False Witness: A Novel

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars | 24,312 ratings

Price: 20.44

Last update: 03-02-2025


About this item

He saw what you did.

He knows who you are....

From the New York Times best-selling author of Pieces of Her and The Silent Wife, an electrifying stand-alone thriller.

An ordinary life...

Leigh Collier has worked hard to build what looks like a normal life. She has a good job as a defense attorney, a daughter doing well in school, and even her divorce is relatively civilized - her life is just as unremarkable as she’d always hoped it would be.

...hides a devastating past...

But Leigh’s ordinary life masks a childhood that was far from average...a childhood tarnished by secrets, broken by betrayal, and finally torn apart by a devastating act of violence.

...but now the past is catching up...

Then a case lands on her desk - defending a wealthy man accused of rape. It’s the highest profile case she’s ever been given - a case that could transform her career, if she wins. But when she meets the accused, she realizes that it’s no coincidence that he’s chosen her as his attorney. She knows him. And he knows her. More to the point, he knows what happened 20 years ago and why Leigh has spent two decades running.

...and time is running out.

If she can’t get him acquitted, she’ll lose much more than the case. The only person who can help her is her estranged younger sister Callie, the last person Leigh would ever want to ask for help. But suddenly she has no choice....


Top reviews from the United States

  • Julie T.
    5.0 out of 5 stars this book was EXCELLENT! 1 of her best & i've read them all. ignore the covid bashing from others...
    Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2021
    it's BS, the bashing reviews i read (re the covid angle). it totally makes sense in the story & has a point. she didn't just throw it in, as suggested, to cover covid or seem set in today's world, though it is. it had a purpose, for a variety of reasons, especially the ending demise of a character (no spoilers). this book really touched me & affected me more strongly than her other books & that's saying something, as again, i'll state that i've read ALL of her books, re-read most of them as well, she's one of my all time fav authors & i'm a HUGE reader, have been since the age of 4.
    anyhow, the timeliness of the opiod crises is a huge thing, it's affecting/afflicting our world far more than most know or even realize, but i REALLY related to the characters, especially Callie. oh, she tugged at my heart. Leigh too, but Callie was so amazing, interesting, funny, quirky, hilarious (not being redundant, funny & hilarious r 2 different things to me). such damaged characters, as karin seems to love, & oh so loveable, which goes to show, those of us who R damaged, maybe more so than others, are & can be eminently loveable! so there. ;)
    i loved the story so much, shortly after i finished it...asap, as i had pre-ordered it & read it the hot second i received it, then read another, different author book, then raced right back to "false witness", & re-read it, which i never do, that quickly. i generally wait years, so i forget a lot of it. but i missed the characters & the book & they haunted me in a sense. wonderful. excellent.
    i don't know or understand why people are bashing the covid scenario. it's not like it ran the whole book. i think they feel beat over the head w/it, as we live it, BUT we are ALL living it people & just 'cause it's in a book ur reading too doesn't mean u have to get all upset or re-stressed or bitchy about it being in there. u don't need to take it upon yourself, it's a bloody story for God's sake! sheesh. i can't curse on here, can i? dammit. ha.
    so yeah, great stuff, great read. love karin more than ever. so thank u karin, for all of your beautiful, lovely, page turning, never boring work. good on u! cheers :)
  • M. Bennett
    4.0 out of 5 stars First but not the last
    Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2021
    This was my first Karin Slaughter book and I don't foresee it being my last. It was a gritty, dark thriller with love and hope mixed in.
    Here are some parts of the book that I loved. One was the sisterly bond. The love they had for one another, no matter what, was beautiful. Another part was what women go through when it comes to sexual harassment. It was something touched on throughout the book and I was glad to see it there since it is something women struggle with constantly. I also enjoyed the other characters such as Walter and Dr. Jerry. They both hold a special place in the book. Then, on the flip side, is Andrew. What a creepy piece of work that was nicely put together. Also, there was the details on drug addiction. I never really understood it myself but Slaughter goes in detail about how it works and makes me a bit more sympathetic to the situation.
    A few points I didn't like was for one, too much detail when it come to some of the points throughout the book. Like the drug addiction. Sometimes it seemed to keep coming up on going on with the same information. So much so that I would glaze over those parts. Another is the pedophilia. Even though it needed to be discussed, I was really squeamish and uneasy during those parts. The last thing would be how easily the sisters would give in a situation. They were made out to be tough after all they went through but would collapse at a given moment with just words being said. It seemed more of a convenience to the story than the true nature of the characters. All of these are just minor things I didn't care for and ultimately loved the book.
  • Dencle
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
    Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2025
    I highly recommend this author’s books. I’ve enjoyed all the books by this author. Here are six more words enjoy!
  • Elizabeth Ray
    5.0 out of 5 stars Karin Slaughter absolutely knocks it out of the park with this one!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2021
    Karin Slaughter absolutely knocks it out of the park with this one! She is one of my few pre-order authors because she has maintained a remarkably high standard of quality over many books. Generally I prefer her Grant County series books over the standalones, but False Witness is one of her finest works.

    The story is about two adult sisters whose lives were shaped by a traumatic event from their childhood. As adults, they struggle to deal with the shame and stress of keeping their actions that night a secret. Callie is a drug addict, and although Leigh is at first glance moderately successfuly, she engages in self-sabatoging behaviors in her career and in her relationships. Leigh is a defence attorney, and her new client has knowledge of their past that threatens to blow up Leigh and Callie's fragile lives.

    What sets Karin Slaughter apart from other thriller writers is her ability to create characters who feel real and evoke empathy in the reader despite the characters' (or perhaps because of their) flaws. Though most pages focus on Leigh and Callie, the other people in their lives such as Leigh's husband Walter and the veterinarian who Callie sometimes works for are equally engaging. I also enjoy the way Slaughter gently includes her perspective on current events. As evidenced by the references to characters putting on and taking off masks, she does this in a way that feels organic and is not disruptive to the story.

    Long time readers will love this book. Since it is a standalone, False Witness could also serve as an introduction for a new reader to all Karin Slaughter does well.

    • Best Sellers in

     
     

    Come Sundown

    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 29,147
    25
     
     

    Pretty Monster: A Dark Stalker Romance

    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 11,855
    29.66
     
     

    Zetas Till We Die

    4 4 out of 5 stars 39
    28.79
     
     

    Under Your Scars

    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 9,048
    21.83
     
     

    Eleven Numbers: A Short Story

    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 13,516
    1.99
     
     

    The Secret of Secrets: A Novel

    0 0 out of 5 stars 0
    29.58
     
     

    You, Me, Her

    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 8,173
    19.95
     
     

    The Honeymoon

    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 9,358
    25.19