EXCERPT: She wanted to make plans.

In two weeks, Emily would be eighteen years old. In another two months, she would be a mother. She would get a job. She would move out of her parents' house. Gram would understand, and what she didn't understand, she would forget. Dean Wexler was right about one thing: Emily had to grow up. She had more than herself to think of now. She had to get away from Longbill Beach. She had to start planning her future instead of letting other people plan it for her. More importantly, she would give her baby girl everything that Emily had never had.

Kindness. Understanding. Security.

Emily closed her eyes. She conjured the image of her baby girl joyfully floating around inside of her body. She took a deep breath and started to recite the mantra, this time from a place of love rather than duty.

'I will protect - '

The sound of a loud snap made her eyes open.

Emily saw black leather shoes, black socks, the hem of a pair of black pants. She looked up. The sun flickered as a bat swung through the air.

Her heart clenched into a fist. She was suddenly, inescapably, filled with fear.

Not for herself - for her baby.

Emily curled inward, arms wrapped around her belly, legs pulled up tight, as she fell to the side. She was desperate for another moment, another breath, so that her last words to her little girl would not be a lie.

Someone had always planned to hurt them.

They had never been safe.

ABOUT 'GIRL, FORGOTTEN': A small town hides a big secret…

Who killed Emily Vaughn?

A girl with a secret…

Longbill Beach, 1982. Emily Vaughn gets ready for the prom. For an athlete, who is smart, pretty and well-liked, this night that should be the highlight of her high school career. But Emily has a secret. And by the end of the evening, that secret will be silenced forever.

An unsolved murder…

Forty years later, Emily’s murder remains a mystery. Her tight-knit group of friends closed ranks; her respected, wealthy family retreated inwards; the small town moved on from her grisly attack. But all that’s about to change.

One final chance to uncover a killer…

US Marshal Andrea Oliver arrives in Longbill Beach on her first assignment: to protect a judge receiving death threats. But, in reality, Andrea is there to find justice for Emily. The killer is still out there – and Andrea must discover the truth before she gets silenced, too…

MY THOUGHTS: Quietly stunning. It's the characters: Andrea; Bible - her partner; Esther - the Judge and Emily's mother; Emily herself whose presence is still felt forty years after her murder; and the 'clique': Nardo who is crooked, a con-artist; Blake - a chancer now deceased; Ricky - Blake's twin; and Clay Morrow - wealthy, arrogant and selfish. But for some unfathomable reason, everyone loved Clay. And hanging around on the fringes, but never quite accepted into the fold, was Cheese - Jack Stilton, the Police Chief's son.

Emily was much like her mother, Judge Esther Vaughn, in that they both excelled at everything they did and had no concept of how to deal with failure. Judge Vaughn is a complicated woman; imposing, imperious, intelligent and indomitable. Not a woman to be crossed. Emily's pregnancy could hardly have come at a worse time for the Judge who is busy brokering her next step up the career ladder.

Told over two timelines, 1981 and forty years later, this is a harrowing tale of intrigue and subterfuge. Forty years on, and people are still hiding the truth. With the Judge succumbing to cancer, her husband severely disabled by a stroke, and Andrea detailed to guard them after the Judge received death threats, it seems like there's no better time to find out if her own father, Clay Morrow, is guilty of murdering Emily.

There are layers and layers of lies for Andrea to wade through. Everyone, it seems, still has things to hide. Andrea is lucky to have Bible, an experienced Marshal at her side. He's a man who makes up the rules as he goes along, but he is wise and thoughtful, and never oversteps the mark. Mike, a US Marshal from Andrea's past, and who featured quite prominently in the first book of this series, Pieces of Her, makes a return appearance.

Now, I have to admit to not having enjoyed Pieces of her anywhere near as much as Girl, Forgotten and, as happens with books that I haven't really enjoyed, I could remember nothing of the plot of the first book. But as you can tell, it really made no difference to my enjoyment of Girl, Forgotten.

