Truly wonderful book. Terrific story , believable characters working to solve a murder mystery but more importantly the love of family. Buy this book, you won't be disappointed.

3.25-3.5 STARS

When it comes to suspense thrillers, no one does it better than author Karin Slaughter. Hence, the reason I was so excited to get my hands on her latest novel, “The Good Daughter.” Sadly, though, this book failed to live up to my lofty expectations. As usual, the quality of her writing is without dispute. But, based upon this author’s previous books, I held firm to my preconceived belief that her latest novel would be a darker, grittier, and more intense story than it actually is.

In and of itself, “The Good Daughter” is still a very compelling story. But it’s a story that unfurls slowly, lacking the driving force necessary to move the story along at the quicker pace I’ve come to both expect and desire. Fueling my disappointment even further, is that early on, I was able to deduce much of what was covertly held back, leaving no true surprises or shocking revelations in the story’s wake.

Clearly, much of my dissatisfaction with “The Good Daughter” falls heavily upon my shoulders and less on the author’s. And while it might not be the story I had been expecting, “The Good Daughter” is certainly not without merit. Take the story’s main characters, for example. Each are well developed, complex, and at times, even utterly confusing. I didn’t always understand the motivation behind their words and actions, but the inability to predict their reactions in any given situation, offered a fascinating dynamic to the story as a whole.

By far, Samantha & Charlotte’s father, Rusty, was the most enigmatic character of them all. Seemingly oblivious to the numerous trials and tribulations that both his daughters endured, I had a hard time getting a handle on the perplexing man who turned out to be more perceptive than I’d originally thought. Then there’s Ben—a man still very much in love with his estranged wife, but utterly clueless as to how to reach beyond her carefully constructed wall. To some extent, Samantha and Charlotte’s estrangement made a bit more sense. Both haunted by the indelible scars resulting from one shared and fateful day, meant revisiting that day repeatedly whenever in each other’s presence.

As for Gamma and Lenore, they made for interesting—albeit, quirky--secondary characters. Without question, their presence throughout the book added a unique touch of realism to the story in general. But the influence they both exuded over Samantha, Charlotte, and Rusty, was clearly paramount in each of their daily decisions and actions.

With “The Good Daughter,” Karin Slaughter delivers a story that’s more character driven than suspenseful, focusing primarily on one family’s tragic ordeal and the resulting aftermath. So, while it might not be my favorite Karin Slaughter book to date, it is still a book worth reading—especially if you go in armed with the knowledge that this is a very different story than what this author typically writes. Knowing this in advance, I’m confident that you’re reading experience will be one that’s much more positive than mine.

Been a massive fan for years and this book did not disappoint in any way. Great characters, well thought out plot and brilliant storytelling. Brought a tear to my eye in a few places and a smile to my face in others. Very enjoyable read.

The story of a family ripped apart by brutal events. Another event, a school shooter, is the unlikely catalyst to unite them. Father Rusty is the lawyer who defends the indefensible, not something that has made life easy for his wife or daughters. The school shooting is an unusual one, with the perpetrator being a young girl. Of course Rusty must defend her, although it seems a cut and dries case. Of course things are not so simple. When his daughter Charlie returns to the home town and reluctantly becomes involved many old wounds between Rusty and his daughters Charlie and Sam are opened. Plenty in this book to keep you turning the pages!

The Good daughter by Karin Slaughter is an amazing 5 star read.
Rusty Quinn is a lawyer who will represent the criminals that no one else wants to, even after his house is burned to the ground and his wife is brutally murdered and his eldest daughter left for dead, no body likes Rusty and his daughters aren't well liked either.
After 28 years Charlie has put the past behind her, she's now working as a lawyer and trying to fight to save her marriage but after she leaves her phone with a one night stand her life is about to take a disastrous turn. Witnessing the aftermath of a terrible school shooting brings back the nightmare of watching her mother murdered and her sister left fighting for her life, Charlie must try and put all the pieces together and figure out what really happened.
This was an amazing story it had me hooked from the very first page, I would highly recommend it.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley.

Every now and again a book comes along that you don’t want to put down, you don’t want it to end and you wish you could write as well as Ms Slaughter!. This is such a book.
An engrossing read, with well defined characters. Yes, they are flawed, but you don’t feel the flaws are in any way over the top, rather you perfectly understand who they are and why they are that way. The narrative grips you from the early pages and doesn’t let go until the very end of the book. Full of intrigue, mystery and double dealing there is a revelation in every chapter and I didn’t work out who did what they did and to whom! A seriously satisfying read for lovers of crime fiction.

