The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter

One of our favorite authors, Karin Slaughter, has a brand new standalone mystery out. The book is called the Good Daughter, but I'm looking at that cover and thinking that maybe she's not such a good daughter after all. Kerry Hammond tells us what she thought.

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter releases on August 8 from Harper Collins. Slaughter is the author of the Will Trent mystery series, as well as the Grant County series. She also writes gripping and suspenseful standalone mysteries, and The Good Daughter is her most recent.

The book opens 28 years ago, when two young sisters, Charlotte and Samantha, experience the worst kind of brutality that could ever hit their family. When it’s over, their mother is dead and their family is forever torn apart. Flash forward to current day and Charlotte, who now goes by Charlie, is witness to a school shooting that leaves two dead, one teacher and one small child.

Rusty Quinn, Sam and Charlie’s father, is a local defense attorney. He is known for representing the worst offenders that the small town of Pikesville has to offer. He decides to represent the teenager involved in the school shooting and the entire town is up in arms. Charlie, who is also an attorney, is caught up in the case and the reaction of the town that never forgave her for testifying against her mother’s killer.

The beginning of the book was extremely intense. We went from a horrific situation 28 years ago to an equally horrific scene in present day. I almost put the book down to take a break from the intense violence that poor Charlie had to experience—twice. I decided to power through and my diligence was rewarded. The aftermath of the events and Charlie’s handling of it drew me into her story and her life. I sided with the Quinn family and was angered by the treatment they received and the long held grudges and secrets.

The Good Daughter is my favorite Karin Slaughter novel to date. I absolutely loved the characters despite, or maybe because of, their messed up lives. I like a few twists in my mysteries and these were kindly provided by the author at the end of the book. I can’t say that I ever quite fell in love with Rusty Quinn, but by the end I at least understood him. The book is a well-written, face paced, emotional roller coaster that will have you thinking about the characters days after you turn the last page.

For more about Karin Slaughter, see Mystery Playground Recommends Karin Slaughter here.

This book was provided to Mystery Playground by the publisher. The review is fair and independent.