Very good and also very disturbing. Themes of child sexual abuse, genital mutilation, incest and PTSD turn this book into a very dark read. But it is also very, very, very well-written. I can't say that I enjoyed it, but I can say that I was sucked in by the story. ( )

Karin Slaughter wrote/writes two series: first the Grant County series and later the Will Trent series. KISSCUT is the second book in her Grant County series. It's an older book, and I'm glad I finally found it; Slaughter's style is just as evident in KISSCUT as in her later books.

Sara, a pediatrician and medical examiner in Grant County, and Jeffrey, Grant County chief of police, are both involved in what first appears to be an individual tragedy but turns out to be a case of child abduction, child mutilation, use of children for sex, and more. Also working on this is Lena, a detective who works under Jeffrey. Lena is trying to get past an attack she experienced (in Slaughter's previous book, BLINDSIGHTED). She sees how her victimization can be related to the experiences these children are living with.

Ideally, you will be able to read Slaughter's books in the order in which she wrote them. But I'm not. I buy most of my books at used book sales, so I read them in the order in which I find them. This is possible because Slaughter writes so well you always understand backgrounds and you never feel lost. I've read most of her books, and I've loved every one. ( )

Kisscut
4 Stars

Series note: This is book #2 in Slaughter’s Grant County series and there are numerous references to events in the first book.

When an altercation between teenagers in a skating rink parking lot ends in tragedy, Grant County medical examiner, Sara Linton, and her ex-husband, Chief of Police, Jeffrey Tolliver, are shocked and disturbed by the true nature of the crime and the fact that evil is lurking in their small and seemingly innocuous town.

The plot is extremely disturbing and horrific. Thankfully, there isn’t too much description of the actual abuse otherwise I might have had to DNF. The story itself is compelling and the message that appearances can be deceiving and we can never really know the people around us is an important one.

The real problem with this book is the characterization. None of the characters are likable or sympathetic not even the so-called protagonists, Jeffrey, Sara and Lena, who do and say very hurtful things to one another and to others. The only character to come across as a good person with a good heart is Hank, Lena’s uncle. I’m amazed that he was willing to put up with her.

All in all, Kisscut is a well-written and thought provoking book but not for the faint of heart. ( )

"When a teenage quarrel in the small town of Heartsdale explodes into a deadly shoot-out, Sara Linton - pediatrician and medical examiner - finds herself entangled in a horrific tragedy. And what seems at first to be a terrible but individual catastrophe proves to have wider implications when the autopsy reveals evidence of long-term abuse and ritualistic self-mutilation."
This book starts with a bang . . . literally. I enjoy the by-play of Sara and her sister, Tessa. It reminds me of my relationship with my sister. No matter what the disagreement is, we love each other. As for Lena? What can I say? I love to dislike her. I'm on the fence about Jeffrey but maybe he will grow on me. The story is a roller coaster ride of evidence and revelations. Hang on and enjoy the ride! ( )

This may be my last in the series. With the exception of my growing fondness for Lena, I don't care for any of the other characters and a few I would like to see horrible things happen to them.

This story was much harder for me to read than the first. The subject matter is one that I have a particularly tough time reading about but I don't think it was any more or less graphic than the first in the series, Blindsighted. It was probably less graphic but more emotionally painful. ( )