Beyond Reach: Grant County, Book 6

BEYOND REACH By Karin Slaughter (GRANT COUNTY BOOK 6)MY REVIEW FIVE STARS*****I finished reading the final installment of the Grant County Books (BEYOND REACH, from 2007) last night. Unlike most of the people who have written reviews, I am different in at least two significant ways. First, I am reading and reviewing this novel in 2019, twelve years after it was published. Secondly,I was privy to the end of the book before I bought and read it.I have been a loyal fan of Karin Slaughter's novels for over a decade but became reacquainted with her works in 2017 in a somewhat unusual fashion.I spotted CRIMINAL (Will Trent Series Book 6) on a list [SERIAL KILLER THRILLERS: TEN OF THE BEST] courtesy of CrimeFictionLover.Com. I was reminded of how much I loved Slaughter's writing, so I read all of Slaughter's Will Trent Books in chronological order, to include CRIMINAL.It occurred to me that I had cheated myself by not REALLY going back to the beginning, that is, to before Karin Slaughter was a household name. Her debut novel BLINDSIGHTED awaited me, the book that first introduced pediatrician and coroner Dr. Sara Linton (and the small town setting of Grant County, Georgia). It was the books in this earlier series that were the building blocks that constructed a sound foundation for Slaughter's name and was the catalyst for her popularity to grow and flourish.I would advise anyone to begin at the beginning, which is the only way to truly comprehend and savor the different character arcs and how their destinies later intertwine, their individual futures play out. For instance, It is fascinating to read how the first seeds were sown that grew the hatred between Sara and Lena (among other things). It finally occurred to me what a disservice I had really done to myself by binge-reading the Will Trent books. Thus in 2018 I read all of the Grant County Books in their order of publication, save one. The exception was the last installment of this popular series (BEYOND REACH).I have spent some time prefacing this review, but not without a genuine reason. I have pondered whether my enjoyment (and CERTAINLY my critique) of the Grant County Books has been adversely effected by the fact that the Will Trent Series simply "knocked my socks off". It will be up to anyone who chooses to read this review to make up his or her own mind.The PROLOGUE accelerates out of the gate like a Ferrari with an invisible flagman signaling "go"! The brief description of the horror that unfolds is narrated by an unidentified female passenger in the backseat of a vehicle driven by Lena Adams. The woman has been drugged but exhibits vague yet meaningful glimpses of her surroundings. More significantly she maintains an awareness of her situation, its seriousness, and the fear and terror that is emanating from Lena in waves. An assassin is sitting next to the doomed narrator as he casually holds her at gunpoint and talks with Lena."He was wearing a ski mask , the kind you saw in horror films , where only the eyes and mouth were revealed"...Lena pleads with the executioner, but to no avail, as she watches in horror as the woman's body is doused in lighter fluid and set ablaze. The woman hears a horrible keening, and realizes that"— it was coming from her own throat as she sat helplessly watching the flames lick up her body".From this point forward, the story is related to the reader from the perspective of two different timelines. Lena is the focal point of this book and the author finally fleshes out the back story of this polarizing figure from the prior five novels in the series. Lena's ordeal begins a full three days BEFORE Jeffrey and Sara become involved in an all-consuming nightmare for them all.The jumping back and forth between time lines is initially tedious but rather quickly serves to ratchet up tension and apprehension, even as revelations are revealed to long-time readers that are totally shocking but also illuminating with respect to the character of Lena Adams.Three days following the shocking events in the PROLOGUE Sara Linton is being deposed in a malpractice suit by the parents of a dead patient. "She had spent eight and a half hours in the deposition, every aspect of her life being raked over the coals"... It is against this painful backdrop that Jeffrey's cell phone starts ringing, and Sara, knowing the drill, just relents ("Go ahead"..."Answer if." ) It is in this way that a scant amount of information is parsed out to Jeffrey about Lena Adams, a detective on his squad. More accurately "...a woman who made a habit of getting herself into bad situations and dragging Jeffrey along with her." Sara, standing by, thought to herself that "Just the sound of her name brought a sense of dread". Jeffrey learns very little, only that there was an "explosion", Lena was hospitalized, and that "She's been arrested". He informs the town of Reese that he can be there in three hours, and he sets out to make the trip, Sara in tow.Lena had made the trip to Reese on her vacation to check on the health and well being of her Uncle Hank, former drug addict, and generally "pushed away" at almost every turn. She finds Hank in a drug-induced stupor, emaciated, and in what could only be described as deplorable conditions. She encounters an obvious skinhead with a red swastika, and in what might be called a lucid moment Hank tells Lena that he had killed her mother. This declaration sets Lena on an ill-fated hunt for the truth behind what she now realized may have been nothing but fairy tales told to her and Sibyl when they were children.In Lena's investigation for the truth about her mother she comes up against insurmountable odds.The book tackles very dark truths about our society, including the radical white supremacists that populate our cities and our prisons. Truths about drug rings that operate with impunity when