What an amazing page-turner - it explores some dark themes and can be hard to read but it's also a pulse raising thriller thats hard to put down!

A complicated tale that included rather too much detail about different drugs for my liking. While it is important in some respects due to one of the main characters being a habitual drug user I just felt at times the information was superfluous and detracted from the story.

This is the first book I've read that is set during the Covid pandemic, a deliberate ploy by the author. I didn't feel this was necessary as the drama stood up well on its own.

Harleigh and Caliotrope are half sisters, Harleigh being the elder girl who as a child tries to shield her sister from their appalling mother's abusive behavior. As a result of becoming babysitter to one of their neighbours Callie is repeatedly raped untill one night she stabs her abuser and calls upon her sister for help.

Many years later when Leigh has become a defence lawyer and Callie has retreated into the world of drug addiction, Leigh is approached by the son of Callie's rapist who demands she defend him, telling her he knows what she and Callie did to his father.

A great concept with lots of twists and turns albeit my reservations detailed above. Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the opportunity to read and review False Witness.

Leigh works hard as a defence lawyer. During Covid lockdown she has been separated from her ex husband and their daughter. One evening she is called back to work for a high profile offender in a rape case which opens up the past for Leigh and her sister, Callie.
Set during the lockdown this is a tense domestic thriller with some triggering subjects- abuse, rape and drugs.
I am a massive fan of Karin’s GBI series but for me the stand-alones fall a little short.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! This book was one of the most enthralling books I have read in a long time.

Phil, is an abusive mother with a love for anomalies and facts. Harleigh, Phil’s daughter, is the older sister to Calliope. When Calliope was in her teens her older sister got her a baby sitting job for a 5 year old boy, Trent.

Callie fell became the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of Trent’s father, she then discovered he was video recording all their “intimate moments” and sharing them with his friends. After this discovery, a fight broke out and Callie thought she had murdered Trent’s dad, Buddy.

Fast forward 23 years and Leigh (Harleigh) has a daughter Maddy and a husband Walter. She is a successful Lawyer having started work the previous year at a prestigious law firm.

Callie on the other hand works at a vet practice and is an addict who has been in trouble with the law and through rehab numerous times.

Leigh is called into her boss’ office and told she will be defending Andrew Tenant. A spoilt, rich car dealership employee in a rape case.

That’s all the background I’m going to talk about. Some of the story is predictable but a lot of it I didn’t see coming and there were many times when I wandered who was going to end up dead or alive.!

What is the connection between Mr Tenant, with his spoilt boy attitude and Leigh who has tried so hard to reinvent herself and leave her past behind?

I really enjoyed this book and it definitely kept me hooked.

Hopefully it gains it’s spot at No.1 in the charts where it belongs for tension and plot twists alone.

The past always demands to be revealed, it doesn’t matter how long it has been covered, the truth always needs to go out.
This is the story of Leigh Coulton and her estranged sister Calli, they share a past they don’t want to remember but now, thanks to a high-profile case, Leigh will have to defend the horrible memories from their past that will surface, risking everything they have fought for during these years…
I’ll start saying that this is not an easy read, there are a lot of references to the pandemic we are living and to difficult situations like child abuse, bullying, rape… It will make you think about the society we are living in and how money can buy anything.
I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy the read, I am a big fan of the Karin Slaughter books, but this doesn’t mean that she puts the finger on the places that hurt with a difficult vision of our reality and how sometimes we are eager to do anything to keep our secrets hidden.
I liked Leigh, she is a hard-working woman, intelligent and not afraid to fight for her family; but her new client will be a nightmare, not only for her, I couldn’t stand him either; the smirks, how he manipulates all the time and how he plans to get an innocent plea for rape and murder case.
Karin Slaughter has done an amazing portraying the difficult situations Leigh and Calli live, they all have regrets and traumas from the past, but they want to fight to keep what they have now, it will not be easy, full of traps and twists but you can’t keep hoping that they will keep their freedom.
If you are looking for a slow paced story with difficult characters but full of surprises, this is your read, believe me! Are you ready for “False Witness”?

