What a treat - not just a new Karin Slaughter, but a whole new series that hits you between the eyes from the off. Clifton County, North Falls is run by the Clifton Family. Police Chief Gerald Clifton has done a sterling job for many a year. His daughter Emmy Lou is his deputy. They're challenged by a case of two missing teenagers, one of whom is Emmy's best friend's stepdaughter. What happens has repercussions for many years. Twelve years later the man responsible is freed from death row and another teen is missing. Did they miss something first time round? Emmy is now Chief Deputy and her son a Deputy. Retired top FBI psychologist Jude Carter comes to town to help out. And secrets emerge, with the cat well and truly among the pigeons. It's difficult to write much without spoilers so - anotehr great read, a hard case to read about, great new characters and a twist at the end that I did not see coming. Can't wait for more. #netgalley #weareallguiltyhere

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC of We Are All Guilty Here in exchange for an honest review.

Karin Slaughter has been a long standing favorite thriller author of mine and this book only further solidifies that she is truly one of the best. Her novels are always full of twists and turns that leave you guessing to the very end and this book was all that and then some. The storyline and characters were so perfectly thought out and the ending was certainly made to shock. Being that this is book 1 in her new crime thriller series, I’m more than curious as to where this series will lead. I always enjoy her beautifully flawed characters and her ability to take risks with her storylines. I must say that as a mother, this particular story hit a bit too close to home being that it is focused on bringing down a child predator who has killed before and will kill again. Kids being hurt always makes me feel a bit uncomfortable and there were certainly moments I had to walk away from the book when it became too much. However, once I got the 70% mark, I was all in and hooked for dear life. Past the point of no return.

Regardless, I’m all in on the story that Karin has begun to craft with this new series and I will continue to follow her series as she continues to release captivating thrillers. If you are new to Karin Slaughter, let me tell you, you’re in for a treat and I encourage you to check out her previous titles as well.

A compelling murder mystery from the best-selling author. When two teen girls go missing, small-town deputy sheriff Emmy Clifton is on a mission to find them and bring them home. An atmospheric and incredibly tense read.

A brilliant murder mystery that is bound to keep you guessing. Complex and captivating with a shock ending. Highly recommended, Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

Karin Slaughter’s We Are All Guilty Here marks the beginning of what promises to be another extraordinary series by one of the finest crime authors of our time. The setting this time is North Falls, the seat of Clifton County in Georgia, a small town where everyone seems to know everyone else and nothing is ever a secret.

But that illusion is shattered when two teenage girls are snatched by a predator on a Fourth of July evening. For Deputy Emmy Clifton, the case is extremely personal since one of the girls is her closest friend’s daughter, and Emmy feels guilty about not listening to her when she approached her a little while before she was taken. Battling an array of emotions, Emmy throws herself into the investigation along with her dad, Sheriff Gerald Clifton, and the entire department, aiming to bring the girls home alive or, at least, to provide closure to the distraught parents.

Fast forward twelve years, another teenage girl goes missing amidst circumstances disturbingly similar to the past abduction, and Emmy finds every fact she uncovered and every conclusion she made previously turned on its head. Meanwhile, Jude Archer, who has recently retired from the FBI as a criminal psychologist specializing in cases of missing children, arrives at North Falls purportedly to help Emmy with the investigation but seems to have more on her agenda. Facing many regrets, self-doubt, and the pain of bereavement, Emmy must accept the help of the stranger despite her misgivings if she has to have any chance of nabbing the predator and saving the child.

We Are All Guilty Here is yet again a taut, riveting thriller with fantastic characters and a complex plot. Slaughter’s supreme ability to vividly depict the mental state of her characters – be it the terror felt by the victims, the anguish of the mother who has lost her child, or the frustration of the investigators facing dead ends – shines through in every scene. Each of her characters is fleshed out well and feels utterly realistic. Switching dexterously between tender scenes and terrible violence, Slaughter keeps her audience wholly involved in her narrative. The town of North Falls and the Clifton family – including all the aunts and cousins, each with their own quirks – come alive in Slaughter’s evocative prose. The intensity of the painstaking police work, Emmy’s and other characters’ multiple regrets, and the mounting tension caused by the predator on the loose are tempered by moments of levity that never feel out of place.

