What do you think?
Rate this book
Falsa testimonianza
Quella di Leigh Coulton è un'esistenza che sembra del tutto normale. Fa l'avvocato, è divorziata, ha una figlia che va bene a scuola... nasconde un passato terribile. Ma quella vita ordinaria nasconde un'infanzia tutt'altro che normale... un'infanzia macchiata da torbidi segreti, distrutta da un devastante atto di violenza. Quando le propongono di difendere in tribunale un ricco uomo d'affari accusato di stupro Leigh accetta perché vincere la causa potrebbe dare una svolta alla sua carriera. Ma quando incontra l'imputato si rende conto che lui non l'ha scelta per caso. Quell'uomo la conosce. Sa cosa è successo vent'anni prima e perché lei è in fuga da allora. E il tempo sta per finire. Se Leigh non riuscirà a farlo assolvere, perderà molto più che la causa. L'unica che potrebbe darle una mano è sua sorella Callie, ma non sono in buoni rapporti ed è l'ultima persona al mondo a cui lei vorrebbe chiedere aiuto. Ma tutto a un tratto non ha alternative...
528 pages, Hardcover
First published July 20, 2021
9555 people are currently reading
137603 people want to read
About the author
Karin Slaughter
128 books86.5k followersKarin 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...
Facebook: Facebook.com/AuthorKarinSlaughter
Website: http://www.karinslaughter.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karinslaugh...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 12,443 reviews
December 19, 2021
Karin Slaughter has done it again!!!
Probably the least gory and brutal than the other standalones I've read but still equally strong and devilish on its own. And way sadder too. I've never really read a thriller that hit me in the feels quite like this before. While not as 'action-packed and twisty' as her other books, I still thought it was another solid masterpiece from the thriller queen.
You can hear my full thoughts in a reading vlog here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiHva...
4 STARS
Twitter | Bookstagram | Youtube |
______
WHAT THE FUCK BITCHH!!!!!!!!!! MY QUEEN HAS WRITTEN ANOTHER STANDAFUCKINGLONE THRILLER AND IT'S COMING OUT THIS YEAR???!!!!
merry FUCKING christmas!!!!!
imsoexcitedmygod!!!
Probably the least gory and brutal than the other standalones I've read but still equally strong and devilish on its own. And way sadder too. I've never really read a thriller that hit me in the feels quite like this before. While not as 'action-packed and twisty' as her other books, I still thought it was another solid masterpiece from the thriller queen.
You can hear my full thoughts in a reading vlog here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiHva...
4 STARS
Twitter | Bookstagram | Youtube |
______
WHAT THE FUCK BITCHH!!!!!!!!!! MY QUEEN HAS WRITTEN ANOTHER STANDAFUCKINGLONE THRILLER AND IT'S COMING OUT THIS YEAR???!!!!
merry FUCKING christmas!!!!!
imsoexcitedmygod!!!
August 2, 2021
Random horror author: “Check out this dark and graphic novel I just wrote.”
Karin Slaughter: “Hold my beer.”
Anyone who’s read a Karin Slaughter thriller knows she doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to gory descriptions of violence and depravity. Her latest, False Witness, is no exception. Though it certainly isn’t her most graphic book, readers are subjected to scenes of child molestation, murder, brutal rapes, and drug use over the course of 500+ pages.
So why 5 stars for something that sounds so hard to read? Because this author is just so dang reliable in her storytelling and characterization. False Witness’s tale of two sisters, Leigh and Callie, dealing with the resurrection of long-buried secrets and crimes while simultaneously navigating life during the COVID era never lags despite its length. (Unlike that sentence.)
If you like Karin Slaughter, you'll like this. If you haven't read her before, what are you waiting for?
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
Karin Slaughter: “Hold my beer.”
Anyone who’s read a Karin Slaughter thriller knows she doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to gory descriptions of violence and depravity. Her latest, False Witness, is no exception. Though it certainly isn’t her most graphic book, readers are subjected to scenes of child molestation, murder, brutal rapes, and drug use over the course of 500+ pages.
So why 5 stars for something that sounds so hard to read? Because this author is just so dang reliable in her storytelling and characterization. False Witness’s tale of two sisters, Leigh and Callie, dealing with the resurrection of long-buried secrets and crimes while simultaneously navigating life during the COVID era never lags despite its length. (Unlike that sentence.)
If you like Karin Slaughter, you'll like this. If you haven't read her before, what are you waiting for?
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
August 31, 2025
Well, well, well! One of the queens of dark, mind-blowing, twisty crime thrillers is back with another chilling story that shakes you to your core and leaves you with stomach-churning anxiety. Once again, Karin Slaughter delivers a novel with deeply broken characters that rip your heart apart.
Screaming, crying, and hyperventilating—these are my usual reactions every time I pick up a Karin Slaughter book, and this one was no different. It left me feeling depressed, anxious, and sad. In fact, this might be one of the most heart-wrenching stories she’s ever written.
The book is filled with self-destructive, flawed characters, victims of their own guilt and trauma. Their stories are so heartbreaking that you feel helpless and shattered as you read.
The plot revolves around two estranged sisters, Callie and Leigh, who have forgotten what it means to truly be siblings. They share an unbreakable, yet strained, bond forged by a dark secret from their past—a crime they committed as teenagers. But now, the ghosts of their past resurface to haunt them, threatening to destroy everything. As the saying goes, “Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead.”
Raised in poverty by an abusive and neglectful mother, Callie and Leigh were dealt an unfair hand in life. They did what they had to do to survive, but at what cost? While they made it through, the guilt has gnawed at them for years, turning them into queens of self-destruction.
Leigh appears to have her life together—a successful career, a child, and a “civilized” divorce. But beneath the surface, things are falling apart. Her teenage daughter’s tantrums are too much to handle, her marriage is over, and the workplace mansplaining is relentless. When she’s assigned to represent Andrew Tenant, a man accused of rape, her world unravels. Andrew claims to know her, but not as she is now—he knows the version of her tied to a dark secret from her past.
This forces Leigh to reconnect with Callie, who is battling her own demons. Callie, a heroin addict, is barely holding on, doing whatever it takes to get her next fix. Their estrangement stems from Callie’s addiction, but now the sisters must reunite to confront their shared past and protect their future. However, facing the truth is easier said than done.
If you’re already in a dark or grumpy mood, I’d suggest holding off on this one.
Slaughter’s inclusion of COVID-19 and its effects on daily life added a realistic, albeit unsettling, layer to the story.
Overall: This is a must-read for fans of Karin Slaughter. It’s intense, graphic, and emotionally disturbing, but the characters are so well-developed and relatable that you can’t help but feel for them. If you remind yourself it’s just fiction, albeit disturbingly realistic, you might be able to get through it without completely breaking down.
I’m giving this heart-pounding, emotionally haunting, well-written thriller four stars. And now I’m crossing my fingers for a new Will Trent book in the near future!
Screaming, crying, and hyperventilating—these are my usual reactions every time I pick up a Karin Slaughter book, and this one was no different. It left me feeling depressed, anxious, and sad. In fact, this might be one of the most heart-wrenching stories she’s ever written.
The book is filled with self-destructive, flawed characters, victims of their own guilt and trauma. Their stories are so heartbreaking that you feel helpless and shattered as you read.
The plot revolves around two estranged sisters, Callie and Leigh, who have forgotten what it means to truly be siblings. They share an unbreakable, yet strained, bond forged by a dark secret from their past—a crime they committed as teenagers. But now, the ghosts of their past resurface to haunt them, threatening to destroy everything. As the saying goes, “Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead.”
Raised in poverty by an abusive and neglectful mother, Callie and Leigh were dealt an unfair hand in life. They did what they had to do to survive, but at what cost? While they made it through, the guilt has gnawed at them for years, turning them into queens of self-destruction.
Leigh appears to have her life together—a successful career, a child, and a “civilized” divorce. But beneath the surface, things are falling apart. Her teenage daughter’s tantrums are too much to handle, her marriage is over, and the workplace mansplaining is relentless. When she’s assigned to represent Andrew Tenant, a man accused of rape, her world unravels. Andrew claims to know her, but not as she is now—he knows the version of her tied to a dark secret from her past.
This forces Leigh to reconnect with Callie, who is battling her own demons. Callie, a heroin addict, is barely holding on, doing whatever it takes to get her next fix. Their estrangement stems from Callie’s addiction, but now the sisters must reunite to confront their shared past and protect their future. However, facing the truth is easier said than done.
If you’re already in a dark or grumpy mood, I’d suggest holding off on this one.