Wow this was a great read. Two sisters leading quite different lives but with a dreadful secret. Leigh a defence attorney having a high profile case land on her desk which could change her career tremendously. However he knows her and she knows him and he knows of their secret. A gripping story with very many twists and turns. I felt there was too much about Covid in it although the author did explain why she wrote about it. Excellent.

I have a confession to make. This is my first Karin Slaughter book and I'm pleased to say that it will not be my last which is good as I have quite a few of hers on my shelf 🙈

This book was such an amazing read. I loved every single page.

It is a chunky read filled with murder, blood, gore and so much more. It was gripping and addictive and the perfect introduction into the world of Karin Slaughter.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and Karin Slaughter for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This is the first book by Karin Slaughter that I have read. Oh my goodness, what a book! This has to be the best thriller of 2021. This book is dark, creepy and thrilling. This book defines psychological thrillers. It had me on the edge of my seat and audible gasping! I can’t remember the last time I gasped out loud whilst reading. I can’t recommend it enough. I may have a new favourite author.

Than you to Karin Slaughter, NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC of False Witness.

I am a big fan of Karin Slaughter, who in my opinion, never ever fails to produce jaw droopingly good thrillers and this one certainly didn't disappoint! I think its important to say from the outset that this is probably one of her darkest thrillers yet, with lots of potentially triggering content - so certainly not for the feint hearted!

23 years ago, Leigh and her sister killed a man - a man who had been sexually abusing his babysitter Callie since she was just 12 years old. When Leigh receives a frantic call from her sister that fateful night- she finds Buddy gravely injured but still alive. Unable to cope with the reality that he'd been abusing Callie (and filming it with hidden cameras!) and that Leigh could have prevented it, Leigh finishes the job and together they clean up and cover his murder.

Fast forward to the present day and the sisters lives have gone in very different directions. Callie is a junkie, getting addicted to drugs after a serious cheerleading injury and Leigh is a successful defence lawyer with a husband and teenage daughter of her own.

When she gets a call putting her on to a last minute case, the last person she expects to see is Trevor (now called Andrew), the grown up son of the man they killed. He is accused of sexual abuse and rape and has hired Leigh to work on his defence. It soon becomes apparent that he knows EXACTLY what happened to his father that night and will stop at nothing to make Leigh and Callie suffer.

What follows is a real page turner and I became totally engrossed in the story which at times was a really hard read. I found myself feeling real empathy for the two sisters who have experienced such trauma from such a young age and also strong anger towards Andrew and his sinister smirk! This is also the first book I have read that not only references COVID-19, but actually naturally entwines it into the story - at first I wasn't sure I liked this (I read for escapism and having it there felt too close to home) but as Karin explains in the epilogue, it is important to cover social issues in her books - and the last 16 months or so have been pretty hard to ignore!

This was a hard hitting and tense thriller which kept me reading till the early hours with its somewhat inevitable yet equally shocking end!

Another great thriller from Karin!

Big fan of the author, and was looking forward to reading this standalone thriller.

After years of dealing with the aftermath of abuse, a lawyer is asked to represent a client accused of rape. And so begins the case that will make or break her.

Whilst the topic is dealt with well,some of the details are a bit horrific to read, but may have something to do with how the plot needs to move forward. There are plenty of twists and turns, with some surprise character developments along the way.

This is another great story by the author, and deals with some elements of real life such as the effect of how people have had to deal with the pandemic, especially in a real life situation of a courtroom. If your a fan of well placed thrillers, then I would recommend you pick this up at your earliest convenience.

I was given a free ARC copy by NetGalley and the publisher in return for my honest review.

False Witness by Karin Slaughter is a storyline of two sisters who are both abused by the same man when they were younger, whilst babysitting the young son. The man ends up dead one night when he has pushed the younger sister too far and both of the girls dispose of the body. The girls are older and the eldest is a lawyer and the younger a drug addict.
The eldest sister is asked to defend a young man accused of a violent rape and the police are hoping to charge him with other similar crimes. He is the boy the two sisters used to babysit.
In this psychological thriller by Karin Slaughter there are many twists and turns before the defendant is brought to justice and the violence stops.
Highly recommended

When Leigh goes to meet her latest client, the successful defense lawyer is shocked to be confronted by a face from her past. A face that takes her back to that awful night twenty-three years ago when she and her sister Callie did something terrible. Something he knows they did and is determined to make them pay for....

