Tödliches Verderben: North Falls, Band 2

North Falls #2

by Karin Slaughter, Schmitz, Birgit, Nina Petri (Narrator)

Eine Stadt voller Geheimnisse. Ein Killer ohne Grenzen

Als eine Polizistin in ihrem Haus brutal angegriffen wird, gerät der Frieden in der Kleinstadt Verona ins Wanken. Bei ihren Ermittlungen stößt Sheriff Emmy Clifton auf eine jahrzehntealte Verschwörung, in die die mächtigsten Persönlichkeiten der Stadt verstrickt sind. Gemeinsam mit ihrer Schwester, der ehemaligen Bundesagentin Jude Archer, wird sie in ein Labyrinth aus Lügen und Schweigen hineingezogen, in dem jemand skrupellos mordet. Während mächtige Feinde im Schatten lauern, beginnt für Emmy und Jude ein Wettlauf gegen die Zeit, der alles zerstören könnte, was ihnen lieb ist.

Psychologisch, temporeich, düster – einfach brillant

»Man sollte Karin Slaughters Thriller mit einem Warnhinweis für Leser mit schwachen Nerven versehen …« The Guardian

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Audiobook, Crime, Suspense

Audible Audio

First published August 11, 2026

About the author

Karin Slaughter is one of the world’s most popular storytellers. She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty- five novels, including the Edgar nominated COP TOWN and standalone novels PRETTY GIRLS and FALSE WITNESS. An international bestseller, Slaughter is published in 120 countries with more than 40 million copies sold across the globe. PIECES OF HER, based on her novel, debuted at #1 worldwide on Netflix as an original series in 2022. Her bestselling thriller series, Will Trent, is now a television and streaming sensation in its 4th season. THE GOOD DAUGHTER will soon be a limited series starring Rose Byrne and Meghann Fahy, and further projects are currently in development for film/TV. Karin Slaughter is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit organization established to support libraries and library programming. A native of Georgia, she lives in Atlanta.

Facebook: Facebook.com/AuthorKarinSlaughter

Website: http://www.karinslaughter.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karinslaugh...

Reviews

[Dutchie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is this now becoming my new favorite series? Yes, I do believe it is. The second book in the North Fall series does not disappoint in the least!

We pick up a few weeks after the events of the first novel, and Emmy is investigating a murder of a police officer. There are many suspects to flesh out, and the crime scene just doesn’t seem to be adding up. On top of the investigation, there’s a lot going on in Emmy’s personal life as well. Like a ton! Her relationship with Jude is forefront. We see Emmy struggling, trying to juggle both her personal life and this investigation that hits close to home for her.

I liked this one a tad bit more than the first one. There was a ton going on in the first one, whereas this one kept close to the main storyline. I appreciate the focus on the investigation as well as the banter back and forth between Jude and Emmy. There were just enough suspects to investigate without throwing in the whole town. Does it count that I solved the mystery one page before Emmy did? I think so!

The ending was set up nicely for a follow up book, and I can’t wait! Do I recommend this novel? Absolutely!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Amber]

It’s not August yet but I’m seated

[Sadie E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karin Slaughter's firmly back in familiar territory: tangled family dynamics, inherited trauma, small towns with big secrets, violence that feels too close to ordinary life, and the kind of darkness that doesn’t so much lurk as it settles in and refuses to leave.

This a strong read and great book, but it's not peak KS. It actually took me a while to get into. Once the initial excitement of omg omg new Karin Slaughter book wore off, my first impressions were… not great. I really thought I wasn’t going to like it, which was crushing. But once it found its rhythm (or I adjusted to new(ish) characters), it pulled me in completely.

There are twists and turns everywhere. The dust barely has a chance to settle before something else shifts, which makes it so engaging. It’s very much a “just one more chapter... wait, what now? okay, well I have to find out what's going on here” kind of experience.

Emmy. A mixed bag for me. It's not that I don't like her, but she's pretty weak in comparison to characters from previous series. This is a universe where unstoppable force of competence and intimidation Amanda Wagner exists. I just keep comparing Emmy to all the other amazing women KS has written and she comes up short.

I liked her more in the first book. In this one she’s, I dunno, just a bit pathetic at times? She's crazy relatable and a really well written character, but sometimes she’s just overwhelmed in a way that feels like it actively works against her ability to function in her job.

I get that she cares. That’s very clearly the point of her character, but it often hinders her more than it helps. She’s so emotionally invested in victims, suspects, case outcomes, and what her deputies think of her that she ends up second-guessing herself or drifting away from the actual task in front of her. There are moments where you can almost see the investigation slipping through her fingers while she’s off in her head trying to process everything emotionally or trying to clear "the shard of glass in her throat" 🙄🙄 Honestly hate that imagery and its overuse. Across this series, there is a lot happening in Emmy's throat. Cotton, glass, lumps... girl, see a doctor. Call Sara Linton!

