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Saturday night dates at the skating rink have been a tradition in the small southern town of Heartsdale for as long as anyone can remember, but when a teenage quarrel explodes into a deadly shoot-out, Sara Linton-the town's pediatrician and medical examiner-finds herself entangled in a terrible tragedy. What seemed at first to be a horrific but individual catastrophe proves to have wider implications. The autopsy reveals evidence of long-term abuse, of ritualistic self -mutilation, but when Sara and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver start to investigate, they are frustrated at every turn. The children surrounding the victim close ranks. The families turn their backs. Then a young girl is abducted, and it becomes clear that the first death is linked to an even more brutal crime, one far more shocking than anyone could have imagined. Meanwhile, detective Lena Adams, still recovering from her sister's death and her own brutal attack, finds herself drawn to a young man who might hold the answers. But unless Lena, Sara, and Jeffrey can uncover the deadly secrets the children hide, it's going to happen again . . .… (more)
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[Kisscut] is my least
What was repellent for me, but central to the tale, was the criminal activity directed at young people. It was creepy stuff, IMHO. It was similar to watching a horror movie or thriller and not being able to walk out (or at least fast forward the DVD) when things got too bad, because you do want to see the good guys win in the end. Here's where I want to say ... I stopped reading and hurled the book across the room, but I did not.
Twists and turns abound, and very few *predictable* villains and *one-can-see-that-coming-a-mile-away* situations are presented within this suspenseful story.
Hesitantly recommended for people who are more able than this reviewer to let horrific things roll off their consciousness like water off a ducks back.
4 Stars
Series note: This is book #2 in Slaughter’s Grant County series and there are numerous references to events in the first book.
When an altercation between teenagers in a skating rink parking lot ends in tragedy, Grant County medical examiner, Sara Linton, and her ex-husband, Chief of
The plot is extremely disturbing and horrific. Thankfully, there isn’t too much description of the actual abuse otherwise I might have had to DNF. The story itself is compelling and the message that appearances can be deceiving and we can never really know the people around us is an important one.
The real problem with this book is the characterization. None of the characters are likable or sympathetic not even the so-called protagonists, Jeffrey, Sara and Lena, who do and say very hurtful things to one another and to others. The only character to come across as a good person with a good heart is Hank, Lena’s uncle. I’m amazed that he was willing to put up with her.
All in all, Kisscut is a well-written and thought provoking book but not for the faint of heart.
I did not see the end of Kisscut coming. It was complicated with several twists and possibilities for my mind to go with. I was never sure who the good guys or bad guys were, just like in real life. They were not cut and dried, nor were they stereotyped. Warning for some readers, this plot involves child sexual abuse which I usually don't read. I have to say tho that Slaughter does an excellent and I think helpful job of illustrating the psychological plight of man victims as they attempt to heal. Specifically, it can be difficult for victims to reconcile the fact that their bodies may naturally respond to sex while their minds are screaming no and this results in much shame. This is what Slaughter does a good job with. Anyone struggling with Stockholm Syndrome may find this helpful if not too traumatic, depending on where they are in their recovery. Four stars
Back Cover Blurb:
When a teenage quarrel in the small town of Heartsdale
Sara and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver start to investigate, but the children surrounding the victim close ranks. The families turn their backs. Then a young girl is abducted, and it becomes clear that the first death is linked to an even more brutal crime. And unless Sara and Jeffrey can uncover the deadly secrets the children hide, it's going to happen again....
I think, mostly, that I don't like Lena. And I prefer Will to Jeffrey.
And I would like Karin Slaughter to reevaluate her
I promised a review and here it is, months after reading it! Oops!
Well this book was a lot like the first one. It was harsh, graphic, sadistic, in-depth, smart, long, emotional, spine-chilling and did I mention graphic?
The post mortem
The characters again are complex and intriguing. Lena is my favourite and the character I found most irritating too. I just wanted her to snap out of her self-loathing and wallowing and be that bad ass cop she was before. She's so traumatized from her ordeal of the previous book she cannot think straight. She's suicidal and emotionally/psychologically destroyed. Her guardian, whose name escapes me, is there for her when before as she'd been growing up, he'd been an addict she couldn't rely on. She blames him for her late sister becoming blind. Those years of anger towards him, Lena in this book, starts to let him back in again and through her grief and pain he is her rock and the kick up the backside she needs. It's a beautiful and haunting moment when she is about to kill herself and he stands there and says, if you're gonna do it just do it and get it over with, or man up and start to take life by the horns again. Basically, stop wallowing in self-pity and snap out of it. I was on the edge of my seat wondering if she would do it or not.
Sara and Jeffrey are romantic in this novel after a shaky start in the first book. They're rekindling their romance after a horrible divorce due to Jeffrey's infidelity. I like their relationship but at the same time I find it unlikeable. It isn't like the romance you read in a lot of books. The passion and desire. It is there, but it is there in a very realistic form and that to me, can sometimes be unpleasant to read. The embarrassments, the moments where you feel they aren't as passionate or in love with each other as you'd like, and then the misunderstandings/misinterpretations of their actions or words. It was all real and it worked with the genre, considering all the horrific deaths going on, but don't expect mushy or hellfire passion. It's not there.