Though a bit longer than the average novel – a norm for Slaughter, thankfully – the pace of We Are All Guilty Here is relentless, making it impossible to put the book down. There are several twists, a few of which are unguessable, and each one is as exciting as it is shocking. Slaughter, as always, does not shy away from describing the extremes of human depravity, and a few scenes in this novel can cause distress to those unaccustomed to her writing. For me, it was as gritty and absorbing as I expected a Karin Slaughter thriller to be, and I would recommend it to every reader who is already a fan or is yet to discover this exceptional author.

I am grateful to HarperCollins UK / HarperFiction for the digital galley of We Are All Guilty Here through NetGalley.

I'm a huge fan of Karin Slaughter and damn does she know how to write a thriller. It was great heading to North Falls and getting to meet some new faces. The town is the perfect setting. I loved Emmy and her wild family and look forward to seeing more of them.

It's an emotional read. I had no idea who could be trusted. There are a lot of characters and so many of them are suspicious, which kept me on my toes. I did guess some of it, but there are so many twists and turns that I was hooked. I definitely wasn't expecting one of the twists.

As with all of her books, the chapters are long, so it's not a book you can dip in and out of easily. I did switch to the audio version after a couple of chapters, and I loved it. The narrator was great, and I found it easier to keep track of all the characters.

Thank you NetGaleyy for the free e-arc!

This was amazing! It’s been such a long time since I’ve read a good thriller and this was exceeded my expectations.
I loved that the story was told, I loved all the new characters added in the story. It’s was very detailed and I was captivated by this mystery around the city and people. I couldn’t trust anyone and that was a really nice vibe to have in a mystery book.
It was emotional and addictive and devastating. Loved the investigation and how all the secrets came out.
Even if I realised who the killer is, it didn’t mind me. It was such a good mix of trauma, mystery, secrets, pain, fear, that the ending was amazing.
Even the twists and turns were so well done.

It was a really good mystery book and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

I absolutely loved this book! It is very dark, but the suspense really drew me in. I love hearing about police procedurals and how the main detective shares her thoughts and theories throughout the book is great. Definitely didn't expect the twists. Another great book by Slaughter!

4.5 Stars!

My first Kari Slaughter book and I was hooked from the very beginning. I loved the characters; they all felt so real and 3 dimensional, the tensions and atmosphere of the book was amazing! I will definitely be picking up her other books!!

I have a confession to make, and that is I have read every Karin slaughter book written. And even though the last book was only a year ago I feel this book renewed my love of her writing.
The fact the this book is the first in a new series is brilliant.
Told in two parts, rather than a dual timeline we begin 12 years ago with the murder of two local schoolgirls that may have or may not have been solved. And now, when another young girls goes missing with similar circumstances in a still very much fractured town.
The main antagonists of the book are Emmy and Jude and both are great likeable characters who have their own problems but who work together along with other members of the North Falls community.
This was a good gritty police procedural type book. This would make a great tv series. And if you haven’t read any of Karin Slaughters books this would be a great one to start your new obsession!

It’s a great shame of mine that I haven’t read more Karin Slaughter books! I have all the Grant County series, most of the Will Trent series and a few standalone books on my kindle but I never quite get round to reading them. That’s definitely going to have to change!

The book is about the Clifton family that work in law enforcement - Emmy and her son in the sheriffs department, plus Jude who is a freshly retired FBI agent - that try to solve two cases. The first cases involves the abduction of two teenagers and covers the first part of the book. Fast forward 12 years and another child is abducted. The crimes can be a bit graphic at times so if you’re of a sensitive disposition, be warned.

It was quite a long book but to me this is a positive. It allowed time for the author to introduce us to each of the characters and the town of North Falls. Slowing down the pace a bit only heightened the tension.

Overall, a terrific book with a great story, interesting characters, and good writing.

An accomplished mystery whodunnit over two timelines exploring the darker secrets of American small town life. It was well written and compelling but had something of a cookie cutter plot which meant that the ending was fairly predictable.

Read as an advance copy from NetGalley

A well plotted police procedural. I didn’t think some of what happened was necessary and didn’t add to the tension in the novel.
Overall an ok crime story.

