False Witness

Dnf, I did not like covid and the politics of covid being brought into the book.  Especially when I can out right tell the political leaning of the author. First book from this author I attempted and the last. 

A very interesting and twisty tale, it was just a bit too wordy and felt like certain points just dragged on unnecessarily.

Karin Slaughter really is THAT girl when it comes to thrillers. I actually found myself enjoying this way more than Pretty Girls, because I was so much more invested in the main characters and the sisters' dynamic. This book is dark, and content warnings abound, but there's a point to the brutality. There's a heart at the center of it, and it tests how far you're willing to go for the people you love.

While I think it could've been trimmed a bit, and I'm still getting used to reading about Covid (though in this case it seemed to work rather well), I was so enthralled by it the whole time any hang ups I may have don't really matter. I just loved it.

3.5 Stars

Finished in one day. This book had me enthralled.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Die Story war genial, mal was anderes und einzigartiges. Ich mochte die Entwicklung und wie es am Ende alles perfekt zusammengeführt wurde.
Die Schwäche für mich ist die länge, es waren einige Details, die ich für dich Geschichte nicht brauchte daher wären 100-150 Seiten weniger auch ok gewesen. sonst war es echt gut und sicher nich5 das letzte Buch der Autorin für mich

Another exceptional foray into just how messy, beautifully, complex, intricate, and resilient some humans can be, and how twisted and fucked up we can become if the trauma and damage that humanity can do is not addressed and healed properly. So much truth in one novel, it's almost hard to read, but it's too good to stop reading!! Great read, and so enthralling! Can't wait for the next K. Slaughter to be released...I'll just be here, rereading the Grant County series until then....

I've been a fan of Karin Slaughter for many years and have read all but 2 of her books, so I'm very used to how dark and twisted her novels can be, however this one felt particularly grim and intense. Anything involving children just hits so much harder.

I can completely understand that this won't be for a lot of people, some won't even be able to get through the first horrific chapter. It's long and it's heartbreaking, but it's worth it.

I think I cried for the last 2 hours of the books, I cried for Callie and Leigh, I cried for Dr Jerry, like actually sobbed. Partly because it's so heart felt, especially the scene in vets between Callie and Dr Jerry, but also because the narrator (Kathleen Early) did such a good job, she was just amazing so highly recommend the audio.

Even though the first Karin Slaughter book I ever read, Pretty Girls, was life changing for me and it still remains one of my all time favorite thrillers of all time, lately I have been less confident with her and her books. I read Pieces of Her and just really felt “meh” about it. However, I have been hearing very good things about her newest thriller, False Witness, so I decided to give it a shot and am so glad that I did! Although, it didn't surpass Pretty Girls for me, I still very much enjoyed it and it restored my fate in Karin Slaughter for sure. I will definitely be picking up her other books in the future.

To begin with, False Witness, is about a lawyer, who has a very messed up relationship with her past and her drug addicted sister. Then, she is forced to represent a part of her childhood that she had meant to stay hidden forever and face all her demons. I liked this plot, I thought that even though it wasn't the most original one, I thought that it was still done beautifully and I thoroughly enjoyed this book for that reason. I thought that the book dragged in the middle for a bit, but once it picked up, I couldn't put it down. It's the only reason I took of one star. I am coming to find that legal thrillers aren't my most favorite but I do enjoy the ones that are done right and this one was really good.

Further on, the characterization in this novel was supreme, as it almost always is in Karin Slaughter's novels. I really enjoyed experiencing the complicated sister dynamic of Leigh and Callie, especially since I am an only child and this was able to touch me in ways that I didn't think was possible to get from a book. I thought all the characters' development was superb and I really got a good picture and look into almost all of them. I was able to understand what drives them and we got to see into their soul. They are also all very imperfect and messed up and that made them that much more human to me.

Finally, the writing style was pretty good. I don't think Karin Slaughter's writing is my all-time favorite but it definitely made me care about the characters deeply so it must have done a good job. I really loved the deep look we got into all of the different characters and how vulnerable and deep their souls really went. It was a smooth read, even when it wasn't the fastest paced.

In conclusion, I would recommend this book to thriller lovers who don't mind a legal thriller. I am not the biggest fan of them and even I was able to enjoy it and learn something from it. I also loved the representation of drug addicts and their struggles in this book, especially considering I have no experience or real knowledge of that aspect of real life. I think this book was very deep and meaningful, even if it dragged at times.

I don't care how good of a story you tell, if you continually inject your political beliefs into the narrative, it really turns me off as a reader. Especially when I do not subscribe to the political beliefs being preached....

This book destroyed me. At its core, it's about sister relationships and drug abuse. With every trigger warning imaginable it is extremely depressing and by the end I was a sobbing mess. Callie's death was devastating and because I grew so attached to Leigh and Callie it hit me even more

I typically love this author's books but am torn on this one. It was an interesting thriller but had some cons for me.

I didn't really connect with the characters and it took a long time to build the story which made it longer than I think it needed to be. The story wraps up pretty quickly in the last 50 pages and has a predictable and logical conclusion.

It was interesting in that it was the first book I have read that has characters dealing with COVID...wearing masks, etc.

If you are a fan of the author and have high expectations, you may want to keep those in check. Overall, it was an okay read. Trigger warnings for sexual abuse, violence, and drug addiction.

I always look forward to each of Karin Slaughter's books and this latest one did not disappoint. Very compelling

Zo, wat een verhaal! Mijn eerste boek van Slaughter en meteen ook een goeie. Het verhaal is soms gruwelijk als echt. Wat ik ook erg kan waarderen is dat het verhaal verankert is in het nu, door Covid-19 in het verhaal te verwerken. Een thriller pur sang en ik ben bang dat dit niet mijn laatste Slaugther was.

A bleak story. Nasty dubject matter. I could not find anything or anyone to really like, so I stopped reading halfway through.

Another brilliant, standalone book by Karin, which doesn't really surprise me since it's what I've come to expect from her books!

It was a little graphic (which is usually the case with KS books) and did cover some topics like sexual assault, child abuse and drug abuse, so that might make it off putting for some people.

I like that the two main female characters Leigh and Callie were flawed but likeable, and of course it wouldn't have been a story without the awful, really unlikeable villain, Andrew. He was creepy and a complete psychopath!

I would definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to PH (Pigeonhole) and Karin Slaughter for the chance to read this book.