Girl, Forgotten is a high-stakes contemporary mystery underpinned by a shocking act of sexual violence forty years earlier in a small, conservative town only too willing to turn a blind eye.
Girl, Forgotten is a high-stakes contemporary mystery underpinned by a shocking act of sexual violence forty years earlier in a small, conservative town only too willing to turn a blind eye. It’s two years on from the events of Pieces of Her which turned the life of Andrea “Andy” Oliver upside down, and within hours of qualifying as a US Marshal she finds herself juggling both an official and unofficial assignment. The first is protecting federal judge and Reagan appointee, Esther Vaughn, the recipient of a series of death threats, and the second and more personal one is looking into the unsolved murder of the judge’s pregnant eighteen-year-old daughter back in 1982. The prime suspect for the 1982 murder is none other than Nick Harp, Andy’s very own father, and proof of his guilt would quash any chance of parole at his next hearing in next six months time, something that Andy desperately wants.
Travelling to the small town of Longbill Beach, where the murder took place forty years ago and the eighty-one-year-old judge still lives, Andy finds several key players are still in residence and her partner is experienced, wise-cracking Marshal Leonard “Catfish” Bible. The novel is comprised of a dual narrative separated by forty years with impending murder victim, Emily Vaughn, trying to find out which of her ‘friends’ assaulted her, and Andy and Catfish ruffling feathers when they arrive in town in the present day. A real sense of menace pervades throughout and both Emily and Andy’s narrative feature several characters in common and it is fascinating to see how fundamentally unchanged they are despite living in very different times. A couple of corking revelations which ramp up the tension into the close caught me unawares and I was heavily invested throughout, with the book leaving the door wide open for the character of Andy to return.
Fast paced, violent and explosive, Slaughter is never afraid to pull her punches.
Andrea Oliver has just graduated as a US Marshal and has been given her first assignment. Andrea is no ordinary marshal because Andrea's dad is no ordinary man. Her new assignment takes her back to her dad's roots and puts her in grave danger. Can Andrea solve a forty year old murder and save herself in the process.
I am a fan of Karin Slaughter's Grant County and Will Trent novels but I am also always pleased to see her other series and standalones as they are just as good to read and keep the other novels fresh. This is no exception; Andrea Oliver has just graduated as a US Marshal and has been given her first assignment. Andrea is no ordinary marshal because Andrea's dad is no ordinary man. Her new assignment takes her back to her dad's roots and puts her in grave danger. Can Andrea solve a forty year old murder and save herself in the process.
The best Karin Slaughter book I’ve read. Completely gripping - you won’t want to put it down!
Girl, Forgotten is an intriguing crime thriller by Karin Slaughter. Andrea is a newly qualified US Marshall but as a result of her imprisoned father’s crimes she is also in Witness Protection. We join her as she graduates from training and receives her first assignment.
The story is set in a small town where Andrea tries to address a present-day crime and 40-year old mystery, both of which are linked. It is told from two points of view - Emily in 1982 and Andrea in 2022 - and I thought this was done very effectively. Both women encounter aggression and manipulation from the same people, 40 years apart. It’s a fast-paced thriller with some poignant moments and clever insights into the dynamics of tightly knit friendship groups.
I’ve previously read a few of Karin Slaughter’s other crime tales (which often form part of a longer series) but I thought that this was her best book by far. The story was brilliantly told and the characters were credible. Although Andrea was a flawed character (which seems to go with the territory of crime thrillers!) her back story was unusual and original. I think that Girl, Forgotten would appeal to a wide range of readers.
A good ending and well set up for the next episode!
Andrea Oliver, now a US Marshall, is given her first role to protect Judge Esther Vaughn. Her daughter, Emily, a pregnant 17 year old, was murdered in 1982. Andrea has a personal reason as well for investigating this cold case - her father is on the list of suspects.
I had not read the previous book with Andrea Oliver - whilst I missed knowing some of her background story - I was able to empathise with her as she starts her new role as a US Marshall and is manoeuvred into the role of providing security for Judge Esther Vaughn who has received credible death threats. She is mentored by Leonard Bible and his boss and Deputy Chief Cecilia Compton. Bible’s upbeat approach and rules are the only lighter moments in this dark book.
Alongside the cold case, they investigate the apparent suicide of a volunteer at a nearby farm where young women are starved and brainwashed into submission.
The story moves between the events of 1982, when Emily is drugged and finds herself pregnant with no knowledge of the father, investigating her friends and teacher but unable to complete her investigation before her murder, and the present day investigation by Andrea and Bible.
The content of this book is dark - Emily is drugged and left pregnant with no knowledge of who is the father. She is left devastated and ostracised by her friends and local community. She tries to investigate but is murdered before she can complete her task. Andrea has to look into her clique of friends - all unpleasant - and her teacher, Dean Wexler to find out the truth.
