Somehow, despite an oeuvre of over a dozen books, I have never read a Karin Slaughter novel. I suspect this will change as CBR10 progresses as The Good Daughter was a gripping read with a quality twist ending.
Charlie and Sam Quinn’s mother was murdered by two men who broke into their home in hopes of robbing their father. When their father, Rusty, was nowhere to be found the pair of deviants killed the girls’ mother, Gamma, and shot Sam in the head while Charlie ran for help and safety. Sam was buried alive but survived and now, 28 years later, the two sisters live completely separate lives until Charlie witnesses a school shooting and calls Sam for help after their father is stabbed for representing the suspected shooter.
“Many people must have told you that you are lucky to be alive. I think you would have been lucky had you not been shot in the first place.”
With Charlie a witness and Rusty hospitalized it falls on Sam to represent the teenage girl who shot and killed two people, including a child, or else thrown the mentally challenged teen to the wolves. Complicating matters is the other witness to the shooting who is partially responsible for the dissolution of Charlie’s marriage to a local DA. The truth about what happened in 1989 is parceled out in-between the growing twists and turns surrounding the modern day killings creating an overall excellent thriller. It is nearly impossible to review a novel with any sense of mystery without spoiling the twists and turns so I will simply say that if you like female driven thrillers this should be up your alley.
My one big complaint: I love the nickname Charlie for Charlotte but when paired with a sister called Sam(antha) it got a little annoying to have two females called by predominantly male names.