Karin Slaughter (born January 6, 1971) is an American

crime writer True crime is a nonfiction literary, podcast, and film genre in which the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people associated with and affected by criminal events. The crimes most commonly include murder; about 40 pe ...

. She has written 21 novels, which have sold more than 40 million copies and have been published in 120 countries. Her first novel, ''Blindsighted'' (2001), was published in 27 languages and made the

Crime Writers' Association The Crime Writers' Association (CWA) is a specialist authors’ organisation in the United Kingdom, most notable for its Dagger awards for the best crime writing of the year, and the Diamond Dagger awarded to an author for lifetime achievement. ...

's Dagger Award shortlist for "Best

Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

Debut" of 2001. Slaughter also won the 2015

CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger The CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger is an annual award given by the British Crime Writers' Association for best thriller of the year. The award is sponsored by the estate of Ian Fleming. It is given to a title that fits the broadest definition of th ...

award for her novel ''Cop Town''. Her 2018 novel, ''

Pieces of Her ''Pieces of Her'' is a thriller novel by American author Karin Slaughter, published on August 21, 2018 by William Morrow and Company and HarperCollins Publishers HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishin ...

'', was adapted into an eight-episode television series of the same name, released in March 2022 on

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

Philanthropy

Slaughter is a library advocate and founded Save the Libraries, a non-profit organization that campaigns to support US public

libraries A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...

. The Save the Libraries fund has provided more than $300,000 to the

DeKalb County Public Library The DeKalb County Public Library (DCPL) is the public library system of DeKalb County, Georgia in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The library system headquarters are at the Darro C. Willey Administrative Offices in Decatur. Its collection inclu ...

in Atlanta, Georgia.

Publishing history

Characters from Slaughter's two main series,

Grant County Grant County may refer to: Places ;Australia * County of Grant, Victoria ;United States *Grant County, Arkansas *Grant County, Indiana *Grant County, Kansas *Grant County, Kentucky *Grant County, Minnesota *Grant County, Nebraska *Grant Co ...

and

Will Trent ''Will Trent'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series based on Karin Slaughter's Will Trent series of novels. The series premiered on January 3, 2023, on ABC. Premise Will Trent, having been abandoned by his parents as ...

(Atlanta), were brought together in her novels ''

Undone Undone may refer to: Music * "Undone – The Sweater Song", a 1994 single by Weezer * "Undone" (Stellar song), 1999 * "Undone" (Joe Nichols song), 2016 * ''Undone'' (Brian & Jenn Johnson album), 2001 * ''Undone'' (MercyMe album), 2004 * ''U ...

'' (2009), titled ''Genesis'' internationally, and ''Broken'' (2010). In these novels, Will Trent and Sara Linton work cases set in Atlanta and Grant County, respectively.

Grant County series (2001 to 2007)

Slaughter is best known for her

series: * ''Blindsighted'', 2001 * '' Kisscut'', 2002 * '' A Faint Cold Fear'', 2003 * '' Indelible'', 2004 * ''

Faithless Faithless are an English band that formed in 1995, with its core members being Rollo, Sister Bliss and Maxi Jazz. Their first album, '' Reverence'', was released in 1996 and their most recent, '' All Blessed'', in 2020. They have sold milli ...

'', 2005 * ''

Beyond Reach ''Beyond Reach'' is the sixth novel in the Grant County series by Karin Slaughter, originally published in 2007. The previous books in the series are '' Blindsighted, Kisscut, A Faint Cold Fear, Indelible'', and ''Faithless''. ''Beyond Reach' ...

/Skin Privilege'', 2007 Set in the fictional town of Heartsdale, Georgia, (in the fictional Grant County) the narrative takes place from the perspective of three main characters: Sara Linton, the town's

pediatrician Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until th ...

and part-time coroner; Jeffrey Tolliver, Linton's husband and the chief of police; and his subordinate, detective Lena Adams.

Will Trent (Atlanta) series

The Will Trent series, which takes place in Atlanta, Georgia, features

Georgia Bureau of Investigation The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is the state bureau of investigation of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is an independent, statewide agency that provides assistance to Georgia's criminal justice system in the areas of criminal investiga ...

special agent Will Trent and his partner Faith Mitchell. So far, Trent has appeared in ''

Triptych A triptych ( ; from the Greek adjective ''τρίπτυχον'' "''triptukhon''" ("three-fold"), from ''tri'', i.e., "three" and ''ptysso'', i.e., "to fold" or ''ptyx'', i.e., "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divide ...

