I’ll admit it: I was late to the Karin Slaughter party. Not sure how exactly it happened, but it wasn’t until last year I started reading her books. Since then, I’ve been making up for lost time because she is one of those rarities, a hugely successful internationally bestselling author who does not compromise her stories or characters, and treats her readers we’re even smarter than we might think we are. She’s also one of the bravest authors around…while lesser authors was making jokes on “Castle” about killing off lead characters, Karin killed a main character in one of her series. And this was no Bobby-on-Dallas-style killing; the dude is good and truly dead. The series, though, continues on unabated…

From her Facebook page, proof that Karin is funny as heck

Karin is also an amazing advocate for reading-focused organizations, especially libraries. She also has a wicked funny sense of humor. I hope this has something to do with she and I being born within 4 days of each other (see how I snuck that little bit of trivia in there).

Karin’s books comprise three series, but they overlap. This artful intertwining of locales, storylines and characters is evident in each of her novels. If you’re new to her books, it probably is a good idea to start at the beginning, but I didn’t, and I’ve enjoyed her work no less as a result.

Karin’s latest, FALLEN, hits shelves on June 21. I’m including this one in my money-back-guarantee group (preorder it, and if you don’t like it, donate it to a local library and I’ll get you a gift certificate for a new book) not because I’ve read it (haven’t yet) but rather because her last book, BROKEN, was such a good read that I can’t imagine that its anything less than brilliant.

And about BROKEN…

Something is rotten in Heartsdale, Georgia (don’t look it up—it’s a fictional town, which Karin describes as, “an amalgamation of the small towns of my childhood”). People are dying…the police are corrupt…and everyone is guided by their own private demons. The result is a cast of characters who apparently share a common goal—catching a killer—but whose interpersonal histories might stop them from doing just that. Even Georgia Bureau of Investigation investigator Will Trent, an outsider, is challenged to let his spooky-good detecting skills shine through layers of the deceit that simmers all around him.

BROKEN doesn’t have any vampires or zombies, but if you’re into that sort of thing, you’ll like this book because it has loads of atmosphere. BROKEN’s cast of characters is compelling because not a one of them is one-sided. As I was reading, I was not sure whom to trust, and just when I started liking someone, s/he did something that made me mad.

Truth is, I was hooked on BROKEN from the first page. And I can’t wait to read FALLEN.

Blurb: A smart whodunit that moves at a breakneck pace

Author’s Website: www.karinslaughter.com

Shop Indie Bookstores