Blindsighted: A Novel

The first Grant County novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author, Karin Slaughter, introducing Sara Linton of the acclaimed Will Trent Series.

“A bull’s-eye, deftly crafted. . . . Slaughter’s plotting is brilliant, her suspense relentless.” —Washington Post

A small Georgia town erupts in panic when a young college professor is found brutally mutilated in the local diner. But it’s only when town pediatrician and coroner Sara Linton does the autopsy that the full extent of the killer’s twisted work becomes clear.

Sara’s ex-husband, police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, leads the investigation—a trail of terror that grows increasingly macabre when another local woman is found crucified a few days later. But he’s got more than a sadistic serial killer on his hands, because the county’s only female detective, Lena Adams—the first victim’s sister—wants to serve her own justice.

But it is Sara who holds the key to finding the killer. A secret from her past could unmask the brilliantly malevolent psychopath… or mean her death.

The sleepy town of Heartsdale, Georgia, is jolted into panic when Sara Linton, the town's pediatrician and coroner, finds Sibyl Adams, a young college professor, dead in the local diner. As well as being viciously raped, Sibyl has been cut: two deep knife wounds form a lethal cross over her stomach. But it's only when Sara starts to perform the postmortem that the full extent of the killer's brutality becomes clear.

Police chief Jeffrey Tolliver -- Sara's exhusband -- is in charge of the investigation, and when a second victim is found crucified only a few days later, he has to face the fact that Sibyl's murder wasn't just a personal attack. What he's dealing with is a sadistic rapist turned killer who is terrorizing rural Grant County.

Jeffrey isn't alone in his search. Lena Adams, the county's sole female detective, wants to see justice done since her sister was the first victim. Sara, too, cannot escape the terror. A secret from her past could hold the key to finding the killer-unless he finds her first.

“Shockingly good . . . beautifully and believably rendered. Slaughter may very well be the next Thomas Harris.” - Laura Lippman, author of The Sugar House

“A debut of rare quality that grips like a vise from the first page.” - Val McDermid, author of Place of Execution

“Engrossing…[with] meticulous characterizations.” - People

“Creepiness spreads like kudzu in Slaughter’s small–town setting.” - Washington Post Book World

“The undertone of violence is pervasive, even at quiet moments, amplifying Slaughter’s equation of intimacy with menace and placing her squarely in the ranks of Cornwell and Reichs.” - Publishers Weekly

“A fast–paced thriller for those not faint of heart.” - Library Journal

“Simply one of the best thriller writers working today.” - Gillian Flynn

“Wildly readable… A bulls-eye-deftly crafted, damnably suspenseful and, in the end, deadly serious…Slaughter’s plotting is brilliant, her suspense relentless... BLINDSIGHTED hits the bull’s eye…Slaughter is a serious as well as a skillful writer... The publisher is comparing Slaughter to Thomas Harris and, for once, the hype is justified.” - The Washington Post

“Slaughter is off to a fine start…in this bloody, fast-paced thriller.” - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“[A] page–turner…Slaughter’s plot has more twists than a Slinky factory and the characters’ relationships are sharply drawn.” - People starred review

“An accomplished first novel...[with] a riveting plot.” - Booklist

“This is storytelling at its finest, written in perfect pitch. A scary, sure-fire winner.” - John Westermann, author of Exit Wounds

“Gruesome forensics, inventive plotting, strong/imperiled heroine . . . Perfect escapist fare.” - Kirkus Reviews