False Witness

A Novel

By: Karin Slaughter

Narrated by: Kathleen Early

Length: 18 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

He saw what you did.

He knows who you are....

From the New York Times best-selling author of Pieces of Her and The Silent Wife, an electrifying stand-alone thriller.

An ordinary life...

Leigh Collier has worked hard to build what looks like a normal life. She has a good job as a defense attorney, a daughter doing well in school, and even her divorce is relatively civilized - her life is just as unremarkable as she’d always hoped it would be.

...hides a devastating past...

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.

...but now the past is catching up...

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 realizes 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 20 years ago and why Leigh has spent two decades running.

...and time is running out.

If she can’t get him acquitted, she’ll lose much more than the case. The only person who can help her is her estranged younger sister Callie, the last person Leigh would ever want to ask for help. But suddenly she has no choice....

©2021 Karin Slaughter (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

Karin Slaughter outdid herself!!

This book is clever, suspenseful, & it pulls you in… the characters are well read by Kathleen Early. This book is worth 20 credits !! Karin Slaughter outdid herself!!

Another Slaughter hit but,

Just as addictive as all her books but this one is the darkest I’ve read and I’ve read most of her works. Couldn’t put it down but at times I actually dreaded hearing what came next. Not many books affect me like this so if you really get into your books, brace. Amazing to have that kind of impact through your pen.

What a ride!

Whew, what a ride! Karin Slaughter can certainly write a crime thriller. With a last name like hers, what else would she write? False Witness is fast-paced and intricately plotted, and her characters are flawed and authentic. If you’re a fan of legal thrillers and psychological suspense and don’t mind gruesome murder scenes, (think Scott Turow, John Grisham, Nancy Grace, Mary Higgins Clark, Lee Child, John Sanford) you’re going to love this one. How do writers come up with this stuff? The frequent references to Covid-19 were annoying, though, and detracted from the plot. 4.5 stars. To read more of my reviews, google my name.

One of Her Best

This book kept my attention the whole way through. I was not sure what was going to happen next. Very solid writing and story. Other reviews complain about the mention of covid, but I like that it is reflective of what is happening today.

Fav author and Fav narrator did it again.

Crazy stand alone story, but easy to follow. Kathleen Early is my fav narrator. highly recommend

The story may be fiction, but False Witness hits hard with reality

This is the first book I've ever pre-ordered, let alone without having any knowledge about it whatsoever — other than its author. That's how much trust I have in Karin Slaughter, ESPECIALLY her novels!

This is the first book (excluding novellas or short stories) I read that integrates the COVID-19 pandemic into the plot. Candidly, I could have done without it, but entirely because of my own selfish escapism. The story DOES integrate other world-shaking and hard-hitting current events (#MeToo, BLM, 1/6 Insurrection, etc.) that bring the story to life in an almost tangible way — but, obviously these events largely coincide with COVID-19. Can't have those without the other. And, it works... covid is a secondary backdrop, not a main character.

However, debilitating addiction, extremely disturbing violence, and severe child abuse are central throughout the book. It's excruciating, heartbreaking, and very raw. This is not a book I'd recommend to everyone. It's triggering... and, not exactly empowering.

This may be the first book by Slaughter that I didn't give 5 stars across the board... something about it that just didn't click. The two main women in the story are phenomenal... and yet, there's a naivety to one that doesn't resonate or seem fair for her character. At times, it was distracting and left me wanting more for her... either more credit or more explanation as to why she had certain blindspots that just didn't jive with her otherwise powerhouse character. Not to say that strong and powerful women don't have blindspots... but, this one (I'll say "maternal") didn't work for her.

So, False Witness was not my favorite... but, I'll still pre-order Karin Slaughter's next book as well.

Trigger warning

The storyline was riveting, the narrator was very good as always. But the novel was overly graphic in many parts. Too graphic sometimes. Also, it felt like this was a “kitchen sink” book, where too many issues are addressed: substance abuse, domestic violence, rape, sexual abuse, etc. it’s definitely a trigger warning for victims of these things.

I would give this more than 5 stars if I could

I would give this book more than 5 stars if I could. Highly recommend this book, absolutely worth the credit.

Brilliant read

Incredibly moving, relevant, heartwrenching story of our times told with tenderness and raw brutality.

narrator A+

loved this story! couldn't out it down! It did and didn't end like I thought it would; nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to a reread in the future!