While this author of thriller, crime-fiction has been around since 2001, Karin Slaughter has never been an author that I have taken for a test-drive, until now.

Her first novel Blindsighted, in which she debuts her heroine, Southern coroner Sara Linton,  for novels to come, is flat-out a great read.

As the book puts it, blindsighteness interferes with vision. You can see, but your mind can’t make out what it is your seeing. In otherwords, the truth could be right in front of you the entire time, but you are “blind” to it.

Now knowledge of this definition does nothing to spoil the plot of this novel, but more into the intimate layers found in most of the primary and some secondary layers of Slaughter’s characters. While some authors chose to get the reader into the hearts, minds, and past of their characters by having overly lengthy and detailed prose, Karin choses to keep it fairly simple in the writing style so that your interest is kept at a tight grip.

I compare this to one of my other top favorite authors, James Patterson.  His novels move at a quick pace, with very short chapters and lots of page-turning.  Mr. Patterson focused mainly on plot and that is what drives  my to carry on in the book to see where the story is turning next.

Karin Slaughter has that same approach, but her chapters are longer and while the plot moves along, her emphasis is on character development.  She makes you really care about the townsfolk, the detectives, and even see into the hearts of the possible suspects.  In the end, when a tragedy happens, you are bummed because you have a connection with the character. Yet all the while, the story moves on.  There is a killer on the loose and we, the readers, and the protagonists have no clue who it is. As the caption on the cover so blatantly puts it…

He kills in plain sight. But you won’t see him coming…

Great job, Ms. Slaughter.  I am disappointed it took 9 years for us to meet and I look forward to our next meeting.  Now I am off to the bookstore….