Brutal…raw…

Be prepared for a deeply disturbing read! A dark story that delves deep into the topics of pedophilia, rape, and drug abuse. And Karin Slaughter is not one to hold anything back. She pulls back the curtains… exposing the gritty, harsh brutality of life.

Leigh and Callie are two sisters who’ve grown up together. But that’s where the similarity ends. Their futures would hold far different paths.

While Leigh goes on to become a successful lawyer, Callie is consumed fighting her demons, lost in the world of drugs.

After taking the case of defending a potential rapist, Leigh realizes she may no longer be able to outrun her past and protect Callie at the same time.

Karin Slaughter pens a chilling thriller, certain to draw you in right from the start. Both sisters demonstrating amazing strength. But of course, my heart broke for poor Callie and her desperate struggles throughout her life.

I‘ve been reading Karin Slaughter’s books for years, enjoying her series just as much as her stand-alone. And this is no exception. Yet another fabulous addition!

A buddy read with Susanne

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to Samantha Benson at Blackstone Publishing for the audiobook via Netgalley

FALSE WITNESS by Karin Slaughter, narrated by Kathleen Early.

Thanks to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing-Audiobooks and Karin Slaughter for a free audio ARC for my honest review.

Quite the thriller! It is very suspenseful when the past catches up with sisters Leigh and Callie. She is quite the storyteller, keeping us mesmerized, especially with all the twists. The author covers a lot of difficult, real-time issues.

The narrator does an amazing job keeping us really involved in the story.

It was quite a gripping story but at times very graphic.

#FalseWitness #NetGalley

Karin Slaughter knocks it out of the park with this thriller. This stand alone thriller once again shares a story about sisters, blackmail and revenge, during the covid pandemic.

Well developed characters, amazing plotting and pacing. The unfolding kept me flipping the pages in this amazing story.

Review posted on blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend.com/

Incredibly Gruesome and Wholly Intense.

Let’s get right to it, shall we folks? First off, I really like Karin Slaughter’s books. If you look at my bookshelves, that should be obvious as I’ve read the entire Grant County and Will Trent series (save maybe one Will Trent book) and have read several standalones.

That said, I’ve held off reading a few of her standalones for a reason. They are simply too gruesome. I’d say that most of her serial novels are not as gruesome as her standalones, but when it comes to her standalones, she doesn’t hold back. There were times when listening to False Witness when I had to walk away and put the audiobook down simply because I just couldn’t take it. That said, the storyline itself was quite good - if only.

Leigh Collier is a defense attorney, hired to represent Andrew Tenant, who as it turns out, she and her sister Callie used to babysit. Andrew Tenant is now a powerful, wealthy man, who just happens to have dirt on both sisters and unfortunately for them, he plans to use it to his advantage.

A desperate, haunting, gruesome tale of cat and mouse. As a disclaimer, this book includes themes of sexual abuse, addiction, assault, and murder.

While I enjoyed this novel and adored the narration by Kathleen Earle (who is stellar), I would have enjoyed this much more had the storyline itself not been so violent. What I did appreciate however, was the fact that this book took place during Covid and the fact that the storyline centered around it. I thought it was fairly realistic and quite well done. Kudos to Karin Slaughter for the realistic storyline.

This was another buddy read/listen with Kaceey.

Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, Karin Slaughter, and Kathleen Earle.

Published on Goodreads and Twitter.

This was an action packed 4.5 stars audio book!! Terrifying at times, this booked kept my up late many nights hopping for justice… dark at times Karen Slaughter’s writing style and descriptions make the story come alive. Some of the content was hard to listen to at times but the story was so well developed and kept me guessing and the twists kept on coming!! Loved it and highly recommend!!

Thank you to NetGalley for an early realize of this book for my honest opinion!

This will be posted to my Goodreads account!!

Karin Slaughter writes the darkest, most twisted and violent thrillers around and her newest is no exception. Not for the faint of heart that is for sure.

