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 killer strikes in plain sight . . . but you'll never see it coming.

The mutilation murder of a young college professor paralyzes a tiny Georgian community. This hideous crime is the worst thing small-town pediatrician and coroner Sara Linton has ever seen—but only when the autopsy is complete is the intricate, terrible genius of a profoundly twisted psychopath truly revealed. As Sara's ex-husband—Heartsdale police chief Jeffrey Tolliver—pursues an elusive fiend, Lena Adams—the victim's sister and the county's only female detective—swears she'll have her personal vengeance. But their worst fears are realized by the macabre crucifixion of a second local woman: there is a serial slayer in their midst, one whose identity is hidden somewhere in Sara Linton's secret past. And this killer has no intention of stopping . . . and will not be stopped.

“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