A review by wordsofclover
Faithless by Karin Slaughter
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
CW: Domestic abuse, murder, abortion, description of fetus killed in womb, abortion described in anti-choice terminology, extreme violence, poisoning.
One of the things I can say about the Grant County series is they are the perfect books to read when you just want to lose yourself for a while in an addictive story! Every book so far for me has been unputdownable (a word?) and Faithless was no different.
The story starts as Police Chief Jeffrey Tolliver and his ex-wife/girlfriend Sara Linton discover a box in the ground during a woodland walk - and there's the body of a dead girl inside the box. The murder investigation leads back to a farm which seems like it's run on good faith and Christian charity, but Jeffrey's gut instincts tell him something is up.
I enjoyed this story a lot, and I think it was a good 'filler' in a way to make a path towards the last book in the series. While the investigation was really interesting, there were not as many surprises in this one as I feel there has been in previous books. This one was more of the why than the who. I also think this one did sort stuff out for Jeffrey and Sara as well, which is a long time coming and I did find myself getting as per usual, frustrated at the back and forward nature of their relationship and things from the past constantly cropping up again and Sara once again not seeming to let things go. I like how this book ended for the two of them.
I liked Lena's progression in this one, though honestly, I'm scared for her as well. I won't lie and say she was ever my favourite character but you can tell that she's a character Karin Slaughter loves to write, and is probably one of her favourites of the series. It's so sad really to see someone like Lena who has been beat down so much and come out fighting letting herself be controlled by Ethan and I truly hope this and the last book really gets him good. I also liked Greg and it was lovely seeing a different side of Lena when she was talking to him - a side we never really saw before, and it could be that he's the one she needs. I just fear for him a little bit too now with Ethan.
One of the things I can say about the Grant County series is they are the perfect books to read when you just want to lose yourself for a while in an addictive story! Every book so far for me has been unputdownable (a word?) and Faithless was no different.
The story starts as Police Chief Jeffrey Tolliver and his ex-wife/girlfriend Sara Linton discover a box in the ground during a woodland walk - and there's the body of a dead girl inside the box. The murder investigation leads back to a farm which seems like it's run on good faith and Christian charity, but Jeffrey's gut instincts tell him something is up.
I enjoyed this story a lot, and I think it was a good 'filler' in a way to make a path towards the last book in the series. While the investigation was really interesting, there were not as many surprises in this one as I feel there has been in previous books. This one was more of the why than the who. I also think this one did sort stuff out for Jeffrey and Sara as well, which is a long time coming and I did find myself getting as per usual, frustrated at the back and forward nature of their relationship and things from the past constantly cropping up again and Sara once again not seeming to let things go. I like how this book ended for the two of them.
I liked Lena's progression in this one, though honestly, I'm scared for her as well. I won't lie and say she was ever my favourite character but you can tell that she's a character Karin Slaughter loves to write, and is probably one of her favourites of the series. It's so sad really to see someone like Lena who has been beat down so much and come out fighting letting herself be controlled by Ethan and I truly hope this and the last book really gets him good. I also liked Greg and it was lovely seeing a different side of Lena when she was talking to him - a side we never really saw before, and it could be that he's the one she needs. I just fear for him a little bit too now with Ethan.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Murder, and Abortion