I absolutely loved that this book took place in a realistic COVID world. Did you read any books during the peak of the pandemic and think “omg no - keep your distance” or freak at the thought of a kid’s birthday party etc? This book felt realistic to the world we have been living in for the past 1.5yrs - masks, social distancing, hand sanitizer, virtual meetings etc. The authors noted was so interesting to listen to in relation to this - don’t skip it!

This book kept me on my toes. I could not stop listening. A totally unique premise and I had no idea the entire time how it would all unravel. It’s quite graphic in nature in terms of violence and some traumatic subjects so see the content warnings in the contents.


This is a beast of a book (over 16 hours on audio and 500+ pages!) which I was not expecting. But minus a little slower parts around 35% I did find it kept me engaged despite the size. I highly recommend the audio, I really enjoyed the narration and found it to be quite a suspenseful listen.


⚠️content warnings - murder, pedophelia, grooming, sexual assault, rape, violence, blackmail,

EXCERPT: She looked down at the label on the file.

TENANT, ANDREW TREVOR

The clenched fist kept moving up her throat, every horrific detail she had suppressed over the last twenty three years threatening to choke her.

Callie's terrifying phone call. Leigh's frantic drive to reach her. The horrific scene in the kitchen. The familiar smell of the dank house, the cigars and scotch and blood - so much blood.

Leigh had to know for sure. She needed to hear it said out loud. Her teenage voice came out of her mouth when she asked, 'Trevor?'

The way Andrew's lips curved up to the left was so chillingly familiar. Leigh felt a tingle of goosebumps prickle her skin. She had been his babysitter, and then, when she was old enough to find real work, she had passed the job on to her baby sister.

'I go by Andrew now,' he told her. 'Tenant is mom's maiden name. We both thought it would be good to change things up after what happened with dad.'

'After what happened with dad.'

Buddy Waleski had disappeared. He'd abandoned his wife and son. No note. No apologies. That's what Leigh and Callie made it look like. That's what they had told the police. Buddy had done a lot of bad things. He was in debt to a lot of bad people. It made sense. At the time, all of it had made sense.

Andrew seemed to feed off her dawning recognition. His smile softened, the upward curve of his lips slowly smoothing out.

He said, 'It's been a long time, Harleigh.'

'Harleigh.'

Only one person in her life still called her by that name.

Andrew said, 'I thought you'd forgotten all about me.'

Leigh shook her head. She would never forget him. Trevor Waleski had been a sweet kid. A little awkward. A lot clingy. The last time Leigh had seen him, he had been drugged into oblivion. She had watched her sister gently kiss the top of his head.

Then the two of them had gone back into the kitchen to finish murdering his father.

ABOUT 'FALSE WITNESS': 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 Callie, the last person Leigh would ever want to ask for help. But suddenly she has no choice...

MY THOUGHTS: A definite thriller that kept me guessing!

Where do I start with this review? Slaughter never fails to surprise me. False Witness is a complicated (I mean that in a positive way) story of abuse on many levels. Paedophilia, alcohol, drug, and parental abuse are all a part of False Witness, as is the Covid-19 pandemic.

I am not going to talk about the plot, because I don't want to give anything away. I will say, however, that I didn't much like False Witness to start with, thanks to Ms Slaughter's realistic and graphic portrayals of drug addicts their habits, of Buddy Waleski and his proclivities. It made me feel dirty, like I wanted to go stand under a hot shower until the water ran out. I didn't like Callie, although by the time I had finished, I had a sneaking admiration for her. And although she could not resist the siren song of heroin, she was incredibly strong in other ways. As was Harleigh who, although facing a major moral dilemma, put both her daughter's and her sister's welfare first.

There are many surprising twists to this story, and the characterisation is wonderful. I particularly liked the elderly vet, teetering on the brink of dementia, that Callie worked for. And despite everything else that occurs in False Witness, the violence and the cruelty, no animals are harmed. Another thing I absolutely loved was Callie's conversations with and about her cat. Purr genius! (The pun is deliberate.)

