Dark, Compelling, and Powerfully Relevant: Read our Review of False Witness by Karin Slaughter

He saw what you did… He knows who you are. The stunning new standalone from the no.1 international bestselling author.

AN ORDINARY LIFE…

Leigh Coulton has worked hard to build what looks like a normal life. She has a good job as a defence attorney, a daughter doing well in school, and even her divorce is relatively civilised—her life is just as unremarkable as she’d always hoped it would be.

HIDES A DEVASTATING PAST…

But Leigh’s ordinary life masks a childhood which was far from average… a childhood tarnished by secrets, broken by betrayal, and finally torn apart by a devastating act of violence.

BUT NOW THE PAST IS CATCHING UP…

Then a case lands on her desk—defending a wealthy man accused of rape. It’s the highest-profile case she’s ever been given—a case which could transform her career if she wins. But when she meets the accused, she realises that it’s no coincidence that he’s chosen her as his attorney. She knows him. And he knows her. More to the point, he knows what happened twenty years ago, and why Leigh has spent two decades running.

AND TIME IS RUNNING OUT.

If she can’t get him acquitted, she’ll lose much more than the case. The only person who can help her is her younger, estranged sister Calli, the last person Leigh would ever want to ask for help. But suddenly she has no choice…

Karin Slaughter is an international bestselling author who is most well-known among BR readers for her gripping Will Trent and Grant County series. Now she is back with a new standalone thriller … and I couldn’t be more excited. Her latest novel, False Witness, has risen to the top of my favourite Karin Slaughter books. Not only is it an outstanding thriller with a pair of powerfully opposing characters, but it’s also the perfect entry point for readers who are new to her books.

The protagonists, Leigh and Callie, are two sisters with a shared past that haunts them to this day. Leigh deals with it by diving into her career, while Callie uses heroin to dull her pain. Through her portrayal of both these women, Slaughter shows that she isn’t afraid to explore tough topics, such as addiction, domestic violence, and sexual assault.

This is a dark, compelling novel that doesn’t shy away from tough topics, and excels at portraying family love and loyalty. The relationship between Leigh and Callie is full of unconditional love yet highlights their shared trauma and how it has affected their dynamic over the years. False Witness is yet another excellent standalone from Karin Slaughter, demonstrating once again why she sits atop this genre.