A new Karin Slaughter book is always something to look forward to. When you pick up one of her books you know you’re getting a dark, twisted and first-class thriller that packs a punch. And her latest book certainly lives up to that expectation, giving you everything you could want in a psychological thriller and more.

Gritty, sinister and unsettling, this isn’t a book for the faint hearted. It visits the darkest corners of human tragedy and depravity, ripples of evil flowing through every page. Brilliantly written, the author drips clues about the past and present, slowly unveiling the true horror of what Leigh and Callie are facing. It is a fuse threatening to ignite their entire lives. Despite their mistakes, you can’t help but feel for them and be in their corner, especially after meeting Andrew, a man who puts the psycho in psychological thriller. It is a complex and intricately woven story bathed in menace and fear that you won’t be able to put down.

But this is also a thriller with depth, the author addressing topics such as sexual assault, rape, trauma, neglect and drug addiction. It is clear she has done in depth research into these subjects and writes them with raw honesty, but also sensitivity and compassion. With Callie’s injury, chronic pain and addiction she even goes into the science of each issue, which helps the reader gain a greater understanding and empathy for her and others like her. And as someone struck by life-long pain and illness as a teen, I felt like she authentically captured the feeling of having your healthy life and its potential snatched away suddenly at such a young age.

The characters are troubled, fractured and compelling. Narrators Leigh and Callie are both flawed in their own ways, but are sympathetically portrayed. They perfectly highlight how two people can go through the same experiences and react very differently: while Leigh is very controlled and appears, at least on the face of things, to have risen from the ashes of her tragic beginnings, Callie took the path of searching for a way to escape her reality, eventually spiralling into addiction and is still living in a pit of despair. Their different characters are perfectly portrayed in their strikingly different voices, with Callie’s voice more stark, caustic and full of profanity than Leigh’s, fitting her perfectly. But they also both have a strength and determination that shines through all of the darkness and bad decisions and share a bond that no-one can break, not even themselves.

While I found it easy to like and root for Leigh and Callie, the same can’t be said for some of the other characters. Their ‘mother’ Phil is awful and my heart broke for the toxic, neglectful homelife they suffered. And then there’s Andrew. Andrew is a vile, twisted psychopath that made my stomach turn. Ruthless, cold hearted and calculated, he is merciless in his revenge, and enjoys decimating the lives of others. He is a terrifying creation, all the more so because he is so real.

Strong, sharp, heart-pounding and propulsive, this is a searing and sinister thriller that will take you through every emotion. Fast-paced, intense and addictive, thrillers don’t get better than this.

📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚. False Witness By Karin Slaughter - Publication Date - 24th June 2021

This book follows the story of Carllie and her sister Leigh.
They both have done babysitting for the same family but one night something happens and it changes both their life paths for ever!

It’s the first time I have read this author.
I did enjoy the book but not as fast paced as I’ usually enjoy to read. Sometimes I felt myself get distracted from the story.
I found the characters a bit predictable. Sorry - I’m just trying to be honest. I know we all enjoy different books and this one just wasn’t for me but I hate to not to finish a book!

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This was a very long and dark story which although very difficult to read, it was also very absorbing. All the characters were well described and believable. The story line was almost hypnotic in its effect. The conclusion was fulfilling in many ways and totally acceptable.

Having read nearly everything Karin Slaughter has written I know that when I pick up a new book from her I’m going to get a story of the highest quality. Her writing is impeccable, the stories gripping, brutal and honest.

False Witness is about sisters Leigh and Callie who after experiencing horrific trauma in their childhood have to team up to stop it destroying their present. Andrew knows their secret and unless lawyer Leigh helps him beat a rape charge he’s going to reveal everything.

The antagonist was chilling, really one of the creepiest murderers I’ve read about. Slaughter doesn’t shy away from showing us the darkest aspects of human life and this story really does that. This features drug addiction, trauma, rape, child abuse and takes place during the pandemic so it has many aspects that could be triggering for readers but they are all handled carefully and respectfully. Now this could be considered a tiny spoiler to some (skip ahead if you wish) but I want to assure anyone who like me fears for animals in thrillers that none featured are harmed.

