Sometimes you just really need a dark, twisty thriller to get you out of a reading slump and this was exactly what the doctor ordered. While it wasn't groundbreaking or unique in many ways, it was a good time and I enjoyed the reading experience.

Excellent audiobook. I thoroughly enjoyed the reader of this book and the plot moved along at an excellent pace.

Andrea Oliver is now a US Marshall. Sometimes she still can't believe it. Her very first assignment will be in Longbill Beach as she will be protecting a judge who is receiving death threats. Forty years previously, Emily Vaughn was attacked and left for dead. Whatever it was that happened to Emily that night is most definitely connected to what is going on with the judge.

Although Andrea has a definite job, she cannot stop thinking about what happened to Emily all those years ago. In fact, the story tells of the past as well as the present. When considering what Emily experienced before her attack, it is unclear who it was who would have wanted her dead. Some of those very same people are present in Longbill Beach where Andrea has been assigned. Andrea talks to as many people as possible so that she can find out what happened to Emily and how it is connected to the judge's death threats now.

While it is true that forty years have passed and Emily's case remains unsolved, Andrea is determined to find whatever answers she can to bring that case to a close.

Girl, Forgotten follows Pieces of Her, and what readers see is that Andrea's assignment, as well as her personal relationships, all come together. Danger is present almost from the very start. However, with a couple of surprising twists and turns, this second book in the Andrea Oliver series was a great read.

Many thanks to William Morrow and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Karin Slaughter can tell a story! I love her novels and this one on audio was no different. She has your attention from the beginning.

I am a huge Karin Slaughter fan! Girl, Forgotten is nothing short of another masterfully crafted thriller from Slaughter. This is technically the second book in the Pieces of Her series, but I did not think that you needed to read the first in order to fully enjoy this novel. Highly recommend for Karin Slaughter or detective thriller fans!

"Girl, Forgotten" by Karin Slaughter is a gripping and emotionally charged thriller that captivated me from beginning to end. With her signature storytelling prowess, Slaughter weaves a complex and suspenseful tale of secrets, trauma, and the relentless pursuit of the truth.

The strength of this novel lies in its compelling characters, particularly the protagonist. Slaughter has crafted a flawed and deeply relatable main character whose journey is both heart-wrenching and empowering. As the layers of the story unfold, we are drawn into her quest to uncover the truth about her past and confront the demons that haunt her.

The pacing of the book is expertly executed, with Slaughter skillfully balancing moments of intense action with quieter, introspective scenes that delve into the emotional depth of the characters. The twists and turns keep the reader guessing, and the author's ability to create suspense is truly commendable. I found myself constantly on the edge of my seat, eager to uncover the next piece of the puzzle.

In addition to the thrilling plot, "Girl, Forgotten" delves into thought-provoking themes such as memory, identity, and the long-lasting effects of trauma. Slaughter handles these subjects with sensitivity, offering insights that resonate long after the book is finished. It is a testament to the author's skill that she can deliver a suspenseful story while also exploring deeper, more profound aspects of the human experience.

While "Girl, Forgotten" is undeniably a captivating read, there were moments when the pacing felt slightly uneven, with certain scenes dragging on longer than necessary. Additionally, some plot twists felt slightly predictable, diminishing the element of surprise. However, these minor shortcomings did not detract significantly from the overall enjoyment of the book.

In conclusion, "Girl, Forgotten" is a gripping thriller that showcases Karin Slaughter's talent for crafting suspenseful narratives and complex characters. With its thought-provoking themes and intense storyline, it is a book that will keep readers engaged and emotionally invested until the very last page. While it may have minor pacing issues and predictable moments, the overall reading experience is highly satisfying. Fans of Slaughter's previous works and lovers of the thriller genre will find much to enjoy in this novel.

FORMAT: I listened to this on audiobook and the narration matched the story well. I felt connected to the story and found the narration to add a significant impact to the story.

Note: I would like to express my gratitude to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advance listening copy of "Girl, Forgotten" by Karin Slaughter.

I had to dnf this one.
I just couldn't get into the story, which was probably because of the writing style. I might give the book another chance sometime, but I can't see myself continue reading it anytime soon.

Karin Slaughter continues to give great thriller/suspense stories. I had started this one and had to put it down for a bit because I wasn't feeling the story from the top. When I came back to it, I was frustrated with myself for not pushing through a little harder the first time, as this story with pregnant teen was not all it seemed from the jump. I was worried about getting into too much immediate trauma. There are a lot of interesting crossover plot points throughout the book that really captivated me: cults, teenage angst and relationships, community dynamics as well as family ties. It was another great one.

I looooooove Karin Slaughter so much but this was not my favorite of hers! But still, even a mid-tier Slaughter is a good book with a great twist and so many thrills. I would absolutely love it if she could write less for once but like OK girl you got me I'm along for the ride.

This is a wild crazy ride with twists I didn't see coming! I always enjoy being surprised in a thriller and this book does a great job bringing the suspense. I enjoyed Andrea's character and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

Yep, it's official, Karin Slaughter is now an auto-buy author for me. This is my second book from her, and I will now be going through the entire backlog of titles.

