“The Good Daughter is like Law and Order meets The Good Wife.” —theSkimmInstant New York Times BestsellertheSkimm Book Club Pick!The stunning new novel from the international #1 bestselling author — a searing, spellbinding blend of cold-case thriller and psychological suspense.Two girls are forced into the woods at gunpoint. One runs for her life. One is left behind… suspense.
Two girls are forced into the woods at gunpoint. One runs for her life. One is left behind…
Twenty-eight years ago, Charlotte and Samantha Quinn’s happy small-town family life was torn apart by a terrifying attack on their family home. It left their mother dead. It left their father — Pikeville’s notorious defense attorney — devastated. And it left the family fractured beyond repair, consumed by secrets from that terrible night.
Twenty-eight years later, and Charlie has followed in her father’s footsteps to become a lawyer herself — the ideal good daughter. But when violence comes to Pikeville again — and a shocking tragedy leaves the whole town traumatized — Charlie is plunged into a nightmare. Not only is she the first witness on the scene, but it’s a case that unleashes the terrible memories she’s spent so long trying to suppress. Because the shocking truth about the crime that destroyed her family nearly thirty years ago won’t stay buried forever…
Packed with twists and turns, brimming with emotion and heart, The Good Daughter is fiction at its most thrilling.
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This was such an intense read that I stopped and put it away for weeks. I am glad I picked it back up and started over, taking my time and taking breaks…..you need to take them, to remember you are not in Pikeville Georgia.
You aren’t in a run down home after your house was burnt down…..because of your father’s job. You are not home with your mother and sister when two men break in.
Twenty-eight years later there is a school shooting and all of a sudden the past comes back to haunt you….This is a thriller, mystery, suspense for many, not for me…this is a dramatic, intricate, deeply moving novel of a family. The people are scarred by life, some scars show on the outside and some are so deeply embedded inside. You have Rusty, the dad, the joke lawyer that let his daughter stay in that horrible house and go to school while classmates ignored or bullied her. I just hated him……but read on in the book and learn about Rusty and his wife Gamma. And the daughters, Sam and Charlie, and about being a different family in a small southern town.
This is scary at times, heart breaking, violent but not gratuitous. It is inspirational
in many ways. Twisted, searing and sweet and funny and the people are so real. I love Lenore and was caught off guard when truths came out…..Lenore is one brave person. Certain chapters repeat whole pages and you wonder why and then you gasp and realize more is being said, more details, more clues.
This is a novel about sisters, dads, memories and how we each perceive those memories. Its about being a fighter, a person of substance and readers, the ending is of hope.
Charlie and Sam grew up in Pikeville, Georgia, with anything but an idyllic childhood. When the girls were teens, they were part of a brutal assault at their family’s farmhouse. The attack left their mother, “Gamma,” dead and profoundly affected their father, a prominent local attorney. Years later, Charlie remains in Pikeville, a lawyer like her father, and trying to keep the past behind her. All that changes when the town witnesses violence yet again–and Charlie is right in the thick of it. Suddenly, she’s forced to confront so many of the emotions she’s buried for years and to fully deal with exactly what happened to her family so many years ago.
Slaughter’s latest novel starts quickly out of the gate–with a brutal, graphic, and spell-binding description of the assault and attack on Charlie, Sam, and Gamma–and it never lets up from there. Seriously, this book never lets you take a breath or a break: it’s just constant action and second guessing.
Told from the points of view of both Charlie and Sam, including their varying memories of the incident at the farmhouse, we are forced to see all the events and violence through the eyes of the two sisters alone. As I mentioned, this keeps you guessing–and reading. I completely put down the other novel I was reading at the time (FINAL GIRLS) to read this: I had to know how it ended.
All the characters in this book are entwined, and Slaughter does a great job of depicting the small town of Pikeville. It’s a mystery at its core, sure, but it also goes deeper with commentary on race, class, and how modern society deals with mass tragedy. The characters are well-drawn: I immediately found myself intrigued by Sam, Charlie, their father (Rusty), the descriptions of Gamma, and by a slew of small-town folk, including Rusty’s secretary Lenore, and Charlie’s estranged husband, Ben. Slaughter is excellent with the details.
Indeed, she’s great at doling out those “whoa” moments. The plot never lets down; in fact, it continues to pick up as the novel continues on. I truly gasped a couple of times and found myself going “wow”! That’s not easy to do once, let alone consistently.
