WOW.
Karin Slaughter is a phenomenal writer, an absolute pro when it comes to complex, gritty, intriguing characters and False Witness is no exception. It's a dark read, with themes of rape, murder, addiction and abuse. It's complex, like it's characters, and contains multiple brilliant plot twists.
It is not for the faint-hearted, but it's a must read from one of my favourite authors.
5 stars.

Really fast paced book with likeable characters and another action to keep the page turning.

Loses 1 star as agree with other reviews that there is too many covid references which would cut about 50 page!

I just really did not like this one. Can put my finger on why as I normally love Slaughter. But her standalone just don't work for me unfortunately.

Thank you for the opportunity to read an e-arc.

I’m a big Karin Slaughter fan and always look forward to diving into another book from the author. While I prefer her Will Trent series, I do adore the author’s standalone novels in a different way. False Witness, however, left me conflicted.

While I enjoyed this for the most part, it is my least favourite Karin Slaughter full-length novel (the only thing I did not really enjoy were the stories in Three Twisted Stories, but I mostly pretend I did not read that). In fact, there were some points in this one where I thought I would be giving a three-star rating. In the end, despite finding some details predictable, I did enjoy it enough to give a four-star rating. However, unlike other Karin Slaughter books, this was not a solid four-star rating. Mostly it is because I felt the book was slower and did not have the usual twists that the author throws into her stories. It certainly kept me turning the pages and curious about how things would play out, but I did not feel the intense investment that I usually feel. In fact, I felt there were times when the characters were meandering through the events. Alone, this would have lessened my enjoyment, but it may not have had me rating it my least favourite Slaughter read. What pushed it into that category was the constant references to COVID. I know there is a big debate as to whether authors should be including it in their books or not – and I’m not going to get involved in the debate – but I did find it tedious to constantly read about the mask on/mask off/social distancing/isolating/COVID roulette. I know it will not annoy everyone, but it did get to me in the end. I would have understood if it added something to the overall story, but I do not feel like it added much.

All in all, while this was not my favourite book from the author, it was an enjoyable read. I did not hate it, but I did not love it in the way I usually love the author’s work.

This was a full-on story about two sisters. Leigh is a defence attorney at a high-powered law firm and her younger sister Callie a heroin addict. When Leigh is hired to defend a client in a high-profile criminal trial she is faced with an individual accused of several attacks against women involving extreme sexual violence. The attacks follow a similar pattern.

The defendant, Andrew Tenant, is known to Leigh as she babysat him when he was a young boy. Callie also babysat him and was repeatedly abused by Buddy, Andrew's father, until one night things got out of hand and Leigh had to step in to help Callie clear up the mess. Buddy disappeared and the two sisters have been carrying their guilty teenage secret ever since.

Now, it becomes clear Andrew knows the truth and is using it to get at Leigh so that he is acquitted. She is powerless to stop him by herself so she contacts Callie.

Andrew is a twisted, evil psychopath, and it is no surprise that Leigh is scared of what he might inflict on her and - more crucially - her family, especially her teenage daughter Maddie.

The two sisters work together because they have no choice. Can they find a way of silencing Andrew before the truth from their adolescence comes to light?

I haven't read Karin Slaughter before but found this a gripping read. The subject matter is not for the faint-hearted, so if you don't want to read about misogyny, drug abuse, paedophile acts, and graphic sexual violence, then avoid this book.

Karin handles her material well and never over-dramatises it at the expense of the story. We gain a real sense of the people at the centre, especially Callie. I loved Dr Jerry, the vet who helped Callie despite knowing she was an addict, and Walter, Leigh's husband, is another good man who offsets the less savoury male characters.

Running through the book is a clear indictment of the American response to the Covid pandemic, as well as white male middle-class society that breeds individuals (like Andrew) who have both privilege and the money to buy the best lawyers and judges to load the legal system in their favour.

I received an ARC of this book from HarperCollins UK, in return for an honest appraisal.

