Review: The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter


This was my third Karin Slaughter novel and my favourite by far. I thought Pretty Girls and The Kept Woman were the author at her best, but I was wrong; she’s surpassed herself with The Good Daughter.

How does she manage to paint a picture of a cruel, dark and depraved world that none of us would want first-hand experience of, yet keep you hanging on her every word? The horrific acts she describes with detail in her books are sometimes uncomfortable to read, but you cannot possibly put down her novels. The desperate urge to find out whether the good people in her novels make it out of her narratives alive will spur you on until the last page.

I was addicted to this book from the first paragraph and read it obsessively for the first couple days. Then I couldn’t bear the thought of it ending, so I read it slowly, drawing out the experience. It was an unpredictable ride, full of many shocking twists and turns, and throughout, Slaughter’s writing was flawless. The way she brings her characters to life on the page is commendable.

In the first chapter, the reader is introduced to the Quinn sisters and their mother, Gamma. They are likeable and intelligent females, trying to make the best of a bad situation; vandals burnt down their home in retaliation for the family patriarch, defence attorney Randy, helping to acquit a man of criminal charges. In the same chapter, something truly horrifying happens to the family.

I felt as though I were there with Charlie and Sam as the horrific event plays out, on tenterhooks, scared for their safety. This is a credit to Slaughter’s writing and excellent handling of character development and plot.

I don’t want to give anything away about the narrative, so I’ll just say this. If you love a good thriller, pick up this book. You won’t be sorry. If you’re drawn to psychological thrillers that explore the minds of immoral characters, like I am, this novel is also for you.

Rating: 5 STARS!


Comments