False Witness is an intense, dark and gritty read that won't be for everyone. There were times I doubted that it was for me. And it is overly long, with a fair bit of repetition which, really, wasn't necessary. It was like the author was taking up a sledgehammer to ram home certain points.

While I can't say I enjoyed this read, I am glad that I read False Witness. Slaughter is making statements about our society that need to be heard. Not only heard, but taken on board. And not just in America.

Kathleen Early made an excellent job of the narration. She made me forget that I was listening to an audiobook. I felt like I was right in amongst the drama.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.2

#FalseWitness #NetGalley

I: @karinslaughterauthor @blackstonepublishing

T: @SlaughterKarin @BlackstonePubl1

#audiobook #contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #suspense #thriller

THE AUTHOR: Karin Slaughter is one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed storytellers. Published in 120 countries with more than 35 million copies sold across the globe, her 21 novels include the Grant County and Will Trent books, as well as the Edgar-nominated COP TOWN and the instant NYT bestselling stand-alone novels PRETTY GIRLS, THE GOOD DAUGHTER, and PIECES OF HER. Slaughter is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit organization established to support libraries and library programming. A native of Georgia, she lives in Atlanta. Her stand-alone novel PIECES OF HER is in development with Netflix, starring Toni Collette, and the Grant County and Will Trent series are in development for television.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC of False Witness by Karin Slaughter for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

I had a hard time liking any of the characters in this book. I was rushing through it just to finish it. Between the violence and covid references, this book wasn't for me.

I really enjoyed the plot and story over all. I was hooked from the very beginning on the rollercoaster of it all. I will say however this book lost stars for me because of how COVID heavy it was. So much dialog about hand sanitizer and masks. Just a bit overkill.

I will not be able to do my usual "things I liked" & "things I didn't like" for this book. This book is incredibly hard to review. It took me quite some time to get through due to the sheer intensity of violence, rape, addiction, trauma, all occurring during the pandemic. With all Slaughter books I have read, I need from her thrillers for a while. This is no different. The ability to write about such horrific situations which also highlighting the sheer bond between these two sisters was amazing, gutting, and heart breaking. I was disgusted as I listened to some of this book, wanting to stop often. But I am glad I powered through. Things from this book that will stick with me- the growth of Lee, the incredibly witty and heartbreaking Cali with her addiction and trauma all while being hilarious and knowing all sorts of things about animals, the comparison of her demons to the gorilla and realizing who that gorilla was, Dr. Jerry....he made me sob multiple times, Walter, such an amazing man. This book really focused on the details, feelings, and people dealing with addiction as well as the injustices of the legal system. It was a raw and exhausting book. But I am so glad I read it.

A dark, gritty and emotional standalone about the bond of sisters that’s not for the faint of heart!⁣
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Wow! Karin Slaughter never fails to grab you in a vice grip that doesn’t let go until you’ve turned the last page of one of her books. This standalone definitely held up to the hype for me. I was all in from the violent, stomach turning opening scene through to the emotional conclusion. ⁣
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I absolutely loved the unflappable bond between sisters, Leigh and Callie. The way Slaughter explores both their reactions to coping with trauma felt visceral. When I say this book isn’t for the faint of heart - I mean it. There were so many moments that made my stomach churn, gave me goosebumps and even made me feel queasy. She didn’t sugar coat addiction or abuse. She puts it out there and makes you feel its ugliness, despair and emotion. ⁣
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This book is written to reflect our current state i.e the pandemic. I didn’t feel it overpowered the storyline, but I know some people would rather not see this reality in books yet. I personally did not have a problem with the pandemic being a part of the storyline because it wasn’t its focus. It was simply a part of the characters reality, as it is ours. Slaughter addresses her reasoning for including the pandemic in her author’s note. Be sure to check it out - I definitely found it interesting
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It almost feels wrong to say that I enjoyed this book based on its subject matter - but I did. It was dark, complex and explicitly violent yet it was also emotional. It’s rare to find a thriller that truly makes you feel like this. ⁣
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The only reason this wasn’t a full 5 stars for me is because it was a 𝘉𝘐𝘎 book and there were a few points where I felt it was a bit too long and I did this on audio so I was able to speed it up. Still, I highly recommend 𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 to all my fellow thriller fans. This one does not disappoint!

