What a great read this was!

Emmy is a police officer in the small town of North Falls. Things are complicated for Emmy because the town was built by her ancestors and nearly everyone in it is a Clifton or works for one of the Clifton family. That makes it all the more horrifying when two teenage girls go missing. The discovery of their bikes and a pool of blood is all the more alarming as it means that someone in the town is carrying a big secret. What Emmy discovers is that there is more than one person with a secret...

Twelve years later and the main suspect has been released from prison as DNA proves they were somewhere else when the girls went missing....then another girl goes missing in the same circumstances. Emmy now faces a race against the clock to bring this girl home, all while dealing with tragedy within her own family and the return of a face from the past with secrets of their own...

It is so hard to write a review of this book without revealing any of the secrets!!! This is my first Karin Slaughter novel and I will absolutely definitely be looking for more. It is a real page turner of a read that captured my interest from page one. I love how the secrets are very slowly revealed and are revealed in such a way that you can be a tiny bit ahead of them.

I cannot speak highly enough of this book! Read it...you won't regret it!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this book, great storyline, great characters especially Emmy. It is full of twist and turn that kept you guessing. If I had anything negative it would be that it is very long, and a lot of characters to track. That aside I thoroughly recommend it and hopefully it the start of a new series for Emmy and her crime solving skills.

Wow!! I was blown away by this book

As a massive Karin Slaughter fan (and huge Will Trent fan!!) I was both so excited and nervous for this new book. Turns out I didn’t need to be anxious at all!

I was gripped from the get go. Twist after twist, yet it never felt too much or not plausible

I cried, I gasped, I even had to close the book a couple of times!

Such a brilliant plot, although a little sad at points (is this any surprise really if you have read any Slaughter books before?)

I loved Emmy’s character, and Jude’s. I’m really hoping this ends up a big series, I’d love to see Emmy solve some more crimes and to find out more about Clifton in general

Thank you so much NetGalley and Karin Slaughter for this arc!! Highlight of my year!

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. What a fantastic start to a new series from Karin Slaughter! I was completely hooked by this story which had so much depth and character development throughout. I really loved Emmy Lou and her relationships with her friends and family. Full of emotions that had me up and down throughout the story. I cannot wait for the next book to see which direction the storyline takes. Also, a fantastic twist at the end that I definitely didn’t see coming. Highly recommended. 5 stars

Another gem from Karin Slaughter.
The Clifton family is prominent in the small town of North Falls at all levels of society, from factory owners and other business owners down to lower levels. The Sheriff is a Clifton, and his daughter is his Chief Deputy, and her son is an officer.
Amid the spectacle, an Independence Day firework display two teenage girls go missing. One of them is the daughter of Emmy's best friend she takes a personal interest in the investigation. Shocking and disturbing facts emerge about the girls and other residents of the town as the case proceeds.
I found this to be a gripping thriller with lots of twists and turns and a few blind alleys. It's a quite long book and at first glance some of the descriptions may seem overly detailed, but the majority of them are actually relevant, and in reality by the end it comes over as tightly written. Loose ends are wound up, but not so tightly that they might emerge in future releases in what is to be a new series.
There are some shocking revelations here and some very brutal scenes, but they are dealt with well. It's a very good book.

This was my first Karin Slaughter book and I really enjoyed the story and plot, though it seemed to take me longer than normal to finish a book of this length.

The story is based around Emmy Clifton, and her family in North Falls, a small town in Georgia, where her father is Sheriff and she is an officer. It starts on the Fourth of July when the town is out watching the fireworks display, when two teenage girls go missing. Emmy and her father set out to solve the mystery of where the girls have gone and who has done what to them, with it being personal for Emmy as one of the girls is the daughter of her best friend. In a small town, the disappearance sends shock waves through the community and as Emmy is thrown into the depths of the investigation, she unearths a lot of secrets of those she thought she knew. As she delves deeper, she discovers the girls were also leading double lives which reveals the complexities and darkness lurking within her well loved home town.

The book is well written and the plot intense, and dramatic, with a lot going on within it. There seemed to be an awful lot of characters which took me a while to get my head around, and some weren't that important to the story, but Emmy and her family were extremely likeable and easy to relate to. The story develops well and there is tragedy throughout the story, but Karin Slaughter writes beautifully and the book was thoroughly enjoyable.