Slaughter’s inclusion of COVID-19 and its effects on daily life added a realistic, albeit unsettling, layer to the story.
Overall: This is a must-read for fans of Karin Slaughter. It’s intense, graphic, and emotionally disturbing, but the characters are so well-developed and relatable that you can’t help but feel for them. If you remind yourself it’s just fiction, albeit disturbingly realistic, you might be able to get through it without completely breaking down.
I’m giving this heart-pounding, emotionally haunting, well-written thriller four stars. And now I’m crossing my fingers for a new Will Trent book in the near future!
March 27, 2021
Karin Slaughter continues her trademark focus on contemporary American social and political issues with this, her latest exhilarating standalone crime thriller. She documents the impact of the pandemic, everyday safeguarding procedures, the enormous and unbearable death toll, the lost jobs, food scarcity, the starving kids, and the politicians unwilling to provide the resources to address the desperate needs of the nation. She portrays the country's drug crisis in her humanising portrayal of 37 year old heroin addict, Callie, a child gymnast and cheerleader, suffering a broken neck, her life blighted by constant back pain, and as a child experiences the terror of being groomed and regularly sexually assaulted by a violent paedophile, Buddy Waleski, whilst babysitting his 10 year old son, Trevor.
In 1998, after being physically attacked and fearing for her life, Callie nicks Buddy's femoral artery with a kitchen knife, a shocked and traumatised Callie calls her older sister, Leigh, on the cusp of leaving to study Law in Chicago, who deals with the situation. Both cannot escape the reverberations of that event, Callie burying the past deep with the help of drugs, her tragedy being being that of self knowledge, whilst Leigh is trapped in a cycle of self sabotage and guilt. 20 years later, Leigh is a defense attorney at the prestigious law firm of Bradfield, Canfield and Marks. She is separated from her beloved husband, Walter, and desperately missing her daughter, 16 year old Maddy, staying with her husband. Leigh, her family, and Callie are to find themselves gravely endangered when the past raises its ugly head, as Leigh finds herself representing wealthy sexual predator, a rapist client, 33 year old car salesman and manipulative psychopath, Andrew Tenant, who turns out to be a grown up Trevor intent on destroying all their lives, knowing what happened to his father, facing a trial on charges of kidnap and sexual assault.
Slaughter excels in her characterisations, capturing the complex sibling relationship between Leigh and Callie, their undoubted love for each other, there is nothing they will not do to protect each other. Through their lives, and those of Tenant's victims, the author provides a damning indictment of male behaviour when it comes to young girls and women, the sense of entitlement, the daily sexual harrassment, stalking, the paedophiles, child abuse, the brutal sexual assaults, domestic violence, and the murders. Men acting with impunity, all too aware they are unlikely to be made to pay, in a society and justice system where women are disbelieved, or presumed to be asking for it, and deserving of what happens to them. This is a dark, riveting and intelligent novel, one of the highlights for me was the understanding and compassionate vet Dr Jerry that Callie works for. This is so much more than a crime read, and is likely to appeal to existing Slaughter fans and other crime and mystery readers. Highly recommended. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.
In 1998, after being physically attacked and fearing for her life, Callie nicks Buddy's femoral artery with a kitchen knife, a shocked and traumatised Callie calls her older sister, Leigh, on the cusp of leaving to study Law in Chicago, who deals with the situation. Both cannot escape the reverberations of that event, Callie burying the past deep with the help of drugs, her tragedy being being that of self knowledge, whilst Leigh is trapped in a cycle of self sabotage and guilt. 20 years later, Leigh is a defense attorney at the prestigious law firm of Bradfield, Canfield and Marks. She is separated from her beloved husband, Walter, and desperately missing her daughter, 16 year old Maddy, staying with her husband. Leigh, her family, and Callie are to find themselves gravely endangered when the past raises its ugly head, as Leigh finds herself representing wealthy sexual predator, a rapist client, 33 year old car salesman and manipulative psychopath, Andrew Tenant, who turns out to be a grown up Trevor intent on destroying all their lives, knowing what happened to his father, facing a trial on charges of kidnap and sexual assault.
Slaughter excels in her characterisations, capturing the complex sibling relationship between Leigh and Callie, their undoubted love for each other, there is nothing they will not do to protect each other. Through their lives, and those of Tenant's victims, the author provides a damning indictment of male behaviour when it comes to young girls and women, the sense of entitlement, the daily sexual harrassment, stalking, the paedophiles, child abuse, the brutal sexual assaults, domestic violence, and the murders. Men acting with impunity, all too aware they are unlikely to be made to pay, in a society and justice system where women are disbelieved, or presumed to be asking for it, and deserving of what happens to them. This is a dark, riveting and intelligent novel, one of the highlights for me was the understanding and compassionate vet Dr Jerry that Callie works for. This is so much more than a crime read, and is likely to appeal to existing Slaughter fans and other crime and mystery readers. Highly recommended. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.
September 21, 2021
Revenge Served with a Steak Knife
False Witness is a suspenseful thriller about two sisters who get caught up in a revenge plot linked to their pasts. This is a tautly written cat and mouse game filled with deplorable characters, violence, and love that transcends darkness.
Callie and Leigh had a rough childhood. With an abusive mother, the two sisters had to fight to stay alive--literally and figuratively. When one of their past sins comes back to haunt them in the present, the two sisters reunite to take down a creepy and twisted sociopath.
Narrated by Leigh and Callie, I loved both. Each offers a very different perspective on their pasts. Leigh has grown up to be a tough-as-nails high-priced lawyer, whereas Callie is a junkie struggling to survive her addiction. Both sisters are intelligent and have a razor-sharp wit. Callie’s crazy names for the dogs and cats at the animal clinic kept me smiling.
The first chapter end with a disturbing twist that had me sick to my stomach. The plot centers on events stemming from pedophilia, rape, addiction, abuse, sadistic murder, and mental health issues. Slaughter’s books are always brutal, but this one was especially hard to read. The two sisters' tenacity and intelligence made this somewhat bearable.
There were a few elements that had me suspending my disbelief, but in all honestly, they weren’t that big of a deal. Covid makes its way in which, while realistic, was another aspect of the harsh reality that Slaughter paints. While I still haven’t come to terms with COVID invading my books, Slaughter’s commentary on COVID in the author's note appeased me.
Dark, twisted, and filled with gritty characters and gruesome situations, this book had me covering my eyes. This is not an easy read, as it is filled with the lowest of the low. There is a high level of tension and suspense. In the end, Leigh and Callie got under my skin and broke my heart.
I recommend False Witness, but it is not for the faint-hearted.
Trigger Warnings: pedophilia, rape, drug abuse, emotional and physical abuse
False Witness is a suspenseful thriller about two sisters who get caught up in a revenge plot linked to their pasts. This is a tautly written cat and mouse game filled with deplorable characters, violence, and love that transcends darkness.
Callie and Leigh had a rough childhood. With an abusive mother, the two sisters had to fight to stay alive--literally and figuratively. When one of their past sins comes back to haunt them in the present, the two sisters reunite to take down a creepy and twisted sociopath.
Narrated by Leigh and Callie, I loved both. Each offers a very different perspective on their pasts. Leigh has grown up to be a tough-as-nails high-priced lawyer, whereas Callie is a junkie struggling to survive her addiction. Both sisters are intelligent and have a razor-sharp wit. Callie’s crazy names for the dogs and cats at the animal clinic kept me smiling.
The first chapter end with a disturbing twist that had me sick to my stomach. The plot centers on events stemming from pedophilia, rape, addiction, abuse, sadistic murder, and mental health issues. Slaughter’s books are always brutal, but this one was especially hard to read. The two sisters' tenacity and intelligence made this somewhat bearable.
There were a few elements that had me suspending my disbelief, but in all honestly, they weren’t that big of a deal. Covid makes its way in which, while realistic, was another aspect of the harsh reality that Slaughter paints. While I still haven’t come to terms with COVID invading my books, Slaughter’s commentary on COVID in the author's note appeased me.
Dark, twisted, and filled with gritty characters and gruesome situations, this book had me covering my eyes. This is not an easy read, as it is filled with the lowest of the low. There is a high level of tension and suspense. In the end, Leigh and Callie got under my skin and broke my heart.
I recommend False Witness, but it is not for the faint-hearted.
Trigger Warnings: pedophilia, rape, drug abuse, emotional and physical abuse
July 21, 2021
Very dark book. But I downgraded it to one star because of the constant references to COVID (putting in and taking off masks, using hand sanitizer, etc). I read fiction for enjoyment and escape, and this book provided neither.
