women will recognise.

I think this novel will be a bit of a curiosity in the years to come because it is set firmly in the Covid world with masks, social distancing and sanitiser. It seems a real effort when written down and yet the fear of death or serious complications makes it easy for us to live it. I applaud this small dose of realism.

False Witness is a solid thriller that simply did not catch my attention or fire my imagination.

False Witness is the long-awaited new standalone thriller from one of the most prominent writers in the genre, Karin Slaughter and tells the riveting story of two sisters’ whose ordinary lives are connected by a terrible incident from their past. Leigh Coulton has worked hard to build what looks like a normal life. She has a good job as a defence attorney, a daughter doing well in school, and even her divorce is relatively civilised - her life is just as unremarkable as she'd always hoped it would be. But Leigh's ordinary life masks a childhood that was far from average... a childhood tarnished by secrets, broken by betrayal, and finally torn apart by a devastating act of violence. Then a case lands on her desk - defending a wealthy man accused of rape. It's the highest-profile case she's ever been given - a case that could transform her career, if she wins. But when she meets the accused, she realises that it's no coincidence that he's chosen her as his attorney.

She knows him. And he knows her. More to the point, he knows what happened twenty years ago, and why Leigh has spent two decades running. If she can't get him acquitted, she'll lose much more than the case. The only person who can help her is her younger, estranged sister Calli, the last person Leigh would ever want to ask for help. But suddenly she has no choice. This is a scintillating, compulsive and intelligent thriller exploring some of the darkest crimes known to man and presents both wicked twists and clever misdirection in abundance. It's a riveting and emotionally resonant tale about the bonds and love of family which Slaughter juxtaposes against the rampant violence and sexual assault throughout. There's tension, pace, mystery and sensitivity to heavy topics, all written in a fast-flowing, addictive and thoroughly engrossing fashion. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘False Witness’ by Karin Slaughter in exchange for an honest review.

This is a dark standalone crime thriller set in Atlanta, Georgia.

As for the plot, it is told from the viewpoints of sisters Harleigh (Leigh) and Calliope (Callie). To say that they had difficult childhoods is an understatement. Then one night twenty-three years ago the teenage sisters did something terrible, even though there were mitigating circumstances. The result of this violent secret has resonated down through their respective lives.

Leigh has pushed down the memory of that night and become a successful criminal defence lawyer.
However, she has now been forced to take on a new client accused of a heinous assault. It quickly becomes apparent that the client is someone from Leigh’s past who knows the truth about that night. His plan is to tear the sisters lives apart as well as to escape justice for his own crimes.

As the publishers say: “Just because you didn't see the witness … doesn't mean he wasn't there.”

As for Callie, her path had been much more self-destructive though Leigh has tried unsuccessfully to help her escape her demons.

I have been a fan of Karin Slaughter’s novels for some years. They are extremely dark though I expect that most of her readers are aware of this in advance. So expect strong language, graphic violence, gritty realism, drug use, ambivalent moral choices, and uncomfortable subject matter. There is also dark humour, often expressed through the sisters’ repartee as well as moving moments. I especially appreciated Callie’s interactions with Dr. Jerry, her veterinarian employer, and with her cat, Binx.

Slaughter closes with a letter to her readers in which she addresses aspects of the narrative as well as her decision to highlight the responses of various characters and the community to the pandemic.

While I found this a gripping novel with all the hallmarks I expect from a Karin Slaughter novel, I do recognise that some aspects might be too dark for readers less familiar with her signature style.
Still, for her avid readers ‘False Witness’ is another impossible to put down winner.

I did like the way the thriller was written and really wanted to know how it ended. Unfortunately some parts of it were a bit too vivd and explicit to read about. Also I understand that it was set in covid times but there seemed to be too many references to it rather than glossing over it. I felt some parts dragged and were repetitive. But overall worth a read if you enjoy something gritty and a dark thriller

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Two sisters, one shared past, two very different current lives. When they were children Callie and her sister did a dreadful thing. They have kept it hidden for many years. Leigh appears to have excelled in life and is now married with a daughter and is a successful lawyer. But the past comes back to haunt Leigh and her sister as a client of Leigh's appears to know their secret... Is it possible? Just what could the client know? What can Leigh and Callie do to stop the truth coming out after all of these years? How far will they go to protect those they love?
This is the first Karin Slaughter book I have read. She writes so well. It is set in the current day, Covid is mentioned as part of day to day life and it is not overly dominant; it works well in the gritty setting of courts, law firms and with the tough subject matters raised in the book. Overall, the talks of face masks and social distancing adds to the feelings of realism and claustrophobia. The main characters are all very good, and it is a really well written thriller. Highly recommend and I will certainly read more by this author.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! What a roller coaster ride this was. Amazing new standalone novel from Karin Slaughter with her trademark gritty, sometimes brutal realism. Two young sisters, both abused and neglected, have a terrible secret. Callie grows up an addict. Injured by a serious accident and scarred by trauma, she is dependent on drugs to kill her physical and emotional pain. Leigh on other hand is a successful lawyer but her marriage and relationship with her daughter bears her strain. Now, her repugnant client, a violent, serial rapist, knows their secrets. Blackmail ensues but will the sisters work together to get the better of him? There are some huge twists that I didn't see coming for a second. I couldn't put the final chapters down.