My first Karin Slaughter and yes I will be back for more. First I must thank Harper Collins and Net Gallery for offering me the book in exchange for a honest review.
Many of the reviews cover the plot and some spoilers so I will stick with the author her style and my own experience when reading the book. The pace is slow but detailed so I got to believe I knew the characters and their emotions. I do have one criticism and that is the constant repetitions of 'Sam said', 'Charlie said' , when the sisters - talk pronouns are rare. The author's style using the slow leak of information as she fills in the background to her character's lives kept me page turning. I cannot say I found the prose easy to read some of the phrasing a little obscure for this side of the Atlantic but after a while I got into the flow.
Whilst this isn't a procedural book it does offer insights into the American legal system which I found very interesting if a little threatening. Money obviously talks and prejudice thrives possibly it will forever.
A good book and one I will remember..

As a fan of Karin Slaughter's other novels I was keen to read this one, it didn't disappoint.
Fast paced, gritty and descriptive in a way that only this author can, this story is a harrowing tale of abuse, revenge and maybe even a little forgiveness.
Switching back and forth between the past and the present this book is cleverly put together with solid characters and an interesting, tense storyline.
I could not put this book down, hard to read in some places regarding the abuse but highly recommended!

Another 5 star gem of a story from Karin Slaughter who has cemented her place as my No 1 favourite author ever!
This is a standalone novel following sisters Charlie and Sam and their family in the small town of Pikeville, Atlanta. The girl's father is a local defence lawyer who attracts unwelcome and in this case violent attention due to his work in defending some very questionable characters accused of some awful crimes.
A violent and brutal attack is carried out on the family and the effects on Charlie and Sam are long-lasting and life-changing eventually resulting in a lengthy estrangement from each other.
A present day violent incident rocks Pikeville and the girls are drawn into this forcing them to examine their relationship and face the horrors of their past. We follow every detail of that fateful night in flashback from both Charlie and Sam and what is revealed is truly horrifying but terribly moving leading to long buried secrets being revealed.
The climax is fast and furious and hit like a truck - another triumph from Ms Slaughter!
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for advance copy. Link to Good Reads 5 star review below.

I have quite a collection of Karin Slaughter books in my bookcase and have enjoyed her writing for years, and it is really great to read a book with new characters, not that I'm complaining about the old ones! Karin really is a mistress of her trade she writes complicated stories with very well drawn characters and this book was no exception Just when you think you have some thing sussed she throws in another red herring ,I feel like I have to have my wits about me when I'm reading one of her books and I love that. This book kept me on my toes and made me think am I reading a book or unpeeling an onion there were so many layers .Not going to give anything away I will leave the pleasure of discovering the intricacies of the plot to other readers but hope they enjoy this book as much as I did.

Very enjoyable read with a twist in the end. I really felt for the sisters and also their father. I think it must be devastating seeing your mother being killed and living through all the horrendous things .... and .... had to endure. Both girls/women had to be tremendously strong to go on with their lives after an event like this. Great insight in the mind and lives of the victims of violence and how it effects everything in their lives. I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK!

A story which was compelling in its intensity. Two sisters pulled apart by terrible events both in their past and present. Twists and turns,a page turner which kept me reading late at night.

For some reason, I haven't gotten around to reading any books by Karin Slaughter until now. Big mistake! Slaughter's position as a worldwide bestselling mystery writer is no coincidence as the flow of the story, the believable twists and turns and the strategically placed flashbacks make the book a genuine pleasure to read. The characters are sufficiently well developed as there is plenty of psychological elements in the past that play into the current developments. The book is a combination of legal thriller with only minimal courtroom action and mystery in a laid back fashion where the developments just happen naturally without somebody frantically chasing the leads. And it works really well for Slaughter!
Another thing that I really liked about the book is the fantastic dialogue/banter between the main characters - especially the Quinn sisters - which had me snickering numerous times throughout the book although it deals with plenty of serious matters.
Although Goodreads indicates that the book is the first in a new "Good Daughter" series, I see no indications of such a series building on this first book - quite on the contrary - and on KarinSlaughter.com, it is also listed in the "standalone novels" section.
Well, summing up, I really enjoyed my first encounter with Karin Slaughter and now totally get what all the fuzz about her is about!

Its Karen Slaughter!! If you dont know her as an author, you're missing out on something VERY special!! Longtime fan and this was NOT a disappointment, just fantastic!!

*Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* As readers have come to expect from bestselling author, Karin Slaughter, 'The Good Daughter' is a dark, brutal and at times violent book. However, the heaviness of the material is counterbalanced by a certain lightness and humour that comes from the interactions of the characters in the novel and the love you can feel between them. I am hesitant to describe too much of the plot as, like so many of Slaughter's works, 'The Good Daughter' is full of twists and turns that I simply did not see coming. The book most definitely kept me up reading past my bedtime and absolutely gripped by what was unfolding on the pages. Without revealing too much, it is suffice to say that the novel is, like most of Slaughter's work, set in a typical southern town and focuses on a crime from the past, as well as a crime from the present. I am sorry to say that none of Sara Linton, Jeffrey Tolliver or Will Trent make an appearance in the book.

I've read a few books by Karin Slaughter and on balance, I prefer her standalones. This one is stunning; full of surprises and slow reveals. It's well paced throughout, the characters feel like real people and the plotting had me guessing and not knowing who to trust right the way through.

The Good Daughter is a very satisfying tale of siblings, violence and complex relationships. At times it's intense and graphic, but unlike some psychological thrillers, it's not superficial and I was totally engrossed in the storytelling. Although the paces slows mid section, it's still well balanced and kept me gripped and emotionally engaged. Couldn't ask for better, so my thanks to Harper Collins for an early review copy via Netgalley.

Karin Slaughter is an author I've been meaning to read for years but never quite got round to it - this book has ensured I'll now be looking into her backlist and keeping an eye on any upcoming titles!

The relationship between Charlotte and Samantha is deftly treated, with all the usual sibling rivalries and bonds underlain by their traumatic past. Hugely character-driven, I found the crime being solved in the present frequently got overlooked and forgotten, and it felt like the murderer was obvious from reasonably early on. The true suspense comes from whether or not the characters will resolve their current and past emotional conflicts, which to some may be off-putting but to me is a nice change from all the procedural crime novels available at the moment.

Gritty, unflinching but with touches of gentle humour, The Good Daughter was a fantastic read that I struggled to put down.

I have read all of Karin Slaughter's books set in Grant County, Georgia and the Will Trent spin off series. They are always compelling and enjoyable reads and leave me eagerly awaiting the next book.
The Good Daughter is a stand alone novel and it is just as good as all of the earlier books. This author's writing just gets better and better!
Although , like all her books, The Good Daughter is primarily a crime thriller, it is also a family story about the relationship between two sisters, Charlie and Sam and how they deal with an awful event that happened to them as children. This has affected their relationship with Rusty, their crusading lawyer father who always represents the criminal underdog, putting all their lives in danger.- it is his job that caused the earlier tragedy.
The reader sees the dreadful event in the novel as flashbacks both from Charlie's and Sam's point of view and it is only as more information is revealed about the awful day that both the reader and the sisters learn the truth of what really happened to each of them.
The catalyst to all this is a school shooting in the present day which Charlie is accidently caught up in and this brings back memories of her earlier tragedy. When Rusty is subsequently stabbed, whilst representing the shooter, Sam rushes back to see him after a long estrangement from the family and the two sisters start to talk again. Both are lawyers and Sam has to represent the teenager accused of the shooting whilst Rusty is in hospital. Charlie is a witness and cannot help her father with her legal skills.
This book has a detailed well contructed plot. Sam and Charlie are great characters who gradually get to know each other whilst coming to term with past events. They have tried to move on with their lives as best they can but both are still severely affected by what happened to them as teenagers., physically as well as mentally and for Charlie this has started to impact on her relationship with her husband, Ben.
The central theme of this book is what constitutes a good daughter, father, sister? None of the family behave normally, expressing affection towards each other due to these past events but although damaged they do care a lot and gradually learn to be more open as the book progresses.
A thoroughly enjoyable read and highly recommended to all fans of this genre. If you haven't read any Karin Slaughter you've got a real treat in store.
Thanks to Netgalley for my arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

Having never read a Karin Slaughter book before, I was pleasantly surprised. We are told the story of two sisters, who are faced with a horrific ordeal while only teenagers and how it has shaped their lives. Karin Slaughter writes so descriptively, it is so easy to imagine the scenes laid out for you and at points I had to pause as parts were distressing. There were twists I saw coming and some I really didn't so I found myself racing through to the conclusion. Its definitely a good read, although a little bit longer than necessary.

A thoroughly enjoyable crime thriller, looping back through the events which derailed the lives of two sisters 28 years previously, getting closer to the truth each time.
In the present day a girl has turned school shooter and its not clear why. Fast paced, well described the action keeps moving.
Just when you think its all cleared up the story twists again. I certainly hadn't figured out what really happened, nor why, although, as in all the best murder mysteries, all the clues were there.
A good beach book, I would definitely read more from this author.