My second Karin Slaughter was just as good as the first. While this one didn't get me as hard on any plot twists, I did really enjoy the linear storytelling compared to the first. I was fascinated by this story and read it just as quickly.

A lot of my overall thoughts are the same. Great storytelling. Still not in love with the main detective Will Trent, but I don't dislike him either and there are enough characters that it doesn't really matter. I did quite enjoy the new character of Faith Mitchell and I'm interested to see how her character plays out if she's in later books.

I found this story a little more predictable than the first. There weren't as many big shocks, but I think I enjoyed the characters in this more. I was more invested in the psychological state of the victims and for me, that matters at least as much as the story. I loved that she actually went into a bit of what the victims suffered, even though this book is very much about the cop aspect of solving the case.

I also appreciate the discussion on adult literacy in this series as a whole. It was a big factor in this book and it's something I don't see often in books, especially in terms of the main characters. I'm not educated enough to know how well it's done, but it certainly comes across as a good portrayal.

I will say, it's fading very fast. That might be because I've read three Karin Slaughter cop thrillers in as many days or just that cop thrillers in general have very little lasting power, but I'm writing this review a day after finishing the book and I'm struggling to come up with many specifics. That's okay, though. I don't read these books because I want to be thinking about them for weeks. I read them for entertainment and fun, and they absolutely are. I never wanted to put it down.

Overall, I recommend for anyone who's interested in dark, gritty thrillers (because extra warning, these are very graphic). This is the second in the series and it does help a little to read them in order, but it's not necessary. They function fine as standalones if you don't care much about following the personal lives of the detectives across stories.