police, judges, and higher authorities are bought, bribed, and seduced by money and/or power.It is not my intent to provide a synopsis of this novel. It was written over a decade ago as the author's swan song for her popular and well-loved Grant County Books. In it, we say good-bye to Chief Jeffrey Tolliver. I knew that this was coming from the moment I read the first sentence of the novel. However, I must admit that the build-up to the climactic moment, particularly Sara's conversation with her mother about the news that she and Jeffrey had been approved to adopt a child, the scene with Jeffrey arriving home from the prison and embracing Sara with tears of happiness on his face and words of love on his lips made me tear up. It was with tears in my eyes that he walked to the mailbox. I stress this because I KNEW what was going to happen from the moment he met Ethan in the prison ("Watch your mailbox"). In addition, the end could not possibly have been more horrific, graphic, or gut-wrenching.I had tears in my eyes and on my cheeks when I closed the book. I felt those emotions DESPITE the fact I knew that Jeffrey was going to die at the conclusion of the book. This is a testimonial to the sheer power that Slaughter wields as an author.I have always enjoyed Slaughter's titles, and I have to indulge myself a little here. BEYOND REACH first and foremost refers directly to Lena. Sara makes this evident in her reflections (CH. 4 of the book). She was thinking about Lena and how impossible the young woman was to reach and to help (paraphrased)."But wasn’t that why Sara loved Jeffrey ? Because he refused to give up on people , no matter how beyond reach they seemed ?"But BEYOND REACH applies in other aspects of this powerful novel as well. For example, ETHAN GREEN. He is imprisoned and yet his influence reaches out beyond his physical surroundings. His influence is such that with a word he can order an execution. It is in this novel that he orchestrates the murder of the villain Fred (who attempts to murder Lena and Sara) and also the death of Police Chief Jeffrey Tolliver.Finally, BEYOND REACH also applies to the meth trade in the small town of Reese. We learn that the Sheriff of the town is in fact a general in the "Brotherhood...." and the trusted town Dentist and Coroner is on the payroll and carries out murders for the skin-heads running the drug trade. The sheer scope of the drug operation is "BEYOND REACH" of the authorities, including the GBI.This novel was the emotional tour de force that Slaughter intended it to be, a true "punch to the gut". It possessed that indisputable "unputdownable" factor for me. It was profound, interesting, and educational. Slaughter always delivers the goods. This novel accomplished an outstanding job in fleshing out the character of Lena Adams. I am well aware that she is a polarizing figure, pretty much an anti-hero much of the time. But personally I found myself more drawn to her than to any other fictional character in the Grant County Books. I did not hesitate to rate this book a solid five stars. It is tightly plotted, emotionally charged, and I found myself immersed in the very fabric of the narrative.Ordinarily I do not look at how other readers have rated a novel or read any Customer Reviews until after I have read the book. I like to decide independently what I believe that the novel warrants relative to stars and accolades versus criticism and negative feedback. I made an exception in this case because I knew how the book ended. Having said that, I was still astounded by the AMAZON REVIEWS. The Kindle Edition reported 501 Customer Reviews, and I was stunned that a full 25% of readers allotted the novel a dismal 1-Star (which I reserve for books I am simply unable to finish reading).I spent some time reading several of these 1-STAR REVIEWS and I was surprised by the vitriol, the expressions of betrayal, the statements of emotional distress, the attacks on the author's writing ability, and the complete "about-face" of so many readers who had loved every word that Slaughter had ever written but were now turning their backs on her forever. These people were disgusted they couldn't get refunds after purchasing the book, were taking Slaughter novels back to the store unread, and so on. In all, only 54% rated BEYOND REACH 4 or 5 STARS. Those folks never stopped to ponder WHY that after reading the ending they felt emotionally devastated. Many immediately converted their hurt and pain into anger and retaliation toward the writer, which is but a coping mechanism. My partner is a master at this, she doesn't cry, she throws things!In any case, I may have felt differently had I not already knew the path ahead was worth saying goodbye to Jeffrey. I like to believe that I would have trusted this wonderful author, and stayed the course. I have spent so many hours with the WILL TRENT BOOKS that I am as devoted to Slaughter as ever. This would have been the future that awaited all of those fans who were crushed by the horrific fate of Chief Tolliver at the conclusion of BEYOND REACH.This novel richly deserves 5-STARS and it is getting that from me. Karin Slaughter is truly one of the best crime novelists in the country, and in my opinion she is the top female psychological suspense novelist writing today. I am hooked on her writing, and absolutely addicted to her novels. Many authors seem to lose that creative "spark" that makes them shine brighter than the sun, and I will not name those authors over the years who I have reluctantly abandoned for that reason. In Slaughter's case her abilities have not waned but rather have only sharpened over the 12 years I have been a fan.It's been said that she "writes with a razor" and that means to me that her words touch me at the deepest level, my heart. Some praise Slaughter by saying "no one writes like Slaughter". That is the absolute truth.

