My Top 2022 Releases

Happy New Year!

Let’s start off the new year by discussing our favourite reads of 2022! Here are my top 2022 releases (I will post a separate list of my top reads from previous years tomorrow!):

Book Review: Genesis (Will Trent #3) by Karin Slaughter

“I don’t want you to think that I’m so good as you put it. I have a little evil side, too. I just keep it well hidden.”

The third book in Karin Slaughter‘s Will Trent series, Genesis is set three and a half years after the events of the Grant County series, as former medical examiner Sara Linton has moved to Atlanta. Now working as a doctor in Atlanta’s Grady Hospital, she finds herself drawn back into a world of violence and terror when a severely wounded young woman is brought in to the emergency room. The woman has been hit by a car but, naked and brutalized, it’s clear that she has been the prey of a twisted mind.

When Special Agent Will Trent returns to the scene of the accident, he stumbles on a torture chamber buried deep beneath the earth. And this hidden house of horror reveals a ghastly truth – Sara’s patient is just the first victim of a sick, sadistic killer. And Sara, Will and Faith are all that stand between a madman and his next crime…

Book Review: Cop Town by Karin Slaughter

Published in 2014, Cop Town by Karin Slaughter is set in Atlanta, 1974, and follows Kate Murphy who, as a brutal killing rocks the city, wonders if her first day on the police force will also be her last, for life is anything but easy in the male-dominated world of the Atlanta Police Department.

Kate isn’t the only woman on the force who is finding things tough. Maggie Lawson followed her uncle and brother into the ranks to prove her worth in their cynical eyes. When Maggie and Kate become partners and are sidelined in the search for the city’s cop killer, they decide to pursue their own line of investigation. But are they prepared to risk everything as they venture into the city’s darkest heart?

Book Review: Fractured (Will Trent #2) by Karin Slaughter

“A broken window. A bloody footprint. A murder hunt begins…”

The second book in Karin Slaughter’s Will Trent series and published in 2008, Fractured sees Atlanta housewife Abigail Campano return home unexpectedly one afternoon to walk into a nightmare. A broken window, a bloody footprint on the stairs and, most devastating of all, the horrifying sight of her teenage daughter lying dead on the landing, a man standing over her with a bloody knife. The struggle which follows changes Abigail’s life forever.

When the local police make a misjudgement which not only threatens the investigation but places a young girl’s life in danger, the case is handed over to Special Agent Will Trent of the Criminal Apprehension Team – paired with detective Faith Mitchell, a woman who resents him from their first meeting.

But in the relentless heat of a Georgia summer, Will and Faith realise that they must work together to find the brutal killer who has targeted one of Atlanta’s wealthiest, most privileged communities – before it’s too late…

Book Review: Triptych (Will Trent #1) by Karin Slaughter

The first book in Karin Slaughter’s Will Trent series an published in 2006, Triptych sees Special Agent Will Trent of the Criminal Apprehension Team travel to Atlanta to support police detective Michael Ormewood in his investigation of a series of murders. The latest victim has just been found in the stairwell in a pool of her own blood, her body horribly mutilated. As a one-off killing it’s shocking, but when it becomes clear that it’s just the latest in a series of similar attacks, Michael is forced into working with a man he instinctively dislikes.

Twenty-four hours later, the violence Michael sees around him every day explodes in his own back yard. And it seems the mystery behind Monroe’s death is inextricably entangled with a past that refuses to stay buried…

Book Review: Girl, Forgotten (Andrea Oliver #2) by Karin Slaughter

“A girl with a secret… An unsolved murder…
One final chance to uncover a killer…”

Set to be released on 23rd June and the second book in Karin Slaughter‘s Andrea Oliver series, Girl, Forgotten sees Andrea Oliver, now a US Marshal, arrive in Longbill Beach to investigate a cold case with links to her own past. Forty years ago, Emily Vaughn was killed on her prom night, but her murder remains a mystery. Her friends closed ranks, her wealthy family retreated inwards, and the small town moved on. But all that’s about to change. The killer is still out there, and Andrea must discover the truth before she gets silenced, too.

Book Review: Skin Privilege (Grant County #6) by Karin Slaughter

“Only…ever…you.”

Originally published in 2007 and the sixth and final book in the Grant County series by Karin Slaughter, Skin Privilege centres on Lena Adams who has spent her life struggling to forget her childhood in Reece, the small town which nearly destroyed her. She’s made a new life for herself as a police detective in Heartsdale, a hundred miles away – but nothing could prepare her for the violence which explodes when she is forced to return. A vicious murder leaves a young woman incinerated beyond recognition. And Lena is the only suspect.

