Fallen

June 1, 2004
With its excess of mundane details and paucity of action, George's second novel (after Taken) is more likely to lull readers to sleep than keep them up until the wee hours of the morning. The Pittsburgh police are baffled by the murder of pediatrician and philanthropist Dan Ross. According to Dan's widow, Elizabeth, he had no enemies, which leaves detective Richard Christie with few leads. While Richard investigates the murky circumstances surrounding the long-ago death of Dan's best friend, Elizabeth seeks refuge in the arms of her new next door neighbor, Frank Razzi, a widower and part-time college professor. It's clear from the start that there's something shady about Frank, and the story's sole suspense lies in anticipating his motives and his connection to Dan's past. Although some readers will appreciate the rich character portraits George paints with painstaking detail, others will grow impatient waiting for the story to shift out of neutral.

July 5, 2004
With its excess of mundane details and paucity of action, George's second novel (after Taken) is more likely to lull readers to sleep than keep them up until the wee hours of the morning. The Pittsburgh police are baffled by the murder of pediatrician and philanthropist Dan Ross. According to Dan's widow, Elizabeth, he had no enemies, which leaves detective Richard Christie with few leads. While Richard investigates the murky circumstances surrounding the long-ago death of Dan's best friend, Elizabeth seeks refuge in the arms of her new next door neighbor, Frank Razzi, a widower and part-time college professor. It's clear from the start that there's something shady about Frank, and the story's sole suspense lies in anticipating his motives and his connection to Dan's past. Although some readers will appreciate the rich character portraits George paints with painstaking detail, others will grow impatient waiting for the story to shift out of neutral.

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 2, 2011
At the start of Slaughter's gripping third novel to combine characters from her two Georgia-based series (after Broken), Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Faith Mitchell arrives at the Atlanta house of her widowed mother, Evelyn, to find serious trouble: her mother, a retired police captain, is missing; a dead man is lying on the laundry room floor; and an Asian man is holding her mother's pistol to a Hispanic man's head in Evelyn's bedroom. More violence follows. Faith's partner, Will Trent, tries to gather clues without stepping on any jurisdictional toes in the ensuing investigation, but Will fears that Evelyn's kidnapping is tied to a corruption scandal involving Evelyn's past as a narcotics officer, an angle he knows Faith doesn't want to consider. Will's deepening friendship with Dr. Sara Linton, currently working in an Atlanta E.R. and one of the few people able to crack his protective shell, adds depth. Familyâbiological, professional, and everything in betweenâplays a key role in a thriller sure to please Slaughter's many fans.