This is a beautiful book at times–the way the plot and characters weave together. It even makes you laugh at moments, despite some truly somber subject matter. I found myself a bit irked at times by Charlie and Sam’s fighting (I’ve read a lot of books with sisters fighting as of late), but if that’s my only nitpick, that’s not bad at all.
Overall, a great mystery that keeps you guessing and surprised to the very end. Excellent, fascinating, and deep characters. Definitely worth a read.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss.
This book was so good that I can almost forgive her for not writing a Will Trent book. Karin Slaughter has written two of my favourite series, her. She takes horrific story-lines and handles them with style. With that said…this book had well developed characters, there was a little humour, it is dark, and has interesting twist and turns, with a satisfying ending. THE GOOD DAUGHTER by Karin Slaughter has left this reader wanting more.
I listened to the audio book – over 17 hours ! Way, way too long. Did she get paid extra for it being so long. Starts off with the story from one sister, and you hear all of her woe is me, then you have to go through the story a second time for the other sister to hear her all of her woe is me. About 10 hours in I thought it was going to improve, but no, it did not. You hear the story for a third time – at least it is abbreviated. Way too much repition and woe is me for me. The overall plot wasn’t bad – it could have been told in about a third of the space and been a decent book.
My Review of The Good Daughter by author Karin Slaughter; published by William Morrow, an Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers
I wasn’t too sure what I was getting into when I started reading The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter. I had heard her books were fantastic, so I took a chance and wasn’t disappointed. (Little side note: I excitedly purchased a copy of this book at my local library book sale for a mere .50.) This story was a dark psychological thriller full of twists and turns that kept me reading late into the night. I will say, I was a little taken aback by the graphic violence repeatedly spoken of. However; that’s obviously Karin’s style and I can’t knock it as it kept me reading. I was companion reading, (audiobook & print), this book and had to stop doing chores a few times just to breathe. Overall this was a great read and I look forward to reading further books by Karin. With that being said, I recommend The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter.
#thegooddaughter
#karinslaughter
#WilliamMorrow
#harpercollins
My First Karin Slaughter book – WOW! From what I’ve read about Karin Slaughter’s writing style, you should expect a thrilling ride with plenty of intensity. This book delivered all of that plus more. There were scenes that made me cringe, but then I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The pacing is good and the reading, easy.
Thriller read
She’s always on point!
The Good Daughter, a stand-alone in Karin Slaughter’s repertoire, is not for the faint of heart. A new favorite author of mine, I am getting closer to having read all her books. This one did not disappoint. As with all of Slaughter’s books, this is full of dark, gritty elements that will both horrify and hypnotize the reader. This is the story of two young sisters who endure a gruesome attack at their family home that will change the course of their lives. A fantastic job was done weaving the past shocking crime with the present-day violence that recently revisited their town. This book was brilliantly wrapped up, and I was left stunned. I listened to this on Audible with the excellent narrator Kathleen Early. A truly thrilling listen! I gave this book 4 ½ stars rounded down to 4.
I couldn’t put it down and still think about it and re-read my favourite scenes.
I love Karin Slaughter! Her books are entertaining from the beginning and just continue to captivate. When I start a new one I can’t seem to put it down. Keep them coming Karin.
great story violent and tragic
I’ve read a number of books by Karin Slaughter, but none like this. Her gritty realism is here, along with a no-filter depiction of violence that is found in many of her novels. And yes, it is, in part, a who-done-it. At the same time, the story of two brutally wounded sisters at odds with themselves, each other, their father, and the world reads like Ann Patchett or Barbara Kingsolver. Which is to say, this book contains more than a few lyrical and moving passages mixed in with the nuts and bolts of a crime procedural. Highly recommended—and it would make a terrific film.
Good read
One of my favorite authors!
I read this book a couple of years ago, but it has stayed with me. It is one of my favorite books. A story of family, tragedy, and perseverance.
This book is definitely worth a read! It is one of those stories that you need to have time to sit and read it because it is so good you won’t want to put it down.
The characters are very convincing and interact well with each other. The book as a whole is extremely riveting and frustrating to have to put down before the end. The end has a wicked twist that the reader doesn’t see coming and it brings the story to an awesome climax.
There is some profanity in it but this is part and parcel of the nature of the story as well as quite a graphic rape scene which, again, is absolutely pertinent to the story as a whole.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter was a page-turner. The tale was gripping, haunting, and very realistic. Great read.
Really enjoyed this book. Has surprises
Good but too long