Technically, the second book in a series (I didn't read the first 😬🙈) it can be read and understood without reading the first. Though I would highly reccoment reading the first book to get a better understanding of the background and history.

This book blew me away. The storytelling is phenomenal. Not only is the writing amazing, but the story and the mystery are so well done that I was actually sad the book was over.

Two stories collide as US Marshal Andrea Oliver gets assigned to protect a judge who's been getting death threats while also obsessing over and trying to solve the murder of Emily Vaughn. There are parts you kind of assume, but how it all comes together is crazy. Like, I'm shooketh...

The characters are very well written and fleshed out. You get a good understanding of all the main players, and I have feelings towards all of them, not all good. The pacing is perfect too. There's always something to keep you wondering or thinking wtf.

I'll definitely be going back to read book one to get more of this story. 🤦🏻‍♀️

First off if you are seeing that this is #2 in a series and thinking, "oh crap I didn't read #1" have no worries because I picked this one up at book 2 and feel like they gave enough of the back story that you could understand everything just fine. Now I am curious to go back to book 1 and get the full experience and understanding of the characters but you most certainly do not have to.

Picking up with this book Andrea Oliver is finishing US Marshal school which seems to be a character shift for her from book 1? She is bound and determined to make an impact and maybe even get some answers about her fathers past by working as a Marshal. Her opportunity comes knocking almost immediately as she is placed on assignment straight away in her fathers hometown. A place that he was suspected of being a part of, or at least having information on, a cold-case murder.

Andrea is in town to protect a sitting judge who has been receiving death threats. The judge also happens to be the mother of the murder victim. While in town Andrea discovers a cult whose leaders having ties to her father and the murder. The cult fronts as a farm with the women being over-worked and starved. Andrea has a big web to untangle to get to the bottom of the case while also doing the job she is hired to do.

I enjoyed Andrea's partnership with Leonard "Catfish" Bible and the relationship with his wife/boss provided some fun moments. I thought Andrea was a well written character for the role. Sometimes in these books I find myself so frustrated with the character for situations they put themselves in and in this book (while the situations weren't always smart) that didn't happen. I think if you want something totally by the book, police procedural on point this on might irk you but I enjoyed it as it was.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and Netgally for the advanced listening copy of this book. The narration by Kathleen Early was well done and I would recommend the audio to anyone considering that route.

Karin Slaughter never disappoints. This story is the second in what I assume will be a series involving Andrea Oliver (from Pieces of Her). A young girl was murdered and her name and reputation unjustly dragged through the mud decades ago, and her case was never solved. A small town has kept many secrets over the years.

A fun mystery that kept me enthralled until the end. Hit the sweet spot for me of not-too-gruesome and moderately-adventurey.

4.5 but rounding up

After having read Pieces of Her and just feeling Meh about it, I was nervous to start its sequel. Slow start, but wow did it pick up. Definitely necessary to have read the first one for context but a uniquely different storyline introducing several new characters and a whole new mystery.

The story of Girl, Forgotten alternates between two different timelines. One from the 80s, and one in present day. The present day timeline takes place two years after the events of Pieces of Her, and a lot has changed. Also changed is Karin Slaughter’s writing style, which takes techniques she used in the first novel and improves upon them considerably. More specifically, the two different narratives in the first book came off as redundant and unnecessary, spoiling surprises and killing suspense. In the second book, the two narratives coexisted and supported each other beautifully lending to several different mysteries and twists that left me shook.

There were moments of lightheartedness and witty banter that broke up the tension very well. Definitely some laugh out loud moments. Also an improvement from Pieces of Her, the story was filled with a cast of vivid, complex, and well-rounded characters that appeared more three dimensional than in the first book. If weren’t for the slow start, this would have easily been a five star read.

The ending had me anxious, but in the best way possible. I was on the edge of my seat. I loved it. Well done, Karin Slaughter!

Thank you to Karin Slaughter, Blackstone Publishing, and NetGalley for the advance reader copy audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

Another very creepy Karin Slaughter!! I was equally invested in both timelines and what happened to Emily Vaughn. Very well done, mystery/thriller! So many layers and well done connections in this one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I love stories where there’s a group of friends that keep secrets 👀

This book is the second in the series after Pieces Of Her, but can absolutely be read as a standalone.
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A high school girl named Emily was murdered back in the 80s.

Her murder has gone unsolved for 40 years. A newly graduated US Marshall is determined to find justice for Emily.

I really enjoyed this one! Emily broke my heart like no character has in a long time. You will want to know her story - I definitely recommend it!

Very suspenseful mystery, love the tie-in with Pieces of Her. Would recommend! I hope there is more Andrea Oliver in the future!

4/5 stars. This is my second Karin Slaughter book and it was just as good as the first! I have not read the first book in this series yet, but still enjoyed this book. It was a slow start with separate narrators but I got hooked a third of the way in and enjoyed it! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This audiobook was great but I couldn’t follow it easily as an audiobook. The narration switched back and forth from last to present but was hard to follow. I would have liked some voice differentiation to better understand the changes.

Overall I liked the plot. This was my first by Karin Slaughter but will definitely pick up an actual book next time!