Emmy works with her son (yay nepotism), but rarely lets him take on anything more meaningful than knocking on doors or directing traffic because she’s too focused on keeping him safe. Which is understandable, but also slightly concerning given the job description and makes you wonder if this is the right career path for these two. Emmy herself only has the position because her dad gave it to her (double yay nepotism), which adds another layer to how uncertain she sometimes feels in the role.

Jude, on the other hand, is a standout for me. She’s a breath of fresh air in a book full of touchy-feely, emotionally overloaded characters. She's direct and grounded, refreshingly no-nonsense when everyone else is spiralling or overthinking every possible connection to their family history.

And whenever the GBI's mentioned, I briefly spiral into crossover hope. It never happens, but I remain emotionally committed to the idea, and I'm going to do my best to manifest it.

One recurring frustration with Slaughter’s writing in general is how central parental relationships are to almost every emotional thread. Everyone's constantly processing their parents (living, dead, non-existent, it's complicated, or otherwise). Emmy, you are 42 years old. You have an adult son. At some point you have to look up from the generational trauma and focus on the case in front of you.

I have to remind myself when I get mad at Emmy that I was so mad at Will when he turned up because I missed Sara. I guess I have attachment issues. And even when it’s messy, it’s all very intentional. KS builds her stories out of interconnected emotional threads, and nothing ever exists in isolation. It's not my favourite from Karin, but once it hooks you, it refuses to let go.

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Pre-read:
Heavy breathing intensifies

No way! A Karin Slaughter ARC???? trying to stay calm and totally normal about this 🙀🙀

[L A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karen Slaughter's second book in the North Falls series should be your next thrilling mystery. If you love police procedural in small towns, this will bring all the must haves with twists, shock factors, complicated family relationships and a lot of secrets. There is a lot of emotion in the book which sometimes can be brutal.
"Welcome to North Falls. A small town where everyone knows everyone. But nobody knows the truth.
1601 Iris Drive looks like any other house on a quiet, residential street. But rumors are rampant about the Vickery family, and what goes on behind closed doors." Emmy and her sister Jude are back into action when they enter a crime scene that appears as a home invasion. The town says otherwise. Allison Vickery was a friend and colleague of Emmy's and found dead with her daughter brutally injured and unconscious. The community claims Allison's abusive husband did it, but Emmy disagrees.
I couldn't get enough of this one and held on to every word and scene. Emmy and Jude's relationship is complicated with a lot of sister resentment which will spark. The day of the crime scene they were to bury their mom. It gets heated. It can be read as a stand alone but I would read We Are All Guilty Here first.
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Tara E. (on health hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy Publication Day Canadian and U.S. Readers!

A tense, emotionally grounded police procedural that explores themes of generational family secrets trauma, and resilience.

Thank you to Harper's Collins UK and Harper's Fiction Marketing for providing me with an ARC and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Having thoroughly enjoyed We Are All Guilty Here, the first book in the series, I was eager to dive into the sequel, The Secrets We Hide. The story picks up six weeks after the events of the first, and reconnecting with Emmy and Jude felt like catching up with old friends. While this installment moved at a slightly slower pace and could have used some trimming, it still held my attention. I found myself wishing for a bit more action at times, but the intriguing mystery kept me guessing right up to the stunning ending, complete with twists and a reveal I never saw coming. Overall, a compelling follow-up that has me already looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Liana Gold · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5! RTF


Karin Slaughter, the master of crime fiction and mysteries, I am so ready to return back to North Falls!

What's it about?
Emmy is back to North Falls, Georgia along with her sister Jude Archer, a former FBI agent. A former police detective is shot dead in he town kitchen and her barely alive teenage daughter is barely holding on. What seems like a straightforward investigation/murder turns complicated when an old murder case is connected to the new day investigation.

[STEPH · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, North Falls. Basically, it’s a small town owned by the Cliftons. Clifton family members are everywhere—their name is on every street sign, and even the sheriff of the police department is a Clifton. Multiple gunshots set the story in motion, with the sheriff and her long-lost ex-FBI agent sister trying to solve the case (preferably without killing each other—the Clifton way).

The overall theme was dark (typical Karin): a devastating crime scene, dirty cops, conspiracies, and decades-long secrets. I enjoyed the investigation, the legal process, the tension, and the urgency of solving the case. Even though there are a lot of characters to keep track of, you’ll slowly learn to love and visualize each of them.

I love this book, and I love Karin, but damn, Emmy irritated the living shit out of me! I literally wanted to punch her in the face and knock some sense into her. What the hell? She somehow managed to be annoying and unlikeable on every page, in every chapter. Thank God Jude is a badass because, no matter how much I love Karin, I would’ve dropped this series in a heartbeat. TF!

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. It dragged a bit at times, but it was intense nonetheless.

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karin Slaughter is one of my favourite crime authors. She writes incredible books with deeply flawed and real characters and I just love them. The Secrets We Hide is the second book in her new North Falls series and it is fabulous. Not always easy reading, it tackles some difficult topics and is very dark. I cannot recommend this book and series more.

