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A review by nzlisam
We are all guilty here by Karin Slaughter
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
2.5 rounded up to 3, a.k.a pretty average!
While the residents of North Falls, Georgia, are all occupied enjoying the 4th of July fireworks, two local teenage girls – Madison Dalrymple and Cheyenne Baker – are being abducted from the carpark.
Deputy Emmy Clifton-Lang (the official Amazon blurb lists Emmy’s surname as ‘Clifford’, so it’s either a typo, was altered for the published version, or differs depending on edition), along with her Sheriff father Gerald Clifton, are first on the scene where all that remains are two mangled bicycles, a smashed cellphone, and blood. Emmy feels guilty, because when Madison tried to reach out to her earlier in the night, Emmy was too preoccupied with her crumbling marriage to listen. The hunt is on to find Madison and Cheyenne alive. But as the hours pass – hope fades.
Unfortunately, We Are All Guilty Here suffered from the same issues I had with another crime novel I read earlier in the month in that the characters were the standout. I really enjoyed Emmy, and all the supporting and peripheral characters. Her family drama and revealed secrets were another highlight. Also, the crime was emotionally affecting, and the character of Emmy did a superb job of conveying this.
There were some clever, surprising twists throughout the novel, but the resolution to the crime was pretty anticlimactic, didn’t bring anything new to the table, and contained a lot of telling rather than showing. There were disturbing moments but We Are All Guilty Here was pretty tame for a Karin Slaughter novel, which I have to admit, I was kind of disappointed by. The first 30% was a five-star read for me – however, I struggled with the twist that occurred soon after that point, and from then onwards I thought the excitement and urgency of the investigation tapered off. Speaking of the investigation, there was far too much time spent on interviewing suspects and the discussions of evidence grew repetitive. If you’re not a fan of police procedures, then I doubt you would enjoy this one. Finally, it was overly long, and there just wasn’t enough happening to sustain its length.
In conclusion, We Are All Guilty Here was underwhelming overall, and as much as I liked the characters, I’m not sure I’m curious enough to continue this series. Hopefully I’m in the minority, and other reviewers/readers will enjoy it more.
I’d like to thank Netgalley UK, Harper Collins UK, and Karin Slaughter for the e-ARC.
Publication Date: 19th June 2025.
While the residents of North Falls, Georgia, are all occupied enjoying the 4th of July fireworks, two local teenage girls – Madison Dalrymple and Cheyenne Baker – are being abducted from the carpark.
Deputy Emmy Clifton-Lang (the official Amazon blurb lists Emmy’s surname as ‘Clifford’, so it’s either a typo, was altered for the published version, or differs depending on edition), along with her Sheriff father Gerald Clifton, are first on the scene where all that remains are two mangled bicycles, a smashed cellphone, and blood. Emmy feels guilty, because when Madison tried to reach out to her earlier in the night, Emmy was too preoccupied with her crumbling marriage to listen. The hunt is on to find Madison and Cheyenne alive. But as the hours pass – hope fades.
Unfortunately, We Are All Guilty Here suffered from the same issues I had with another crime novel I read earlier in the month in that the characters were the standout. I really enjoyed Emmy, and all the supporting and peripheral characters. Her family drama and revealed secrets were another highlight. Also, the crime was emotionally affecting, and the character of Emmy did a superb job of conveying this.
There were some clever, surprising twists throughout the novel, but the resolution to the crime was pretty anticlimactic, didn’t bring anything new to the table, and contained a lot of telling rather than showing. There were disturbing moments but We Are All Guilty Here was pretty tame for a Karin Slaughter novel, which I have to admit, I was kind of disappointed by. The first 30% was a five-star read for me – however, I struggled with the twist that occurred soon after that point, and from then onwards I thought the excitement and urgency of the investigation tapered off. Speaking of the investigation, there was far too much time spent on interviewing suspects and the discussions of evidence grew repetitive. If you’re not a fan of police procedures, then I doubt you would enjoy this one. Finally, it was overly long, and there just wasn’t enough happening to sustain its length.
In conclusion, We Are All Guilty Here was underwhelming overall, and as much as I liked the characters, I’m not sure I’m curious enough to continue this series. Hopefully I’m in the minority, and other reviewers/readers will enjoy it more.
I’d like to thank Netgalley UK, Harper Collins UK, and Karin Slaughter for the e-ARC.
Publication Date: 19th June 2025.