i don't know why everyone is giving this book such horrible reviews. well, actually i read some, and the few i read are giving it a bad review due to their personal feelings and not the quality of the book, and though i DO understand (some of the reasons they listed), 1. the content about the lawsuit in the beginning (which i tend to agree with....it took up too much space, time and plot line & was basically unecessary to the story, BUT it did have a point (albeit a small one), & it was in keeping w/sara's character, insecurities and further development of that, but then it was just tossed away like nothing at the end, after such a lengthy introduction, so it WAS in essence virtually pointless. i also STRONGLY agree that the ending was LAME!! i mean it was good, the story, well written, (one of her best, as i said), BUT i was NOT happy in the least w/her killing off one of the main *& best characters.i was in shock when i read the end and remained shocked for weeks & even now, every time i think of it, though i did only read it months ago, i think it will always shock and appall me. still now, it even blindsides (no pun intended :P) me to think about her (karin), doing that. WHY??? yes, it's realism, yes there is not always a happy ending, yes to that & other things that make sense regarding her choice & how real life plays out, BUT it still irks and angers me. that character did NOT have to die and should not have died, and it decreases my own personal desire to read what comes next by a good 50%, (well maybe 30%).i LOVED that character & that person was a huge part, (and heart) of the series. *i'm not naming names, for those who haven't read the book. that being said, it will NOT prevent me from reading the forthcoming book in the series, and most likely reading her other books, which i have not. she has a talent for imagination, for sure. i DO understand her intent, or what i take to be her intent, to explore sara & her life w/out that highly crucial figure in it, sara finally FULLY being on "her own" & also lena, basically along the same lines...her mentor and hero, her leveling influence gone, AND the newly developed, & still developing relationship between she & sara and how they will continue on w/out that person that meant soooo much to them, how they will deal w/it, overcome it, what they will do, where they will go, though you know it will affect and change each of them FOREVER. i understand karin's interest in exploring this new turn, but still, whyyyyy?? ahhh, it is beyond upsetting and heartbreaking! i'm the first to appreciate realism in a story, even if i WANTED the "happy ending" but i did NOT want nor appreciate this twist, nor did i see it coming whatsoever.funny how you get SO attached to characters in novels, & in this case after reading 6 books (it's 6 right? i think so) w/these characters, you're even more so.all of that being said, this was probably, in my opinion, the BEST written, well plotted book OF the series. at first, w/the trial stuff, yeah i was kind of bored and wondering where that was going, and why, but then when it kicked into the real story i was all ears, or eyes, should i say.it was a total page turner and had me sucked in. generally w/ANY book (or film) that i read, i can predict asap what is going on, where it is going and what general pattern/structure or cliche is going on, but w/this book and others by karin, i had NO clue what was going on, meaning where the plot was taking us and i love that about her and her books. i've only read the grant county series. as i had purchased one book yrs ago that was the 4th or so in it, not realizing there even WAS a series and i loved it and reread it again recently, then went to look up what else she has written and discovered i had read one of the later books in the series. oops. that's kind of unfortunate, BUT it happened to be a great introduction for me, as that was the book that went back into the past when sara & jeffrey first started dating & he took her to his hometown, etc., so it gave me sufficient background, involvement & affection for the characters, (though i wish there were more of their past relationship in the OTHER books, there really is not. beyond the one i just mentioned, it is basically they were involved, broke up, kept getting back together or wanting to and we were told VERY briefly why they had split in the first place, but there is almost NO talk of the beginning of their relationship & marriage and the early years, the good times, the bad, there is a reference here and there, but that is all, it gives you a peek into the very beginning of it & basically fast forwards to the end/new possible, back and forth "beginning", PLUS i always wondered about his friends from that one novel, from his hometown, what became of them and that story line, w/robert and his wife and the other friend, etc.).anyway, i have read thousands, maybe close to a million books in my life (no joke) and voraciously read almost anything i can get my hands on (i write as well. am finishing up a book right now, the gods be with me, but it is a LONELY job: no immediate gratification (other than the loving of writing), it takes forever & it's sooo easy to get discouraged or to question yourself, though i KNOW it is great & have been told so by a number of people *and i'm VERY stingy about sharing any portion of it w/ANYONE!, but i digress...:P) and if i am highly recommending a book, an author, then that is high praise indeed, as i am very picky, selective and as i said fairly prescient in my book reading and karin manages to elude that w/me, which is highly unusual.i'm not saying she is dostoevsky or virginia woolf, one of the brontes, etc., meaning she will most likely not go down in history as one of our great american writers, but that is not the point here, nor do i intend to put her down, so i'm not sure why i threw that disclaimer in, because i thoroughly enjoy her books. perhaps i'm just being a snob for a moment? i hope not.the point IS: that she is a darn (they won't let me curse at all on here, so there goes a "darn" and the word it replaced was PG anyway) good writer and at the very least, manages to keep you not only glued to her work, which is a talent, but also to fall in love w/her characters, even lena.i have great admiration and empathy for lena, she is one tough, hard behind-ed (again, no cursing), damaged, yet cool as heck chick!! (i feel like beaver cleaver w/my forced change of wording amazon! sheesh) and i still AM very interested to see what happens to lena and sara, even though i will still be broken hearted over the loss of the other GREAT, now gone, character, as i can predict sara & lena will be. unable to function for ages is how i see it.i am hoping against hope (though i know it's probably fruitless), that it was somehow a dream or anything else to explain it away, i don't even care if it makes sense! change it, take it back and i will be a happy camper! ;)how about that karin? you don't need to take the soap opera route, but do you know how broken hearted people are over that loss? couldn't you have taken a smaller, less beloved character away from us? :(ps. i don't generally check my writing for errors, misspelling, typo's, etc. so if i used poor grammar, sentence structure, or didn't make complete sense in what i rambled out there in this moment, forgive me. also happy reading to all! :)