The plot is complex, but engrossing. Emily was, at times, astute, at others, incredibly naive. It didn't stop me wanting justice for her. I loved the way she played 'Columbo'. That was a great touch. The thread involving the cult is almost secondary, but weaves into the main story with the involvement of two of the main characters. I don't usually read anything involving cults, but I am glad I decided to override this preference in favour of Karin Slaughter's writing. It was a good choice.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.1

#GirlForgotten #NetGalley

I: @karinslaughterauthor @harpercollins

T: @SlaughterKarin @HarperCollins

#contemporaryfiction #crime #cultfiction #familydrama #detectivefiction #historicalfiction #murdermystery #thriller

THE AUTHOR: Karin Slaughter is one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed storytellers. Published in 120 countries with more than 35 million copies sold across the globe, her eighteen novels include the Grant County and Will Trent books, as well as the Edgar-nominated Cop Town and the instant New York Times bestselling novels Pretty Girls and The Good Daughter. Slaughter is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit organization established to support libraries and library programing. A native of Georgia, Karin Slaughter lives in Atlanta. Her Will Trent series, Grant County series, and standalone novel Cop Town are all in development for film and television.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers UK, Harper Fiction via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Girl, Forgotten by Karin Slaughter for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

I have always enjoyed Karin Slaughter’s Grant County series and a few years ago I actually read her stand alone novel, Pieces Of Her. This is a follow on from the latter book.
It is the story of US Marshal, Andy, who has recently graduated from training college. She is immediately assigned to investigate the long ago murder of Emily Vaughan, a judge’s daughter, as well as protect the judge herself as she has been receiving threatening letters. Her investigation is trying to prove the culpability of one particular man, her own father Clayton, who is a psychopath, locked up in prison. He is awaiting a parole hearing and if it is proven he killed Emily it might well keep him in jail much longer.
Partly told in flash backs, from Emily’s point of view and partly from Andrea’s present day investigation this is a complex story but engrossing nonetheless.
I must say that it was a little slow in places, not moving at the same speed as Karin Slaughter’s previous books and I found some of the characters a bit two dimensional. I liked Andrea and Emily but the others were hard to get a handle on. Many of them were unpleasant and it was hard to believe so many evil people could live in one town!
Overall I enjoyed the book but not quite as much as other novels by this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc.

#netgalley #girlforgotten I have loved all of Karin Slaughter books and this one I devoured, I would have read it in one sitting if I'd had the time. It's gripping and suspenseful. It's the second Andrea Oliver book but can be read as a standalone, I really hope there is going to be a third. I will be definitely recommending this book. Thank you to netgalley and Harper Collins UK for this ARC, all opinions are solely my own. 5/5 stars

I didn't read "Pieces of Her" and didn't read a lot of Karin Slaughter's books so it's possible I missed some backstories.
I found this book gripping but also very slow at times. The dual time limes work and the book is well plotted but I was expecting to be hooked since the beginning and it took quite a long time before I was totally immersed.
It's a good thriller, gritty and twisty but i felt a bit disappointed.
The author is an excellent storyteller and this book is recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I haven't read a Slaughter novel in a very long time, but reading this has certainly ignited my passion to read more of her works.

This was soooo good and I apologise for racing through it before everyone else had finished, but it was so compelling, exciting and suspenseful that I needed to know what was happening.

Fast paced from beginning to end, intense and a highly immersive read. It's the second in the Andrea Oliver series but can easily read as a standalone.

Very well written as expected from Slaughter, an immersive plot and a fantastic range of characters.

I found Girl, Forgotten highly entertaining and wouldn't hesitate in recommending it.

Many thanks to Tandem Collective for my readalong spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Girl, Forgotten continues two years on from the life-changing events that began when a gunman walked into a diner in Laura and Andy’s coastal hometown and ended with a lot of secrets being revealed and their lives turned upside down, in Pieces of Her. Andy – now going by Andrea, has changed a lot since then. She has left her drifting and helpless ways behind and is now a capable and independent woman! Andrea has joined the US Marshall programme, much to the disapproval of her parents, Laura and Gordon and is immediately thrown into her first case in a sink or swim situation straight after her graduation ceremony, which is equally terrifying and intriguing to Andrea. She is to investigate the cold case of seventeen-year-old Emily Vaughn who was brutally murdered – barefoot and pregnant on her way to Prom in the small town of Longbill Beach in 1982. This Forty-year-old cold case has links to her imprisoned biological father, Nick Harp or as he was previously known – Clayton Morrow. On the surface, Andrea is to help protect federal judge, Esther Vaughn who has been receiving death threats, but her underlying mission is to work the cold case to find links to Clayton Morrow as the killer. He has long been a suspect, but with his parole due in six months – never has it been more important to find the missing link that ties him to the crime to ensure he never leaves the confines of the prison – something that would be a danger not only to Andrea and her mother, Laura – but to the general public as a whole!