When Heartsdale police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, Lena’s boss, receives word that his detective has been arrested, he has no choice but to go to Lena’s aid – taking with him his wife, medical examiner Sara Linton. But soon after their arrival, a second victim is found. The town closes ranks. And both Jeffrey and Sara find themselves entangled in a horrifying underground world of bigotry and rage – a violent world which shocks even them. But can they discover the truth before the killer strikes again?

Book Review: Faithless (Grant County #5) by Karin Slaughter

Originally published in 2005 and the fifth book in the Grant County series by Karin Slaughter, Faithless follows Georgia medical examiner Sara Linton and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver who, while taking a walk in the woods, stumble across the body of a young girl. Incarcerated in the ground, all the initial evidence indicates that she has, quite literally, been scared to death. But as Sara embarks on the autopsy, something even more horrifying comes to light. Something which shocks even Sara.

Book Review: Last Breath (The Good Daughter #0.5) by Karin Slaughter

“Protecting someone always comes at a cost.”

Last Breath by Karin Slaughter is a short story which serves as a prequel to her 2017 standalone, The Good Daughter. Looking at one of Charlie Quinn’s earliest cases as a lawyer, we see the early days of Charlie’s career after making it her mission to defend those with no one else to turn to. So when Flora Faulkner, a motherless teen, begs for help, Charlie is reminded of her own past and is powerless to say no. But honour-student Flora is in far deeper trouble than Charlie could ever have anticipated. Soon she must ask herself: How far should she go to protect her client? And can she truly believe everything she is being told?

Book Review: Pieces Of Her (Andrea Oliver #1) by Karin Slaughter

“She had dozens, even hundreds, of friends, but not one single person knew all of the pieces of her.”

The 2019 book from Karin Slaughter, Pieces Of Her follows Laura Oliver, the perfect small-town mum. Her daughter, Andrea, has grown up believing that she is the pillar of the community: a speech therapist, business owner and everybody’s friend. And she’s never kept a secret from anyone. But when Laura and Andrea are caught in a random violent attack at a shopping mall, Laura intervenes and acts in a way that is unrecognisable to her daughter. It’s like Laura is a completely different person – and that’s because, thirty years ago, she was. As elements of the past return and put them both in danger, Andrea is left to piece together Laura’s former identity and discover the truth – for better or worse – about her mother. Is the gentle, loving woman who raised her also a violent killer?

Book Review: Indelible (Grant County #4) by Karin Slaughter

“There were good guys and bad guys, and to protect one, you did what you had to do to the other.”

The fourth book in Karin Slaughter‘s Grant County series and originally published in 2005, Indelible follows medical examiner Sara Linton and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver who take a trip away from the small town of Heartsdale. It should be a straightforward weekend at the beach, but they decide to take a detour via Jeffrey’s hometown and things go violently wrong when Jeffrey’s best friend Robert shoots dead an intruder who breaks into his home.

Twelve years later, Sara and Jeffrey are caught up in a shockingly brutal attack that threatens to destroy both their lives. But they’re not random victims. They’ve been targeted. And it seems the past is catching up with both of them.

Book Review: Cleaning The Gold by Lee Child and Karin Slaughter

“Twice the action. Twice the drama. Double the trouble.”

Co-written by Lee Child and Karin Slaughter, Cleaning The Gold sees the eponymous characters of Jack Reacher and Will Trent meet for the very first at the heart of America’s military, Fort Knox. Will Trent is undercover. His assignment is to investigate a twenty-two-year-old murder. His suspect’s name? Jack Reacher. Jack Reacher is on his own mission: to bring down a dangerous criminal ring operating at the heart of America’s military. Except now, there’s a bigger conspiracy at play – one that neither the special agent nor the ex-military cop could have anticipated. And the only option is for Jack Reacher and Will Trent to team up and play nicely. If they can…

Book Review: False Witness by Karin Slaughter

“You thought no one saw you. You were wrong.”

Set to be released on 24th June, False Witness by Karin Slaughter follows defence attorney Leigh Collier who has worked hard to build what looks like a normal life. She has a good job, 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. But Leigh’s ordinary life masks a childhood that was far from average; a childhood tarnished by secrets, broken by betrayal, and finally torn apart by a devastating act of violence.

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 that 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 unless they stop him, he’s going to tear their lives apart.

Book Review: A Faint Cold Fear (Grant County #3) by Karin Slaughter

“An autopsy was an act of violence itself, the ultimate invasion. Everybody tells a story. A person’s life and death can be exposed in all their glory and shame simply by looking beneath the skin.”

A Faint Cold Fear is the third book in Karin Slaughter‘s Grant County series that sees medical examiner Sara Linton investigate a suicide at the local college campus. But while it looks straightforward, it just doesn’t add up to Sara. When two more suspicious deaths follow and a young woman is brutally attacked, it becomes clear that she’s looking for a murderer. The college authorities are reluctant to cooperate and Sara isn’t any closer to finding the answers she needs. With the violence triggering memories of a past she’d rather forget and the clues pointing ever closer to home, can she uncover the truth in time to save the next victim?

