The Good Daughter

By Karin Slaughter

**Soon to be a major TV adaptation starring Jessica Biel!** The stunning thriller from the no.1 bestselling author. One ran. One stayed. But who is the good daughter?

Twenty-eight years ago, Charlotte and Samantha Quinn's happy small-town family life was torn apart by a terrifying attack on their family home. It left their mother dead. It left their father - Pikeville's notorious defence attorney - devastated. And it left the family fractured beyond repair, consumed by secrets from that terrible night.

Twenty-eight years later, and Charlie has followed in her father's footsteps to become a lawyer herself - the archetypal good daughter. But when violence comes to Pikeville again - and a shocking tragedy leaves the whole town traumatised - Charlie is plunged into a nightmare. Not only is she the first witness on the scene, but it's a case which can't help triggering the terrible memories she's spent so long trying to suppress. Because the shocking truth about the crime which destroyed her family nearly thirty years ago won't stay buried for ever ...

'A compelling thriller with immense heart ... The GoodDaughter is To Kill A Mockingbird times 100 - dark yet endearing anda classic of its time.' AustralianWomen's Weekly

‘This is a great writer at the peak of her powers. Karin Slaughter is at her nail biting, heart stopping, emotionally draining best.’ Peter James

'Karin Slaughter’s most ambitious, most emotional, and best novel. So far, anyway.' James Patterson

‘Simply the best book you'll read all year. Raw, powerful and utterly gripping – yet written with a tenderness and empathy that will break your heart’. Kathryn Stockett, bestselling author of THE HELP

Praise for Karin Slaughter:

'I'd follow her anywhere' Gillian Flynn
'One of the boldest thriller writers working today' Tess Gerritsen
'Her characters, plot, and pacing are unrivaled' Michael Connelly

'Passion, intensity, and humanity' Lee Child
'A writer of extraordinary talents' Kathy Reichs
'Fiction doesn't get any better than this' Jeffrey Deaver

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Aug 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781460706633

Karin Slaughter

Karin Slaughter is one of the world’s most popular storytellers. She is the author of more than twenty instant New York Times bestselling novels, including the Edgar-nominated Cop Town and standalone novels The Good Daughter and Pretty Girls. An international bestseller, Slaughter is published in 120 countries with more than 40 million copies sold across the globe. Pieces of Her is a #1 Netflix original series, Will Trent is a television series starring Ramón Rodríguez on ABC, and further projects are in development for television. 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.

Reviews for The Good Daughter

[elainedav · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the story of a terrible childhood incident which is re-told as an adult. Something happened to Charlie and her sister on the day their mother was murdered. Their adult lives follow very different courses and they come back together again only because their father is unwell.The full details of the childhood incident are not revealed at the time. But the story gradually unfolds as it is tied up in another terrible situation. It is complex, but reasonable easy to follow. I liked the characterisation and especially the way that the sister's lives turned out to be very different.I expected to like this book because of the author, although I have only previously read the Grant county series.Thank you to Netgally for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[sassybrit · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An enjoyable, if not meandering read.


Format: Hardcover Vine Customer Review of Free Product

I'm reviewing the latest Karin Slaughter book, The Good Daughter. When two girls are forced into the woods at gunpoint, one runs for her life and the other is left behind. 28 years later we visit to discover "Who is the good daughter?". This was my pick for my most highly anticipated July read, so what did I think?

^^ [Blows out a long puff of air] #TheGoodDaughter is another stonker of a book. Weighi ng in at approx 585 pages, you can imagine how big it is. Now this is not a problem, but it does make me wonder if all of it is going to be necessary, even before I started the book. And I have to say I don't think it all was.

^^ Yes, this is a great story. Between the pages there's love, laughter, loss and sadness. I was truly taken by this family and all they went through, then and now.

^^ Yes, Karin Slaughter can definitely write well, and easily made me feel for her characters; their pain, their heartbreak, the good times and the bad. This psychological thriller is all about the family drama, the terrible things the two girls went through, how their family suffered, and how they finally found themselves and their new roles in life. Albeit with the emotional and physical scars, to remind them of their suffering.