October 5, 2021
Amazing! 4.5 ⭐
Are all of Slaughter's books this dark and in-your-face!?
You know, I'm not even mad at myself for not reading her sooner. I see her LONG list of work and know I'll have fun catching up!
Are all of Slaughter's books this dark and in-your-face!?
You know, I'm not even mad at myself for not reading her sooner. I see her LONG list of work and know I'll have fun catching up!
July 13, 2021
While not my favorite Slaughter novel, this is still a solid read. The narrator for the audiobook is fabulous, and you could really feel the emotion she put into each and every character she gave voice to. I feel torn, because the literary side of this book, the one that focuses on the sisters' backstory and relationship over the course of time is outstanding, but I felt like the crime fiction portion wasn't up to par with the author's usual plotting. The cases involving the past with Buddy and the present with Andrew contain important thematic elements in how women are treated in the world, even today, but I just didn't feel like this had the special something I tend to find in a slaughter novel, and found there to be a predictable outcome by the ending. Hey, we can't love them all, and I'll still be waiting eagerly for the author's next release.
TW: Basically, if you need a trigger warning, it's probably not the book for you. This book is graphic and violent on page and in great detail.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my ALC.
TW: Basically, if you need a trigger warning, it's probably not the book for you. This book is graphic and violent on page and in great detail.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my ALC.
July 26, 2021
this is a very intriguing tale of blackmail and revenge.
it really isnt about suspense or mystery, as almost everything is given in the synopsis. and because everything is pretty clear cut very early on, its more of a story about how the characters react to their situations. i think it explores a lot of different dynamics really thoroughly - two sisters, a mother and daughter, a husband and wife, and not to mention those from the past. i think it works well with the general plot of the novel.
my only complaint would be i completely forgot that KS is the queen of long chapters, like 30+ pages, and it kind of made the story feel drawn out and too slow-paced for me. the stakes are high, dont get me wrong, but its not quite the fast-paced thriller i was hoping for. familiar fans of KS and readers who dont mind a slower, more in-depth narrative should be fine with this though.
overall, this is a well-developed story and intriguingly answers the question “how far would you go for someone you care about?”
↠ 3.5 stars
it really isnt about suspense or mystery, as almost everything is given in the synopsis. and because everything is pretty clear cut very early on, its more of a story about how the characters react to their situations. i think it explores a lot of different dynamics really thoroughly - two sisters, a mother and daughter, a husband and wife, and not to mention those from the past. i think it works well with the general plot of the novel.
my only complaint would be i completely forgot that KS is the queen of long chapters, like 30+ pages, and it kind of made the story feel drawn out and too slow-paced for me. the stakes are high, dont get me wrong, but its not quite the fast-paced thriller i was hoping for. familiar fans of KS and readers who dont mind a slower, more in-depth narrative should be fine with this though.
overall, this is a well-developed story and intriguingly answers the question “how far would you go for someone you care about?”
↠ 3.5 stars
July 9, 2021
3.5 stars, rounded up
This is an intense standalone from Slaughter that on the surface seems really straightforward, but there are a few twists that I didn't see coming.
A couple of things that I didn't like--the book was way too long. There was some repetition that could have easily been cut, I felt like the events in the past were gone over too many times and some editing would have been welcomed. I also didn't care for the myriad comments about the pandemic and masks and sanitizer and distancing. Too soon, and a few mentions of all of it would have definitely gone a long way towards creating atmosphere rather than near-constant references making the reader weary. Let's face it, we're all burned out on talking about the pandemic and I read to escape reality for the most part. Acknowledgement without dwelling would have been sufficient.
For the positives--the storyline is great and, although graphically detailed with violence and scenes about drug use, the plot is surprising and keeps the reader guessing as to what will happen next. I liked the sisters as characters and didn't like their mother at all, and Andrew was pure evil, but in a way that made me not know which things he was going to get away with (or which ones he actually committed himself).
I listened to the majority of this book as an audiobook, the narrator was fantastic and even gave me chills in some of the parts. Just reading the words on the page don't come across as creepy or disgusting as hearing them read out loud.
I voluntarily reviewed both the print and audio copies of this book. All opinions are my own.
This is an intense standalone from Slaughter that on the surface seems really straightforward, but there are a few twists that I didn't see coming.
A couple of things that I didn't like--the book was way too long. There was some repetition that could have easily been cut, I felt like the events in the past were gone over too many times and some editing would have been welcomed. I also didn't care for the myriad comments about the pandemic and masks and sanitizer and distancing. Too soon, and a few mentions of all of it would have definitely gone a long way towards creating atmosphere rather than near-constant references making the reader weary. Let's face it, we're all burned out on talking about the pandemic and I read to escape reality for the most part. Acknowledgement without dwelling would have been sufficient.
For the positives--the storyline is great and, although graphically detailed with violence and scenes about drug use, the plot is surprising and keeps the reader guessing as to what will happen next. I liked the sisters as characters and didn't like their mother at all, and Andrew was pure evil, but in a way that made me not know which things he was going to get away with (or which ones he actually committed himself).
I listened to the majority of this book as an audiobook, the narrator was fantastic and even gave me chills in some of the parts. Just reading the words on the page don't come across as creepy or disgusting as hearing them read out loud.
I voluntarily reviewed both the print and audio copies of this book. All opinions are my own.
November 30, 2022
The thing I love most about Karin Slaughter is that she wastes no time. Every single book of hers just absolutely clocks you right away, sometimes in the prologue, but always by the end of the first chapter. This one had the one-two punch of monumental twists in both, which left me reeling. I genuinely don’t think I’ve been this floored by a plot twist like this since Triptych.
False Witness is a standalone, so you’re not going to be getting any appearances from good ‘ol Sara Linton or Will Trent. But I think fans of Slaughter’s previous books will enjoy this one, and newbies to the Slaughterverse (I just made this up) can also comfortably jump in with this one and not feel like they’re missing context. Everything you come to expect from her—action, tension, biting wit, incredible twists and a grand finale made for premium cable—is present here. Though in all the ways this book is like its predecessors, it also fairly different from her typical novel structure.
“The law was never what anyone thought it was or wanted it to be.”
For one, this is not a police procedural. I think this was a smart move, taking a step back from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. I will go to bat for Will and Faith any day, but besides the obvious skepticism around policing in the US currently, I like that we’re seeing a different side of crime presented. Mainly, through one of the two main characters, Leigh, who is a defense attorney. Her sister, Callie, is living what feels like a flipped mirror image of Leigh’s life, struggling with addiction and living barely off the street. The two had an already tumultuous childhood before a violent event impacted them both irreparably. And though they’ve tried to move on, nothing can prepare them for how Leigh’s new case forces them to confront the monsters of their past.
I love how Karin Slaughter writes sisters. Whether it’s Charlotte and Samantha in The Good Daughter or Sara and Tessa in the Grant County series, she just captures dueling personalities so well. Callie and Leigh are no exception here. Going through traumatic events links people together in a way that’s hard to explain to anyone on the outside and leaves them with complicated feelings towards one another. But like any good sisters, no matter how much they fight with each other, there’s no doubt they will also kill for one another.
And look, Slaughter is no novice to writing violence and sexual violence. If you go into one of her books, you’ve got to prepare yourself for that inevitability. The violence in False Witness, though, did have a different feeling to it. Usually I would expect the very beginning to have an assault or murder, then the middle would be a sometimes graphic investigation of those crime(s), with the ending usually containing a violent confrontation of some kind. For its part, False Witness was less explicit than say, Pretty Girls, but there were a good number of assaults peppered throughout the middle as well. And this violence was a lot more brazen and unrepentant, if at times a little cathartic.
I’m trying to make sure people don’t feel completely blindsided, but this was actually more of a feature for me than a drawback. The action is a lot more street-level, since the investigative angle is out of the picture, and there’s a grittier quality to the plot which I loved. This is not the neat and easy thriller you walk away from feeling satisfied. Trauma is messy. So is revenge.
For me, False Witness is one of the few written-during-the-pandemic books that actually worked. COVID as a topic is neither a completely avoided nor all-consuming, just a reality of the characters living through it. In the afterword she discusses more of her reasoning behind those choices, so don’t skip that! And for someone who’s written over 20 novels, Slaughter’s ability to not just write a relentlessly good thriller, but also retain a prescient cultural awareness never ceases to amaze me. I loved the intensity of this book and it’s going to be my go-to recommendation for summer reads.
*Thanks to my favorite librarian Merricat for sharing her ARC with me! Libraries are great everyone should visit them and become friends with librarians!!!!!!