We are back in North Falls with Emmy Clifton, now the sheriff after her father’s death. Not everyone in town is happy about this and she is desperate to prove her opponents wrong. Driving home one afternoon she hears shots fired and races to the scene. There she finds her former colleague and friend Allison Vickery shot dead and her daughter badly injured. Everyone on the small town thinks that they know what happened and criticise Emmy for not arresting the man. But Emmy isn’t convinced, and with the help of her sister Jude, she sets out to find the truth.

I loved this book! Emmy has the weight of the world on her shoulders and yet she goes ahead and does her job, despite all the criticism she receives. We see past the tough exterior and her vulnerability is evident. So much has happened to her and her family that anyone would be struggling. Jude tries her best to be there for her and Cole, while keeping her own secret that she knows has to come out . This book is gritty and unapologetically intense. It is far from your run of the mill police procedural and am all there for that. I am emotionally attached to these characters and I had tears in my eyes reading parts of this book.

Another absolute winner from Karin Slaughter. Easy 5 stars

Thank you Harper Collins UK for allowing me to read this book early. Out on June 18th.

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story 4 stars. Narration 5 stars
To be completely honest, this fell a little short of 4 stars for me, but I rounded it up. It took me twice as long as it usually does to finish it and I had to re-listen to big parts of it due to falling asleep. That part is on me due to insomnia issues. There were so many characters that are introduced to up the number of possible suspects, the number of people that don’t want the main female character to win her bid for sheriff, people she works with that resent her or just more family members that may or may not have been introduced in book one. My memory just doesn’t stretch that long for side characters unless extremely important to the book. I just read way too much to keep track.

Emmy has just lost her mother to Alzheimer’s and in fact the book starts with the funeral. While on the way to the after funeral part of the day, the family in her car hear gunshots in a good neighborhood and stop. Her son is a deputy and her sister Jude is an ex-FBI agent and they
enter into the house with her. Emmy is acting sheriff. Inside they find the body of a female ex-cop among other surprises. The story is told mainly from Emmy’s point of view, but almost equally her sister’s point of view as well.

In addition to the murder mystery, there’s also moments of panic attacks and grief, especially on the part of Emmy. Although her sister has some bad moments depicted as well. These characters are complex and certainly not cookie cutter. Family secrets and lies abound in this series. The mystery gets very intricate, but I did figure it out shortly before it all comes to light. I was pretty lost prior to that.

I am working on reading many more books by this author as she is just so good and very prolific. Next up is the first book in her Will Trent series and I just finisher her Grant County series about a week ago. I’m enjoying them.
Narration by Kathleen Early was stellar as usual.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are very few authors I trust as completely as Karin Slaughter. Every time I pick up one of her books I know I’m going to get an intricate mystery, unforgettable characters, and an emotional gut punch that lingers long after the final page. The Secrets We Hide is no exception. In fact, it only solidified how invested I’ve become in the North Falls series.

Picking up after the events of book one, we’re reunited with Sheriff Emmy Clifton as another brutal crime rocks the town of North Falls. On the surface, the case seems straightforward, but this is Karin Slaughter. Nothing is ever as simple as it first appears. Every answer uncovers another question, every secret reveals an even darker one, and every character feels like they’re carrying years of buried pain.

One of my favorite aspects of this series is that the investigation is only part of the story. The complicated relationships between Emmy, Jude, and the rest of the Clifton family continue to evolve in fascinating ways. Book one left so much unresolved between the sisters, and watching those emotional threads unravel alongside the murder investigation made this feel incredibly rich. The grief, resentment, loyalty, and love woven throughout these relationships are just as compelling as the mystery itself.

As always, Slaughter refuses to pull her punches. This is gritty, violent, disturbing, and emotionally devastating in all the best ways. She never relies on shock value alone, though. Every brutal moment serves the story and deepens our understanding of these characters and the darkness they’re forced to confront. The exploration of grief, family legacies, loss, and the complicated bonds between sisters gives the novel real emotional weight beneath its twist filled plot.

The mystery itself is brilliantly constructed. Every time I thought I had a handle on where things were headed, another revelation completely shifted my perspective. The investigation is layered, clever, and surprisingly intricate without ever feeling confusing. And then there’s that ending. Somehow Karin Slaughter continues to surprise me after all these years. I’ve honestly never finished one of her books feeling disappointed, and this one delivers another ending that left me completely stunned.

What excites me most is how much potential still exists in this series. Emmy, Jude, and the entire Clifton family are endlessly fascinating, and it genuinely feels like we’ve only scratched the surface of who they are. I would happily read five more books centered on these characters and this town.

If you’re looking for a thriller that’s equal parts emotionally devastating and relentlessly suspenseful, The Secrets We Hide absolutely delivers. It’s bold, smart, dark, and impossible to put down—exactly what I’ve come to expect from one of my all time favorite authors.