North Falls may seem like a sleepy town where everyone knows each other and feels safe, but one 4th July as rhe fireworks explode across its skies, two teenage girls go missing. The mystery remains unsolved until years later history repeats itself. It seems there are plenty of neighbours concealing hidden secrets, and dark deeds. The truth is chilling. a superb thriller. #weareallguiltyhere #karinslaughter #netgalley

This is my first book by this author, however it certainly won’t be the last. This book is amazing and one of my favourites this year. It’s definitely worthy of 5 stars and I will be recommending it to friends.

We are All Guilty Here- Karin Slaughter.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

If I’ve read a Karin Slaughter book before it was a long time ago, and it’s definitely someone I want to read more of.

I was pleased to get an ARC of this one and I really enjoyed it.

Emmy is a deputy sheriff in a small town dominated by members of her family. On 4th July weekend two teenagers go missing, abducted and the clock is ticking to find them before it’s too late.

The writing style of this is one I really gelled with, there’s lots of conversation which moves the story along and the attention to detail about the case is good. It’s tense, and has some twists and turns and some surprises that keep you guessing through its 500+ pages.

I always love a thriller/ crime book at this time of year and I’m sure it’s not going to be my last Karin Slaughter (I’ve already ordered more!)

Characters- 9
Atmosphere- 9
Writing Style- 9
Plot- 8
Intrigue-8
Readability -8
Enjoyment- 8
8.47

Wow! What a brilliant read from one of my favourite authors Karin Slaughter. This has to be my favourite one.
An intense gripping story involving several families in North Falls. Hidden secrets, trauma, lies and loss.
Two teenage girls vanish without a trace, Officer Emmy Clifton finds herself at the centre of the investigation, one of the missing girls is the daughter of her best friend. As Emmy pieces together clues she realises the town is harbouring many secrets.
There is a dual timeline and 12 years later another girl, Paisley, is missing, the crime scene is eerily the same, tempers in the town flare, causing a death, shaking the community and in particular Emmy.
A retired FBI agent known for finding children, sees the alert for Paisley and flies to her hometown to offer her expertise, she hasn’t been back to North Falls for many years, will she be welcomed? Will she be stepping on Emmy’s toes?
Great characters in this story, there is tension and heartache as the story unfolds, but Amidst the grief and loss there is courage and tentative steps towards forgiveness.
This is definitely a page turner and a 5 star top read for 2025.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Uk for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

When teenager Paisley goes missing, Officer Emmy Clifton has flash backs to 12 years ago when her best friends step-daughter and her friend went missing, then found brutally murdered.
The race is on to find Paisley and Emmy has to question if they caught the real killer last time. Any small town is full of secrets, but now is the time to unearth the truth.
It took a while to compete this book, but the plot and ending did not disappoint. A great read.

Unusually for a Karin Slaughter book, this was not for me. It was very slow and overly long. There was a lot of unnecessary detail that was even repeated. Even the characters didn't particularly interest me.
Despite my misgiving, I am sure a lot of readers will enjoy it.

We Are All Guilty Here is everything I want in a thriller: small-town secrets, complex women, and a haunting crime that refuses to stay buried. The story kicks off with a bang, excuse the pun, as a Fourth of July celebration ends in the disappearance of two teenage girls. The intensity ramps up from there.

Slaughter introduces us to Emmy Clifton, a local police officer carrying the weight of her own past mistakes. She’s fierce, flawed, and deeply human. I was completely invested in her journey, especially when the book jumps twelve years ahead and a new case threatens to expose everything Emmy tried to bury. The dual timeline was perfectly executed and added a real sense of urgency and dread.

One of my favorite dynamics in the book was the tension between Emmy and FBI profiler Jade Archer. Their partnership is uneasy but electric, full of conflicting instincts and buried truths. Watching them navigate trust, guilt, and accountability made the story all the more gripping.

Slaughter doesn’t pull punches. The book is dark, but never gratuitous with every twist, and every moment of violence, serving a purpose. It’s a story about guilt, responsibility, and the lies people tell themselves to survive. Thought provoking with an added load of depth, I loved this read.

As the start of a new series, I’m all in. Highly recommend for fans of gritty crime fiction and character-driven thrillers. I can’t wait for the next installment!