I borrowed this audiobook from the library.
Publisher: HarperAudio
Published: February 10, 2015
Summary:
Saturday night dates at the skating rink have been a tradition in the small southern town of Heartsdale for as long as anyone can remember, but when a teenage quarrel explodes into a deadly shoot-out, Sara Linton – the town’s pediatrician and medical examiner – finds herself entangled in a terrible tragedy.
What seemed at first to be a horrific but individual catastrophe proves to have wider implications. The autopsy reveals evidence of long-term abuse, of ritualistic self -mutilation, but when Sara and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver start to investigate, they are frustrated at every turn.
The children surrounding the victim close ranks. The families turn their backs. Then a young girl is abducted, and it becomes clear that the first death is linked to an even more brutal crime, one far more shocking than anyone could have imagined. Meanwhile, detective Lena Adams, still recovering from her sister’s death and her own brutal attack, finds herself drawn to a young man who might hold the answers. But unless Lena, Sara, and Jeffrey can uncover the deadly secrets the children hide, it’s going to happen again…
My thoughts:
The Grant Country/Will Trent series are two series I am slowly making my way through in the hopes that by the time Karin Slaughter writes the next book in the Will Trent series I will be all caught up…sounds feasible, right? Sure! I actually have already read the last book in the Will Trent series and loved it so much that I decided I had to go back and start from the beginning and so here I am at book 2…it’s slow going, but I am enjoying it as much as one can with these books because they are dark and gritty but if you love Karin Slaughter, you love these types of books.
This latest installment is disturbing on so many levels – so if you haven’t read this one yet, be forewarned! I think of all the thrillers I’ve read, it ranks as one of the darkest, most chilling and I’ve read a lot that can be categorized as that. What I loved most is that this one felt very character-driven in that we really learn quite a lot about Sara, Jeffrey, and even Lena. I loved how the book alternatives from all their perspectives, allowing us to learn more about them and understand what motivates them.
I do think reading this series in order is going to be crucial as I’m already picking up on threads that are being carried over. It’s not crucial, but I think it just enhances the overall enjoyment of and connection to the book.
I’m already looking forward to picking up the next in this series…and wondering just how dark it will be. I already know I have to space these books out – even I can’t handle too much darkness all at once!
Audio thoughts:
I’ve decided that I’m going to listen to this series, and I’m thrilled that my library has so far had the books available on audio and that Kathleen Early is the narrator. I’ve listened to a few of Karin Slaughter’s other books and Kathleen Early has narrated them and she really gets the nuances of her writing. This book, in particular, was chilling and disturbing to listen to, and Kathleen did a fantastic job delivering that in her narration. She really stepped up, voicing just the right amount of tension and emotion as needed.
Books in this series (Grant County):
- Blindsighted
- Kisscut
- A Faint Cold Fear
- Indelible
- Faithless
- Beyond Reach
