There's no police training stronger than a cop's instinct. Faith Mitchell's mother isn't answering her phone. Her front door is open. There's a bloodstain above the knob. Her infant daughter is hidden in a shed behind the house. All that the Georgia Bureau of Investigations taught Faith Mitchell goes out the window when she charges into her mother's house, gun drawn. She sees a man dead in the laundry room. She sees a hostage situation in the bedroom. What she doesn't see is her mother. When the hostage situation turns deadly, Faith is left with too many questions, not enough answers. To find her mother, she'll need the help of her partner, Will Trent, and they'll both need the help of trauma doctor Sara Linton. But Faith isn't just a cop anymore--she's a witness. She's also a suspect. The thin blue line hides police corruption, bribery, even murder. Faith will have to go up against the people she respects the most in order to find her mother and bring the truth to light--or bury it forever.
Karin Slaughter's most exhilarating novel yet is a thrilling journey through the heart and soul, where the personal and the criminal collide, and conflicted loyalties threaten to destroy reputations and ruin lives. It is the work of a master of the thriller at the top of her game, and a whirlwind of unrelenting suspense.
©2011 Karin Slaughter (P)2011 AudioGO
"Now One Of My Favorites!"
I really, really enjoyed this book. I was just sick when Jeffery was killed off the story line and have been skeptical since, but Karin Slaughter has done a great job building the relationships and explaining the loyalty between the characters. There are so many tangents in this story but it is very easy to follow and the build up of the relationship between Sara & Will was heartwarming. I couldn't stop listening, and sad when the book ended, I didn't want to let go. I can't wait for the next book....I wish it was out yesterday! Great read / listen. Enjoy
"Another winner!"
I absolutely love both of Karin Slaughter's series and this book merges the two! This is the best audiobook I've listened to yet. The story was amazing, and the narration was perfect. The narrator's southern accent is just right, not over the top like some books I've listened to. The subtle differences when she does the older female characters was so dead-on!
The author is so compassionate with her characters that I am able to relate to every single one. The mystery in this book is not the most plausible one yet, but defintely entertaining, tense, and unpredictable.
If you haven't read (or listened to) Karen Slaughter before, I would recommend starting from the beginning. This book can stand alone, but it gives away a lot about the previous books and is even better if you already know the characters from her previous work.
I get so excited sometimes about writing a review..good or bad...that sometimes I misspell words..lol..
"I wanted to like this."
I had been a Karin Slaughter fan, but this was a real disappointment. It's hard to explain in detail without giving away any spoilers, but we are led down various rabbit holes of police corruption and drug dealer wars to a forced, contrived ending. I was startled to realize, toward the end, that the events in the book all happened in a 48 hour period - it felt much longer. I was tired of everybody in this book by the time it ended.
It didn't help that the reader was horrible, but of course, she was following the way the characters were written - why did Faith's nearly 20 year old college student son suddenly sound (and act) like a whiny 10 year old? Why did another character, also 20, sound like an old man with a hint of an utterly inexplicable Mexican movie villain accent? Between the muddled plot and the awful reader, this was very disappointing - I've read all of Karin Slaughter's previous books, but after the oddly disappointing Broken and now this weirdness, I think she's lost me.
"Struggling just to finish!"
Story has way too many characters to keep all the names straight. Amanda is an awful woman! I wouldn't work for her for two seconds. This is my first Karin Slaughter book, and it will probably be my last. I'm not even half way through it and I can't wait for the end. Since I paid for it I will finish it but it's a real struggle. I wasn't impressed with the narration either, which may have something to do with the overall lack of interest.
"Suspenseful and Thought Provoking"
Karin Slaughter sheds light on diabetes (without being fat!), pregnancy, and adoption. Jealousy over rides thankfulness and wrecks havoc in many people's lives. This is a good book to read. For best enjoyment, I recommend reading Slaughter's earlier books that lead up to this one. If this is not possible, then it is still okay...Slaughter keeps the new reader enlightened without the previous readers feeling things are being repeated to death. She is an excellent writer.
Not a writer, a writer wannabe, editor, lit maj, or pretend literary critic. Just an avid reader and now avid listener. I read at least one book a week and listen to an average of two per week. However, I am a snob and have yet to listen to my favorite novels preferring still to read some works.
"Not the best in the series"
As the series progresses you learn more about the history of Amanda Wagner.
I've found my friends either love or hate, no middle ground. I enjoy the series despite the overall depressing feel.
This book is as melancholy as the rest with the same over dramatic tone at times. However, I found it a little annoying with respect to the handling of Faith's diabetes. I found it a little disrespectful, but can't really articulate why.
The story was good though, character development moved nicely and though I read it out of order I wouldn't have felt lost had as a new reader to the series.
I read so I can write
"Barn Burner!"
A fantastic story, strong well developed characters, and believable mystery made this a five star presentation all the way. Not my first Karin Slaughter novel and definitely not my last.
I guess I'm a baby...I just love to be read to.
"Least Favorite Will Trent - Bad Narrator"
I did not like Shannon Cochran's performance in this book. She was so off when it came to capturing Will Trent's tones and mannerisms. She made him playful and cute in a comedian sort of way which I didn't like one bit. Her read ruined the book for me. Thank god for Criminal because I would have been negative about the whole series which I really enjoyed. Too bad they made such an awful choice...if it ever gets re-recorded I would have a man read it, reverting back to the sex of the first two books narrators.
"Well written, but I'm not a "romance" fan"
Not much ... I'm just not a fan of the romance genre.
She writes well. The mystery was intriguing, but the "romance" in the scene between Sara and Trent seemed forced. Characters' traits seemed to be inconsistent.
Probably --- depending on the author and genre
Disappointment -- from the storyline I didn't expect it to read like a second-rate romance.
I'll try another Slaughter story -- but will borrow one from the library before first spending any more money on this author.