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In Review

21 November 2008 20:19 BST

Skin Privilege by Karin Slaughter

Published by Century, out July 12th, hardback, 401 pages, £17.99.

In a nutshell…

Gripping, gruesome, dark, easy read.

What's it all about?

Following a murder in Reece, a small town in south Georgia, the main suspect is Lena Adams, a detective with a shady past. When her boss hears she is being implicated in the crime, he and his wife, a medical examiner, make their way to Reece.

However, Lena is less than happy about their offer of help and what awaits them is far more complicated than a simple case of murder.

A web of lies, betrayal and brutality closes in on those involved in the secrets of a town where it is far from clear who is telling the truth and who is hiding and lying.

Twists, turns and sub plots involving corrupt cops, white supremacy, drug addiction, domestic violence and the love between a man and his wife make for a gripping read.

Who's it by?

Georgia native Karin Slaughter is the author of a number of bestsellers about Grant County, of which Skin Privilege is the sixth novel.

Sales of her books have reached more than 12 million worldwide, with her colourful characters - of whom Lena Adams, Jeffrey Tolliver and Sara Linton are the most famous - playing an integral part.

Her books feature violent crimes, with sexual assault a common feature. Slaughter does not shy away from what has traditionally been men's territory in writing about hardcore criminals.

As an example

"Lena stood up and pressed the sole of her shoe against the knife, the double-sided blade slicing into the rubber. She leaned her forehead against the counter for balance as she put her full weight onto one leg, crunching the blade against his wrist … The handcuff jerked up, Valentine's hand popping off his wrist like a loose tooth."

Likelihood of becoming a Hollywood blockbuster

Skin Privilege has got all the makings of an atmospheric suspense thriller that will draw cinemagoers: shady characters, underground crime, violence, sex and the underbelly of smalltown America.

What the others say

"Without doubt an accomplished, compelling and complex tale, with page-turning power aplenty." - Daily Express

"The writing is lean and mean, and the climax will blow you away." - The Independent

So is it any good?

With enough twists and turns to make her reader's head spin, Slaughter's latest novel is one smart piece of crime writing.

She uses a number of sub-plots to cunningly throw the reader off the scent of what is really going on, making you guess and second guess motives and characters until the very end.

From the first few pages, Slaughter succeeds in setting the tone of the events to follow and to convey the atmosphere of Reece in south Georgia and the complex characters inhabiting it.

The author does not shy away from very graphic and violent scenes that complement the storyline and make the characters all the more believable.

Skin Privilege is a truly gripping read, and all you would expect of a crime novel. It's a page turner which sees the pieces of the puzzle put together so craftily, with a chilling climax that succeeds in Slaughter's goal: to be "like a punch to the gut".

8/10

Karen Moller