**For more book talk & reviews, follow me on Instagram at @elle_mentbooks!
July 20, 2021
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!
Leigh Collier is a defense attorney in Atlanta. Life is as good as can be expected, although she does have an angsty teenaged daughter and a husband whom she is “separated from”.
During the COVID pandemic, she is asked (volunTOLD) by the boss of her firm to represent a man who is accused of rape. The accused, Andrew Tenant, claims he knows her. When Leigh meets him face to face, she realizes that is true.
Leigh only has a week to get up to speed before the trial, but the reason they know each other will only fare well for only one of them. She has no choice but to reach out to her estranged sister, Callie, for help. Callie is now a drug addict and has been faltering on and off.
Tragedy ruins lives every day, but will Leigh somehow be able to right a wrong when pushed against a wall?
Karin Slaughter is one of my favorite authors in all of the land, and I was eager to read this latest standalone...although I was sad it wasn’t the latest Will Trent book. But I digress.
False Witness is suspenseful, and delves deep into all of the characters and their triumphs...or more accurately, downfalls.
The book has so many trigger warnings (although animal harm isn’t one. Slaughter always keeps the kittens safe...PHEW 🐱). It’s dark, graphically violent at times, and will make most people cringe.
It’s also honest and 100% believable, as she shows us dark and horrifying scenarios that are unfortunately realistic when you think of some of the worst things that can happen to human beings.
As a #1 fan of Slaughter, there were parts that were long-winded and seemed to be repetitive. I could’ve done without that when the book was over 500 pages long. I cringed at some of the violence, but I understood why it was depicted. I would’ve been fine without certain scenarios repeated.
And now for the COVID angle. The talk of masks and hand sanitizer didn’t really bother me until towards the end, when it seemed to be brought up in every chapter. Nothing wrong with that, except that some of the characters initially seemed extremely careful, and then forgot to wear their masks and wash their hands when it was convenient for them to do so. 😷 However, the author’s note is truly an informative delight as Slaughter describes what brought her to include COVID in the story.
All in all, it’s a very dark and engrossing read...and yet her only book (series or standalone) I haven’t given 5 stars to. I still highly recommend.
Huge shoutout to my friend Denise, who sent me her copy of the physical ARC. She’s my hero! 🦅 The book will be published by William Morrow on 7/20/21.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
Leigh Collier is a defense attorney in Atlanta. Life is as good as can be expected, although she does have an angsty teenaged daughter and a husband whom she is “separated from”.
During the COVID pandemic, she is asked (volunTOLD) by the boss of her firm to represent a man who is accused of rape. The accused, Andrew Tenant, claims he knows her. When Leigh meets him face to face, she realizes that is true.
Leigh only has a week to get up to speed before the trial, but the reason they know each other will only fare well for only one of them. She has no choice but to reach out to her estranged sister, Callie, for help. Callie is now a drug addict and has been faltering on and off.
Tragedy ruins lives every day, but will Leigh somehow be able to right a wrong when pushed against a wall?
Karin Slaughter is one of my favorite authors in all of the land, and I was eager to read this latest standalone...although I was sad it wasn’t the latest Will Trent book. But I digress.
False Witness is suspenseful, and delves deep into all of the characters and their triumphs...or more accurately, downfalls.
The book has so many trigger warnings (although animal harm isn’t one. Slaughter always keeps the kittens safe...PHEW 🐱). It’s dark, graphically violent at times, and will make most people cringe.
It’s also honest and 100% believable, as she shows us dark and horrifying scenarios that are unfortunately realistic when you think of some of the worst things that can happen to human beings.
As a #1 fan of Slaughter, there were parts that were long-winded and seemed to be repetitive. I could’ve done without that when the book was over 500 pages long. I cringed at some of the violence, but I understood why it was depicted. I would’ve been fine without certain scenarios repeated.
And now for the COVID angle. The talk of masks and hand sanitizer didn’t really bother me until towards the end, when it seemed to be brought up in every chapter. Nothing wrong with that, except that some of the characters initially seemed extremely careful, and then forgot to wear their masks and wash their hands when it was convenient for them to do so. 😷 However, the author’s note is truly an informative delight as Slaughter describes what brought her to include COVID in the story.
All in all, it’s a very dark and engrossing read...and yet her only book (series or standalone) I haven’t given 5 stars to. I still highly recommend.
Huge shoutout to my friend Denise, who sent me her copy of the physical ARC. She’s my hero! 🦅 The book will be published by William Morrow on 7/20/21.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
September 2, 2021
Wow, from wanting to drop this book in the beginning, the last third is a heart-wrenching 5 stars.
I can't recall the last time I cried reading a thriller. Is it the writing, narration or both that got me bawling? I've become emotionally drained. Kathleen Early's voice as Callie is extraordinary.
This is a story of two sisters. Leigh is a defense lawyer, and mother to a teenage daughter. Callie is two years younger, an alcoholic and a junkie. She's a victim of a child predator for two years since she was twelve. The sisters share an ugly secret. Twenty years later, someone with hard evidence shows up and is using it to blackmail Leigh.
This is a dark one. If you read Slaughter's work before, you would know. The first chapter is the toughest to take in. The writing is good, but a bit long with constant reminders of the sexual abuse. I like the plot overall, and it reminds me of Long Bright River but WAY DARKER. I won't mind if there were fewer gritty details.
TW: The story in the present day is in 2021, life with COVID-19. The author didn't just drop the word COVID and move on, but it's part of life in this story. It didn't bother me much, but if you want an escape perhaps it's better to keep this one for later. Also rape, pedophilia, graphic drug use, and mature language.
Audio note: Blurb is incorrect unless I got the extended version (wink). It's not 13.5 hours, but 18hours 40mins.
I can't recall the last time I cried reading a thriller. Is it the writing, narration or both that got me bawling? I've become emotionally drained. Kathleen Early's voice as Callie is extraordinary.
This is a story of two sisters. Leigh is a defense lawyer, and mother to a teenage daughter. Callie is two years younger, an alcoholic and a junkie. She's a victim of a child predator for two years since she was twelve. The sisters share an ugly secret. Twenty years later, someone with hard evidence shows up and is using it to blackmail Leigh.
This is a dark one. If you read Slaughter's work before, you would know. The first chapter is the toughest to take in. The writing is good, but a bit long with constant reminders of the sexual abuse. I like the plot overall, and it reminds me of Long Bright River but WAY DARKER. I won't mind if there were fewer gritty details.
TW: The story in the present day is in 2021, life with COVID-19. The author didn't just drop the word COVID and move on, but it's part of life in this story. It didn't bother me much, but if you want an escape perhaps it's better to keep this one for later. Also rape, pedophilia, graphic drug use, and mature language.
Audio note: Blurb is incorrect unless I got the extended version (wink). It's not 13.5 hours, but 18hours 40mins.
February 27, 2023
I was a bit skeptical when I saw how long false witness was. I imagined too many details, unnecessary embellishments, a slow pace promising frequent yawns.
I was wrong.
From the beginning you were put right into the action, feeling horrified and scared. The story was told beautifully and respectfully. Trauma and abuse was expertly portrayed, and the effect of it logical.
A well-crafted novel, that I will remember for a long time.
I was wrong.
From the beginning you were put right into the action, feeling horrified and scared. The story was told beautifully and respectfully. Trauma and abuse was expertly portrayed, and the effect of it logical.
A well-crafted novel, that I will remember for a long time.
April 11, 2022
False Witness follows the lives of two sisters, Leigh and Callie. They did something unthinkable when they were teenagers and all of a sudden their past catches up to them. Everything they've fought to keep hidden bubbles to the surface and threatens to ruin their future when an accused rapist demands that Leigh represents him at trial. Leigh is shocked when she realises who he is and that their paths have crossed in the past. Callie and Leigh must stick together to make sure their secrets are never revealed.
This book was great. I found Andrew's character to be one of the creepiest I’ve read in a while. The narration really brought the story alive and it hooked me from the very beginning. Readers of Karin Slaughter know that her writing can be very dark and this was no exception, she doesn’t hold back. This story was hard to stomach at times but I also found it addictive and full of twists I didn't see coming.
This book was great. I found Andrew's character to be one of the creepiest I’ve read in a while. The narration really brought the story alive and it hooked me from the very beginning. Readers of Karin Slaughter know that her writing can be very dark and this was no exception, she doesn’t hold back. This story was hard to stomach at times but I also found it addictive and full of twists I didn't see coming.
August 5, 2021
EXCERPT: She looked down at the label on the file.
TENANT, ANDREW TREVOR
The clenched fist kept moving up her throat, every horrific detail she had suppressed over the last twenty three years threatening to choke her.