Perfect for Readers Who Love

* Dark, gritty crime fiction
* Small town secrets and complicated politics
* Intricate, layered mysteries
* Family drama and sibling relationships
* Emotionally driven thrillers
* Shocking twists with satisfying payoffs

[Madeline Church · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that I LOVE Karin Slaughter. She is one of my favorite thriller authors because no one does it like her. Unfortunately, this is my least favorite of hers I have read so far. I did not find it to be as gripping as her others. I want to be on the edge of my seat (like I have with her previous). In addition, I did not feel drawn or entertained by any of the characters. As always, her writing is superb. It's just hard when I have to compare it to her others that I love.

Thank you NetGalley, William Morrow, & Karin Slaughter for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Secrets We Hide will be released on August 11, 2026!

[Dozelina 666 · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all… I cannot express how happy I was to get approved for this ARC. Thank you to the HarperCollins gods, because Karin Slaughter is an auto-read author for me.

Aaaand I have to say… I think I liked this one even more than book one.

The case itself is really tragic and quite heavy. It touches on domestic violence, trauma, complicated family relationships… and fun fact (not so fun actually), I somehow ended up reading two books with these themes in the same day... so yup, my brain needs a break.

Now, when it comes to the story… it might not be her most shocking book in terms of the crime itself, but the amount of twists and secrets? Insane. At some point I was like… wait, what now?? It just keeps layering reveal after reveal.

I also found myself rooting for Emmy even more in this book. I really liked seeing the dynamic between her and Jude evolve. She’s still guarded, still a bit hostile, but she slowly starts to open up and accept Jude’s help. They’re definitely still testing the waters, but we are getting there.

And of course… small town = BIG drama. We’ve got lots, lots of secrets, guns, drugs, dirty cops… all the good stuff.

I was honestly thinking this would be around a 4 or maybe 4.25⭐… BUT!!!

I read the last line.

EXCUSE ME????

Jaw. On. The. Floor. (and it's still there)

I need book 3 like… yesterday.

⭐ 5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC.

https://turnthepagewithana.blogspot.c...

[♡❀Caroline. K❀♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

As per usual, I literally couldn’t put the book down. Whatever Karin has in her writing is clearly working because I thoroughly enjoy it every single time. It’s the way she pulls at my mind, heart, soul, and emotions with the way she writes the characters, situations, story, and their journey.

This book was one of my most anticipated reads this year, and I gotta say, I’m not disappointed. There were moments where I felt a little lost because there were quite a handful of characters to keep track of, and sometimes their individual stories got a little lost with all the other major events happening.

Butttt other than that, Karin Slaughter books always remind me just how much I love thrillers and mysteries. There’s something about the way she tells a story that completely pulls me in, and this was no exception.

4.75 ⭐

[Beth Morvant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had me crying in this one too.

[Sandra Hoover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Karin Slaughter slips back into North Falls with The Secrets We Hide, another intense, heart stopping crime thriller that grabs readers by the throat and refuses to let go until every last dirty, dark secret is finally revealed. Set in suburban Georgia, Slaughter rips apart the myth of "perfect" small towns, exposing the ugly underbelly often lying beneath the facade of pretty little houses in perfect little neighborhoods with their ideal little families hidden inside. It's in one of these homes that Sheriff Emmy Clifton accompanied by her long-estranged sister, ex-federal agent Jude Archer, discovers the bloody body of Allison Vickrey lying in her kitchen. Even more disturbing, her young daughter is also found bloody and clinging to life upstairs. Who would do such a thing? It's soon clear that the who and why that seem so obvious to many may not be factual, and it's up to Emmy to uncover the ugly truth at any cost. With Jude by her side offering tactical advice much as her father did before, she begins interviewing locals. The truth that's eventually exposed is dark and shocking, striking fear in the hearts of locals. Is there a killer, a monster, living among them? Before it's all said and done, a generation of ugly secrets will be exposed. No one is safe, not even Emmy.

One of my favorite things about a series is reconnecting with characters, book after book. Seeing the growth, the connections, the repercussions as truths are revealed. The fragile relationships, the emotional turmoil, the guilt and regret. The battle to overcome controversy, to prove yourself, to take charge of what's rightfully yours. It's all there in The Secrets We Hide, and no one does it better than Karin Slaughter. Time and again, just when you think you've figured it out, the shocking climax blows you away. You don't know, not even close. That's the magic of Karin Slaughter.

The Secrets We Hide is an emotionally charged, gripping masterpiece - a minefield of deception, lies and dirty secrets waiting to explode. I'm ecstatic to hear the author is working on book three! Highly recommended to fans of psychological thrillers, mysteries, and suspense.
Special thanks to publisher William Morrow for a complimentary arc of this title for review. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. This review posted first on my blog Cross My Heart Reviews.

[Magen • Bone Chilling Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhh I love this series so much!! Karin does it again with Emmy and Jude and the depth in their characters. And the entire story and how it all unfolds. And what the heck how does she keep us readers on our toes and not know what’s coming?!

