Kisscut: A Grant County Thriller

I enjoyed this book tremendously. I first became aware of this author when I read A Thin Cold Fear. Didn't realized till then that it was one out of a series. I've since gone back and read them in order. I really enjoyed each book. While this story did have some disturbing subjects--incest,child pronography & abuse, etc.,--I knew that going in. The author did a great job of keeping the suspense going and the surprises coming. Can't say too much without giving them away though. I also have gotten into the relationship between Sara and her ex-husband cum boyfriend/lover Jeffrey, the sherriff. Each new installment is like a new episode of my favorite soap opera. I love how their relationship just won't die. I also love the interaction between Sara and her family. Nothing like being a doctor/coroner and still have your mother treat you like you're a teenager, and your dad calling you "baby". Personally, I'd buy the book all over again and will definitely re-read the series again later on. Can't wait for the next book!

After reading the first series "Blindsighted", I knew I had to come back for more. Karin is a great writer who captures your attention from beginning to end. I would avoid lunch with coworkers just to get reading time in. "Kisscut" is one of the best thrillers I've read in some time. When I read the first two chapters, I had no idea that this book would delve into something so sinister yet it held my interest the entire time. I must have read at least six chapters within an hour. My sister in law and I share the same interest in the type of books we read and yes I will be passing this on to her. I look forward to the next series this fall.

Karin Slaughter only gets better. A stunningly good second book (which is rare). Plotting, characters, excitement and lots of terror at every turn. I can't wait for her third (I hope there's one in the works). I won't give away any of the surprises but I heard every beat of my heart and every creak in my house the night I stayed up reading until done. Superb!

In the parking lot of the popular Heartsdale, Georgia teen hangout skating rink Jenny Weaver threatens to shoot Mark Patterson. Police chief Jeffrey Tolliver is forced to kill the teenage girl. His former wife pediatrician and Grant County coroner Sara Linton witnesses the fatal shooting. Inside a toilet of the rink resides a dismembered fetus.Sara's autopsy of Jenny provides several strange clues that do not add up. The deceased was a long time abuse victim, Her battered vagina had been sewn shut and there is no evidence of any recent sexual activity to produce a fetus. Detective Lena Adams, a victim of rape and grieving the death of her sister interrogates Mark. Soon she learns the horrifying perverted secrets of a town with quite a sideshow of pediophile, incest, and child pornography and prostitution.Living up to her surname, Karin Slaughter provides readers with a graphic thriller that combines elements of a police procedural with that of a medical examiner tale. The story line catches the audience from the start, but fans should not dive in with a full stomach as KISSCUT tears into boundaries rarely seen in a thriller. The author eases some of the tension by the use of puns and other humorous devices that at times can be missed due to the high level of excitement. Those who enjoy Patricia Cornwall will relish this novel and Ms. Slaughter's previous book (see BLINDSIGHTED), but this writer adds more red meat in her recipe.Harriet Klausner

Karin Slaughter has said in interviews that she wants to be a better writer with each book. She has clearly done that with Kisscut. I think it has tighter plotting, characters that are more human (even the evil parts), and a stronger narrative than in Blindsighted, her first book. While I don't think the plot is better in this book, the development of the story is. Just when I 'knew' the story was cruising to a certain place (and who and what and how), some unexpected turn of events jumped off the page -- more than once. We get to see more of small town life in Grant County. Sara, doctor and part-time medical examiner, and Jeffery, the police chief, are still central characters in Kisscut, but Lena, one of Jeffrey's detectives, is brought to the fore in this book and has her inner self laid bare. There are enough references to the first book's story to give a good idea of what happened without giving everything away. Without being Lena, I'd say that her thoughts and perceptions are congruous with how a person could behave and react to her experiences.The rest of this gives away just about everything except names, with each paragraph telling more. If you do not want to know about the plot and 'who done it', skip to the last paragraph. Kisscut has child pornographers who think it is appropriate to physically and sexually abuse children -- and they have no guilt or remorse about it. I'm not sure there is a way to write about that and have it seem comprehensible, because in my mind there is no understanding intentionally hurting children. I know it happens, though, because I know adults to whom this was 'normal' while they were growing up. The author has made her perpetrators believable, sympathetic characters at the beginning of the book.Ms. Slaughter took the bold step of making women (yes, plural) the primary 'evil doers'. Of course, after the warped attentions that her Blindsighted tormentor inflicted on his victims, we shouldn't be surprised at the ugliness springing from the human mind that this author conjures to put on paper -- although in person she appears to be an engaging young woman who couldn't possibly think of, let alone know, anything about the dark side of humanity.While I'm sure Kisscut was plotted out before this last year's revelations about the molestations by priests of the Roman Catholic Church, having a minister who is involved in this mayhem on children is certainly a timely addition -- and another reminder that you can't trust someone just because of his or her position or profession.There is some brightness to report. It looks like Sara and Jeffery could be getting back together.Ms. Slaughter has once again written a book that is not easy on the emotions, but is highly readable. Get Kisscut and settle in for a fine, intense story on the printed page.