I found myself not wanting this book to end. I loved that it was set in current times, with discussions of the impact of Covid. I haven’t read any other books that have done this yet. It added another layer of reality. At times I found myself loosing focus, but my life is very busy at the moment so I think that is why.

Slaughter says that her carefree childhood was interrupted by the changes brought about by the fear that spread through her community. The experience sparked an interest in how communities respond to crime. Slaughter is still a Southern girl: she lives in Atlanta and says that stereotypes about the South make her ‘absolutely furious’. Not only was the murder Emily never solved, but the father of her child was also unknown to even Emily.My biggest issue with this book was basic police work was left until the last 10% of the book to force suspense. It's my understanding that if you have multiple victims of the same perpetrator, you would try to establish a link between them because that will most likely lead you toward the baddie. Did super agents Faith and Will do this from the jump? Nope. Instead they ran around in a circle until the last 10% when lo and behold, they decided to call the victims' family/friends and ask about their medical history. *Face palm*. For me, False Witness is one of the few written-during-the-pandemic books that actually worked. COVID as a topic is neither a completely avoided nor all-consuming, just a reality of the characters living through it. In the afterword she discusses more of her reasoning behind those choices, so don’t skip that! And for someone who’s written over 20 novels, Slaughter’s ability to not just write a relentlessly good thriller, but also retain a prescient cultural awareness never ceases to amaze me. I loved the intensity of this book and it’s going to be my go-to recommendation for summer reads.

and a honorable mention to amanda because she is like a mother to me. and her relationship with will made me cry like a child in the last few books. I‘ve been reading Karin Slaughter’s books for years, enjoying her series just as much as her stand-alone. And this is no exception. Yet another fabulous addition!Overall, I liked this book, but didn't love it. Worth reading if you're a Slaughter fan or liked the first book in the series. I liked how solid Will and Sara have become as a couple. Also, how Will has learned how to engage with Faith. He knows when she needs time or when he needs to press for her to open up. Leigh seems like having a decent life: a successful career, a kid, a civilized divorce! Well, nothing as it seems because tantrums her teenage daughter throws are too hard to handle and didn’t I mention her marriage ended! I don’t care it was civilized ending or not! She’s alone now! And mansplaining at the work place is frustrating. She deserves a promotion.

Callie's terrifying phone call. Leigh's frantic drive to reach her. The horrific scene in the kitchen. The familiar smell of the dank house, the cigars and scotch and blood - so much blood. Will and Faith are already on boss Amanda's sh*tlist when they decide to go rogue and investigate a case without her authorization after a rape victim dies under Sara's care and utters a plea for Sara to make sure her rapist is caught with her dying breath. Dr. Sara Linton was the attendant in Emergency when Dani Cooper arrived, an assault victim in deep distress. As she valiantly fights to save her, Sara is the only one to hear pertinent details that confirm she’d been drugged and raped. Now she’s at the alleged rapist’s trial, one she’s been dreading because he’s the son of a former colleague who knows what happened to her fifteen years ago. When she finishes testifying, she later learns that there might be a connection between what happened to Dani and Sara’s rape all those years ago. Pros: yes, it's long, but most of the descriptions are focused on things pertinent to the plot/central story, a lil spooky (mostly the texts) This is not an easy read, but Karin Slaughter's books never are. It is an excellent read and was very nearly a five star read for me but I do admit to glazing over at the sheer amount of technical medical information and terminology in parts.

Publication Order of Anthologies

This is a solid police procedural novel. I listened to it as an audiobook and while parts are difficult to listen to due to the subject matter, they are also excellently portrayed by the narrator, Kathleen Early, who I believe has narrated all of the Karin Slaughter books that I've listened to. Slaughter’s career path was shaped by her love of books, which she says was “the greatest gift my father ever gave me. I grew up with the appreciation that having a book is a luxury,” says Slaughter, who is the founder of the national nonprofit organization Save the Libraries. i had this idea that i was a strong person. he shattered that. it was actually a murder, really, because i was never me again after he raped me. i’ve never felt completely safe. i’ve never been able to completely trust someone. even my husband, who i trust the most in the world - that's only ninety-nine percent. that one percent is gone forever.

Leigh shook her head. She would never forget him. Trevor Waleski had been a sweet kid. A little awkward. A lot clingy. The last time Leigh had seen him, he had been drugged into oblivion. She had watched her sister gently kiss the top of his head. The book has so many trigger warnings (although animal harm isn’t one. Slaughter always keeps the kittens safe...PHEW 🐱). It’s dark, graphically violent at times, and will make most people cringe.

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This business bypasses "lurid," starts at "stagy" and gradually works its way through various levels of "ridiculous." But having read much of False Witness, I can't say it's unsophisticated. Slaughter balances her A-storyline, the courtroom plot of an attorney in trouble, with a terrific B-storyline in which the attorney's sister, a junkie living from one score to the next, gets involved in protecting her family and putting the antagonist away. I love your sense of humour, Dani. Really want to spend more time with you. I know you love taking in the view of the park from your corner bedroom. Maybe you can introduce me to Lord Pantaloons. The plot is complex but riveting. There is a sense of despair as the rapist appears to get away with his crime, but Sara, Faith and Will are spurred on by another very similar crime and an apparent connection to Sara's rape many years earlier. False Witness is a standalone, so you’re not going to be getting any appearances from good ‘ol Sara Linton or Will Trent. But I think fans of Slaughter’s previous books will enjoy this one, and newbies to the Slaughterverse (I just made this up) can also comfortably jump in with this one and not feel like they’re missing context. Everything you come to expect from her—action, tension, biting wit, incredible twists and a grand finale made for premium cable—is present here. Though in all the ways this book is like its predecessors, it also fairly different from her typical novel structure.