GIVE ME BOOK 3 NOW!!! How am I supposed to wait a full year?!

Highly recommend this series and start with book 1 - WE ARE ALL GUILTY HERE.

[Mim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now then KS is one of my favorite authors and I did enjoy this book but this wasn't her best one (in my eyes).

We jump few weeks ahead from previous book and Emmy just having trauma of letting go both of her parents when she gotta solve a murder. A police murder. Someone she knew. If the emotional load isn't already a heavy enough she also is the new sheriff (for now) and is questioning her place in the office with unhelpful subordinates. She also has new family member tagging along and she is trying to keep her son out of harms way (he is a cop also..).

As Classic KS there is a lot of personal drama, heavy subjects (this is not for the faint of heart although I think this is milder than grant county series) and mystery to solve. The only problem I had was Emmy. She spiraled in self doubt too much sometimes and she is over forty. Please act like an adult and focus. Jude (the other pov) was the saving grace in this.

Now I still enjoyed the book and could not put this one down.

[Helle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrilling! The last 100 pages almost had me out of breath 😮‍💨😮‍💨

When is the next one coming??? 😭

Also, this might be my favourite line ever from a book:
(Page 15) “Men do like to breathe” 🤣🤣

[bilqees (thebellekeys) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the imprint for an ARC of "The Secrets We Hide" in exchange for an honest review.

I had a great time with this novel, the second in Slaughter's new "North Falls" thriller series. It had the great writing, character-building, and gritty twists we've come to expect from Slaughter's writing. Did I think this one was as good as the first book? No, mainly because this novel went too much into the small-town politics and crime-shenanigans that the first book glossed over. I'm more interested in the murders, lol, than the world which precipitated them. But overall, will definitely be reading the next book in the series. Had a blast despite my (petty) complaint!

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 BIG starts!!

We are back in North Falls and not a moment too soon! This is the most anticipated book of the year for me. I love this author’s style of writing, how her characters are so relatable and the writing style is easy to follow with her updates and re-caps as she reveals the threads of the story.

Catching up with Emmy and Jude already feels like catching up with two old friends and we are only on book 2! Straight away we are thrown into the action when a retired cop and her daughter are both shot in their home.

I like Emmy but I love Jude she is so complexed and I was barely able to contain my excitement getting to explore the dynamics between those two. This is already a fantastic series, one where each wait between each book is going to come close to finishing me off, especially if KS keeps up with the explosive endings and mind blowing revelations this series is already known for.

[CaityKaboooom · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you follow my reviews at all, you might know that I am a die hard Karin Slaughter fan. I’ll admit that perhaps my reviews of her books are biased, but… I don’t care. I’m still calling this a 4.5-5⭐️ read.

Karin’s style of writing is so engrossing, so well thought out… like Myrna Clifton, Karin Slaughter always knows the exact words she means and uses them exactly the way she means to. Her style of writing only helps to keep the suspense and tension built, but also SMACKS you in the face when the Big Reveal happens. Why? Because it was always there. It was just hidden in the specific words, like she just sat behind her computer grinning at the collective bamboozle she’s about to hit her readers with. I envy her brain and her ability to plan such well crafted stories out with such ease. Even her worst books are better than some writer’s best books.

Okay, now that I’m done gushing, back to this particular book.
First, I really enjoy the North Falls setting. Sometimes we get these detective series that aren’t quite sure where they want to be located. They create these little towns and then we’re supposed to believe that major crimes to continue to just happen in these tiny, middle of nowhere towns and it’s just like…. Do you want to be a small town or do you want to be NYC? But KS managed to give us both of those things and have it work. North Falls may be small but as Sheriff, Emmy oversees several counties that allow the idea that major crimes could be happening right under everyone’s nose.

I also like the characters…. Although Emmy is my least favorite character 😳😬 I’m sorry, I know we’re supposed to love main characters but she’s third on my least. Jude, Gerald, Emmy, in that order. Even as a character we only see in this book through memories, Gerald still managed to be a focal point. He’s a great character. And Jude, she steals the show.

This was a great book. I didn’t love the overall case as much as I enjoyed the case from the first book— there was a lot more emotional depth. I think this time around I almost cared a little less about that and more about the conspiracy that it revealed. Like, truthfully, I wasn’t all that invested in who killed Allison— it was more interesting to learn how Allison fit into the puzzle of the overarching conspiracy.

I absolutely desperately NEED there to be a third book. That last sentence… I saw that coming back around 40-60% (I can’t remember exactly where but I knew it when Jude and that character had their first interaction. That wasn’t as big of a cliffhanger as what Jude has set in motion. I desperately want to know the fall out of that. And I NEED more from the Jude and Emmy relationship. The depth of Jude’s emotion was so relatable, I just really want to see them both get what they need out of a relationship with one another.