Callie's terrifying phone call. Leigh's frantic drive to reach her. The horrific scene in the kitchen. The familiar smell of the dank house, the cigars and scotch and blood - so much blood.
Leigh had to know for sure. She needed to hear it said out loud. Her teenage voice came out of her mouth when she asked, 'Trevor?'
The way Andrew's lips curved up to the left was so chillingly familiar. Leigh felt a tingle of goosebumps prickle her skin. She had been his babysitter, and then, when she was old enough to find real work, she had passed the job on to her baby sister.
'I go by Andrew now,' he told her. 'Tenant is mom's maiden name. We both thought it would be good to change things up after what happened with dad.'
'After what happened with dad.'
Buddy Waleski had disappeared. He'd abandoned his wife and son. No note. No apologies. That's what Leigh and Callie made it look like. That's what they had told the police. Buddy had done a lot of bad things. He was in debt to a lot of bad people. It made sense. At the time, all of it had made sense.
Andrew seemed to feed off her dawning recognition. His smile softened, the upward curve of his lips slowly smoothing out.
He said, 'It's been a long time, Harleigh.'
'Harleigh.'
Only one person in her life still called her by that name.
Andrew said, 'I thought you'd forgotten all about me.'
Leigh shook her head. She would never forget him. Trevor Waleski had been a sweet kid. A little awkward. A lot clingy. The last time Leigh had seen him, he had been drugged into oblivion. She had watched her sister gently kiss the top of his head.
Then the two of them had gone back into the kitchen to finish murdering his father.
ABOUT 'FALSE WITNESS': AN ORDINARY LIFE
Leigh Coulton has worked hard to build what looks like a normal life. She has a good job as a defence attorney, 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.
HIDES A DEVASTATING PAST
But Leigh's ordinary life masks a childhood which was far from average... a childhood tarnished by secrets, broken by betrayal, and finally torn apart by a devastating act of violence.
BUT NOW THE PAST IS CATCHING UP
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 which 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 why Leigh has spent two decades running.
AND TIME IS RUNNING OUT
If she can't get him acquitted, she'll lose much more than the case. The only person who can help her is her younger, estranged sister Callie, the last person Leigh would ever want to ask for help. But suddenly she has no choice...
MY THOUGHTS: A definite thriller that kept me guessing!
Where do I start with this review? Slaughter never fails to surprise me. False Witness is a complicated (I mean that in a positive way) story of abuse on many levels. Paedophilia, alcohol, drug, and parental abuse are all a part of False Witness, as is the Covid-19 pandemic.
I am not going to talk about the plot, because I don't want to give anything away. I will say, however, that I didn't much like False Witness to start with, thanks to Ms Slaughter's realistic and graphic portrayals of drug addicts their habits, of Buddy Waleski and his proclivities. It made me feel dirty, like I wanted to go stand under a hot shower until the water ran out. I didn't like Callie, although by the time I had finished, I had a sneaking admiration for her. And although she could not resist the siren song of heroin, she was incredibly strong in other ways. As was Harleigh who, although facing a major moral dilemma, put both her daughter's and her sister's welfare first.
There are many surprising twists to this story, and the characterisation is wonderful. I particularly liked the elderly vet, teetering on the brink of dementia, that Callie worked for. And despite everything else that occurs in False Witness, the violence and the cruelty, no animals are harmed. Another thing I absolutely loved was Callie's conversations with and about her cat. Purr genius! (The pun is deliberate.)
False Witness is an intense, dark and gritty read that won't be for everyone. There were times I doubted that it was for me. And it is overly long, with a fair bit of repetition which, really, wasn't necessary. It was like the author was taking up a sledgehammer to ram home certain points.
While I can't say I enjoyed this read, I am glad that I read False Witness. Slaughter is making statements about our society that need to be heard. Not only heard, but taken on board. And not just in America.
Kathleen Early made an excellent job of the narration. She made me forget that I was listening to an audiobook. I felt like I was right in amongst the drama.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.2
#FalseWitness #NetGalley
I: @karinslaughterauthor @blackstonepublishing
T: @SlaughterKarin @BlackstonePubl1
#audiobook #contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #suspense #thriller
THE AUTHOR: Karin Slaughter is one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed storytellers. Published in 120 countries with more than 35 million copies sold across the globe, her 21 novels include the Grant County and Will Trent books, as well as the Edgar-nominated COP TOWN and the instant NYT bestselling stand-alone novels PRETTY GIRLS, THE GOOD DAUGHTER, and PIECES OF HER. 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. Her stand-alone novel PIECES OF HER is in development with Netflix, starring Toni Collette, and the Grant County and Will Trent series are in development for television.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC of False Witness by Karin Slaughter for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
TENANT, ANDREW TREVOR
The clenched fist kept moving up her throat, every horrific detail she had suppressed over the last twenty three years threatening to choke her.
Callie's terrifying phone call. Leigh's frantic drive to reach her. The horrific scene in the kitchen. The familiar smell of the dank house, the cigars and scotch and blood - so much blood.
Leigh had to know for sure. She needed to hear it said out loud. Her teenage voice came out of her mouth when she asked, 'Trevor?'
The way Andrew's lips curved up to the left was so chillingly familiar. Leigh felt a tingle of goosebumps prickle her skin. She had been his babysitter, and then, when she was old enough to find real work, she had passed the job on to her baby sister.
'I go by Andrew now,' he told her. 'Tenant is mom's maiden name. We both thought it would be good to change things up after what happened with dad.'
'After what happened with dad.'
Buddy Waleski had disappeared. He'd abandoned his wife and son. No note. No apologies. That's what Leigh and Callie made it look like. That's what they had told the police. Buddy had done a lot of bad things. He was in debt to a lot of bad people. It made sense. At the time, all of it had made sense.
Andrew seemed to feed off her dawning recognition. His smile softened, the upward curve of his lips slowly smoothing out.
He said, 'It's been a long time, Harleigh.'
'Harleigh.'
Only one person in her life still called her by that name.
Andrew said, 'I thought you'd forgotten all about me.'
Leigh shook her head. She would never forget him. Trevor Waleski had been a sweet kid. A little awkward. A lot clingy. The last time Leigh had seen him, he had been drugged into oblivion. She had watched her sister gently kiss the top of his head.
Then the two of them had gone back into the kitchen to finish murdering his father.
ABOUT 'FALSE WITNESS': AN ORDINARY LIFE
Leigh Coulton has worked hard to build what looks like a normal life. She has a good job as a defence attorney, 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.
HIDES A DEVASTATING PAST
But Leigh's ordinary life masks a childhood which was far from average... a childhood tarnished by secrets, broken by betrayal, and finally torn apart by a devastating act of violence.
BUT NOW THE PAST IS CATCHING UP
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 which 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 why Leigh has spent two decades running.
AND TIME IS RUNNING OUT
If she can't get him acquitted, she'll lose much more than the case. The only person who can help her is her younger, estranged sister Callie, the last person Leigh would ever want to ask for help. But suddenly she has no choice...
MY THOUGHTS: A definite thriller that kept me guessing!
Where do I start with this review? Slaughter never fails to surprise me. False Witness is a complicated (I mean that in a positive way) story of abuse on many levels. Paedophilia, alcohol, drug, and parental abuse are all a part of False Witness, as is the Covid-19 pandemic.
I am not going to talk about the plot, because I don't want to give anything away. I will say, however, that I didn't much like False Witness to start with, thanks to Ms Slaughter's realistic and graphic portrayals of drug addicts their habits, of Buddy Waleski and his proclivities. It made me feel dirty, like I wanted to go stand under a hot shower until the water ran out. I didn't like Callie, although by the time I had finished, I had a sneaking admiration for her. And although she could not resist the siren song of heroin, she was incredibly strong in other ways. As was Harleigh who, although facing a major moral dilemma, put both her daughter's and her sister's welfare first.
There are many surprising twists to this story, and the characterisation is wonderful. I particularly liked the elderly vet, teetering on the brink of dementia, that Callie worked for. And despite everything else that occurs in False Witness, the violence and the cruelty, no animals are harmed. Another thing I absolutely loved was Callie's conversations with and about her cat. Purr genius! (The pun is deliberate.)
False Witness is an intense, dark and gritty read that won't be for everyone. There were times I doubted that it was for me. And it is overly long, with a fair bit of repetition which, really, wasn't necessary. It was like the author was taking up a sledgehammer to ram home certain points.
While I can't say I enjoyed this read, I am glad that I read False Witness. Slaughter is making statements about our society that need to be heard. Not only heard, but taken on board. And not just in America.