“When shit had gone sideways, Laura had been a badass while Andrea had cowered in the corner like a kid playing hide and seek. She was not going to feel that helpless if – when her father turned his deadly focus back on them again!
-Andrea Oliver

This is a dual timeline story of past and present. Each timeline is independently strong but perfectly linked together with witness statements from 1982, Andrea’s investigation in the same small town where Emily died and the possible link between Emily and Andrea, all while she juggles the death threats to the judge with her new partner, the experienced and hilarious, Us Marshall Leonard ‘Catfish’ Bible. The small-town atmosphere (and everyone knowing your business) is portrayed really well, bringing an element of claustrophobia. Secretly trying to uncover a four-decade-old, unsolved crime in a small town full of secrets may prove to be more difficult and more dangerous than anyone ever thought!

To fully appreciate Karin Slaughter’s latest story, I’d highly recommend reading Pieces of Her first. Although Girl, Forgotten is written well enough to pick up the pieces you need to know, you really do need to read them to fully appreciate the story as a whole.

My thanks to the author and Harper Collins UK for my advance copy to review via Netgalley. Available to buy now!

I have read a good few Karin Slaughter books in the past, and I usually have loved every one - Slaughter has an amazing way of making her books absolute page-turners, and gripping from the start.
Unfortunately I cannot say the same for this one... I found this book to be very slow in places, and it took me a good while to actually immerse myself in it.
The pacing felt a little off in places too - there were big dramatic moments, but also some moments that felt very dry and waffly.

This was not my favourite Karin Slaughter book, and I have to say if you are new to Slaughter - do not start with this one!!

Overall I did enjoy the book, and it did get more exciting as it went on- but it's hard not to compare to her other books when they have been so gripping and fast paced.

Really excited by this sequel as we find out what Andrea Oliver did next. Turning past experiences positive, Andy has joined the US Marshalls and is tasked with minding a judge on the surface, but secretly she has other missions to accomplish, like keeping her father in jail. This book flicks back and forth between events in the eighties linked to her father, and some of the fall out forty years later. Finally the pieces come together but perhaps not in the way you were led to believe they would. I really enjoyed this book so a big thank you to Netgalley for the advance reader copy.

This is the 2nd in a series but it could easily be a stand alone. Set originally in the 80s the story surrounds an unsolved murder of a young girl. Although parts can be difficult to read it's very easy to be dragged into the story and my mind was constantly trying to work who where and what.

So I watched the tv adaptation of the first book when it first came out, and rushed to get my hands on the book. I loved the first book, so I was thrilled to discover a sequel was coming.

I actually enjoyed this more than the first. i think because I’d already become familiar with Andrea, and it pushed me to become more invested. The story was fascinating, and we got to learn more about Andrea’s past.

There were so many twists and turns and I couldn’t guess how everything was going to turn out in the end. This book was the definition of a page turner!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher, for a chance to read and review this book.

This is the second novel featuring Andrea Oliver who we were first introduced to in Pieces of Her. Since the events in that novel Andrea has decided to join the US Marshal service and has just recently been assigned to her first case.

In Longbill Beach forty years ago, eighteen year old Emily Vaughn was murdered on her prom night. Her killer was never found. Now her mother, a federal judge, has been receiving death threats and Andrea has been assigned to protect her. But Andrea has an ulterior motive as she intends to also find out who murdered Emily all those years ago.

Karin Slaughter has always done dual timelines well, with just the right amount of information being provided to intrigue rather than frustrate. I liked how the case was personal to Andrea with her father being one of the suspects in Emily’s murder and thought the plot itself played out well, with her usual deft touch of twists and turns.

I found this book quite tough going however, and that was mainly down to the characters. Andrea herself was fine, not one of her best creations but by no means badly written or one dimensional. The problem was with the secondary characters, namely all of Emily’s friends and the grown up versions of them. The amount of homophobia, sexism, misogyny and all round repulsive attitude towards women really got under my skin. I know these people were supposed to be unpleasant but I just found it too much.

