The Good Daughter: A Chilling Psychological Horror Novel of Family Bonds and Haunting Memories

SOON TO BE A PEACOCK LIMITED SERIES STARRING ROSE BYRNE AND MEGHANN FAHY An instant New York Times bestseller

The Good Daughter is like Law and Order meets The Good Wife.” —theSkimm

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Pieces of Her— a searing, spellbinding blend of cold-case thriller and psychological suspense.

Two girls are forced into the woods at gunpoint. One runs for her life. One is left behind…

Twenty-eight years ago, Charlotte and Samantha Quinn's happy small-town family life was torn apart by a terrifying attack on their family home. It left their mother dead. It left their father — Pikeville's notorious defense attorney — devastated. And it left the family fractured beyond repair, consumed by secrets from that terrible night of devastating family trauma.

Twenty-eight years later, and Charlie has followed in her father's footsteps to become a lawyer herself — the ideal good daughter. But when violence comes to Pikeville again — and a shocking tragedy leaves the whole town traumatized — Charlie is plunged into a nightmare of small town suspense. Not only is she the first witness on the scene, but it's a case that unleashes the terrible memories she's spent so long trying to suppress. Because the shocking truth about the crime that destroyed her family nearly thirty years ago won't stay buried forever…

Packed with twists and turns, brimming with emotion and heart, The Good Daughter is southern gothic fiction at its most thrilling.

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Published Apr 17, 2018

656 pages

Average rating: 7.66

297 RATINGS

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What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *The Good Daughter* is a gripping psychological thriller and a brutal, beautiful study of trauma and resilience. Karin Slaughter’s rich ch...

The.readrose
Jan 28, 2026
6/10 stars
This is the second book I’ve read by Karin Slaughter... and DAMN, does she know how to write a compelling story!

I’ve read that several people had problems with the pacing, but i honestly didn’t mind it. I understand where those reviewers are coming from, but I become so deeply involved with the characters that I didn’t mind! Whenever Karin writes, I feel like I know these characters and I feel for the characters. That’s magic.

Although, I did think the book was a little too long. 😅

I’m not going to write about my thoughts regarding the plot, it’s honestly too complex to talk about in a review. Although, I did buddy read this book with my friend Shae and I will link the buddy read thread.

https://goodreads.com/topic/show/19364711-the-good-daughter-by-karin-slaughter---starting-june-4-2018
K Olson
Jan 14, 2025
8/10 stars
Think Law & Order SVU edition. The mystery is well written and the novel is character driven. I found the cold-case more intriguing than the current day mystery. Overall 4.5 stars.
NYBeauty212
Mar 15, 2026
9/10 stars
I’m still reeling. This wasn’t just a read; it was a survival story. From page one, the tension is suffocating, leaving me breathless and hanging by a thread until the very end. What Charlie and Sam went through is the stuff of nightmares, and watching them navigate that horror was absolutely gut-wrenching. It’s a brutal, beautiful study of trauma and resilience. For me, they both earned the title. They are both The Good Daughter.
DLB
Dec 14, 2025
10/10 stars
This is one of those "I can't put I down because I still don't know who dunnit!" books. Very involved yet believable story and well written. You feel like you begin to really know the characters and therefore have an investment in what happens to them.
SarahReadsBooks
Dec 10, 2025
10/10 stars
This book was a huge thriller. It's dark, it's heavy and it certainly keeps you guessing. Highly recommend.

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