My thanks to Karin and Netgalley for allowing me to read We Are All Guilty Here before the publication date.
Over the years, I have followed Karin’s books, liking some more than others.
The description of the book set the expectations and you just know that Emmy Clifton is going to be on a rollercoaster of a journey.
As with any new series, establishing the characters can be difficult. The first few chapters were a bit overwhelming as there is a very large Clifton family ( a family tree would have been a welcome addition).
Starting at the 4th July celebrations, what should have been a day of fun and laughter takes a sinister turn which will impact many people, not least Officer Emmy Clifton.
There are many storylines which, over a number of years, cross or merge, providing little snippets of information which may or may not be true.

Yet again Karin Slaughter had me gripped throughout.
This is book one in a new series and I'll definitely be carrying it on in the future.
I want to learn more about Officer Emmy and North Falls in general.

The plot of this had me questioning everything. Who could be behind this and why.

This book is brilliant. The story is incredibly dark but at the same time there is a lot of hope and love which balances the story perfectly. The main characters feel so compelling and you can’t help caring for them. Yes they are flawed but that just makes them more real. This story is very well written, well paced, clever and full of heart. I now just have to wait for the next one in the series.

I was blown away by this book.

It was such a comprehensive tale with so much detail and interwoven stories.

It kept me guessing and more. Some of it I didn’t even know was something I could even guess about.

Twists and turns - an emotional rollercoaster of intrigue and detective work.

I connected with all the characters. Some I loved, some I hated, some I was irritated by, a whole range of emotive responses which kept the story relatable and alive.

Such a great way to end the book as well. It felt like a conclusion with closure, but still an opening for the story to continue. She says hopefully, because I want MORE!

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Karin Slaughter delivers yet another gripping, emotionally intense thriller in We Are All Guilty Here. Known for her dark psychological insight and complex characters, Slaughter doesn’t disappoint in this high-stakes story that blends mystery, morality, and the messiness of human relationships.

What I Loved:
First and foremost, the plot is razor-sharp. Slaughter keeps the tension simmering from page one, weaving together past secrets and present consequences in a way that feels both deeply personal and impossible to look away from. Every chapter ends with that “just one more page” urgency.

The characters are another standout. Flawed, raw, and incredibly human—they make bad decisions, carry guilt, and try (and sometimes fail) to do what’s right. That complexity makes them feel real. I especially appreciated how the theme of guilt is handled: not just as a plot device, but as an emotional thread that binds everyone in the story.

Also worth noting: Slaughter’s social commentary is subtle but effective. She doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, and she handles them with care, making the book not only suspenseful but thought-provoking.

What I Didn’t Love (but Didn’t Hate Either):
Honestly, not much—but if I had to nitpick, some scenes felt emotionally heavy to the point of draining. The emotional depth is a strength, but it can also be a lot to process, especially if you’re looking for something lighter. Also, if you’re new to Slaughter’s work, be prepared: this book dives into some dark places, and it doesn’t always offer neat resolutions.

Final Thoughts:
We Are All Guilty Here is Karin Slaughter at her best—bold, smart, and unafraid to dig deep into the human psyche. It’s a story that stays with you long after the final page, not just because of the twists, but because it forces you to ask: What would you have done?

A must-read for fans of psychological thrillers with emotional depth and moral complexity.


❤️shaye.readss

This is the first of a new series from the award-winning author. North Falls feels like one of the safest places on earth: truly a community, with locals – for the most part – getting along. Everyone knows everyone… but that’s necessarily a good thing. Emmy Clifton is asked by her best friend’s daughter for help and is quick to dismiss it as teenage drama – but what if it isn’t? In a town where there’s no such thing as a secret, Emmy must grit her teeth and do her utmost to help when she can. To my mind, Karin’s depiction of small town America is perfectly pitched.

This was a great read.
It pulled me in from the start and kept me guessing until the very end which is rare.
So well written, just a really good story.
Will definitely look out for future books if it becomes a series.

We all are guilty here is a new amazing story by Karin Slaughter. My first book by her was the pretty girls and I became a fan of her writing. This one was no exception.