The fact that I did not know Andrea’s background made it more difficult to initially empathise with her and get to grips with her character. However, once I was about halfway through I became more invested and could not put it down. A good ending and well set up for the next episode!
Another fantastic, gripping book that will not disappoint Karin Slaughter fans and I'm already eagerly awaiting her next one.
I've read almost all of Karin Slaughter's books in the past few months and I love how she ceems to be able to offer everything: well-rounded characters you love and thier personal relationships, gripping investigations of dark crimes that always seem to have a sting in the tail and are perfectly suited to the best crime thrillers.
Girl, Forgotten is no exception. We pick up Andrea's story years after the dramatic events of Pieces of Her. Recently graduated as a US Marshall, Andrea's first job takes her to the edge of her psychopathic father's sphere once more. Andrea's first assignement is to protect Judge Esther Vaughn against the death threats she's been recieved but Andrea and her new partner Leonard 'Catfish' Bible a drawn into the suicide of a volunteer of the local farm, and the death of the the Judge's daughter Emily, in 1982.
I can't wait to read more about Andrea, to see her relationship with Mike and her partnership with Bible develop. Girl,Forgotten is another fantastic, gripping book that will not disappoint Karin Slaughter fans and I'm already eagerly awaiting her next one.
One of my favourite storytellers Karin Slaughter knows how to create brilliant characters you like, love, and respect. And she’s certainly done it again with Andrea Oliver and Leonard Bible.
Andrea is 24 hours into being appointed a US Marshall fresh with her silver star after months of gruelling training, physical discipline and intense study. Along with her new partner Catfish Bible she has 2 cases to solve: a 40 year old murder of 17 year old Emily Vaughn and protect a judge receiving death threats.
It a thrill-a-minute story that pulls multiple storylines into one satisfying conclusion. It’s a crime thriller of all thrillers as Slaughter is known to do, and I love every jaw-dropping moment as she drops information piece by piece and the jigsaw starts to take shape. I do hope we get to meet Oliver again…Soon!
The second book with new detective Andrea Oliver. Another thrilling, seat of your pants read from the master author that is Karin Slaughter.
So excited to get my hands on a copy of this. I love Karin's writing style. She is able to envelope you in the story so well that you actually live it. She manages to get the descriptions of all the senses in without you even realising that you are reading them, but making sure that you FEEL everything.
This is the story of Andrea Oliver, a freshly graduated Deputy of the United States Marshall Service. She has graduated highly, beating many of the men in her group with her fitness levels and abilities and is about to set out on her very first case, which turns out to be exceedingly close to home. She finds her partner is a well seasoned USMS pro named Leonard "Catfish" Bible and she isn't quite sure how much she can trust him.
The two of them have been put on babysitting duty of a local Judge in a small town called Longbill Beach. However, Andrea is also working quietly on another case. She needs to find out what happened to Emily Vaughn, an 18 year old who was mysteriously killed forty years ago.
The story has lots of plot twists and surprises to keep you hanging right to the very end.
If you haven't read any of the inimitable Karin Slaughter's books, I urge you to get out there and get on with it! You don't know what you're missing!
I strongly recommend this book. For me it ticks all the boxes for a satisfying and enjoyable read.
Karin Slaughter is an author whose books are notably readable, reliable and well plotted. Her plots seem to be pitched very carefully, so they are easy to follow without being over simplified or over complicated. They just flow. 'Girl, Forgotten' slots very nicely into this genre. It deals with a mystery that began forty years ago when a young unmarried girl, Emily, becomes pregnant and is subsequently killed. The book centres on who killed Emily and takes place both in 1981 and in the present day, when US Marshall, Andrea Oliver, is sent to Longbill Beach to protect a judge who has received death threats. Andrea has already heard about this cold case and thinks she might be able to solve it herself. The judge is part of the mystery. I strongly recommend the book. For me it ticks all the boxes for a satisfying and enjoyable read.
Another winner from one of today's great thriller writers...Karin Slaughter. Though it continues Andrea's story from previously, 'Girl, Forgotten' can be read and fully appreciated without having read 'Pieces of Her' first .
'Girl, Forgotten', I don't think so. Though 40 years have elapsed since the unsolved murder of pregnant, high school student Emily Vaughn, she still affects the lives of so many people in so many different ways. Her parents, who are still desperate to find her killer. Her 'friends', who are equally desperate to make sure the truth never comes to light. And Andrea, a newly fledged US Marshal, who is charged, ostensibly with protecting the Vaughns, but is really there to deliver what they want for her own ends.
This is a story of 'family', complete strangers bound together but driven apart by the blood in their veins and the blood that has been spilt. It is an in depth analysis of character and relationships, an exploration of aggressive control, domestic violence, psychological pressure and group dynamics. A shocking but completely compelling read that you won't be able to put down.
At the end of the day, Andrea fulfils her brief but not in a way that meets her needs so...watch this space!
A fast-moving, female-centred crime novel set in two timeframes.