Kathleen Early made an excellent job of the narration. She made me forget that I was listening to an audiobook. I felt like I was right in amongst the drama.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.2
#FalseWitness #NetGalley
I: @karinslaughterauthor @blackstonepublishing
T: @SlaughterKarin @BlackstonePubl1
#audiobook #contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #suspense #thriller
THE AUTHOR: Karin Slaughter is one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed storytellers. Published in 120 countries with more than 35 million copies sold across the globe, her 21 novels include the Grant County and Will Trent books, as well as the Edgar-nominated COP TOWN and the instant NYT bestselling stand-alone novels PRETTY GIRLS, THE GOOD DAUGHTER, and PIECES OF HER. 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. Her stand-alone novel PIECES OF HER is in development with Netflix, starring Toni Collette, and the Grant County and Will Trent series are in development for television.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC of False Witness by Karin Slaughter for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
August 18, 2021
Library Overdrive Audiobook
…18 hours +
Chapter 1:
Disturbing -ugly - sick - pornographic - vulgar with no redeeming qualities.
Not interested to continue.
…18 hours +
Chapter 1:
Disturbing -ugly - sick - pornographic - vulgar with no redeeming qualities.
Not interested to continue.
August 10, 2021
Brutal…raw…
Be prepared for a deeply disturbing read! A dark story that delves deep into the topics of pedophilia, rape, and drug abuse. And Karin Slaughter is not one to hold anything back. She pulls back the curtains… exposing the gritty, harsh brutality of life.
Leigh and Callie are two sisters who’ve grown up together. But that’s where the similarity ends. Their futures would hold far different paths.
While Leigh goes on to become a successful lawyer, Callie is consumed fighting her demons, lost in the world of drugs.
After taking the case of defending a potential rapist, Leigh realizes she may no longer be able to outrun her past and protect Callie at the same time.
Karin Slaughter pens a chilling thriller, certain to draw you in right from the start. Both sisters demonstrating amazing strength. But of course, my heart broke for poor Callie and her desperate struggles throughout her life.
I‘ve been reading Karin Slaughter’s books for years, enjoying her series just as much as her stand-alone. And this is no exception. Yet another fabulous addition!
A buddy read with Susanne
Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Thank you to Samantha Benson at Blackstone Publishing for the audiobook via Netgalley
Be prepared for a deeply disturbing read! A dark story that delves deep into the topics of pedophilia, rape, and drug abuse. And Karin Slaughter is not one to hold anything back. She pulls back the curtains… exposing the gritty, harsh brutality of life.
Leigh and Callie are two sisters who’ve grown up together. But that’s where the similarity ends. Their futures would hold far different paths.
While Leigh goes on to become a successful lawyer, Callie is consumed fighting her demons, lost in the world of drugs.
After taking the case of defending a potential rapist, Leigh realizes she may no longer be able to outrun her past and protect Callie at the same time.
Karin Slaughter pens a chilling thriller, certain to draw you in right from the start. Both sisters demonstrating amazing strength. But of course, my heart broke for poor Callie and her desperate struggles throughout her life.
I‘ve been reading Karin Slaughter’s books for years, enjoying her series just as much as her stand-alone. And this is no exception. Yet another fabulous addition!
A buddy read with Susanne
Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Thank you to Samantha Benson at Blackstone Publishing for the audiobook via Netgalley
May 8, 2021
This is one harsh, violent, gritty read.
Quite a lot of detail packed into this one and for me it lost a bit of the pace because of it. Found myself crawling through it. Lots of covid reference too which one of the reasons I read is to forget the covid situation.
Quite a lot of detail packed into this one and for me it lost a bit of the pace because of it. Found myself crawling through it. Lots of covid reference too which one of the reasons I read is to forget the covid situation.
February 25, 2022
The past will always come back to haunt is proven yet again in this twisty thriller by Karin Slaughter. You cannot rewrite history and the past makes no allowances for people who want to move on, especially when someone comes into your life reminding you of a 20-year-old secret you would rather forget.
False Witness’ is a compelling yet unsettling psychological thriller that forms part of the authors repertoire of novels that never shies away from dark themes and evocative storylines, and this one will not disappoint her fans and it was certainly loved by me.
The Plot
In 1998, Callie is attacked by Buddy and in an act of self-defence, she cuts him with a knife. Nothing frenzied just a nick, but it fatally punctures his femoral artery. Never far away from controversy and already possessing a past, Callie calls on sister Leigh for guidance and a solution.
Leigh is a very different female who is studying law and helps solve the problem by getting rid of the body and all evidence with it. However, back in the present day, the past has come back to haunt, and Leigh must now defend the nephew of the man they killed 20 years ago who seems to possess the knowledge and truth of what happened to his uncle. A car salesman by day, a sexual predator, and a highly manipulative monster. A man without a moral compass. Revenge is sweet!!!
Review and Comments
‘False witness’ is a brilliant thriller with all the intrigue, deception, criminal and immoral threads that Karin Slaughter weaves through all her books. A couple of things stood out for me!!!
We must mention the pandemic because Karin does and makes numerous references and alludes to Covid in the book. On one hand the pandemic has surfaced a lot of domestic problems that would have gone unnoticed or indeed escalated as people were forced to live in isolation from the rest of their community and with a level of intensity that families were unaccustomed to. So, what better time to write a novel that confronts these issues and what better author to write them, because Karin Slaughter is not known to shy away from hard hitting themes anyway. However, the references to the Pandemic did come a bit too often.
The character development is the standout in the book. All the characters are deeply drawn and add something extraordinary to a gripping story. Flawed, troubled and authentic; the characters are easy to connect with as they each play their part in this tangled web of deception which spans decades. It is testament to the authors writing talent that you can get into the mind of the solicitor who has deceived, the serial killer, the wife, the car salesman and even the sister suffering from drug abuse.
Although themes of sexual and drug abuse, misogyny, poverty, abuse of power, bullying, and racism may trouble some readers, I do admire Karin Slaughter for weaving these themes into her books. I do like authors who bring these themes out in the novels to create a better understanding of the world we live in, and the conditions and abuses people live with every day. In Karin Slaughter's case these themes always feel part of the story rather than using them to grab the headlines and sales.
High praise for a book that was extremely well written with an explosive plot, accompanied by some dark but real themes and played out by characters that were believable if not unlikeable. Another great psychological thriller from the Queen of Thrill.
False Witness’ is a compelling yet unsettling psychological thriller that forms part of the authors repertoire of novels that never shies away from dark themes and evocative storylines, and this one will not disappoint her fans and it was certainly loved by me.
The Plot
In 1998, Callie is attacked by Buddy and in an act of self-defence, she cuts him with a knife. Nothing frenzied just a nick, but it fatally punctures his femoral artery. Never far away from controversy and already possessing a past, Callie calls on sister Leigh for guidance and a solution.
Leigh is a very different female who is studying law and helps solve the problem by getting rid of the body and all evidence with it. However, back in the present day, the past has come back to haunt, and Leigh must now defend the nephew of the man they killed 20 years ago who seems to possess the knowledge and truth of what happened to his uncle. A car salesman by day, a sexual predator, and a highly manipulative monster. A man without a moral compass. Revenge is sweet!!!
Review and Comments
‘False witness’ is a brilliant thriller with all the intrigue, deception, criminal and immoral threads that Karin Slaughter weaves through all her books. A couple of things stood out for me!!!
We must mention the pandemic because Karin does and makes numerous references and alludes to Covid in the book. On one hand the pandemic has surfaced a lot of domestic problems that would have gone unnoticed or indeed escalated as people were forced to live in isolation from the rest of their community and with a level of intensity that families were unaccustomed to. So, what better time to write a novel that confronts these issues and what better author to write them, because Karin Slaughter is not known to shy away from hard hitting themes anyway. However, the references to the Pandemic did come a bit too often.
The character development is the standout in the book. All the characters are deeply drawn and add something extraordinary to a gripping story. Flawed, troubled and authentic; the characters are easy to connect with as they each play their part in this tangled web of deception which spans decades. It is testament to the authors writing talent that you can get into the mind of the solicitor who has deceived, the serial killer, the wife, the car salesman and even the sister suffering from drug abuse.
Although themes of sexual and drug abuse, misogyny, poverty, abuse of power, bullying, and racism may trouble some readers, I do admire Karin Slaughter for weaving these themes into her books. I do like authors who bring these themes out in the novels to create a better understanding of the world we live in, and the conditions and abuses people live with every day. In Karin Slaughter's case these themes always feel part of the story rather than using them to grab the headlines and sales.
