Beyond Reach is the sixth novel in the Grant County series by Karin Slaughter, originally published in 2007. The previous books in the series are Blindsighted, Kisscut, A Faint Cold Fear, Indelible, and Faithless. Beyond Reach was released in European market with the title Skin Privilege. The books feature characters Sara Linton, Jeffrey Tolliver, and Lena Adams. In this book, a main character of the series is impacted in a serious way, which resulted in much controversy and commentary on the event -- including spoilers being posted in online book review. Slaughter has written a note to her readers about her decision, which is posted on her website.
Book summary
The Heartsdale Children's Clinic is closed. Sara spends all day being deposed in a malpracticelawsuit filed by the parents of Jimmy Powell, now dead from leukemia, and a deep-pockets-picking lawyer, over a ridiculous technicality. Everything she's built up for the last 16 years is crumbling away as greedy townspeople line up to get in on the action, not realizing their betrayal of her is only going to result in higher healthcare costs for everyone or that the nearest pediatrician is 100 miles away. Sara's parents are gone on a cross-country RV trip and her sister is counseling the homeless in Atlanta, only old/new husband Jeffrey is there for support. When he's called away to the town of Reese, it's almost a relief to get to go with him...except that they're going because Lena lies in a hospital with smoke inhalation, under arrest and suspected of being involved in murder. She was found beaten badly, watching a torched SUV burn with a body inside it, on the 50-yard line of the high school football field, foot propped on an empty gas can. And she won't say a word to anyone. Reese is Lena's home town, and she came back to check on her Uncle Hank, the ex-addict who raised her and her twin sister. She found him mixed up with some very unsavory characters and hooked on drugs again after being clean for three decades. And major events from her past are now in question, events that shaped who she is. One of the few things of which she is certain is that Jeffrey and Sara are in terrible danger, and she must stop at nothing to get them out of town.
