We're All Guilty Here
North Falls Thriller
Thriller
William Morrow
August 12, 2025
The first thrilling mystery in the new North Falls series from Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Girls and the Will Trent Series.
Welcome to North Falls—a small town where everyone knows everyone. Or so they think.
Until the night of the fireworks. When two teenage girls vanish, and the town ignites.
For Officer Emmy Clifton, it’s personal. She turned away when her best friend's daughter needed help—and now she must bring her home.
But as Emmy combs through the puzzle the girls left behind, she realizes she never really knew them. Nobody did.
Every teenage girl has secrets. But who would kill for them? And what else is the town hiding?
There are moments in life that can prevent disaster, and we’ll never know when.
Someone can text you on your way out of the house, and pausing to read it could keep you from getting in an accident. You’ll just never know. It’s those “coulda woulda shoulda” moments that burn us in the aftermath of tragedy. This whole thriller hinges on a single moment when an officer could have stopped for a minute to listen to a teenager, and prevent tragedy. When she doesn’t, a load of guilt is laid on her shoulders for two missing teenage girls, but it’s really not her fault. Right?
It’s not her fault! But I feel her pain.
“We’re All Guilty Here” by Karin Slaughter is cleverly titled. Over the course of the investigation for two missing teens, we learn how a lot of people and systems failed them both. There is fault in parents, teachers, friends, investigators. It’s all such a heartbreaking mess. What hit me the deepest was the secrets uncovered of the two girls throughout their disappearance. I can too easily recall how easy it was at their age to be critical of myself, ready to grow up too fast, and not appreciating my time being a kid. What happens throughout “We’re All Guilty Here” is a very tense investigation, with so many mistakes, and all of it is just “so human”.
The wolf is always hiding in sheep’s clothing.
This book is for readers who don’t mind losing sleep at night for a heap of suspense. You’ll be angry, and shocked many times. And yet, the ugly nature of humans that is displayed is not as surprising as it should be. Karin Slaughter is a master at giving us stories so dark that we struggle to read them… and then beg for more.
No one could predict this ending!
Kristin lives in the PNW with her husband, and three kids. She loves to read YA fiction, fantasy, and romance. She enjoys a few side-hustles, including creating bookreels/booktoks for authors. The only shows she watches are re-runs, and if she’s not reading a book, she’s listening to one.