My 2020 Reading Wrap-Up

Over the past couple of years, I have documented every film that I have watched and reviewed them all using Letterboxd. As a way to motivate myself to read more, I thought I would do the same for what books I have been reading, using Goodreads as a way to set myself a reading challenge every year.

I initially set my target as 25 books this year, but a few things happened that meant I reached this goal quite early on. Firstly, I had a baby, so this meant that I was awake at silly hours with plenty of time to read. Then, there was lockdown. Because of lockdown, I decided to join Bookstagram and NetGalley and get more serious about reviewing books. So now, instead of reading two books at most a month, I’ve been reading up to ten.

I upped my goal to 60 around halfway through the year, and still managed to pass that by reaching 74 books. This year has really rekindled my love of books, and I can’t wait to start 2021 with this new passion.

Here’s how my 2020 challenge went:

Book Review: Kisscut (Grant County #2) by Karin Slaughter

“As if they could understand what she had been through. As if they knew what it was like to be strong and invincible one day and completely powerless the next.”

The second book in the Grant County series by Karin Slaughter and originally published in 2002, Kisscut sees Sara Linton – the town’s paediatrician and medical examiner – find herself entangled in a terrible tragedy when a teenage quarrel explodes into a deadly shoot-out. What seemed at first to be a horrific but individual catastrophe proves to have wider implications when the autopsy reveals evidence of long-term abuse. But when Sara and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver start to investigate, they are frustrated at every turn. Meanwhile, detective Lena Adams, still recovering from her sister’s death and her own brutal attack, finds herself drawn to a young man who might hold the answers. But unless Lena, Sara, and Jeffrey can solve this case, it’s going to happen again.

Book Review: Blindsighted (Grant County #1) by Karin Slaughter

“Sara’s hand shook as she pressed her fingers against Sibyl’s carotid artery. A fluttering rose against her fingertips, but Sara wasn’t sure if it was the tremor in her own hands or life that she was feeling. Sara closed her eyes, concentrating, trying to separate the two sensations.”

The 2001 book by Karin Slaughter and the first in her Grant County series, Blindsighted is set in a small Georgia town which erupts in panic when a young college professor is found brutally mutilated in the local diner. But it’s only when town paediatrician and coroner Sara Linton does the autopsy that the full extent of the killer’s twisted work becomes clear. Sara’s ex-husband, police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, leads the investigation as a trail of terror grows increasingly macabre when another local woman is found crucified a few days later. But he’s got more than a sadistic serial killer on his hands, for the county’s sole female detective, Lena Adams (the first victim’s sister) wants to serve her own justice.

My 2019 Reading Wrap-Up

Over the past couple of years, I have documented every film that I have watched and reviewed them all using Letterboxd. As a way to motivate myself to read more, I thought I would do the same for what books I have been reading, using Goodreads as a way to set myself a reading challenge every year.

After doubling my goal of 10 books last year (since I went on honeymoon and managed to read a book a day!), I thought I would keep my goal to 20 books this year. However, just missed out on this target, but I was ever so close to making it.

Here’s how my 2019 challenge went, with a short review and rating for each of the books that I read:

Book Review: The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter

“What a rapist takes from a woman is her future. The person she is going to become, who she is supposed to be, is gone. In many ways, it’s worse than murder, because he has killed that potential person, eradicated that potential life, yet she still lives and breathes, and has to figure out another way to thrive.”

Written by Karin Slaughter and published in 2017, The Good Daughter follows the story of two girls who are forced to watch their mother die before they are coerced into the woods at gunpoint. One runs for her life. One is left behind. 28 years later, Charlotte 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, Charlotte 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.

Book Review: Broken (Will Trent #4) by Karin Slaughter

“Never underestimate the power of a shared history.”

The seventh book in the Grant County series and fourth book in the Will Trent series by author Karin Slaughter, Broken, which was originally released in 2010, follows the investigations of detective Lena Adams and her often drunk boss, interim Chief of Police Frank Wallace, after the body of a female student is discovered deep beneath the icy waters of Lake Grant. With a note left under a rock beside her body, the evidence initially points to suicide. But within minutes, it becomes clear that this was a brutal, cold-blooded murder.

When the prime suspect, Tommy Braham, commits suicide in his jail cell, Dr Sara Linton, back in town for Thanksgiving with her family, is put on the case. Still incredibly angry with Lena over her role in Sara’s husband’s death and convinced that Lena’s callous and reckless behaviour has led to the possibly innocent suspect’s death, Sara calls in back-up from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and is introduced to Agent Will Trent. Despite the roadblocks, he unveils serious errors and deliberate cover-ups in the investigation that definitively points to a murderer still on the loose.