I’ve always loved Karin Slaughter’s ability to hook readers from the very first page, so I was surprised by the slower pace in the first half of We Are All Guilty Here. I found it difficult to connect with the characters early on, and it felt quite different from her usual gripping style. I even considered dnf-ing.

That said, I’m so glad I stuck with it because the second half completely turned things around. The story unfolded beautifully, and the character of Jude was a standout. Jude felt so real and fully fleshed out, and through her, the other characters began to feel more dynamic too.

The way everything came together in the end was masterful and deeply touching. While the slower start kept me from giving it a full 5 stars, I can acknowledge in hindsight this was necessary to set the scene as the series starting point. I’m now eagerly looking forward to seeing how this series unfolds.

Thank you SO much NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to review this book.