I really like everything by Karin Slaughter but this book was difficult to get through. The story was very good and I do like the characters. I think it just went on and on and on. There was a lot that could have been left out and the book would have still been good. Narrator was excellent!

Karin Slaughter does not miss and False Witness is another example of her mastery of the thriller genre.

Unlike some of her other works, False Witness felt less of a mystery and more thriller based. The audiobook was narrated perfect and it enabled me to speed up the pacing in what dragged on slightly at times.

The characters are a master class in a genre where character development is often overlooked in favour of plot development, or used mainly to drive the plot. Themes of family complex dynamics are explored and done well. I genuinely enjoyed all of the characters and while I wasn’t shocked at any point (some surprises but none that leave your jaw on the floor), the best part is the character growth throughout the book.

Genuinely enjoyed this, per usual from Slaughter!

4 stars.

Thank you to Net Galley and Blackstone Publishing for the audiobook! These opinions are my own. #netgalley

A favourite author of mine with as always a good storyline too. This book also has a fantastic audiobook. One of my most anticipated releases. Pick this up if you are looking for a good thriller. Content warning for sexual assault , description of injury to a victim and drug abuse. However I was left wanting more mystery as this one left me disappointed a little bit.

Karin Slaughter writes sisters beautifully and she writes women in such a *chef's kiss* way. Much like pretty girls this story managed to be messed up, heartbreaking, uplifting, and shows the true meaning of family. I adored the various relationships within this story, from the deep bond between the sisters, to the lack of a relationship with their mother, to the fatherly bond from Dr.Jerry. And as someone to whom the topic of this story hits close to home with I was incredibly thankful for how respectful and realistic Karin Slaughter was in portraying the trauma that comes from cptsd. I am so stoked to see what else she has in store.

Best psychological thriller of 2021! Did Karin Slaughter bring it? She sure did with False Witness. This book has all the elements that make a thriller a great book. You can also count on Slaughter to bring gritty characters, gruesome scenes, and a fast paced but well developed story line. This book is not for the faint of heart as it mostly deals with violence of all types towards women. First audio book I’ve read where I didn’t fall asleep and the narrator did such an amazing job reading this book. A must read for those who enjoy a well written thriller!

Thank you so much to @netgalley for a copy of this audiobook! I have been on a roll of great reads lately and this is no exception. Another 5 star novel for me!

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Thriller
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞: the covered up crime/blackmail
𝐏𝐮𝐛. 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: July 20th, 2021
𝐌𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 5 stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🥂
𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4.3

Quick synopsis:

Two sisters, Leigh and Callie, are linked traumatically to Andrew Taylor Tennant. 20 years after the incident, Leigh is asked to defend Andrew in a high profile rape case. While blackmail, coercion, and stalking begin to escalate, the sisters must find a way to escape their past and bury that day forever.

My thoughts:

Oh I loved this one. It feels like a mix between a courtroom thriller, and a cat and mouse chase. It’s gritty, sleazy, and violent. The story is told from the viewpoints of each sister and the development of their characters along with their sisterly bond is really quite incredible. My favorite character however is the vet, who by means of humor and kindness, takes the time to see and care for Callie. This is my favorite scene of the book. While COVID is brought up sporadically throughout the book (so odd to read about), Slaughter discusses why she chose to incorporate it in her eloquent authors note. She goes on to mark similarities of our pandemic and its’ unknowns to the AIDS pandemic and its’ beginnings. How society didn’t know how it was transmitted, how it progressed, how hate was spread, and how the advisory’s changed constantly during that time, just like they have with COVID. My uncle died of AIDS in the 90’s, and I found it really profound that she stated “nothing brings out our humanity, or lack thereof, like a crisis”. Spot on Karin Slaughter. Well said👏🏻

Have YOU read this one yet and have YOU read her past novels?! Tell me which ones are your favorite!!