'', '' Fractured'', ''

'', '' Broken'', '' Fallen'', ''Criminal'', ''Unseen,'' ''The Kept Woman'', ''The Last Widow'' and ''The Silent Wife,'' as well as the novellas ''Snatched'' and ''Busted.''

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

has ordered a

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

starring Ramón Rodríguez as Trent and

Erika Christensen Erika Jane Christensen (born August 19, 1982) is an American actress and singer whose filmography includes roles in ''Traffic'' (2000), ''Swimfan'' (2002), ''The Banger Sisters'' (2002), ''The Perfect Score'' (2004), ''Flightplan'' (2005), '' H ...

as Angie, his girlfriend. The series has started playing as of Jan 3, 2023.

Other works

''Like a Charm'' is a

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

anthology featuring several thriller authors, including

Lee Child James Dover Grant (born 29 October 1954), primarily known by his pen name Lee Child, is a British author who writes thriller novels, and is best known for his '' Jack Reacher'' novel series. The books follow the adventures of a former American ...

Peter Robinson (novelist) Peter Robinson (17 March 1950 – 4 October 2022) was a British-born Canadian crime writer who was best known for his crime novels set in Yorkshire featuring Inspector Alan Banks. He also published a number of other novels and short stories, a ...

John Connolly (author) John Connolly (born 31 May 1968) is an Irish writer who is best known for his series of novels starring private detective Charlie Parker. Biography Education and early career Connolly was educated at Synge Street CBS and graduated with a BA ...

, and

Laura Lippman Laura Lippman (born January 31, 1959) is an American journalist and author of over 20 detective fiction novels. Life and career Lippman was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Columbia, Maryland. She is the daughter of Theo Lippman, Jr., a w ...

. Each story is linked by a

charm bracelet A charm bracelet is a type of bracelet which carries personal jewelled ornaments or "charms", such as decorative pendants or trinkets. The decorative ''charms'' usually carry personal or sentimental attachment by the owner. History The wearin ...

that brings bad luck to its owners. The setting and time periods of each story vary greatly, ranging from 19th-century Georgia to wartime

Leeds Leeds () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the thi ...

. Karin Slaughter wrote the first and last stories. ''Martin Misunderstood'' is an original audio novella narrated by

Wayne Knight Wayne Elliot Knight (born August 7, 1955) is an American actor. In television, he played Newman on ''Seinfeld'' (1992–1998) and Officer Don Orville on ''3rd Rock from the Sun'' (1996–2001). He also voiced Igor on '' Toonsylvania'' (1998 ...

. Both the story and the narration were nominated for an

Audie Award The Audie Awards (, rhymes with "gaudy"; abbreviated from ''audiobook''), or simply the Audies, are awards for achievement in spoken word, particularly audiobook narration and audiodrama performance, published in the United States of America. They ...

in 2009. '' The Unremarkable Heart'' won the Edgar Award for Best Short Story in 2013. Her book ''

'' reached number 2 on the ''New York Times'' Bestseller list, the week it was released in late August 2018. ''Pieces of Her'' was published through

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News C ...

and follows a young woman who learns about a hidden side of her mother, Laura. It is in the vein of a psychological thriller and was given a positive review by ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' and '' Kirkus Reviews''. Her other standalone novels—''Cop'' ''Town'', ''Pretty'' ''Girls'', ''The'' ''Good'' ''Daughter'', and ''False'' ''Witness''—have all been ''New York Times'' bestsellers. In February 2019, it was announced that

will be developing an 8-episode

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed ...

starring

Toni Collette Toni Collette Galafassi (born Toni Collett; 1 November 1972) is an Australian actress, producer, singer, and songwriter. Known for her work in television and independent films, she has received various accolades throughout her career, inclu ...

, based on the ''Pieces of Her'' novel.

Personal life

Slaughter was a contestant on an installment of

's '' Holey Moley'' which originally aired on June 4, 2020.

