Rating: 
Summary: Slaughter has written another intense story...
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Powerful if sleazy sequel
Review: Kisscut is a sequel to Ms Slaughter's debut novel Blindsighted and it makes few if any concesssions to readers unfamiliar with the earlier work plunging us into a narrative in whch the events of the previous book cast a long shadow .For this reason I cannot recommend that people unfamiliar with the earlier work start their soujourn into Slaughterland with Kisscut and would instead urge them to start at the beginning and read Blindsighted ,which is to my way of thinking a better book anyway. Events take place as before in a small Georgia town and begin with a violent confrontation in the parking lot of the town's skating rink when a teenage girl threatens to shoot a boy only to be shot by the town sheriff Jeffrey Tolliver .At first it is assumed the killing was due to the aborted foetus which is found in the venue's rest room being that of the dead girl and that the intended victim was the father.
This turns out to be untrue and the case is linked to a child abuse ring and to incestuous family relationships within the outwardly respectable and God fearing community . The true theme of the novel is "the worm in the bud "--how a respectable facade can hide moral corruption and a lack of self -knowledge ;the chief abuser is persuaded he is motivated by love rather than cynical and inexcusable exploitative impulses.
It is a tawdry tale ,heavy and oppressive with an air of sleaze and corruption hanging like a pall over the whole novel.There is physical and forensic violence here but the real violence is one of atmosphere -a miasma of corruption hangs over the events described in the book and the realisation of this quality is the ultimate triumph of the novel .It makes it honest but does make for comfortable reading and some will find the subject matter inherently disquieting .
The events of the previous novel I referred to earlier that impact on the book are more to do with character than plot -Tolliver and town pediatrician / pathologist Sar Linton are striving to re-ignite their relationship , hard driven cop Lena is still suffering the trauma of rape which she endured in Blindsighted and struggling to rebuild her professional and personal life .
This is well written but the absence of any lighness in atmosphere or incident make the book heavy going .
Slaughte is immensely talented but for my money need to lighten up a little -it would throw the themes of her stories into starker relief but adding a contarsting shade .
Rating:
Summary: Loved it!!
Review: This book is quite a page-turner. I enjoyed her last one (Blindsighted) too, but this was even better! It has a very sad & disturbing plot to it that makes you angry that this could happen to children. This author is a wonderful story-teller. I can't wait to read her next book!! And, by the way, I am not a friend or agent of this author as a previous reviewer suggested about people who give this book a 5-star rating.
Rating:
Summary: Thrilling read
Review: I have exhausted my stash of Cornwell and Reichs and also Sue Grafton and was looking for a new thriller / detective novel. I picked this up on holiday and couldn't put it down. So much so that I went to the airport book shop on the way home to see if I could purchase anymore of her work, and was not dissapointed with "A Faint Cold Fear" - that was equally enthralling. I highly reccommend, a very good read.
Rating: 
Summary: Reading This is an Effective Form of Torture
Review: Where to begin? There is no significant character development. As soon as you are getting to know a character, the perspective will switch to one of the other many, many characters. However, this could be a blessing-- considering that all of the characters are infinitely boring, unlikeable and depressing anyway.
This dreck was so INCREDIBLY BORING that I began skimming about half way though. And then I just gave up and skipped to the end.
This book was so horribly dull, I just had to see if the author could salvage it with an unexpected, creative conclusion. No such luck. The author tries to push the envelope and go for shock value...but fails miserably. Instead, the ending was...well, just plain gross and stupid.
Save your money and bang your head repeatedly into a brick wall, instead of purchasing this boring dreck. You will achieve the same feeling as if you just read the entire book.
Rating:
Summary: Not entirely unpleasant
Review: This is the second book I have read by Karin Slaughter. I found both books very easy to get through (about 2 days each). I did find both of the books pretty predictable though. I figured out who the bad guy was pretty soon. I didn't think either book was really great but they were okay. Like I said, pretty easy to get through. I guess I'll have to read the third installmant to see if she keeps with her pattern.
Rating:
Summary: Why write this?
Review: This is not the first book I read by Slaughter. Right now, I do not want to read another. I want to be entertained, not repulsed. I don't want to read about child porn or child sex abuse in my free time. It was graphic at times. If you want to write about sex, how about the main characters instead?
Rating: 
Summary: I Have Finally Found a Book I Don't Want Read to Me
Review: This is in reference to the unabridged version. The reader uses what was probably intended to be a Georgia accent. I don't know if she knows what one sounds like but it watered down by a producer or she actually thinks that this was a Georgia accent-- but whatever the cause, this was BAD. I was gritting my teeth over the narrator's nasal voice within the first five minutes. Within the next five I was praying that someone would get killed so I didn't have to hear any more about the heroine's relationship with her ex-husband as they groped one another in a crowded skating rink. Finally, I gave it up as a bad job.
I am left with only one burning question-- now mind I make no claim to being able to wear Cinderella's glass slipper myself-- but how big are the heroine's feet and why did she have to wear men's skates?
Rating:
Summary: A pleasant enough read but not a keeper
Review: I bought this book to read on a journey and it certainly passed the time pleasantly enough but it hardly belongs to the type of well-crafted thriller that you want to read over again to appreciate all the clues you missed first time around. Karin Slaughter relies on bombarding her readers with one shock after another - but if you actually sit down and think about what's happening the whole thing starts to unravel. For one thing it relies on Sara Linton being either incredibly stupid - in failing to identify that her patients are being abused - or being incredibly clever at catching a paedophile ring. Why would police fail to suspect the mother of a seriously abused girl of any kind of involvement? Also the identity of the dead baby's mother just doesn't make sense when you think about - how could she have kept it hidden for six months?
Not a book I am likely to add to my collection but an exciting thriller which works well enough - as long as you don't pause to think about too much!
Rating:
Summary: RELIGIOUS READERS BEWARE
Review: The auther, Karin Slaughter, hates Christians. Her first novel revolved around a serial killer who was a religous fanatic. Her second featured a Christian minister participating in child molesting. The only character Slaughter pictures as a living saint is a blind lesbian. Her romantic lead cheats on his wife.
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