Product Description

Saturday night dates at the skating rink have been a tradition in the small southern town of Heartsdale for as long as anyone can remember. But when a teenage quarrel explodes into a deadly shoot-out, Sara Linton - the town's paediatrician and medical examiner - finds herself entangled in a terrible tragedy. What seemed at first to be a horrific but individual catastrophe proves to have wider implications. The autopsy reveals evidence of long term - abuse, of ritualistic self-mutilation, but when Sara and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver start to investigate, they are frustrated at every turn. The children surrounding the victim close ranks. The families turn their backs. Then a young girl is abducted, and it becomes clear that the first death is linked to an even more brutal crime, one far more shocking than anyone could have imagined. And unless Sara and Jeffrey can uncover the deadly secrets the children hide, it's going to happen again...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6686 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-10
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Kisscut is a reminder that Karin Slaughter has--with just one previous novel--built a reputation as one of the most powerful and astringent thriller writers at work today. In fact, Slaughter's work represents a development of the Southern Gothic strain, and like so many of her illustrious predecessors, she is adept at exploring the darker reaches of the human psyche. As her last book, Blindsighted, sold over 25,000 copies, it would seem that many of us have become Slaughter aficionados.

Kisscut begins with a particularly explosive opening. In the car park of a skating rink in the small southern town of Heartsdale, chief of police Jeffrey Tolliver witnesses a teenage girl pointing a gun at a man. But the detective, there for a date with his ex-wife Sara (the town's medical examiner and paediatrician), is obliged to shoot the girl to save the boy's life. The subsequent autopsy brings to light a gallery of horrors, and as Tolliver and Sara undertake a particularly difficult investigation, they are met with a wall of silence.

Slaughter is now routinely compared to Thomas Harris, and the comparisons are not far-fetched. We're used to unflinching forensic detail these days (courtesy of such writers as Kathy Reichs and Patricia Cornwell), but Slaughter is adept at unsettling the reader in a whole host of ways, not least through her recurrent suggestion that the patina of normality sustaining her characters is very thin indeed. Jeffrey and Sara's faltering relationship is richly drawn, though we find reduced attention given to their private problems as the novel progresses and the focus shifts more to the author's polished and consummate handling of the tortuous plot. --Barry Forshaw

Review
Hailed as the new Mary Renault, Scott offers the first of three novels about Boudica, the last defender of the Celtic culture and legendary British warrior. The story opens in AD 32, with Breaca (later to be known as Boudica, Bringer of Victory) a young child defending herself against marauders, and killing the man who attacked and killed her mother. This is also the tale of Caradoc, an outstanding leader, and her half-brother B n, Roman captive and Druid. It is a truly remarkable story full of wonderful atmosphere and recounts that amazing world of tribal Britain in the years before the Roman invasion. Intensely exciting, a tale of passion, courage and heroism against huge odds, which is intensely moving. A big, big seller for 2003.

Michael Connelly
'This is crime fiction at its finest.'

Customer Reviews

Make way for a new crime star!
I bought this book without many expectations of reading anything too new but once I picked it up I couldn't put it down! It has definitly put a new lease of life into the crime/thriller genre! Disturbing in parts I don't recommend you read it if you are easily upset, but if you are a true crime fan then this is a definite read. I won't give away any plot lines as so many do in some of these reviews all you need to know is in the synopsis. There are references to her first book-Blindsighted-but it is not necessary for you to have read that first as I hadn't and still thouroughly enjoyed this one. As I said if you are a fan of this genre than this one is a must! I read it in just a couple of days and can't wait to read the next book!

well done!
Kisscut is the second book of Karin Slaughters with the first being Blindsighted. This book once again has the same detectives and characters as the first however a totally different story line. She creates her characters in such a way that you can feel that you are there with Sarah and Jeffrey solving the latest crime. I wont give away the story other than to say that it is crimes of teenagers. Excellent reading material!

not for the faint-hearted
I'm still not sure where I stand on this book. I commend the writing- it is gripping, fast- paced and well researched- but the subject matter was harrowing. It's all a matter of personal taste of course; I am not easily shocked but there were times I had to put the book down. I was left feeling rather raw and sad, knowing that Slaughter must have had to do research into the evil,horrific little world the story is centred upon. Parts of it made me want to cry knowing that somewhere, now, it could be happening. Having said all that, if you are willing to see the black- hearted side of humanity it is a compelling read.