Karin Slaughter's latest offering is full of her trademark violence, grittiness and hard hitting representations of those coming from the wrong side of the tracks. I must add that there are strands of cunning humour that haven't been so prevalent in her previous novels.

Sisters, Leigh and Callie had a troubled upbringing and growing up they have taken very different paths. Leigh is a successful defence lawyer while Callie is a drifting junkie. When Leigh is chosen to defend Andrew Tennant, a connection from their past, in a rape trial, they are forced to confront a serious issue from their younger days. From the outset, Leigh is aware that calculating and malicious Andrew wants something more from her than just her skills as a lawyer.

This is an intense read with powerful observations of the current pandemic, the mistreatment of women and children and the political and drug crises in the US. It is also a gripping thriller suffused with tension and menace. I was thoroughly engrossed.

Slaughter's characterisation is excellent and I found myself rooting for Leigh and, especially, poor Callie. I was also looking over my shoulder to check that evil Andrew was nowhere near! The action is unrelenting as the plot evolves and the ending...I'll leave you to discover for yourself.

In my opinion, this is one of Slaughter's best books and I have loved all of them to a greater or lesser extent.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.75⭐️ which I’ve rounded up
Gore score 4/5

A standalone domestic noir/psychological thriller.
I used to be a big Karin Slaughter fan, but haven’t read anything for awhile. What made me look at this book were reviews complaining about its graphic gory nature, with me thinking this could be right up my street. My first question is when did Karin Slaughter delve into the dark side? It covers paedophilia, rape, murder. I mention this for potential triggers. There are some graphic descriptions.

The book cover is eye catching.
It’s a brave book which tackles covid head on. It comes with a little political comment, I think we all have views on how the pandemic has been handled especially by our own governments.

Leigh’s past comes crashing head long into her present when she represents someone against sexual assault and battery charges.
It starts with the past with Leigh’s sister Callie being abused but it doesn’t give the entire story in one go. It I s revealed through the book.
The present and past are linked the question is, is it coincidence? It doesn’t feel like it to Leigh.

The story is mostly told from Callie’s and Leigh’s point of view.
Leigh isn’t a likeable character, she is a born street smart manipulator. Callie is more likeable than her sister especially with her relationship with animals and Dr Jerry.
There is no denying the love and close bond between the sisters.
There aren’t many really likeable characters, Dr Jerry is my favourite, followed by Walter. Both are capable of loving people who are deeply flawed.

It has a casual easy reading writing style. The humour that exists is the snidey bitchy kind.

The pace is very good, it hardly dips.
There are a lot of OMG moments, I was riveted. There is a constant stream of twists and revelations.
It’s moving too. I loved this book and highly recommend it if you like the darker gritty end of the spectrum.

Karin Slaughter never disappoints, this is yet another brilliant novel from one of Americas most imaginative thriller writers. In "False Witness" Leigh a successful attorney is required to defend an accused rapist, someone she discovers she once knew. This someone seems to know all about a traumatic event in her past that she though would never come to light and is now threatening to disrupt her life and that of her family.
From start to finish this novel had me enthralled and I found that I had to pace myself otherwise I would have raced through it because I was so caught up in the story. A truly excellent read.
I am grateful to Harper Collins and NetGalley for an ARC but provide my review independently and without bias.

What a book!! I couldn't put it down! It grabbed me from the first chapter & I was hooked. Leigh & Callie are sisters who together kill a paedophile, cut him up & bury his remains. Their lives are haunted by what happened & it follows them. Two great characters who I liked instantly & then spent the next 24 hours finding out more. A highly recommended read & would love to see this book as a film. Gripping!

Another great novel from Karin Slaughter!
An edge of your seat thriller that deals well with many touchy subjects like child and drug abuse.
The characters of both Leigh and Callie were strong and determined whilst also being scared, weak and at times childish.
I could fully relate.
Everything came together well at the end to wrap up another great scene!