In this book we have Emmy who lives in North falls and is the detective in the town. It’s July fourth weekend and Emmy’s best friend’s daughter and another girl is missing and Emmy is extremely upset not only cause both girls are missing but cause her best friend’s daughter came to her for help. She thought it’s some teenage drama and it can wait but now that they are missing, she will do everything to find them but it’s not being easy cause everyone in the town got something to hide.

When a cold case becomes the center of the current case it becomes much complex and nothing is black and white anymore.

It was very twisted and full of mystery and loved all the twist and turns. It was an absolute pleasure to read this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for kindly providing me with tho eARC, all opinions are my own honest opinions.

We are all guilty here(north falls 1) by Karin Slaughter:
ratings story 10/10,characters 10/10, easy to read 10/10
astonishing and gripping new crime drama series from this author, A small town called north falls where everyone knows everyone. But nobody knows the truth. Emmy Clifton has lived here all her life. She thinks she knows her neighbours. She's wrong, I was given advance copy of this book by the kind people at NetGalley
#karinslaughter #weareallguiltyhere #northfalls1 #astonishing #gripping #crime #drama #thriller #musthavebooks #mustreadbooks #NetGalley

The main character Emmy didn't grab me straight away and even by the end of the book I was still quite lukewarm about her. Honestly, no single character stood out to me in this book. The story starts off with lots of characters and lots of details about these characters. Slaughter definitely does try to nail down that small town vibe very early on, but I think this was done much better in the Grant County books, because it felt like an avalanche of information in this book. I am hoping the next book may be easier to get into and hopefully that one may hook me and get me invested in the series.

This is my first (but won't be my last) Karin Slaughter book so I didn't have any knowledge of writing style before starting.
The mystery and world building is very well written. It is immersive and gripping exactly what you want from a psychological thriller. I really enjoyed Emmy's character and the characters on the periphery. The drama and secrets that are revealed really keep readers on the edge of their seat.
I loved the attention to detail, the focus on procedure and forensic elements really pulled it all together for me.
This book is fast paced, gritty and a psychological thriller fans dream! If you're looking for a small town mystery with drama and twists this is the book for you.
5🌟




📚I was able to read an advanced copy of title thanks to NetGalley, Karin Slaughter and Harper Collins📚
📚All reviews and opinions are entirely my own📚

Parts of this are really gripping but I found it overlong, too much unnecessary details of cracking the case. Not what I would call a thriller but Karin Slaughter will always have an audience.

Move over Sara Linton and Will Trent a new sheriff is in town! Emmy Clifton!

I’ve been a devoted fan of Karin Slaughter for such a long time and it’s great that she has started writing a brand new series….I absolute devoured the Grant County series when they were first published and I’m happy to say she hasn’t lost her touch on writing another small town American series but this time called North Falls. This is Karin Slaughter at her best when she has multiple complex characters set round a sheriff department and with a murder to solve….
Emmy Clifton has lived her whole life in North Falls. She thinks she knows her friends and neighbours but when two girls go missing she has to look at everyone to try and solve the murders and go through some rollercoaster emotions and experiences along the way. You never really know a town until you know its secrets.
I can’t wait for the next instalment.

Thank you @netgalley and @harpercollins as this was an advanced readers copy.

We Are All Guilty Here- Karin Slaughter
I have been a fan of Karin Slaughters for a long time so when I was approved for this ARC I will admit I did a happy dance and the book did not disappoint.
Slaughter is a well established and extremely accomplished crime and thriller author and that is evident in every page of this latest masterpiece. I was hooked from the first page and was sent reeling by plot twist after plot twist. I couldn't figure out who was behind the murders/kidnappings.
This is an incredibly well crafted story with well developed characters and intelligent plot twists.
If you haven't previously encountered Slaughters works, this is your sign.

Emmy, following in her father's footsteps, works as a police officer. When a horrible crime is committed on the 4th of July, involving people well known to Emmy, her world is rocked but it is only the start of a series of events and discoveries that will shape her life and the lives of the people in her town forever. Can Emmy find the missing girls and discover who the culprit is?
Soooooooooo incredibly grateful for this opportunity to review this incredible ARC by one of my favourite authors so thank you @netgalley and @harpercollinsuk