That being said, even a below parr Karin Slaughter book is better than most other thrillers or crime novels out there so I’ll keep reading her books and hope that the next one is more my thing.

Andrea Oliver makes a reappearance in a follow up book to Pieces of Her. Andrea has spent 2 years training to become a Marshall and as she qualifies she is thrown into a position immediately, supposedly to help protect a threatened judge. Andrea's father, who has been in prison for many years, is hoping to be released. He is a threat to Andrea and her mother and society at large so there is hope that new charges can be filed.
As Pieces of Her, this book is set in two time frames and nearly 40 years previously Emily Vaughan, heavily pregnant to an unknown father, was murdered and her assailant has never been caught. She was part of a small group at school which included Andrea's father. If he could be found responsible his release would not happen.
As always, well written and cleverly crafted.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Karin Slaughter/HarperCollins UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Been a fan of KS for years. Love her books. Always great storyline, characters and writing. Girl Firgotten keeps you gripped throughout

Girl Forgotten is Book 2 of the Andrea Oliver series. Emily Vaughn is brutally murdered on the night of her prom. Forty years later, her murder is still unsolved but a very cold case might just begin to heat up when US Marshal Andrea Oliver is sent to guard Emily's mother who has started receiving death threats.

You can't go wrong with a Karin Slaughter book, I wouldn't say that this was my favourite book by this author, that said it's an enjoyable read. There are many twists and turns in this book that will keep you guessing until the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and Publisher for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is the second book in the Andrea Oliver series written by Karin Slaughter and you've to read the first book to follow what is happening here and to get more insight on pretty much everything.
Plot:
Andrea picks up her first assignment as US Marshall to protect a judge in Longbill Beach. But, her actual intention is to solve the murder of Emily Vaughn 40 years ago. By solving the mystery she intends to keep a Certain someone in prison forever. But, somehow the Judge she's there to protect, the murder she's trying to solve and whom she's trying to convict are all related and things are not easy with the present crimes coming into picture.
Thoughts:
I loved this book more than the first and like in the first book I loved the past narrative more than the present but the author's writing has vastly improved from the first book. Andrea's character matures perfectly and her detective skills are to be appreciated. She has a partner Bible who lightens the moment with his dry humor but also very good at his job. The moments with Andrea's love interest are fun. The character Emily deals with so much as a teenager on her own without anybody to rely on and it is heartbreaking. The justice is served a little too late but that may not solve Andrea's problem completely. The ending and the climax confirms that there'd be another book.
Overall this was a fantastic book that has to be picked up knowing the trigger warnings.

Karin Slaughter is the queen of the dark thriller, and this no exception. I love the dual timeline in this and the way it woven together seamlessly. I was hooked on this the first page and wanted to untangle he complex web of
secrets and lies. I love the fact that I had. no idea who I could trust.
I would never have seen the ending coming in a million years
#netgalley #GirlForgotten

Karin Slaughter is back with a riveting story that will make you turn pages faster than Bolt.

The girl forgotten is a young woman who was killed forty years ago and her murderer is still out free.

Being the new Marshall, Andrea Oliver has her first case set up on thin ice.

The judge she has to protect for death treats is actually Emily’s mother.

Trying to solve this cold case out of the eagle eyes of her superiors, Andrea is providing to be a great detective.

There are many loose ends in this case. The interrogations she has done to the old circle of friends are bringing to surface secrets deeply buried.

The suspense builds up quickly when her birth father is proven to be tied up in the case.

This is another must read story that will make thriller readers devour it in one sitting!

🆓📖 Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

This is the second novel in a series featuring Andrea Oliver. It isn't critical to have read the previous book but it does help with Andrea's backstory.

This girl of the title is Emily Vaughn. She was murdered forty years ago and the case was never solved. In the present day, Andrea, now a US Marshal, is guarding a judge who has received death threats. The judge is Emily's mother. Andrea has a very personal reason for looking into this cold case.

This is another good read from the author. There are a host of characters, some of whom are completely dreadful. The misdirection is very clever and the ending is good.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy a good Karin Slaughter novel. This one was full of twists and shocks and revelations, ticks all the boxes of a great thriller.

Wow what a book! Honestly I was gripped, I couldnt put it down!!

I have to admit I've not read the first one in this series so I didn't know the back story, so at some points were lost on me.

Thanks for my ARC