^^ But no, to too much detail. Now, I understand I have an ARC copy and the final edition could be whittled down a lot, and I'm not sup posed to moan too much about 'editing' because of this, I cannot help but point out that I felt some of the chapters were just too long and a bit meandering. I also understand this provides great insight to each character, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I do think it's a point to mention when I found myself skim-reading some of the slower chapters. You know, those meaning to give you a bit of breathing space in between the fast paced action ones. Trouble is, there wasn't enough action packed scenes for me either.

^^ In addition, I think the "Who is the good daughter?" theme is slightly misleading, unless I just didn't get it, I never did find out. Maybe this is why this is the first of a new series, and the best is yet to come?

^^ I take it someone must have told her about the rhyming thing... The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter?

Overall: An enjoyable, if not meandering read. I'm a fan of Karin Slaughter's work, and have to say that although this is not my favourite book of hers, I'm now eager to read the following books in the series to see how this book falls into place with those to come. Although, I'm not sure what is left when this book covers everything... Sadly, three stars, which fits with Amazon's "It's OK", rating. It wasn't awful, it wasn't my next rave about book, just okay.

What did you think?

[jmhdassen · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Slaughter indeed. Utter rubbish....

[ameise1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have not read any books by [[Karin Slaughter]] for a long time, completely forgetting how excited I am of her books. Also this book has grabbed me from the beginning.It is about a family of lawyers whose daughters had to watch in childhood, how their mother was brutally murdered, how one daughter was seriously injured during the incident while the other was raped. After all these years, everything comes up again. Who was the culprit? What must revenge look like? Are familiar persons the perpetrators?

[tina1969_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Twenty eight years ago Samantha and Charlotte's life is torn apart when something horrific happens to their family. Twenty eight years later the estranged sisters are back together and have to deal with their past.This is the first book I have read by Karin Slaughter. I decided to try a stand alone rather than a series. First impressions are that I enjoy the book to a degree.The story begins with the family tragedy and then does return to the events through out the story. The story is very gritty and hard hitting with graphic details of violence and gore. I quite enjoyed the story as a whole and was satisfied with the twists and the ending. What I did find however was that I found the story overlong. At times I was ready to either give up or flick pages when something would happen and my interest was drawn back in.I can't say that is book is the authors best or not as it's my first read. However there was enough that I did enjoy for me to pick up another at a later date.

[ccheripka · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Good Daughter kept me going for all 600 plus pages although I was a little uncomfortable with some of the violence...Its the riveting story of a family tragedy and the aftermath still going on 28 years later...there were two Good Daughters, which one was the better? Maybe Karin could have titled it "The Good Daughters".. Charlie and Sam were survivors in a world filled with horror and pain, even though I don't think they considered themselves survivors...I won this on Good Reads, and although the violence made me a little uneasy, I had to finish to see the end....

[pootlesuzie_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A bit gory but a good read. Opened up something within that began to heal while reading it.

[jess_reads_books · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Twenty-eight years ago, Samantha and Charlotte Quinn’s lives changed forever. Growing up in the small town of Pikeville things had been mostly peaceful for the Quinn family. Rusty, the father of the family, was a local defense lawyer whose stance on fighting for the “bad guys” wasn’t always appreciated in town. Case in point, the family home was burnt to the ground by someone seeking revenge for Rusty winning a case that allowed a man accused of unspeakable acts to go free. The family had slowly been piecing their lives back together when two men broke into their new home and brought a reign of terror upon the family that damaged the Quinn girl’s lives beyond repair. Their mother was murdered. Secrets were kept. A family was broken. All in an act to seek revenge against Rusty.The Quinn family was never the same after that terrorizing day and twenty-eight years later, they still can’t seem to figure out how to be together. Charlotte has followed in her father’s footsteps by becoming a lawyer and working side-by-side with him in Pikeville. When a local school shooting finds Charlotte as an eye witness, the events of the past will mix with those of the present in a haunting manner. As secrets and long buried memories come boiling to the surface, the Quinn family must face their demons yet again. Does anyone really know the truth about that day so long ago in the past?THE GOOD DAUGHTER is the definition of a well-written thriller! Slaughter immediately drops the reader into the day that changed the Quinn family forever. This chapter is told by Samantha and the events are seen from her point of view with a cliffhanger ending that leaves the reader in shock. The book then transitions into modern day and Charlotte witnessing a school shooting. Talk about a roller coaster of emotions! Slaughter’s storytelling, especially when it comes to the events of the past, is not for the faint of heart, as some scenes can be quite graphic. Listening to this one as an audiobook, I think really escalated the tension for me and I found myself sitting in my car waiting to finish a chapter before heading into work several mornings! I could go on for days about the beauty of Slaughter’s writing, the masterful way she builds a story, and the fantastic characters she creates. At the end of the day, the moral of this review, is join the #slaughtersquad and go pick up one of Karin’s books today!

