Review: False Witness by Karin Slaughter (print/audio)

 

Publisher: William Morrow / Blackstone Publishing

Published: July 20, 2021

Source: Print – ARC Paperback via William Morrow / Audio: ALC via Blackstone Publishing

 

Summary:

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…

 

My thoughts:

I absolutely love Karin Slaughter’s books, as dark and chilling as they tend to be, and this latest one is no exception. It was one of my most anticipated reads for this month and it totally delivered, as I suspected it would.

This latest story is a stand-alone, which I know Karin Slaughter more for. I have only read one of the books in her series, but her stand-alones to me are where she excels! And this one is all about sisters – my absolute favorite kind of relationship to read about. Callie and Leigh have a dark secret that manages to creep into their present.

This story delves into some pretty heavy, dark topics, topics that might be off-putting to some, but if you are a regular reader of this author, you know what you are likely getting into. If you are new to this author – be warned, this book is not for the faint of heart.

What I loved is that the twists start almost from the get-go and never stop. There are some pretty shocking ones and some minor ones, but they manage to keep you on your toes and flipping the pages. It’s a fast-paced book and between the twists and the pace, I was all in. I also loved the character development. I felt that over the course of the book – and let me just say – this is a big book! – we really get to know them. They are flawed and fallible and you can’t help but want to root for them, even though they make some questionable choices.

As she had done with her previous few novels, the author actively chose to mark the time of this book. She set it during the pandemic, though it is set in the latter part of it, not at the onset. While this is not a main focus of the book, it does play a hand in how certain things are done and I think the author handled it well. She does address her reasoning for including this in her author’s note, so be sure to read this.

This was such a complex, at times violent, crime novel, and yet, it’s also an emotional story at times, too, diving into the complex dynamics of the sibling relationship and the emotional toll that addiction takes on those we love. Being a fan of this author, I loved it, but I know this book might not be for everyone, so proceed with caution. If you like thrillers with a dark, gritty vibe, pick this one up.

 

Audio thoughts:

Even though I only listened to the last half of this novel, I had no problems jumping in midway. Kathleen Early is such a talented narrator and she does such a fantastic job with the voices that I was able to easily adjust to her narration without any issues. Her pacing and intonation were spot on and she infused just the right amount of emotion and suspense into her voice as needed. She really did a great job bringing this book to life!