The stunning new thriller from the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author

An ordinary life…

Leigh Collier has worked hard to build what looks like a normal life. She has a good job as a defence attorney, a daughter doing well in school, and even her divorce is relatively civilised – her life is just as unremarkable as she'd always hoped it would be.

 

Hides a devastating past…

But Leigh's ordinary life masks a childhood which was far from average … a childhood tarnished by secrets, broken by betrayal, and finally torn apart by a devastating act of violence.

 

But now the past is catching up…

Then a case lands on her desk – defending a wealthy man accused of rape. It's the highest profile case she's ever been given – a case which could transform her career, if she wins. But when she meets the accused, she realises that it's no coincidence that he's chosen her as his attorney. She knows him. And he knows her. More to the point, he knows what happened twenty years ago, and why Leigh has spent two decades running.  

 

And time is running out.

If she can't get him acquitted, she'll lose much more than the case. The only person who can help her is her younger, estranged sister Callie, the last person Leigh would ever want to ask for help. But suddenly she has no choice …

Reviews

Praise for Karin Slaughter:

‘Gripping, gruesome and emotionally powerful, this is Slaughter doing what she does best’ Mail on Sunday

‘As sharp and absorbing as ever’ Guardian

‘Slaughter’s novel is both a page-turner and a protest about how often sexual violence is overlooked’ Sunday Times

‘Tightly written, gritty and wonderfully gripping’ Woman’s Own

‘Gritty and taut, it’s an expertly crafted novel’ Woman’s Weekly

‘Another violent cat-and-mouse game in Slaughter’s dependable, long-running series’ Sun

‘I’d follow her anywhere’ Gillian Flynn

‘One of the boldest thriller writers working today’ Tess Gerritsen

‘Her characters, plot, and pacing are unrivalled’ Michael Connelly

‘Passion, intensity, and humanity’ Lee Child

‘A writer of extraordinary talents’ Kathy Reichs

‘Fiction doesn't get any better than this’ Jeffery Deaver

‘A great writer at the peak of her powers’ Peter James

'Karin Slaughter has – by far – the best name of all of us mystery novelists' James Patterson

‘Raw, powerful and utterly gripping’ Kathryn Stockett

‘With heart and skill Karin Slaughter keeps you hooked from the first page until the last’ Camilla Lackberg

‘It’s big, dark, rich, satisfying, and bloody – like a perfectly cooked steak’ Stuart MacBride

‘The best yet’ Lesley Pearse

‘Amongst the world‘s greatest and finest crime writers’ Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

‘Smart, gripping and packed with enthralling characters, this darkly addictive tale will reel you in from the get-go’ Heat

‘The queen of the explosive thriller’ Good Housekeeping

‘Buckle up for an exhilarating read’ Prima

‘Slaughter skilfully juggles her twin time frames and delivers a taut, complex and unusually thoughtful thriller’ Mail on Sunday Event Magazine

‘A great read’ Daily Mail

'The best suspense novel of the year' Daily Express

‘Fierce, savagely well-written’ Metro

‘Slaughter judiciously keeps the characterisation of her imperilled protagonists to the fore’ Guardian