[dknight0918 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Such an engaging book. I loved reading Charlie and Sam’s story. Karin Slaughter took me on such an emotional rollercoaster with this one. I was so worried that Sam had died and then she just pops up as grown woman living in New York. So many twists and turns, the school shooting, the miscarriages, Charlie and Sam watching their mom get shot,and the scenes in the woods. This book is reminiscent of Harper Lee, Gillian Flynn, and Paula Hawkins. Slaughter has a unique voice, though. I look forward to reading more of her thrillers.

[mrsgrits · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another excellent novel by Karin Slaughter!

[martinhughharvey_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another superb read by Slaughter. An unusual novel ostensibly set at a school shooting where one knows who did it although not why. The latter is, naturally, the focus of the novel but mostly somewhat in the background until its close. There are 3 or 4 other parallel stories involving the family of the main protagonists - a dysfunctional family although understandable due to a trauma they endured in the past. It's set in rural Georgia and while no deliverance the culture has a strong role to play. Nicely written and a full story but not overly complex. I particularly liked the fact the chapters weren't short and staccato.

[shetreadssoftly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter is an outstanding, intense, exemplary, very highly recommended thriller. It will grab your attention from the first page, become an obsession, and consume every free second while wringing every emotion out of you. Seriously - this novel is excellent.The prologue opens twenty-eight years ago. After their Pikeville, GA, home had been burned down by someone who didn't like their father, attorney Rusty Quinn, the family moved into an old farm house. Sisters Charlotte (Charlie) and Samantha (Sam) Quinn were in the kitchen with their mother, Gamma, when Zach Culpepper and an accomplice broke into their home, looking for their father. Rusty wasn't there so the men terrorized his family, murdering Gamma, and then traumatize and harm the two sisters, leaving both physically and psychologically damaged.Charlie is the good daughter. She is a lawyer, like her father, and still living in Pikeville. She is currently separated from her husband, ADA Ben Bernard, when she makes a poor life choice. This results in her inadvertently being on the scene and a witness to a horrible crime and tragedy that takes place in the local middle school. The crime horrifies the whole town and causes Charlie to flashback to the trauma from her childhood. Naturally, Rusty, who believes everyone deserves an advocate, will take on the defense.The Good Daughter is a wonderfully complex multilayered novel. There is heart-wrenching violence, conflicted emotions and struggles alongside humorous and heart-breaking scenes. The writing is, as expected from Slaughter, excellent - sophisticated, detailed, and intricate. The plot is perfectly presented, with the present day contrasted with past events as more information slowly comes to light. The setting, the character development, the twists... are all perfectly executed. It held my rapt attention from beginning, tossed me around through oh-so-many new developments, had me a messy-crying mess at one point, and finally left me speechless and breathless at the end.How many ways can I extol Slaughter for The Good Daughter? This is a must-read for all fans of thrillers/crime novels. Really, read it. It is an extremely rare you-will-miss-your-flight-if-you-are-reading-it-while-in-an-airport novel. Read it first, then take the flight. You will thank me for very highly recommending it and then I predict you will look at Slaughter's other novels.Disclosure: I received a copy of this book courtesy of HarperCollins

[tinkerbellkk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Such a great book.Loved the characters and the way the story was told from different perspectives. The characters had so much tragedy in their lives that set the stage for so many hurdles during their adult lives. Loved how the author wove a story of family drama around a school shooting situation and then threw in several twists and turns. It was clever and well written. I look forward to reading more of her thrillers.

[hes7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Taking intelligent main characters through surprising twists and turns involving lots of small-town drama, violent crimes, and family tragedy, this book is a solid mystery-thriller.

[robynelee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

You cannot go wrong with this author

[kakadoo202 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fast read. Lots of action. Flat characters. Loose ends.