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for my advance copy of the Audiobook for False Witness by Karin Slaughter in exchange for my honest review.

This is just the third book that I have read by Karin Slaughter from her vast backlist, and she is officially a go-to author for me when I want a mind-rattling thriller! I have another one of her books on my TBR shelf and I'm going to have to pick it up ASAP.

The story is about two sisters that survive a horrific and life altering event and how that night haunts them many years later. Leigh is a defense attorney with her own troubles, and Callie is her younger sister that she would do anything for.

False Witness needs to be at the top of the list for all the readers/listeners that love a gripping Psychological Thriller! It is fast paced and intense, and sooo so good. I was wound up with anticipation in countless chapters and did not want to hit pause at all while I was listening to the book. The narration is done by Kathleen Early, who I have listened to and enjoyed for several other books. She has the perfect tone and inflections for thrillers!

I know I already said this book is intense, but I wanted to be clear that it is Capital 'I' Intense straight from the Epilogue till the last chapter. There are so many trigger warnings for this one, so if you have any triggers at all from books, you should assume that it will be in this book. There are graphic scenes that made me shudder many times, and not much bothers me when it comes to what I read/listen to. But that being said, I think all those scenes are absolutely necessary and it wouldn't have been the same without them.

One other thing that I found interesting, and this was the first book that I have read where it was so frequently discussed, was how Slaughter tackled the COVID-19 Pandemic. It made the story feel so realistic with how life is now with masks, vaccinations, and all our precautions.

Summer reads are usually light and maybe a bit fluffy but as we head into the Dog Days of Summer, I like to get into darker stories. It is a great time to lose yourself in a gritty, twisty thriller - it's too hot to do anything else. And listening to the audiobook means I don't even have to expend any energy turning pages.

False Witness is exactly the type of thriller I love to read in the waning days of summer. I was hooked from the start and didn't want to do anything but listen to the story.

Last year, I wondered how the pandemic would be portrayed in books. Very few books I've read this year have made mention of the pandemic. I was glad to see it in this book. It added a layer of realism and a "here and now" feeling to the story. I also liked that it was there but it wasn't the focus of the story. The characters are trying to navigate the new normal in the same way we all are.

If you think justice is black and white then this story will challenge your view as justice in this story is full of many shades of gray. Seriously I struggled with "what is right" while reading this story. It is was what was drawing me back to the story and keeping me listening much longer each day than I should. I HAD to know how it all played out.

Even though I am mostly happy with the way the story ended (though the ending isn't really happy), I can't say if my sense of right and wrong is totally satisfied with it. I guess I still hold onto hope that the justice system would get it right even though I know that isn't always the case.

I immediately bonded with the sisters and was totally rooting for them the whole time. Their internal conflict and struggle with what is right mirrored my own.

The narrator Kathleen Early did a great job. It was easy to distinguish the various characters and their voices matched what I thought the characters would sound like.

If you are looking for a thriller that will consume your attention, then you can't go wrong with a Karin Slaughter novel and this one is no exception.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Thursday, July 29.

✔️Fast paced
✔️Creepy sociopath
✔️Complex relationships

This is a book that I just could not put down… I think there’s multiple reasons why this is the case. I think this is the first book I’ve read that actually used the present day pandemic as part of the plot…. It was fascinating to hear about it in text. Slaughter was really quick to highlight the heavy mental health and substance abuse issues that are currently on the rise, in part due to the pandemic. The isolation, fear and stresses has exasperated the struggles and she was able to really give a fair portrayal of the complexities of substance-abuse and adding a lot of thoughtful statistics and information. Thank you for bringing that awareness @karinslaughterauthor

I absolutely loved the honest relationship between the sisters Calli and Leigh, and the relationship between Calli and her boss… my heart!

There’s some definite heavy trigger warnings that should be mentioned going into this one with sexual assault, violence and substance use.

That being said, if your looking for an awesome thriller, Slaughter does an excellent job with this one! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!