High praise for a book that was extremely well written with an explosive plot, accompanied by some dark but real themes and played out by characters that were believable if not unlikeable. Another great psychological thriller from the Queen of Thrill.
November 29, 2021
Karin Slaughter has done it again. I love that her stories always involve two sisters at the center of them. This story was intense and very suspenseful, but not as graphically violent as her other books, which I appreciated. Super disturbing and hard to read still, though. This book had MAJOR Long Bright River vibes! Also super interesting that this thriller takes place in 2021, during the COVID pandemic, it just made it all feel more real with the talk of masks and vaccines and spreading it, I thought she did a great job with it.
This was my book club pick for this month, you can see our full discussion here: https://youtu.be/Zk227DqLCNA
This was my book club pick for this month, you can see our full discussion here: https://youtu.be/Zk227DqLCNA
June 30, 2021
Just what I want to be reminded of...f*cking Covid. Fail.
August 16, 2021
Wow, just wow, False Witness is superb writing by Karin Slaughter. This is my 21st Slaughter book and one of her best stand-alones that I've read. Cop Town is equally wonderful. As usual in her books, there are horrific scenes of cruel debauchery done by unrepentant psychopaths who like to prey on children and women. Slaughter never pulls her punches on violence. She describes the real thing, not the stylized type seen in movies. Having said that, she doesn't use violence for entertainment purposes. It is a warning. There are horrible people out there who are worse than animals, since animals only kill to eat.
The story revolves around sisters, Callie and Leigh; they grew up in poverty with a vicious mother who was more concerned about herself than her children. No father was ever in the picture. Leigh has been a surrogate Mom for Callie all her life, so when Callie gets into a mess, Leigh is there. They love each other fiercely. The story reveals why Callie has ended up a junkie and Leigh, a top, criminal lawyer. I have never ever cried reading a murder mystery before, but I did in this one, when the veterinarian Callie has worked for off and on all her life, describes why he loves her so much, even though she is a hopeless addict.
The story revolves around sisters, Callie and Leigh; they grew up in poverty with a vicious mother who was more concerned about herself than her children. No father was ever in the picture. Leigh has been a surrogate Mom for Callie all her life, so when Callie gets into a mess, Leigh is there. They love each other fiercely. The story reveals why Callie has ended up a junkie and Leigh, a top, criminal lawyer. I have never ever cried reading a murder mystery before, but I did in this one, when the veterinarian Callie has worked for off and on all her life, describes why he loves her so much, even though she is a hopeless addict.
August 23, 2021
She is a gifted writer and storyteller, probably one of the best. But FFS, she needs to leave the leftist language out of her novels.
I’m now updating my review because I listened to her “Dear Reader” portion, so I need to respond, just for myself.
Karin Slaughter claims that she includes both sides of pop culture/politicized issues. This is what many liberal/leftist/identity-politic-obsessed people claim. THIS IS GARBAGE & BULLCRAP. Every last detail in her novels is defined from the leftist perspective, such as:
-every white male character is an evil misogynist and/or a racist;
-every character who questions the US government is an addled conspiracy nut;
-every wealthy character is bad, with no charitable giving or interests;
-covid and HIV bringing hate speech out on social media…
-anyone who preferred businessman non-politician Trump (to the lifelong politicians) is stupid, racist, sexist, crazy, misogynistic, homophobic, xenophobic, selfish, anti-science, etc.
She has not EVER attempted to see the world from an alternative perspective — or even attempt to provide nuance in the issues. Was there even a mention of the all-out banning of discussion of election irregularities from social media as well as the information provided by non-governmental doctors??? Nope, not a peep, cuz Io reckon we all’s just dum crazeee Qanon folkes! FFS
Then of course —
January’s attempted coup??? Oh Karin.
Wokey-woke Karin being Karen.
The Real Coup happened on Election Night in November 2020 when Karen’s beloved Fulton County, Atlanta, Georgia cheated in the Racist Touchy-Feely-Creeper Senile Corrupt Father-Of-the-Year LIFELONG POLITICIAN Joe Biden into the United States Presidency. This was shortly after 3 YEARS of the coup-style Russian-HOAX attacks upon President Donald Trump by lifelong Democrat & Establishment politicians who were aided by Tyrannical Pravda-type BigMedia (who ignored Joe & Hunter Biden’s own words of pay-for-play) & BigTech’s First Amendment Violations by not even permitting American citizens even ASK a question about the unusual actions and voting irregularities that occurred on Election Night?
Karin should keep her BS bias out of her books.
I’m now updating my review because I listened to her “Dear Reader” portion, so I need to respond, just for myself.
Karin Slaughter claims that she includes both sides of pop culture/politicized issues. This is what many liberal/leftist/identity-politic-obsessed people claim. THIS IS GARBAGE & BULLCRAP. Every last detail in her novels is defined from the leftist perspective, such as:
-every white male character is an evil misogynist and/or a racist;
-every character who questions the US government is an addled conspiracy nut;
-every wealthy character is bad, with no charitable giving or interests;
-covid and HIV bringing hate speech out on social media…
-anyone who preferred businessman non-politician Trump (to the lifelong politicians) is stupid, racist, sexist, crazy, misogynistic, homophobic, xenophobic, selfish, anti-science, etc.
She has not EVER attempted to see the world from an alternative perspective — or even attempt to provide nuance in the issues. Was there even a mention of the all-out banning of discussion of election irregularities from social media as well as the information provided by non-governmental doctors??? Nope, not a peep, cuz Io reckon we all’s just dum crazeee Qanon folkes! FFS
Then of course —
January’s attempted coup??? Oh Karin.
Wokey-woke Karin being Karen.
The Real Coup happened on Election Night in November 2020 when Karen’s beloved Fulton County, Atlanta, Georgia cheated in the Racist Touchy-Feely-Creeper Senile Corrupt Father-Of-the-Year LIFELONG POLITICIAN Joe Biden into the United States Presidency. This was shortly after 3 YEARS of the coup-style Russian-HOAX attacks upon President Donald Trump by lifelong Democrat & Establishment politicians who were aided by Tyrannical Pravda-type BigMedia (who ignored Joe & Hunter Biden’s own words of pay-for-play) & BigTech’s First Amendment Violations by not even permitting American citizens even ASK a question about the unusual actions and voting irregularities that occurred on Election Night?
Karin should keep her BS bias out of her books.
March 30, 2021
3.5
In their teens Leigh and her sister Callie were shockingly connected to Andrew Trevor Tennant. Leigh now has to defend Andrew in a rape case with other charges waiting in the wings if he is found guilty. The story is told from the perspectives of Leigh and Callie.
There are aspects of this book that are really good such as the premise of being between a rock and a very hard place and mutually assured destruction. The storyline is harsh, gritty, sleazy and violent. There are some descriptions that don’t hold back which may be a bit too much for some people however, it demonstrates the reality of violent victims assaults. The characters are portrayed well, you certainly feel the cold, calculated and malevolent manipulation of Andrew, the fear, guilt and panic of Leigh and Callie’s troubles and pain. Their inner turmoil and emotions are keenly felt especially the weight of the past pressing them down. There’s some tension where you hold your breath and parts that are shocking. The tempo ramps up towards the end and it has a good conclusion.
Now for the not so good parts. There is so much over-detailing especially at the start with everything from pictures on the wall to Covid rules - these are laboriously repeated on many occasions but I think a year into the pandemic we’ve all grasped hand sanitising, masks and social distance so the point does not need hammering home. There are thoughts and points that are repeated to the point where it sidetracks you from the plot and it becomes exhausting and you glaze over. Well I do. There’s back tracking onto things we already know and it’s as if the author is spelling everything out which frankly, I don’t need.
Overall, there is a good, hard hitting story in here but it’s overwhelmed. It really grieves me to only give this book three stars as I usually really like Karin Slaughter’s books and I will always want to read her novels but this one is not for me.
With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction for the arc in return for an honest review.
In their teens Leigh and her sister Callie were shockingly connected to Andrew Trevor Tennant. Leigh now has to defend Andrew in a rape case with other charges waiting in the wings if he is found guilty. The story is told from the perspectives of Leigh and Callie.
There are aspects of this book that are really good such as the premise of being between a rock and a very hard place and mutually assured destruction. The storyline is harsh, gritty, sleazy and violent. There are some descriptions that don’t hold back which may be a bit too much for some people however, it demonstrates the reality of violent victims assaults. The characters are portrayed well, you certainly feel the cold, calculated and malevolent manipulation of Andrew, the fear, guilt and panic of Leigh and Callie’s troubles and pain. Their inner turmoil and emotions are keenly felt especially the weight of the past pressing them down. There’s some tension where you hold your breath and parts that are shocking. The tempo ramps up towards the end and it has a good conclusion.