[eadieb-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Twenty-eight years ago, Charlotte and Samantha Quinn's happy small-town family life was torn apart by a terrifying attack on their family home. It left their mother dead. It left their father; Pikeville's notorious defense attorney; devastated. And it left the family fractured beyond repair, consumed by secrets from that terrible night.I found Karin Slaughter's new book to be a brilliant story that exceeded my expectations. The fascinating characters of Charlotte, Samantha and Rusty are wracked with pain and their family life is torn apart by tragedy. The powerful, disturbing scenes in the beginning of the novel are not for the faint of heart. Slaughter's excellent descriptions allow you to feel what the characters are feeling. It is a fast-paced read with lots of twists and turns. I have read every book that Karin Slaughter has wrote and I would have to say that this may be the best book she has written so far. Hopefully, she will turn it into a series as I would love to revisit these characters. I look forward, as usual, to the next book she writes and I would highly recommend her books to those who love psychological thrillers with lots of suspense.

[tiffy_reads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved loved loved this one. If you're a fan of suspense and thrillers this one is right up your alley.

[she_climber · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic! I could not put this book down! Rarely do I think this about a book where I knew fairly early on who did it and why, but the back story of an earlier crime and the relationships between the characters had me completely drawn in. I didn't feel this book was really at all about the current crime and therefore didn't matter if I'd solved the mystery.

[patrickjiv_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

IMO, there were just to many descriptive pieces in this book to make it any better than a 3 rating.

[nancyluebke · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a tuff book to read and not for the faint of heart. I received this book for free and voluntarily chose to review it. I've given it a 4.5* rating. It was hard to put down and kept me up late into the morning a couple of days. This whole story winds around a brutal murder and attempted murders of one family. This is not for the under 18 readers and may be hard to sleep after parts of it. This author touched a lot of areas of healing for this family. It is not a story that will easily be forgotten and you may not want to read it at night. You might want to keep some tissue close by also.

[shazjhb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved her stand alone book. Not as predictable as expected. Liked the relationships and the people

[susan.macura · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Charlotte and Samantha, Charlie and Sam, are the daughters of two unique individuals - brilliant mom Gamma who appears to have given up a promising career as a world-class scientist to marry the local attorney from her small hometown, Rusty. Rusty is an attorney who has managed to offend nearly everyone in said small town because he defends those who appear indefensible. In fact, the book opens when the family had just moved to a large farmhouse because their home was bombed in retaliation for his successful defense in just such a case. All is settling down until one horrible night that changes all of their lives forever. Flash forward to the present and another horrible event conspires to bring the past up all over again. Sam and Charlie have to learn to forgive each other and move forward together to solve all the problems they are forced to deal with. This is a beautifully written story with lots of twists and turns.

[runner56_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Yet another wonderful, well crafted, and presented story from Karin Slaughter which sees her departing from her regular Atlanta duo Well Trent (Georgia Bureau of Investigation special agent) and Dr Sarah Linton. In this one off novel we are introduced to the Quinns; Rusty, Gamma, and their two daughters Sam and Charlotte (Charlie) The story is told over two timelines, one set 28 years before the other. One afternoon Zack Culpepper and an accomplish invade the Quinn home where a violent and outrageous event occurs, an event that will have long lasting and damaging repercussions. Moving forward in time to the present somewhat unbelievably another brutal killing occurs, at the local school where Charlie Quinn has attended visiting her lover Mason Huckabee a regrettable one night stand.What the author excels at his her deep understanding and betrayal of a family in crisis and their attempt to survive. Sam, although badly damaged from the Culpepper attack has managed to map out a career as a patent lawyer in New York but immediately comes to the aid of her younger sister following the school shootings. Dad Rusty is adored by them both even though his chosen occupation as a defence attorney often sees him defending the most abhorrent members of society and indeed the historical Culpeper incident was a direct result of his chosen career.This is a novel full of mystery, ambition and emotion. It is not so much the storyline that is of importance but rather the depiction of deeply flawed and traumatized characters. At its heart is the love and need of friendship and family and how against all the evil that is present today it is possible not only to survive but to accept the unfolding of life's events however good or bad they may be. Many thanks to the publisher HarperCollins for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.

