Kisscut (Grant County, #2)

Title: Kisscut (Grant County, #2)

Author: Karin Slaughter

Published in: 2002

Date read: 1st May 2023

Score: 5/5

Genre: Crime, Detective, Thriller

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Kisscut," the second novel in Karin Slaughter's Grant County series, picks up with Medical Examiner Sara Linton and Police Chief Jeffrey Tolliver still dealing with the aftermath of the horrific events of "Blindsighted." The town of Heartsdale is attempting to heal, but a new, unsettling case shatters its fragile peace.

The plot begins when a teenage girl, seemingly out of nowhere, stumbles into the emergency room with a new-born baby. Both are badly injured, and the girl has a gunshot wound. The perplexing part is that the girl vehemently denies ever being pregnant or giving birth, even after the evidence is undeniable. As Sara examines the girl and the infant, she discovers signs of severe abuse and a disturbing pattern of ritualistic injuries on the baby.

Jeffrey's investigation quickly leads him to a secretive and insular religious community on the outskirts of Heartsdale, where traditional values are held to extreme degrees and outsiders are met with hostility. This community, led by a charismatic but menacing figure, seems to hold the key to the mystery of the injured girl and baby.

As Sara and Jeffrey delve deeper, they uncover a terrifying world of abuse, control, and twisted beliefs hidden behind the community's closed doors. The case becomes a race against time not only to bring the perpetrators to justice but also to save other children who may be suffering in silence. The investigation also forces Sara and Jeffrey to confront the complexities of their own relationship and the emotional toll that their work takes on them, particularly as they witness the depths of human cruelty. "Kisscut" explores themes of religious fanaticism, child abuse, and the resilience of victims in the face of unspeakable trauma.

Comments:
A great story to follow on from the last one. Here we see some of the stereotypes of rural Georgia given life through pages. This is a book that I could not put down. KS gives you reason to truly hate in this book.

Books that we've read by Karin Slaughter (18):
Blindsighted (Grant County, #1) (2001), Kisscut (Grant County, #2) (2002), A Faint Cold Fear (Grant County, #3) (2003), Indelible (Grant County, #4) (2004), Faithless (Grant County, #5) (2005), Triptych (Will Trent, #1) (2006), Skin Privilege (Grant County, #6) (2007), Fractured (Will Trent, #2) (2008), Genesis (Will Trent, #3) (2009), Broken (Will Trent, #4) (2010), Fallen (Will Trent, #5) (2011), Criminal (Will Trent, #6) (2012), Unseen (Will Trent, #7) (2013), The Kept Woman (Will Trent, #8) (2016), The Last Widow (Will Trent, #9) (2019), The Silent Wife (Will Trent, #10) (2020), After That Night (Will Trent, #11) (2023), This Is Why We Lied (Will Trent, #12) (2024)