A reader who enjoys dark, emotionally complex thrillers focused on family dynamics and secrets would be captivated by Karin Slaughter's The Good Daughter. Fans of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl and Paula Hawkins's The Girl on the Train will find similar intrigue and psychological depth.

Karin Slaughter's The Good Daughter has been praised for its compelling narrative and complex characters, making it a gripping thriller. Readers lauded its emotional depth and intricate plot twists. However, some found the pacing uneven and the graphic violence unsettling. Overall, it's highly recommended for suspense enthusiasts who can handle intense themes.

In The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter, sisters Samantha and Charlotte Quinn are thrust back into each other's lives when a violent incident evokes traumatic memories of a brutal attack on their family decades earlier, forcing them to confront buried family secrets and the lingering scars of their past. The book contains descriptions of severe violence, abuse, and discrimination.

Dark / Suspenseful / Emotional / Unnerving / Gritty

- The Good Daughter is a standalone novel, marking a departure from Karin Slaughter's well-known series like the Will Trent and Grant County novels.
- Karin Slaughter wrote The Good Daughter with a focus on the emotional and psychological complexities of the characters, drawing on themes of family trauma and resilience.
- The novel received praise for its intricate plotting and was shortlisted for the 2018 Crime & Thriller Book of the Year at the British Book Awards.

**Charlotte “Charlie” Quinn**  
A 41-year-old criminal defense lawyer, one of the novel's two protagonists, who works alongside her father Rusty and is temporarily separated from her husband Ben. She is characterized by her resilience and engagement in the male-dominated legal world.

**Samantha “Sam” Quinn**  
The other protagonist, Sam is a 43-year-old patent lawyer dealing with the effects of her childhood trauma. She is often compared to her mother Gamma due to her logical and intelligent demeanor.

**Russell “Rusty” Quinn**  
A 74-year-old criminal defense lawyer, Rusty is the father of Charlie and Sam. He is known for his commitment to defending alleged criminals and is seen by Charlie as a larger-than-life character with a jokey demeanor.

**Harriet “Gamma” Quinn**  
The late wife of Rusty and mother to Sam and Charlie, Gamma was an accomplished astrophysicist with a significant impact on her daughters. Her memory serves as a source of hope and inspiration for her family.

**Judith Heller Pinkman**  
Present in both timelines, Judith is a middle-school English teacher and the complex perpetrator behind the crime mystery. She is initially seen as a nurturing figure to Charlie during her childhood.

**Kelly Wilson**  
A victim of the present-day narrative's crime, Kelly is a petite and vulnerable young woman who faces socio-economic challenges. She is caught in a complex web of exploitation and injustice.

**Zachariah “Zach” Culpepper**  
The primary antagonist, Zach is a sadistic character with a history of criminal behavior. He has been a source of trauma for the Quinn family from the novel's past events.

**Mason “Huck” Huckabee**  
Initially charming, Mason is revealed as an antagonist who was involved in the attack on the Quinn family. He is depicted as a morally ambiguous character with a complex relationship to other characters.

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Chapter 13-Interlude 3

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Chapter 16-Interlude 4

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