[darcia_10 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I could give you a hundred adjectives describing my feelings for this book- riveting, captivating, engaging - but those words become cliches, and this book is so much more than all those words combined. As a reader of 100+ books a year, I can tell you this is the one you don't want to miss. As a writer, I can tell you this is the book I wish I'd written. I found that I read this book more slowly than usual because I wanted to linger over the words. The imagery Karin Slaughter gives us here is truly brilliant. The story is original and believable. We have the twists and turns that Slaughter excels at, but, more than that, we have all the human elements that make this story matter. And oh the characters! They are complex, perfectly flawed, and unforgettable. Have I conveyed how much I loved this book? Really, truly perfection.*I received an advance ebook copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.*

[fhudnell-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a long-winded crime novel/family drama that would've benefited by losing about 100 pages and several plot lines. In small town Georgia, the family of a criminal defense lawyer, who is the pariah of the community until they need his services, runs into repeated danger because the residents of the town don't seem to think much of the right to a defense. A devastating attack on his wife and daughters changes their lives and the family dynamics. The story then moves to 28 years later. The book just piles on the issues. In addition to the opening attack there is a school shooting, a broken marriage, a one night stand, statutory rape, bullying, rape, cancer and a transgender character introduced for no apparent reason. There are also four lawyers who behave in a really shady manner hiding evidence, obstructing justice and generally serving themselves rather than the truth. Family conversations seem to go on forever. Someplace in here there is probably a taut story, but it is surrounded by a lot that could have been omitted. For example, the initial attack is described in detail at least three times. I don't know whether this author is always so wordy, but I hope not. I liked the book enough to finish it but I wasn't totally happy about it.I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

[twink_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Karin Slaughter is simply one of the best mystery/thriller writers out there. I am always eagerly awaiting her next book. Her latest, The Good Daughter was an absolutely fantastic read!1989. The Good Daughter opens with a grab you by the throat, can't look away, opening chapter. A mother and her two daughters (Sam and Charlie), home when they were expected to be out. Two masked gunman, looking for their father Rusty - a lawyer who defends almost anyone. The consequences of that day - horrific. Seriously, take a deep breath before you start.....And then Slaughter slams the reader again, jumping forward twenty eight years to that same town and to what has happened in that time span. One of the daughters survives and is working as a lawyer like her father. When a school shooting occurs, it is exactly the kind of case Rusty takes. Daughter Charlie was there when it happened.Oh, there is so much going on in this book! The relationships between the girls, the girls and their parents, spouses, friends, enemies and selves are intricately complicated and so well written. And just as intricate is the shooting case - something doesn't add up. The crime and investigation is brilliant, with no way to guess where things were going to end.But best of all are the twists the Slaughter throws into her narrative. Without spoiling anything, suffice it to say that just when I felt I had a handle on what happened in the past, Slaughter pulled the rug out from under me. It's impossible not to become immersed in this story. Emotional, addictive and simply excellent.

[kathl33n-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is my first Karin Slaughter and I have to say I was not overly impressed. Yes, the characters were amazing. Really vivid and very well done. The plot was also decent but in the end I felt like this was two stories competing for all the attention and it made the book at least 100 pages waaaay too long. I just found myself wanting to be through with it. It didn't help that I saw the ending coming from the very start of that story. I really just kept reading because I wanted to know the motivation for the why of it. I will say that it started off really strong and disturbingly difficult to read. After that though it just went downhill for me.

[sheriawilkinson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Good Daughter by Karin SlaughterA compelling thriller moving at a steady pace. With true to life situations, twists, turns and secrets revealed. Attention to detail and engaging dialog had me engrossed from the first page. Not only a crime thriller also a story of family, love and loss.Overall I found The Good Daughter thought-provoking, memorable, emotionally charged. I highly recommend to Karin Slaughter fans and those who enjoy a great suspenseful read.

[auntieg0412 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Good Daughter is packed full of emotional agony. Every single character is deeply wounded, and Karin Slaughter’s ability to make them seem real had me feeling so sorry for all of them—even the ones whose reaction to their own pain was to inflict terrible pain on others.

It’s a 5-star read for me when I become emotionally invested in the story and keep thinking about it days after I’ve finished. That’s the case here. Awesome work, Ms. Slaughter.