Girl, Forgotten is a fast-moving, female-centred crime novel set in two timeframes that shows the impact of past events on the present. It’s the second in Karin Slaughter’s series about Andrea Oliver, here seen becoming a US Marshall. It would be best to read this book after the first one, but there’s still more than enough to enjoy if you don’t manage to do that.
The small town atmosphere of everyone knowing your business is portrayed very well, as is the inability to get away from the past. This is clearly demonstrated by the two timeframes as we see characters in their teens in 1981 who are still there in the present day. Events from that earlier time are festering and the arrival of Andrea is the catalyst for them to come to the surface. I loved the relationship between Andrea and her new partner, US Marshall Bible, which grows as the book continues.
It’s hard to say too much about the plot without giving anything away, but there are enough twists and turns in both the historic and current cases to satisfy even the most jaded of crime fiction fans. When it comes, the ending is both surprising and satisfying.
Karin Slaughter is an emotively powerful storyteller, whose talent for thriller writing is one of the best I’ve encountered. If I could give “Girl, Forgotten” more then 5 stars I would, I enjoyed it that much and hope anyone else who reads it does too.
There’s not many books I haven’t read from multinational best selling author, Karin Slaughter. I’ve been a dedicated and avid reader of hers for many, many years and i’ve never been disappointed.
Girl, Forgotten is the second book in the US Marshall, Andrea Oliver series, though it isn’t necessary to read the first as this also works superbly as a standalone. However if you have read the first, it’s interesting to see how Andrea has turned her life around, after some major family revelations.
- A small town hides a big secret. Who killed Emily Vaughn? -
What I liked about this book was the dual timelines and reading Emily’s story first hand as it happened in 1982 and her thoughts and emotions as she experiences exceedingly traumatic events. When Andrea arrives in the town forty years later, to protect a judge receiving death threats, her real assignment is to find justice for teenager Emily and uncover the truth about her murder.
I truly felt for Emily, apart from her ‘Gram’, she was so alone and I personally couldn’t imagine going through what she did with no support. You’re not meant to like a lot of the ‘clique’ friends and this throws you off when trying to solve the mystery for yourself. US Marshall Andrea, is determined to uncover the truth many years on and as a lot of the original town members are still residing in Longbill Beach. she can begin to understand how the events unfolded in 1982.
Karin Slaughter always creates storylines that grab your attention immediately. Her characters, whether they play a small or large part, have a distinct personality and for me, instantly come to life enabling you to visualise everyone with clarity.
Girl, Forgotten gets its hooks into you and doesn't let go, the explosive storyline hits on subjects of sexual violence and misogyny. And is often her trait, the author covers these in a thriller that is both heart breaking and hard hitting.
Karin Slaughter is an emotively powerful storyteller, whose talent for thriller writing is one of the best I’ve encountered. If I could give Girl, Forgotten more then 5 stars I would, I enjoyed it that much and hope anyone else who reads it does too.
#GirlForgotten - 5 plus stars
A dark tale, multi-layered which twists and turn.
This is the second book in the Andrea Oliver series which I read as a stand alone, which was fine. It was a story that spans two timelines and two stories. 81'/82 and the present day. The story of Emily Vaughn's immediate life up till her murder and United States Marshall Andrea Oliver who is there to protect a judge who is receiving death threats.
Emily's murder is unsolved and Andrea is haunted by it; having learnt of it a year before. She is drawn to investigating what is now a cold case, forty years old.
What is the connection? You will need to read this book to find out. A dark tale, multi-layered which twists and turn. Full of secrets that people will do anything to keep hidden. They have managed for forty years. But can the still hide what happened? Read it and find out.
A book that keeps you on the edge of your seat and is impossible to put down.
Girl, Forgotten is a brilliant murder, suspense, thriller, detective novel seamlessly linking two time periods - 1982 and present day and uniting two disparate yet connected females - Emily and Andrea.
A riveting story that keeps you guessing. A book that keeps you on the edge of your seat and is impossible to put down.
It is a story that touches your heart and one that will never be forgotten.
A slow burn which is then unputdownable!!
Another blockbuster from Karin Slaughter. The Witness Protection is a theme that seems to be driving her newer books. To begin with I did think it resembled Pieces of Her a lot but give it time and it's unputdownable!!
A story of past mystery and present investigation and how the two interlink through the various characters, complicated but exceptionally well portrayed. This is no “run of the mill” whodunit !
In 1982 an unfairly ostracised young girl is killed on the night of her school prom, a party no-one wants her to attend.
The murder remains unsolved, but forty years later a newly qualified US Marshal has personal reasons for trying to find out the truths in this tragedy, and she isn’t about to be thwarted.
I am not as a rule keen on books that box and cox between past history and present tense, but this one is a definite exception! The past mystery and the present investigation and how the two interlink through the various characters is complicated but exceptionally well portrayed.
This is no “run of the mill” whodunit !