Now for the not so good parts. There is so much over-detailing especially at the start with everything from pictures on the wall to Covid rules - these are laboriously repeated on many occasions but I think a year into the pandemic we’ve all grasped hand sanitising, masks and social distance so the point does not need hammering home. There are thoughts and points that are repeated to the point where it sidetracks you from the plot and it becomes exhausting and you glaze over. Well I do. There’s back tracking onto things we already know and it’s as if the author is spelling everything out which frankly, I don’t need.
Overall, there is a good, hard hitting story in here but it’s overwhelmed. It really grieves me to only give this book three stars as I usually really like Karin Slaughter’s books and I will always want to read her novels but this one is not for me.
With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction for the arc in return for an honest review.
September 3, 2022
3.5 estrellas. Un thriller muy entretenido, me encantan los personajes femeninos, sin embargo, el tema Covid, no me encanta.
November 18, 2024
4.5 🌟 wayyyy intense, totally gripping, and a sad but great story. Still not sure how I feel about the ending…but I was LOCKED in the whole time!!
July 10, 2021
This stand-alone thriller is briskly placed. While the plot moves along, there was angst inducing anticipation. The characters however were unlikeable. The sporadic injection of current social issues and opinions bogged down the narrative. Releases July 20,2021. Thank you to William Morrow Harper Collins Publishers for the complimentary ARE.
August 26, 2021
I would've given this book a four-star rating if not for the absolutely constant and mind-numbing COVID references. I get it. We're in a pandemic. But we're actually LIVING this right now. We're getting COVID shoved down our throats at every turn in real life. I do not want to also read about it in literally every single paragraph of a murder mystery. I read to escape. I do not read to hear about whether someone lowered their mask to speak, or whether someone else wasn't even wearing a mask (always the bad guys, by the way), or whether someone stopped for hand sanitizer on the way out the door.... Ugh! Too soon, Karin, too soon. And even if it weren't too soon? Still wayyyyy too much. I'll still read her next book, because I generally enjoy them, and hopefully she will have gotten the COVID references out of her system by then.
September 25, 2023
Looking for novels set during the pandemic, I picked up my first Karin Slaughter book. Published in 2021, False Witness is strictly a research read and in full disclosure, I skimmed a great deal of this so I could finish it in one afternoon. That said, I was more impressed with Slaughter's mechanics than I thought I'd be and liked enough of this novel to give it a qualified positive rating, rather than back out of the room with my hands up.
The plot involves defense attorney Harleigh "Leigh" Collier being called up to the major leagues to defend a very white and very wealthy young man accused of a brutal rape and assault. Plot twist: Leigh's client, Andrew Trevor Tennant, was the boy she and her sister Callie used to babysit before they murdered his piece-of-shit pedophile mob enforcer adulterer daddy in 1998. Andrew knows what Leigh did and intends to use it as leverage in her defense.
Karin Slaughter is known for setting her amp to 11. Her prologue unravels in a series of shocking escalations: Domestic abuse victim is actually the babysitter, the babysitter is only 14, the victim discovers her abuser has been videotaping their sex acts, the victim is then beaten to a pulp, the victim then slices her abuser's femoral artery open with a butcher knife. And that's just the half of it.
This business bypasses "lurid," starts at "stagy" and gradually works its way through various levels of "ridiculous." But having read much of False Witness, I can't say it's unsophisticated. Slaughter balances her A-storyline, the courtroom plot of an attorney in trouble, with a terrific B-storyline in which the attorney's sister, a junkie living from one score to the next, gets involved in protecting her family and putting the antagonist away.
I would've preferred a gritty noir focusing on the junkie, Callie. She's by far the most compelling character and didn't need any ginned-up childhood trauma to be so. A former cheerleader suffering from neck injuries sustained as a teen, Callie is a devoted animal lover, and Slaughter (with her research team) plot out a very sophisticated criminal scheme in which Callie scores dope through her work assisting an old veterinarian. I perked up whenever Callie came around.
As for what Slaughter wrote, she deserves props for creating two siblings who work together. Despite living vastly different lives, as close to The Prince and the Pauper as Slaughter could get, there are no lengthy scenes of Leigh and Callie arguing or litigating their childhoods. They support each other and when the family is threatened, unite quickly instead of bickering for seventy-five pages.
My major dislike here are the male characters. This is where cranking everything up to 11 goes wrong. Not only are the men in this novel bad, they're biblically vile. The only vaguely human male character is Leigh's ex-husband, who Slaughter states is a good father but despite being on friendly terms with his ex and later a major part of the plot, divorced Leigh (bad guy!). Never mind that nearly 70% of divorces are filed by women, Slaughter can't let that get in the way of painting men very poorly.
I jotted down nine notes concerning criminal justice in the time of Covid and want to thank Slaughter and her research team for providing me this expert-level information for the price of a library card. The novel is very long and very well-researched. I prefer my thrillers moody, atmospheric, down and dirty, but was surprised how sophisticated False Witness is. I cannot say I was bored. Haunted houses, if nothing else, aren't boring.
Estimated word count: 127,160 words
Adaptations: None. The Karin Slaughter novel that has been adapted to film or TV so far is Pieces of Her, which snared Toni Collette in its twisty, violent grasp as a Netflix movie in 2022.
Thanks for reading: If you love dining at Medieval Times, or any themed restaurant where your waiter is in costume and entertainment like a jousting tournament takes place, Karin Slaughter might be for you.
The plot involves defense attorney Harleigh "Leigh" Collier being called up to the major leagues to defend a very white and very wealthy young man accused of a brutal rape and assault. Plot twist: Leigh's client, Andrew Trevor Tennant, was the boy she and her sister Callie used to babysit before they murdered his piece-of-shit pedophile mob enforcer adulterer daddy in 1998. Andrew knows what Leigh did and intends to use it as leverage in her defense.
Karin Slaughter is known for setting her amp to 11. Her prologue unravels in a series of shocking escalations: Domestic abuse victim is actually the babysitter, the babysitter is only 14, the victim discovers her abuser has been videotaping their sex acts, the victim is then beaten to a pulp, the victim then slices her abuser's femoral artery open with a butcher knife. And that's just the half of it.
This business bypasses "lurid," starts at "stagy" and gradually works its way through various levels of "ridiculous." But having read much of False Witness, I can't say it's unsophisticated. Slaughter balances her A-storyline, the courtroom plot of an attorney in trouble, with a terrific B-storyline in which the attorney's sister, a junkie living from one score to the next, gets involved in protecting her family and putting the antagonist away.
I would've preferred a gritty noir focusing on the junkie, Callie. She's by far the most compelling character and didn't need any ginned-up childhood trauma to be so. A former cheerleader suffering from neck injuries sustained as a teen, Callie is a devoted animal lover, and Slaughter (with her research team) plot out a very sophisticated criminal scheme in which Callie scores dope through her work assisting an old veterinarian. I perked up whenever Callie came around.
As for what Slaughter wrote, she deserves props for creating two siblings who work together. Despite living vastly different lives, as close to The Prince and the Pauper as Slaughter could get, there are no lengthy scenes of Leigh and Callie arguing or litigating their childhoods. They support each other and when the family is threatened, unite quickly instead of bickering for seventy-five pages.
My major dislike here are the male characters. This is where cranking everything up to 11 goes wrong. Not only are the men in this novel bad, they're biblically vile. The only vaguely human male character is Leigh's ex-husband, who Slaughter states is a good father but despite being on friendly terms with his ex and later a major part of the plot, divorced Leigh (bad guy!). Never mind that nearly 70% of divorces are filed by women, Slaughter can't let that get in the way of painting men very poorly.
I jotted down nine notes concerning criminal justice in the time of Covid and want to thank Slaughter and her research team for providing me this expert-level information for the price of a library card. The novel is very long and very well-researched. I prefer my thrillers moody, atmospheric, down and dirty, but was surprised how sophisticated False Witness is. I cannot say I was bored. Haunted houses, if nothing else, aren't boring.
Estimated word count: 127,160 words
Adaptations: None. The Karin Slaughter novel that has been adapted to film or TV so far is Pieces of Her, which snared Toni Collette in its twisty, violent grasp as a Netflix movie in 2022.
Thanks for reading: If you love dining at Medieval Times, or any themed restaurant where your waiter is in costume and entertainment like a jousting tournament takes place, Karin Slaughter might be for you.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 12,443 reviews