Bibliography

The Grant County series *''Blindsighted'' (2001) *''Kisscut'' (2002) *''A Faint Cold Fear'' (2003) *''Indelible'' (2004) *''Faithless'', (2005) *''Beyond Reach'' (2007), ''Skin Privilege'' (UK title) The Will Trent series *''Triptych'' (2006) *''Fractured'' (2008) *''Undone'' (2009), ''Genesis'' (UK/Australia title) *''Broken'' (2010) *''Fallen'' (2011) *''Snatched'' (2012, ebook novella) *''Criminal'' (2012) *''Busted'' (2013, ebook novella) *''Unseen'' (2013) *''The Kept Woman'' (2016) *''The Last Widow'' (2019) *''The Silent Wife'' (2020) *''After That Night'' (August 2023) Other books *''Like A Charm'' (2004; editor) *''Martin Misunderstood'' (2008) *''Thorn in My Side'' (2011; ebook novella) *''Cop Town'' (2014) * ''Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes'' (2015) (novella) (prequel to Pretty Girls) * ''Pretty Girls'' (2015) * ''Last Breath'' (2017) (novella) (prequel to The Good Daughter) * ''The Good Daughter'' (2017) * ''

'' (2018) * ''False Witness'' (2021) * ''Girl, Forgotten'' (2022)

Awards

Slaughter has won or been nominated for many awards.

2020

* Ned Kelly Award

2019

* Georgia Author of the Year * ITW Thriller Award Finalist

2017

* The Skimm Book Club * Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, Suspense * AudioFile Best Book of the Year (AudioFile Earphones Award) * Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award Longlist

2016

* ITW Thriller Award Finalist * People’s Choice Award Winner

2015

* Edgar Nomination, Best Novel, ''Cop Town'' * American Association of People with Disabilities Image Award * CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award, Winner, ''Cop Town''

2014

* Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award * AudioFile Magazine Earphones Award Winner, ''Cop Town'', 2013 * Crime Zone, The Silver Fingerprint Winner, Best Foreign Thriller, ''Unseen'' * Bouchercon Anthony Nomination, Best Short Story, ''The'' ''Unremarkable'' ''Heart'' * Edgar Award Winner, Best Short Story

2013

* Mystery Readers International Macavity award nomination, Best Short Story, ''The Unremarkable Heart''

2011

* Crime Zone, The Silver Fingerprint Winner, Best Foreign Thriller, ''Fallen'' * International Thriller Writers Silver Bullet Award Winner

2010

* Suspense Magazine Best of 2010 Winner, Thriller/Suspense, ''Broken''

2009

* Le Livre de Poche Prix Lecteurs Winner, ''Faithless'' * Crime Zone the Silver Fingerprint Winner, Best Foreign Thriller, ''Fractured'' * Audio Publishers association Audie Nomination, Humor, ''Martin Misunderstood'' * Left Coast Crime Hawaii Five-0 Nomination, Best Law Enforcement/Police Procedural, ''Fractured''

2008

* ITV Crime Thriller International Author of the Year Nomination, Best Fiction, ''Beyond Reach'' * Georgia Author of the Year Nomination, Best Fiction, ''Beyond Reach''

2007

* Crime Zone the Silver Fingerprint Winner, Best Foreign Thriller, ''Beyond Reach'' * Crime Writers’ Ian Fleming Steel Dagger nomination, Best Thriller, ''Triptych''

2003

* Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Awards Winner, Best Contemporary Mystery, ''A Faint Cold''

2002

* Mystery Readers International Macavity Award Nomination, Best First Mystery, ''Blindsighted'' * International Thriller Writers Barry Award Nomination, Best First Novel, ''Blindsighted''

2001

* Crime Writers Association Dagger Award Nomination, Best Thriller Debut, ''Blindsighted''

References

External links

Karin Slaughter website

Interview with Karin Slaughter at www.LiteraryWeek.com

Karin Slaughter at Bookreporter.com

Interview with Karin Slaughter at www.TheCrimeHouse.com

Save the Libraries

Roger Nichols of Modern Signed Books interviews Karin Slaughter about her novel, ''The Kept Woman''

BlogTalkRadio interview about her novel, ''The Good Daughter''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slaughter, Karin 21st-century American novelists American women novelists American thriller writers Living people Writers from Atlanta American LGBT novelists 21st-century American women writers Women mystery writers LGBT people from Georgia (U.S. state) Women thriller writers Novelists from Georgia (U.S. state) 1971 births