I don't think I can say enough good things about this book. I absolutely loved it and was quite blown away by how moving it was.
The plot is a good one - lawyer Leigh is called on to represent a man, Andrew, who has been accused of a brutal rape. But when Leigh realises that Andrew is actually someone that she and her sister Callie used to babysit, she panics because she and Callie have a shocking secret from their past that she fears Andrew knows all about.
Without giving too much away, the book is a very well-written and realistic portrayal of abuse and how that abuse affects victims. We see that Callie has grown up viewing the abuse she suffered in a much more positive light, presumably as the only way she can cope with how she has been treated.
Meanwhile, Leigh has spent decades blaming herself for her sister's plight, while also downplaying her own suffering. Her guilt about her past has shaped her life and relationships to the present day.
Callie and Leigh are both great characters with lots of dimensions to them. And I loved how Slaughter writes about the complications of their relationship. Following a severe accident, Callie is addicted to heroin and her life is in many ways a world away from that of her sister, who on the surface appears successful and happy.
Andrew is a great character - completely sinister and terrifying. His girlfriend Sidney is also very well written. There are so many brilliant twists and turns in this book that I didn't see coming. On only a couple of occasions did these seem far-fetched.
The book is a brilliant, fast-paced thriller and at the same time a truly moving look at some of the more sad and distressing aspects of life. A conversation between Callie and her friend and employer, Dr Jerry, provides one of the best-written passages about addiction that I have ever read.
I was genuinely pretty bowled over by this book and I am recommending it to everyone I know who loves a good read.

Karin Slaughter knows how to write good books that keep you hooked and wanting to read on, this book is definitely no exception. It is very much a slow burner of a book but as with all her books it ends up throwing a few punches in to the narrative, that leave you reeling and wondering what you would do if you were a character in the book.

Within this book the author does a good job of revealing layers to the story, rather like peeling layers off an onion. The key themes revealed in the book centre around family and what you would do to protect others in the family. Clearly the sisters in the book have each other’s back, but when one sister reveals what she did you are left wondering how the other sister should, or would, react.

Overall this is another great read, you can’t really go wrong with Karin Slaughter, and I recommend it to anyone who wants a good suspense book centred around family. You certainly won’t regret reading the book. On a personal level I feel many read for escapism so less focus on Covid would have been good in my eyes.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for a review copy of the book in exchange for a fair, open and honest review.

The premise of this book was interesting. Unfortunately, the COVID references got tedious and some of the narrative was repetitious. I.did not finish the novel.

Karin Slaughter at her best as always.
A stay awake all night, unputabledown, read in one book that pulls you in from the very first page to the very last.

I really enjoyed this slow burn suspenseful tale of two sisters and how they have survived a nightmare and then when the truth may break free how they can get through it.
It’s such a dark setting with such a horrible story but ultimately it is love that wins, the love between two sisters no matter what they have each other’s back.
Karin Slaughter brought her A game!

I enjoyed this book hugely. A real slow burn of a book where the story gradually unwinds. I haven't read her other books as I've been put off by the series as I'm so far behind, but I've just bought Pieces of Her as I want to read it before I watch the Netflix adaptation.

I don’t think Karin Slaughter can write a bad book! This one was brilliant, another unputtable down read and it was certainly worth losing a nights worth of sleep to reading this book.
As a stand-alone fans old and new.
A must read for everyone!

Karin Slaughter is a masterful storyteller, who really knows how to hook readers early and take us on a terrific, page-whirring ride. I devoured this in a day, pulled in by the premise and setup then chewing through the pages due to the writing, characters, and emotional oomph.

I loved this book and it draws you in from the beginning . As a standalone thriller it was a real page Turner with an on the edge of your seat storyline . I loved everything about it from the cover to the last page

Can't go wrong with Karin Slaughter, I'm a big fan anyway so every book that comes out is a must read. This one didn't disappoint!

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book and therefore didn’t finish, I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

A very good story spoiled by the covid references. It is a shame as it would have been a great book but for this. Hand sanitiser and masks I don't want to read about.

About the night that tore them apart.
About what they did.
But someone else is about to.
How far will Leigh go to protect her family?

Great thrilling novel that gradually untangles past secrets and lies. 2 sisters with different current lives but the same past and traumas. Yes, it contains references to Covid and how that affects them during the story – it’s affected us all! If you don’t want to read anything mentioning Covid don’t read the book but it shouldn’t put you off or mean an unwarranted por review. I found it exciting and couldn’t wait to get to the conclusion.

Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
#FalseWitness #KarinSlaughter #NetGalley

Woah….you have to take a minute or two after finishing this one I think to take it all in…what a book and a half we have here. I loved it even tho it’s seriously harrowing in parts, I raced through it like nobodies business, 5 stars from me Karin as always!!

I never rate Karin Slaughter anything less than 4 stars and this is no expectation. I was a bit hesitant as I heard there were Covid related things in this. Only thing I didn't like was how long the chapters were. I love everything Karin Slaughter writes and this was no expection.