Product Description

Someone had spent time with her - someone well-practised in the art of pain...Three and a half years ago former Grant County medical examiner Sara Linton moved to Atlanta hoping to leave her tragic past behind her. Now working as a doctor in Atlanta's Grady Hospital she is starting to piece her life together. But when a severely wounded young woman is brought in to the emergency room, she finds herself drawn back into a world of violence and terror. The woman has been hit by a car but, naked and brutalised, it's clear that she has been the prey of a twisted mind. When Special Agent Will Trent of the Criminal Investigation Team returns to the scene of the accident, he stumbles on a torture chamber buried deep beneath the earth. And this hidden house of horror reveals a ghastly truth - Sara's patient is just the first victim of a sick, sadistic killer. Wrestling the case away from the local police chief, Will and his partner Faith Mitchell find themselves at the centre of a grisly murder hunt. And Sara, Will and Faith - each with their own wounds and their own secrets - are the only thing that stands between a madman and his next crime...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1414 in Books
• Published on: 2009-07-02
• Released on: 2009-06-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 448 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Even those who know Karin Slaughter’s books only by reputation are aware of her pole position in the realm of tough and persuasive crime thrillers. In Genesis we are again in the company of medical examiner Sara Linton, who several years previously had left Grant County for Atlanta to heal the psychological wounds of her troubled past. Holding down a job in Atlanta’s Grady Hospital, she is slowly finding a kind of equilibrium again. But then a seriously wounded young woman is delivered to the hospital, and Sara finds herself once again in a familiar world of brutality and evil. Although the young women is the victim of a car accident, it’s evident that she has also been at the mercy of a sadistic killer. Working on the case is Will Trent, an agent of the Criminal Investigation Team, and at the scene of the accident, he discovers a grim subterranean secret: a room laid out like a torture chamber with instruments of mutilation. And the psychotic individual responsible will soon be plying his grisly trade again, unless Sara Linton and Will Trent can assume responsibility for the investigation (the local police chief being unable to cope). The clock is ticking…

This is Karin Slaughter firing on all cylinders – showing, as ever, that she would never be happy trading on past glories. Each new book represents a move forward for her, and Genesis pushes all the right buttons. Particularly impressive here (along with the customarily compelling and gruesome narrative) is the foregrounding of the emotional problems of both protagonists, handled with real assurance. --Barry Forshaw

About the Author
Karin Slaughter grew up in a small south Georgia town and has been writing since she was a child. She is the author of the Grant County series of international bestsellers Blindsighted, Kisscut, A Faint Cold Fear, Indelible, Faithless and Skin Privilege, the bestselling thrillers set in Atlanta, Triptych and Fractured, and the novella Martin Misunderstood. She is also the editor of Like a Charm, a collaboration of British and American crime fiction writers. She lives in Atlanta.

Customer Reviews

An excellent cross-over and a fantastic thriller
GENESIS by Karin Slaughter is a cross-over of her two series - the first being her most known Grant County series starring Sara Linton, the other being the more recent series featuring Will Trent and Faith Mitchell. The story is based in Atlanta where Sara has moved to since the death of her husband three and a half years ago. Women have been kidnapped and brutally tortured before being found either in critical condition or dead. Will and Faith are on the case with the help of Sara to find one of the most vicious and sadistic serial killers that they have ever came across. Two women have been found so far but two more that they know of are now missing so it is a race against time to find them.

If you're a fan of either or both of Slaughter's series (like myself) then there is no doubt at all that you are going to love this book. It is more focussed on Will and Faith than Sara (she isn't in it as much as in the Grant County books) so if you are familiar with TRIPTYCH and FRACTURED it helps but is not essential. The relationship between Will and Faith feels very natural and realistic with regards to how they speak and act around one another, however their relationship with Sara does feel a little forced at times. The case is very graphic and can be quite dark and disturbing for the most part (think in the style of SILENCE OF THE LAMBS). There's quite a few suspects that could be the killer so it will keep you guessing and changing your mind the whole way through. It also gives us small chapters now and again from the perspective of the victims which tells us their fears and emotional trauma that they are going through, which just adds to the disturbing content. As well as the shocking case that the characters are all dealing with, it also touches on a lot of other matters such as Sara's grief for Jeffery (which is quite heartbreaking at times), Will's dyslexia and Faith's pregnancy and newly discovered diabetes.

Overall this is a very enjoyable novel - one of Slaughter's best I may add - and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting and thought-provoking thriller. It's not essential to have read Slaughter's previous books (in both series) but does help and definitely makes you feel more for the main characters if you are familiar with them. I look forward to where she goes with her series now!

Slaughter back on form
After reading the last few Grant County books I was feeling that they had lost their edge, while the Will Trent books where much better. This book brings the main characters from the two series together and is Slaughter back to her best.
The story follows Will Trent trying to find a kidnapper/murderer and when one of the victim's ends up in Sara's hospital she becomes some what involved in the case.
My only comment would be that the ending was too fast; it seemed to hand the killer on a plate with no real detective work being done. Having said that though it was a really enjoyable book and is worth giving a read whether you are a follower of the other books or not.

Brilliant
I love the way Karin writes and more importantly I love her characters so much. It's a bit sad she killed off Jeff as I liked his and Sara's story, however I do hope she'll continue to write Sara, Will and Faith together - they sort of just fit. Plus it would be very intresting to see where Wills crush on Sara could lead too, seeing as he's so diffrent from Jeff...and he has a crazy, kinda evil wife who is so so different from Sara... love complex angsty stories like that!

I can't say more than that KS is a fantastic writer and every time a new book is released, I can't stop reading them until the end... which doesnt happen a lot since I'm so picky....

A recommend this to anyone (unless your ultra sensative) but you might want to read the other books in both series first so you understand the characters... not that that is something bad - I'd love to be able to read them again and be suprised....

A+++++++++

PS: Karin I know you dont read Amazon but if you still do and see this...I love Amanda, please start using her a bit more!!!