I don’t even know how to put this into words. I’ve only read one book by Karin Slaughter before, and I wasn’t expecting this. Not this level of emotional devastation. We Are All Guilty Here grabbed me by the heart, tore it out, and made me feel every beat of these characters’ pain and I cried real tears for them like they were people I knew irl. I still can’t stop thinking about them.
Set in the small town of North Falls, where everyone’s in everyone else’s business, the nightmare begins when two fifteen-year-old girls, Madison Dalrymple and Cheyenne Baker, vanish. Their bikes are found abandoned. There’s blood at the scene, then drugs and stacks of cash are found in their room. Evidence that raises more questions than answers. The town turns savage.
But for Officer Emmy Clifton, this case is personal. Madison is the stepdaughter of her best friend, Hannah. Emmy carries the guilt like a second skin and it only deepens when the girls are found dead, brutally bruised. The killer vanishes without a trace. No evidence. No DNA. Just a red herring. The case is also known as the Broken Angels.
Twelve years later, North Falls is dragged back into its darkest memories when another teenage girl vanishes. With history repeating itself, Emmy is forced to reopen wounds she never truly healed. She must face the trauma she buried, the secrets the town tried to forget, and the haunting possibility that the killer never left.
This book isn’t just a psychological thriller it’s a deep dive into the fractures of human nature. Slaughter masterfully pulls apart each character’s layers, exposing raw emotion, deep flaws, and the domino effect of every choice.
And the ending is twisted, gut-punching, and utterly unforgettable. We Are All Guilty Here is an emotional roller coaster wrapped in a murder mystery, which is dark, gritty, and so well-crafted it hurts. Karin Slaughter nailed it. 5⭐