Faithless: A Novel: 5 (Grant County) - Softcover

Slaughter, Karin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0804179999 ISBN 13: 9780804179997

Publisher: Dell, 2016

Synopsis

"Brilliant plotting, relentless suspense," raved the Washington Post. "A new synonym for terror," crowned the Detroit Free Press. The critics agree: no one writes suspense like Karin Slaughter, whose thrillers featuring medical examiner Sara Linton and her ex-husband, police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, have propelled her to the top of bestseller lists the world over. Now Slaughter fuses her unmatched grasp of forensic science and a mastery of complex relationships in a riveting tale of faith, doubt, and murder.

The victim was buried alive in the Georgia woods--then killed in a horrifying fashion. When Sara Linton and Jeffrey Tolliver stumble upon the body, both become consumed with finding out who killed the pretty, impeccably dressed young woman. And for Sara and Jeffrey, a harrowing journey begins, one that will test their own turbulent relationship and draw dozens of lives into the case.

Lena Adams is one of them. A Grant County detective for years, she has her own reasons for being drawn to this case and a fierce drive to see justice done. For these three people, who have each seen the darkest side of human nature, the body of the murdered girl is but the first in a series of shocking and sordid revelations.

Now, as Jeffrey and Sara narrow the field of suspects, they must confront their own doubts and indiscretions, while Lena Adams sees herself reflected in the frightened eyes of a battered woman who may be the key figure in the case. As Faithless builds to a stunning and unforgettable climax, Karin Slaughter masterfully brings together strands of interlocking lives, family secrets, and hidden passions with one astounding truth: the identity of a killer who is more evil and dangerous than anyone could have guessed.

About this title

Review:

When so many top-selling names in the crime genre have been showing signs of exhaustion lately, it's always refreshing to pick up a new Karin Slaughter and find that her writing is as laser-sharp as ever. Faithless may feature the author’s familiar protagonists (police chief Jeffrey Tolliver and medical examiner Sara Linton) but Slaughter consistently finds new challenges for her characters, along with new facets of their ever-fluid relationship.

Those weaned on the grisly delights of such Slaughter outings as Blindsighted and Kisscut will know what to expect. And if the novel starts a tad implausibly (Tolliver and Linton, walking in the woods, come across the corpse of a young woman--what are the odds against that?), we're more than prepared to forgive Slaughter this device, when the ever-tightening grip of the narrative takes hold. The duo looks at the evidence, and concludes that the young girl has been literally frightened to death. But during the course of an autopsy, Sara makes a startling discovery--one that gives even the unshockable pathologist pause. She and Tolliver find that there is a trail of evidence leading to a secluded community in the next county, and decide to call in talented detective Lena Adams to aid them. But as the trio draw nearer to the heart of a grim mystery, a destabilising element threatens to undercut their work: Lena’s increasing instability.

While there is nothing particularly groundbreaking in this latest outing for Slaughter, all the customary skills are firmly in place. A particular achievement (as so often with this author) is the faultless pacing of the narrative: the slow, steady accruing of detail has the reader on the point of impatience, when a brilliantly orchestrated set piece will be delivered. Perhaps Karin Slaughter's run of luck will come to an end at some point--but not with this book. --Barry Forshaw

Review:

"Georgia medical examiner Sara Linton returns in Slaughter's Grant County crime thriller series, and this time she's hot on the trail of a demented killer who buries teenage girls alive.... Slaughter's fifth Grant County case offers tough love, suspenseful spadework and life-affirming vigor."--Publishers Weekly

"Faithless, Karin Slaughter's fifth novel, confirms her at the summit of the school of writers specialising in forensic medicine and terror, a field which includes Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs.... Slaughter's characters talk in believable dialogue, She's excellent at portraying the undertones and claustrophobia of communities where everyone knows everyone else's business, and even better at creating an atmosphere of lurking evil."--The Times, London

"[Karin Slaughter is] one of the best crime novelists in America.... Her novels smolder with reality."--Washington Post

"The pleasure of Slaughter's Grant County series--this is the fifth installment--rests in how the characters deal simultaneously with their messy personal lives and some fairly horrific crimes."--San Francisco Chronicle

About this edition

• Publisher: Dell
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0804179999
• ISBN 13: 9780804179997
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 496