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source: express.co.uk
While Donald Trump might disagree, America has no monarchs. Not since 1783, when the fledgling colony gained independence. Yet, despite the former US President’s comparisons to a king, the enduring power truly resides in America’s established families, according to celebrated crime novelist Karin Slaughter. In her latest thriller novel, We Are All Guilty Here, Slaughter introduces a new cast and complex plot exploring the influence of powerful families.
Exploring Dynastic Power in Karin Slaughter’s New Thriller
Karin Slaughter, the creator of the successful Disney+ Will Trent series, delves into this theme in her compelling new crime novel, We Are All Guilty Here. This book unveils a fresh set of characters and a deliciously intricate, psychologically rich storyline that spans decades. The Clifton family, encompassing both virtuous and wicked, affluent and impoverished members, has long held sway over business, governance, and law enforcement in southwestern Georgia.
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Family Secrets and Influences
As one might expect, the Cliftons harbor a few secrets. “I grew up reading sagas, and I wanted to write something like that about this family,” Slaughter said of inspiration from writers like Barbara Taylor Bradford, injecting her signature murder mystery elements.
The Georgia-born author, during her London book launch, revealed inspiration from the Murdaughs, a South Carolina family who, in effect, governed a region dubbed “Murdaugh Country.” She noted, “They were involved in the prosecutor’s office and policing… They were revered locally but, power corrupts, and eventually there were murders, and the fallout was incredible. So I wanted to talk about dynasties and why sometimes that gives one family too much power.”
Her new book unfolds against the backdrop of North Falls, situated in Clifton County (population 20,000). Slaughter elaborates, “I like the idea of good Cliftons, bad Cliftons, the poor Cliftons and the rich Cliftons… how they overlap and how complicated family relationships are.”
A “Creative Reset” After 25 Years
Having sold over 40 million copies and consistently dominating bestseller lists throughout her 25-year career, Slaughter describes this new thriller as a “creative reset.” She explains, “I thought it was a good time to return to my roots… Creating a group of interconnected characters in a small-town community. I liked the idea of ‘world building’ a new place to give me ample opportunity to kill people and commit crimes!”
Misogny, Violence, and Strong Female Characters
Slaughter, acknowledged for her exploration of misogny and violence against women, once again centers the narrative around strong female characters. Emmy Clifton, a police officer and the daughter of veteran sheriff Gerald Clifton, finds herself embroiled in a troubling case.
When two teenage girls, Cheyenne Baker and Madison Dalrymple, are abducted and killed, Emmy’s bond with Madison’s stepmother, Hannah, deteriorates after Emmy dismisses the teen’s concerns prior to her disappearance.
The case might remind UK readers of the Soham murders. Slaughter, whose intensive research informs her writing, confirms that such double abduction-murders are rare.
Writing Violence from a Woman’s Perspective
“I read research papers and academic scholars and I’m very mindful of those because I feel a great responsibility writing about violence against women,” she says. “When I first started writing a million years ago, violence against women was told from a very male perspective and the solution was always a man would save a woman… Well you might be physically saved, but not psychologically. So I wanted to write about the lonely places victims, predominantly women, find themselves in.” She noted the initial skepticism from male critics, “It was hard for some of them to understand why a woman would write about that.”
Social Commentary Woven into Fiction
During a wide-ranging conversation, from migration to misogyny, Slaughter provides thoughtful insight. While her novels are inherently gripping, they also serve as essential reading for comprehending toxic masculinity and the tribulations faced by women globally. Slaughter remains deeply concerned about the erosion of civil liberties.
“There are certain tenets I grew up with as an American that have gone to the wind and that really bothers me. It’s the hypocrisy and the belief that, ‘We can’t get our way democratically, so we’re going to exert control.’ Wisconsin voted to allow abortion and reproductive rights in a referendum, and the Republican lawmakers just reversed that.”
Portraying the Struggles of Young Women
Slaughter fears the difficulties faced by young women. She draws upon the experiences of nieces and nephews for portraying young people. “And I have friends with kids and I just steal from them,” she says. “But I also remember what it was like. It was hard when I was a teenager but now…how do they do it? How do they survive? And how do they navigate into adulthood, particularly when we have a society that rewards selfish behaviour?”
This is reflected in We Are All Guilty Here through attitudes towards Madison and Cheyenne that can be seen as victim blaming. Following the imprisonment of “the Perv,” the narrative jumps forward 12 years.
Despite his poor health, Gerald remains sheriff, and Emmy continues to grapple with the aftermath of the murders and her accompanying guilt.
Memory, Reflection, and Choices
“The book deals a lot with memory, which is just where I am in my life, where you’re looking back. You see fewer years ahead than behind,” Slaughter says. “Despite being a millennial, Emmy’s one of the most Gen-X characters I’ve written because she’s dealing with raising a child and her ageing parents.”
She adds, “I wanted to have Gerald at a point in his life where he is reflecting on the bad decisions he made and making a choice to be a better person. We forget we can choose not to be grumpy assholes, or we can say, ‘Maybe the problem, to paraphrase Taylor Swift, is me’. Gerald made a choice and part of that came through raising Emmy.”
Slaughter remains very close to her father, Howard, whose health issues influenced the character of Gerald.”
New Twists and Adaptations
When a podcast casts doubt on the Perv’s conviction, it leads to his release. Then another young girl vanishes, mirroring the initial circumstances, and Emmy is at the center.
It’s quintessential Slaughter, into which she introduces recently retired FBI agent Jude, connected to the Cliftons. This contrasts with the lighter tone of Disney+’s Will Trent series, starring Ramón Rodriguez as the agent and Erika Christensen as Angie. Slaughter remains positive about the adaptation: “I am involved in it and I love what they’re doing,” she says. “But I knew it was Disney so they’re not gonna have Angie be a heroin addict who kills her childhood pimp, right? I’m proud of it.”
Separately, her novel, Pieces Of Her, was adapted for Netflix, and Slaughter has adapted The Good Daughter for TV.
Looking Ahead: More from Karin Slaughter
Future works can be expected from the world of the Cliftons. And although her storytelling is about violence, Slaughter says that she is an equal opportunities writer: “I kill men in my books, I never get credit for that!
She adds, “There are a lot of boys as well and girls who do crazy s*** when they’re teenagers. And you don’t really find out about it until they’re 40 and they’re drinking a glass of wine and talking about, ‘How did we survive?’ They were just at a point in their lives where they were acting out and trying to become women and they were targeted by a predator. And that happens more than we like to admit – a lot of women have this sort of thing in their past and never speak about it.” But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t read about it.
- We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter (HarperCollins, £22) is out now in hardback, ebook and audio