Karin, you did it again. You hooked me, suckered me in, kept me up all night, had me listening to this book in the car on Spotify because I just couldn’t not know how it ended. Don’t leave me hanging without a third installment 🙏🏻

[Miss✧Pickypants ᓚᘏᗢ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in this new North Falls series does not disappoint! No spoilers here to ruin this ingenious murder-mystery for other readers, but know that the storyline picks up not too long after the first book ended. Do you need to read We Are All Guilty Here to enjoy this one? No but I would recommend reading the books in order for the best experience.

As usual, the murder-mystery kept me guessing right up to when it gets solved, which is always something I appreciate. It did take me a bit longer to get into this novel and I think that was because I was trying to connect all the plot points from the first book. Once all my pistons were firing and I recalled what I needed to know, the book pulled me right in.

Fans of the author and these types of police-proceduralistic mysteries will be more than satisfied. I eagerly await book 3!

[EIBHLIN LEHANE · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved book 1 , but this is just boring, I didn't like any of the characters. This book is just thrown together for the sake of it. Shame

[Helana Starr]

I usually enjoy Karin Slaughters work, but the North Falls series feels like it falls slightly short. The story seems quite long-winded without much shock or surprise, and there’s a lot of repetition in conversations between the characters.
Overall a fair, easy-to-read police drama, but nothing super thrilling and it doesn’t make you want to race through the book.

[The Bookish Elf · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book opens at a graveside, not a crime scene, and that choice tells you almost everything about what Karin Slaughter is doing here. Sheriff Emmy Clifton is burying her mother six weeks after burying her father. She has a sister she barely knows, a grown son in a deputy's uniform, and a whole county full of relatives who fix their own parking tickets and whisper about cousins who showed up to the funeral uninvited. Then, on the drive home from the wake, three pops crack the autumn air on a quiet residential street, and the second North Falls novel stops being a family drama and becomes something far colder.

That cold thing is the engine of The Secrets We Hide by Karin Slaughter, the follow-up to We Are All Guilty Here. A retired detective named Allison Vickery lies dead on her own kitchen floor. Her teenage daughter is bleeding upstairs. The town already thinks it knows what happened, because small towns always do, and most of this book is about how wrong a confident town can be.

The setup: one tidy house, several ugly possibilities

Slaughter spends remarkably little time being coy about the body and a great deal of time being honest about the suspects. Allison was a cop, a single mother, a friend of Emmy's, and a woman who made herself small around the men in her life. That last detail matters, because the people who knew her best each carry a motive you can almost sympathize with. A gambling husband. An ex-lover with a badge and a temper. An older man no one can name. A federal angle that reaches further up than a county sheriff should ever have to look.

What keeps you turning pages early on:

A crime scene that refuses to add up, staged just carefully enough to make Emmy distrust her own first read
A timeline structure (counting down to the shooting, then forward from it) that doles out information like a slow leak rather than a flood
A victim who grows more complicated the more you learn, so your sympathy keeps shifting
A small-town power map where the wealthy families and the dirty cops are often the same people

The pacing in this stretch is patient in a way that pays off. Slaughter lets Emmy work the case the way a real investigator would, by tugging at loose threads and following the ones that resist.

The sisters are the real story

Emmy and Jude Archer are why this book works as well as it does. Jude is the long-absent older sister, a retired federal agent with a doctorate in criminal psychology and a recovering alcoholic's wariness about her own certainty. She returns to North Falls just as everything falls apart, and she keeps offering help that Emmy did not ask for and cannot quite refuse.

Their dynamic runs on a single repeating beat that Slaughter names early: irritation, chased by gratitude. One sister reads people, the other reads rooms, and the friction between Jude's clinical detachment and Emmy's bone-deep local knowledge generates most of the book's best scenes. When they walk a crime scene together, you feel two different intelligences circling the same facts. That partnership is the strongest argument for picking up The Secrets We Hide by Karin Slaughter, even if the plotting around them occasionally creaks.

Where it stumbles

This is a four-star book, not a five-star one, and it earns that gap honestly. The conspiracy at the center grows several heads. By the midpoint, Emmy is juggling dirty narcotics cops, a US senator, an FBI handler of questionable loyalty, decades-old blackmail, and a buried family crime, and the connective tissue between these strands sometimes feels willed rather than earned. A reader keeping a mental corkboard may find a few pins that only stay up because the author needs them to.

Honest sticking points before you start:

The plot leans on a stacked web of corruption that asks you to hold a lot of names and grudges in your head at once
A late pivot in the investigation depends on Emmy reaching a conclusion the evidence supports but does not quite force
The grief subplot, while genuinely moving, slows the middle and occasionally competes with the murder for the book's attention
Some secondary suspects exist more as misdirection than as people, and a couple of red herrings are dangled a beat too obviously

None of this sinks the book. It does mean the experience is closer to a strong, absorbing procedural than a flawless one. If you read crime fiction for airtight clockwork, the gears here are good rather than perfect.