Another incredible thriller from Slaughter!

I think this has to be my best read of the year so far. I loved the plot - two damaged sisters each struggling in their own and very different ways to keep going. Set during Covid, Slaughter managed this with a light touch - showing the reality of the situation and highlighting how hard this year must have been for those on the fringes of society.-whilst fully embedding us in the plot that spans twenty years or so.
I prefer to read series novels, yet this one was so special, at times I felt my heart was going to bang right out of my chest. This was a novel about sisterly love and devotion, murder, abuse and the struggle to survive and ultimately shine despite all of this.
This book will stay with me for a long time

This was a full on ride to hell and back again! The story revolves around the two women who begin life as children babysitting for a local family They are two very different characters and Karin has developed them so well throughout and I loved both Leigh and Callie whatever they did I could understand the reasoning behind actions.
This is a tense read, gripping and throughout pulled at the heart strings. From the opening chapter the stage is set for the killings. Throughut I just wanted to know how on earth this was all going to end and had no idea until the finale . Karin has covere so much here, pedophilia, murders, abusive men, strong and weak women, blackmail and all within the confines of the Covid Pandemic.
I love Karin Slaughter as an author and I do have to say that I think that this is her best yet. Thanks t evryone for letting me read this highly explosive book.

I really enjoyed this book, well written and full of twists, it kept me fully engaged.
It is books like this that remind you just how good a truly well written book can be. I had no idea where this book would take me, I like books that keep the reader guessing all the way through and I particularly liked the up to date references to life in a pandemic in 2021.
I only give 5 stars to a few books that give that little bit extra and this was definitely one of those.

I took my time with this latest book by Karin Slaughter. Why?? Because she is a master of her craft. Rushing means you don’t absorb just how talented she is. Especially with the way she has put together this story.
Two young girls Harleigh and Calliope have both been in the clutches of an abuser. They have an appalling home life and are then preyed on by the father of a child they babysit for. Until one eventful night
Fast forward twenty odd years. Leigh is now a lawyer, separated from her husband Walter and Mum to Maddy. She is called in at a weekend by the partners to represent a high profile client Andrew. To Leigh’s horror he is actually ‘Trevor’ the child she babysat and Buddy’s son. He seems to know what happened the night his dad went missing.
So now to protect her life can she do the unthinkable and get a jury to acquit a man so obviously guilty for his crime.
I absolutely loved this book. Karin did such a good job of developing the characters of Leigh and Callie. Showing the two different paths life can take you when your childhood is filled with abuse. A gritty subject but a fantastic story.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC

Many thanks to HarperCollins and Anne Cater of randomthings for the opportunity to read a gifted copy of False Witness for my stop on the blog tour 🤗.

Crikey what can I say? I am gobsmacked! Karin Slaughter just keeps hitting them right out of the park, and chapter one > wow! That was just about the best start to a book I have EVER come across. The content was phenomenal and jaw dropping, edge of your seat grilling and completely thrilling, but my god, how much was I deceived into thinking one thing when it was actually something else - much worse!!

To give a little insight … in False Witness we meet Leigh Collier who didn’t have the best start to life but with determination she has turned her life into something to be proud of and is now a defence attorney. As a teen something horrific happened - the worst thing possible - and it is something she has learned to put to the back of her mind, banishing it from memory. Until … she is handed the biggest case she has ever been given and what she thought had been left in the past swiftly catches up and she realises that pretending it never happened is no longer an option.

Karin Slaughter has always been an auto buy author of mine. As soon as I know she has a new book out, it’s on pre-order. She is just phenomenal with stories holding real true grit that have you awake reading into the early hours, and each time I read a new book of hers I always want to read back through her entire collection again!

With False Witness, I’d say it’s one of her best yet. Everything about it is just truly bloody brilliant. With a strong set of believable characters (mind, Buddy and Andrew would NEVER make my Christmas card list, they’re just truly awful), and a setting putting you right smack bang in Covid territory, you’re taken on a gripping journey where actions and consequences can quickly catch up with you given the right (or in Leigh’s case) the wrong opportunity.

Tense and full of twists and turns, False Witness is definitely a book you need in your life right now!