The criminals are cold and calculating and you won't expect the killers to be who they are. When you do discover more and more what the real dark secret is behind a supposedly unwanted pregnancy, (as if the image of a newborn baby getting flushed down the toilet isn't bad enough) you really feel a sickening coldness in your gut.
But the author doesn't disappoint with her deep, concise and detailed knowledge of forensics, of the police, investigations and the criminal mind. She's very intelligent and knows what she's talking about and it shows in her writing.
The author's titles to her books are true to her story and have a more direct meaning than we would like, so when I discovered the reason behind the title as I was reading I nearly threw up in my mouth. And this book does have a few of these moments where you wince, swallow back bile and take a minute to digest it before you can read on.
Nevertheless I did like it. I didn't like it as much as the first one, I think because I liked Lena's character more then, than now. I wish she'd stop crashing and pick herself back up. She was supposed to be a strong character and in this book, despite all the horrors she has been through, I imagined she'd recover in a more healthier way.
I wanted to give it 4 stars but I'm not sure I can when I think I gave the first book 4. It's still great. No major complaints. So this is 3.5 stars from me.
In the future I'll be onto the next one. It's sat there on my shelf, waiting for me to dive into the dark world that is Karin Slaughter's mind.
It was not as thrilling as Slaughter's previous book, but just as good.
Once again the author provides chilling scenarios and gritty details while addressing more than one topic that can make the reader feel uncomfortable. In this case we’re talking child pornography, self mutilation and suicide. We not only find out what’s going on and how many people are affected by it, but we follow the thoughts and actions of Jeff, Sara and Detective Lena Adams who is still recovering from what took place in the last book.
Jeff and Sara are slowly trying to build a relationship again. Both are united in finding out what’s going on. He’s wracked with guilt over killing a little girl, wondering if there had been another option. The girl had been Sara’s patient and she wonders if she missed some clues, fearing other kids also need to be helped.
Lena isn’t doing as well as she’d like others to believe. But she hits rock bottom and with some tough love, we start to see a difference. Lena is not an easy person to like with her gruff, aggressive approach and chip on her shoulder. We do see a different side of her and even if you can’t like her, you can appreciate why she makes a good police officer. Have some tissues handy.
One of the things this author does really well is give realistic characters that are most often not truly good or truly bad, but a combination of both; although some do such horrific things that it’s sometimes difficult to remember that there were aspects we liked before finding out what they were doing. Some have no redeeming qualities at all and with others you can only hope.
There are times when the story seems to drag a little, although the story is well-written between discovering what's going on as well as building on the personal lives of 3 main characters.
This book starts with a Saturday night at the local skating rink where Sara is waiting for her ex-husband to show up. They’re “dating” again, though Sara says she wants to take it slow because she’s not sure she forgives him yet for the cheating that resulted in their divorce. But an altercation in the parking lot between two young teens interrupts this date, and results in Chief Toliver’s shooting one of them. Sara, who is also the medical examiner, is tasked with performing the autopsy; what she finds shocks her, the police and the victim’s mother.
Sounds promising, doesn’t it? It isn’t. Slaughter throws in everything but the kitchen sink … a newborn found in the toilet, child abuse, a fragile female officer not yet over her own trauma (see book one), Sara and Jeffery’s budding re-romance, a young rookie cop’s efforts to overcome embarrassment and inexperience, etc. Some of these threads stretch credulity too far. A therapist volunteers to provide his case notes to the police when a suspect is not talking openly. One young person vacillates between crying vulnerability, predatory sexuality, and a near catatonic trance … all within one interview.
It’s a fast read, but you would still be better off spending that time reading something else.
While definitely not for the faint of heart as the storyline is very high on the “ick” factor, this was a very good story and kept me interested to the end. Although one of the perpetrators was pretty obvious, others were revealed only as their heinous crimes were uncovered. I will definitely continue with the Grant County series.
Rating: 4 Stars
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. For those who can stomach the actual story, "Kisscut" is a worthwhile read and an above average mystery.
I'm currently rereading this series in audio. While very compelling, it is also difficult to hear some of the more graphic portions of the book and not be able to fast forward. I eventually traded my audio in for the actual book. That was a good choice because the plot is very intense and much of it disturbing.. Karin Slaughter does an excellent job of creating realistic characters that are most often not truly good or truly bad, but a combination of both. That's why I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series, A Faint Cold Fear.
This was just as graphic and brutal as the first one, except the subject matter in this one was more disturbing and offensive. The characters were all working through their own personal garbage, so it was a bit on the gloomy side, too. And, the language was very vulgar. Sounds like a great book, huh? Believe it or not, I like the characters - even the ones with rough edges. I think they are what keep me interested in the series. Kisscut is the second in the Grant Count Series. (4/5)
Originally posted on: Thoughts of Joy
This story was much harder for me to read than the first. The subject matter is one that I have a