Slaughter's voice, working at full strength

The prose is where The Secrets We Hide by Karin Slaughter rarely falters. Her sentences hit in short bursts when the tension spikes and stretch out when grief or memory takes over. She writes a forced-entry sequence and a CPR scene with such physical precision that you feel the rib give and the Sheetrock dust settle. Then she turns around and lands a dry, funny line about a relative's chlamydia at a graveside, because that is how people actually talk through fear.

There is also a real moral seriousness running under the violence. Slaughter has written about domestic abuse across her career, and here she folds it into the mystery without ever using it as a cheap twist. The book takes seriously how hard it is for a woman to leave, and it refuses to let the reader feel superior to anyone trapped in that trap.

The verdict

The Secrets We Hide by Karin Slaughter is a confident, emotionally heavy second outing that is stronger on character and atmosphere than on the tidiness of its conspiracy. The Emmy and Jude relationship gives the series a beating heart, the small-town corruption feels lived-in rather than cartoonish, and Slaughter's prose carries you over the spots where the plot strains. Come for the murder, stay for the two sisters trying to trust each other across forty years of silence. It is a satisfying read that leaves the door open for more, and most readers will close it wanting exactly that.

[Laura Theisen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kaum scheint sich North Falls von den Ereignissen des letzten Falls zu erholen, wird die Kleinstadt erneut von einem brutalen Verbrechen erschüttert. Die ehemalige Polizistin Allison Vickery wird in ihrem eigenen Haus erschossen, ihre sechzehnjährige Tochter Mandy überlebt den Angriff schwer verletzt. Für Sheriff Emmy Clifton beginnt eine Ermittlung, bei der zunächst völlig unklar ist, wer Allison nach dem Leben trachtete. Hat sie sich während ihrer Zeit bei der Polizei Feinde gemacht, geht es um eine alte Rechnung oder steckt etwas ganz anderes hinter der Tat? Gemeinsam mit ihrer Schwester Jude folgt Emmy den ersten Spuren und stößt auf ein Geflecht aus lange verborgenen Geheimnissen.

Schon mit dem ersten Teil „Dunkle Sühne“ konnte mich Karin Slaughter vollkommen begeistern. Der Auftakt der North Falls Reihe gehörte zu meinen Thrillerhighlights des letzten Jahres und entsprechend hoch waren meine Erwartungen an die Fortsetzung. Auch „Tödliches Verderben“ hat mich wieder bestens unterhalten und zeigt einmal mehr, wie toll die Autorin komplexe Kriminalfälle mit persönlichen Geschichten ihrer Figuren verbinden kann.

Erzählt wird die Geschichte überwiegend aus den Perspektiven von Emmy und Jude. Besonders gut gefallen hat mir, dass beide denselben Ereignissen häufig einen unterschiedlichen Blickwinkel verleihen. Die Dynamik zwischen den Frauen gehört für mich zu den Stärken der Reihe und ich bin gespannt, wie das weiterentwickelt wird.

Besonders gefreut habe ich mich darüber, dass Jude wieder mehr Raum bekommen hat. Ihre Geschichte wurde im ersten Band bereits angedeutet und nun erfahren wir noch mehr über sie. Mit Emmy hatte ich in diesem Band allerdings deutlich mehr zu kämpfen. Sie befindet sich ohne Zweifel in einer schwierigen Lebensphase und viele ihrer Entscheidungen lassen sich durchaus nachvollziehen. Trotzdem macht sie es einem stellenweise nicht leicht, sie zu mögen. Gut, dass ich sie aus „Dunkle Sühne“ noch ganz anders in Erinnerung hatte. Dort konnte ich viel leichter eine Verbindung zu ihr aufbauen und genau dieses Bild hat mir auch hier geholfen, ihre Entwicklung einzuordnen.

Der Fall selbst ist wieder ausgesprochen vielschichtig. Themen wie Häusliche Gewalt, Korruption innerhalb des Polizeiapparates und Drogenkriminalität begegnen uns. Viele Zusammenhänge reichen weit in die Vergangenheit zurück und erst spät wird deutlich, wie eng die einzelnen Ereignisse miteinander verwoben sind. Gerade diese Vielschichtigkeit schafft die Autorin immer richtig gut und ich liebe es, wie sich alles mit der Zeit entblättert.

Mit über 550 Seiten nimmt sich der Roman reichlich Zeit, alle Fäden zusammenzuführen. Das passt prinzipiell sehr gut zu dem umfangreichen Fall. Dennoch gab es zwischendurch immer wieder Abschnitte, in denen Figuren bereits bekannte Informationen noch einmal aufgriffen und wiederholt reflektiert haben. Dadurch ist stellenweise etwas die Geschwindigkeit abgeflacht. Wer also einen Thriller sucht, den man an einem Tag locker verschlingen kann, der wird hier eher nicht fündig. „Tödliches Verderben“ verlangt Aufmerksamkeit und Ruhe, belohnt einen dafür aber mit einer durchdachten und stimmigen Geschichte.