Please don’t read this book unless you have read the series! Not that it isn’t incredible ~ I just feel like I’m so ingrained into knowing the characters. Karin Slaughter is a fabulous writer whose detailed & in-depth description of settings, well developed characters, depth of medical & forensic analysis & ability to create thrillingly brilliant plots & twists it will keep you riveted to every page. I’ve read the Grant County series & the Will Trent series and I cannot wait for more! BRILLIANT!

Top notch finish to the series.Now for my rant....I like to read reviews to get an idea of whether to spend my time with a book, or move on to something else. I've tried to pick friends on Goodreads with similar tastes to mine, in order to do this. That being said, reading reviews in advance, can really destroy your reading experience when you don't get a spoiler alert for a major twist in the story. That's what happened to me with this story, I still gave it a 5 star, cause that's not Karin Slaughter's fault, but I can't say how bummed I was knowing what I knew in advance. All's I can ask is for people to be careful and give a spoiler alert if you want to give a tell all review or even spill the beans in a headline.

It's a book. I read it.

Altho this book was as good as others in the series in terms of plot and characters, I gave it a lower rating because I was so irritated by the time-shifts. Not so much the time-shifts in themselves, but that there was no indication given by the author that she was changing from the present to the past. For example, one moment I read about Lena doing something outside, and in the very next sentence she was thinking about something in her bed. It happened frequently in this novel, and was very bothersome.

An exciting thriller that keeps you guessing right to the end of the book. Sara is a strong woman who keeps heremotions under control and loves Jeffrey her Policeman husband. A friend and colleague of his is in trouble andthey go tumbling into a nightmare scenario. This is a well written book that has action on nearly every page.

The last in the Grant County series.Sorry it is over as I feel their is a lot more meat on the bone with strong characters like Lena, Nick, Frank, Sara & even Hank. What about Angela, surely there must be a tale featuring Lena's mother!Have to admit I'm glad Sara & Jeffrey 's saga has ended, never seemed to go far, but good exit.Don't think with a strong storyline there has to be a romantic tale running parallel.

In this book, Lena Adams, a junior detective in the Grant County Police Force (the book's set in Georgia), travels home to deal with some business with her uncle. Once there she gets involved investigating a drug dealing ring. This necessitates her boss (and his coroner wife) to come down and save her when she gets in too deep.It's an interesting read, but as we read about the "underbelly of redneck America," I found it a really depressing read. I know that America isn't the land of wine and honey, but the grinding rural poverty described here isn't fun to read about (and something not often described in books).If there was one draw back of the book, I'd say it was down to me. This isn't the first book in the series, and it shows. The sherriff's wife (the coroner) is dealing with issues that arrose in the previous book, so I'm not sure that this book is the best place to start in the series.One other thing, this is the same book as "Beyond Reach," so don't buy both.

I've read all the Grant County series so far and really enjoyed the characters, well most of them.This was no exception but I would have liked it to be less about Lena as she exasperates ME far more than she does Jeffrey and Sara!!The plot was a good one and the way the chapters alternated between Lena and the investigation worked well. Unusually, I felt a little unsettled, sad even, all through this book and wasn't sure why but the ending was such a shock that I think Karin intended this book to have a different feel, and that how she felt about the story line herself came out in the writing.It's hard to be honest without giving away the last few pages so I urge you to judge for yourselves and read Karin's explanation afterwards. For those who are new to Karin's Grant series, you really need to read them in order, starting with Blindsighted.