Auch wenn beide Bücher einen eigenständigen Kriminalfall erzählen, würde ich unbedingt empfehlen, die Reihe in der richtigen Reihenfolge zu lesen. Vor allem die persönliche Entwicklung der Figuren und ihre Beziehungen zueinander schreiten voran.

Mit „Tödliches Verderben“ haben wir eine echt starke Fortsetzung bekommen, die erneut mit einem komplexen Fall und glaubwürdigen Figuren überzeugt. Persönlich hat mir „Dunkle Sühne“ noch einen kleinen Tick besser gefallen, einfach weil mich der erste Band insgesamt noch etwas mehr packen konnte. Das ändert aber nichts daran, dass auch „Tödliches Verderben“ ein toll konstruierter Thriller ist, den Fans der Reihe auf keinen Fall verpassen sollten.

[Karly · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating: 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed this book, liked it even more than the first!!

Welcome to North Falls—a small town with big secrets.

The house at 1601 Iris Drive looks like any other in the quiet, residential street. But rumours are rife about the Vickery family – a couple in the midst of a volatile separation and a daughter with secrets of her own.

Then one afternoon gunshots ring out. Allison Vickery is found murdered in her own kitchen, her teenage daughter bleeding and left for dead. Her husband suspiciously absent.

Everyone in North Falls thinks they know what happened. Gossip and rumours spread like wildfire. But the truth is far more shocking than anyone could ever have imagined.
Secrets are everywhere in this small town. Everyone is hiding something. It's up to Detective Emmy Clifton to uncover the truth, but the deeper she looks the darker it gets…

Well, KS has been a bit hit and miss for me over the years, I loved her and then there were a few let downs. I enjoyed the first book in this series even though a lot of my GR friends were not a fan. It could be because, I am out of step with reading lately or it could just be that I really enjoyed it.

I liked book two better than the first I think this series has hit its stride and I am really happy with how this played out. There are twists on this twists in this one, there are a couple of big ones I guessed…. But I wasn’t disappointed at all, I wasn’t 100% sure and when I found out I was right I was just happy I was right.

I know a lot of people hated Emmy in the first book and look if you hated her in the first book you will likely hate her still, but whatever for me I like her, shes struggling and up against it and shes a little bit of a brat. But with her sister Jude in town, her mother having just passed and a killer on the loose she has a lot to do.

Jude’s character is actually my favourite, and having her there to be Emmy’s sometimes punching bag and sometimes favourite person its real, I mean families are dicks and this is no exception. People have emotions and feelings and there are a lot of those here. Throw in a mad man who has killed a mother, and shot her daughter in the head … well Karin Slaughter is back!!!

Overall, I recommend this to all the KS Stan’s out there, I recommend to anyone who liked book one even a little bit cause this one is better in my opinion, and I recommend to anyone who is just a little bit curious. If you hate KS and all her books, then why are you here hahaha, you wont like this.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and Karin Slaughter for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I am sorry I missed the publishing deadline, I got sick but read it as soon as I could. And Loved it!!!

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes!!!! Now that’s how you tell a story 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Bravo!! That was good, that was so good. Beautifully written and well developed characters that truly brought this storytelling to life. I got all emotional and was about to cry lol 😂 I was in it and I wanted to figure out who done it just as bad as they did. Oh and the twist, well there were a few. I saw the first one coming, but did not figure out the shooting until they did 🤯 This was an absolutely fantastic read.

Looking for Law and Order on steroids? Then stop right here!! This one will pull in and you will find yourself going down a rabbit hole filled with heat stopping moments and unforgivable secrets and for that I say…..Well done and thank you very much!!!

[Aggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured every chapter! I’m re-reading the first book, We Are All Guilty Here. Just because I want to rehash and to see if there’s anything I have missed.

I think I’ve heard these phrases at least three times in this book alone:

“She tasted bile again.”

“She bit her lip until it bleeds.”

“She tasted bile in her mouth.”

😂🤣

Karin Slaughter’s favorite lines to use across all her books.

Kathleen Early did an amazing narration as always.

[bookswithpaulette · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are back for the second instalment in the North Falls series. Small Town North falls where everyone knows who you are, Emmy Clifton is the interim sheriff. The opening scenes in this one had me on the edge of my seat. Allison Vickery has been shot dead, her teenage daughter is clinging to life in ICU.

Emmy and Jude are back the dynamic complicated duo, what initially appears as a break-in quickly reveals Allison knew her killer and the hunt is on.

As we peel back the hidden secrets behind the closed doors of the North Falls residents, its clear several people have a grudge against Allison. I love the relationship between Emmy and Jude. Karin is a master at making you feel for her flawed and gritty characters. There are many hidden twists and turns in this one, I did end up guessing early on who was responsible for Allisons death but that didn't take away from this emersive read.

Highly recommend jumping on board the North falls train. Its a solid 4 stars for me.
'Thanks to Harper Collins AU for my early ARC of this book - Loved it!