The Unremarkable Heart and Other Stories

by Karin Slaughter

Collected in one volume-and on audio-for the first time, The Unremarkable Heart and Other Stories features bestselling author Karin Slaughter at her best: dark, provocative explorations of love, death, and the secrets we keep. This exclusive audiobook contains the previously published tales The Unremarkable Heart, The Blessing of Brokenness, Necessary Women, The Mean Time, Cold Cold Heart, and the never-before-seen story The Truth About Pretty Girls.

Genres: Short Stories, Thriller, Fiction, Audiobook, Crime, Mystery, Suspense

Audio CD

First published August 1, 2010

About the author

Karin Slaughter is the author of twenty-five instant NEW YORK TIMES bestselling novels, including the Edgar–nominated COP TOWN and standalone novels THE GOOD DAUGHTER, PRETTY GIRLS, and GIRL, FORGOTTEN. She is published in 120 countries with more than 40 million copies sold across the globe. PIECES OF HER is a #1 Netflix original series starring Toni Collette. The Will Trent Series is on ABC (and streaming on Hulu in the U.S and Disney+ internationally). THE GOOD DAUGHTER and FALSE WITNESS are in development for film/tv. Slaughter is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit organization established to support libraries and library programming. A native of Georgia, she lives in Atlanta.

Facebook: Facebook.com/AuthorKarinSlaughter

Website: http://www.karinslaughter.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karinslaugh...

Reviews

[Karin Slaughter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is one of the meanest stories I've ever written. I was going to give myself four stars for the nastiness, but I reconsidered because I love myself more than that.

[Selene · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

The first line gripped me and I couldn’t put this short story down:

June Connor knew that she was going to die today.

This is a raw and thought-provoking story about a fifty year-old headmaster dying of stage four lung cancer. She reminisces about the past and the reader gradually finds out that June Connor had become jaded in life, was in a broken marriage, and had a daughter, Grace, who committed suicide at age fifteen. June also reflects on the death of her once respectable reputation and the fact that her husband spent twenty-one years in prison...

This is a great story for readers who don’t mind unlikable characters. This book is quick-paced, well-written, and contains an excerpt from Broken. The unremarkable heart is the phrase used by the medical examiner to describe the condition of Grace’s heart from a medical standpoint. But it’s the last page of this story that really unsettled me!



► Enjoyed!

[Suz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never need an excuse to pick up a KS, right?! This was a short filler on audio. An unusual little story, with some gentle build up to an unexpected ending. We hear a tale of evil that is not presented directly, we need to work for it.

A woman wakes up stating this will be the day of her death, and quickly tells of her health condition, the hard edge to her personality and why she continues with her job that she really does not like. She herself, unlikable, tells her story without fanfare about parenthood, loss, and tragedy; attempting to grasp it all as she takes her last day on earth.

She appears to be a strong woman, but this does not transfer to abhorrent acts committed by her ex-felon husband, who is reading her the paper on her deathbed. A deathbed confession and a cruel act. All very Slaughter like.

This short story is entirely made up of unlikeable characters and ill intent, apart from those who are wronged.

I think I was jarred by the unusualness of this, and don’t recall rating any of this author’s book 3 stars, but let's not forget, this rating is ‘liked’ not loved.

I listened to this audiobook via my own academic Library catalogue and the Overdrive platform.

[Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars for The Unremarkable Heart and Other Stories (audiobook) by Karin Slaughter read by Shannon Cochran.

Some dark, twisted, and kind of disturbing short stories. Karin Slaughter has a gift for putting her characters in uncomfortable situations. And making her readers keep turning the pages to see what happens next.

[Maroua Zaatour (Mirou) ✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slaughter at her twisted best.

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars for The Unremarkable Heart and Other Stories (audiobook) by Karin Slaughter read by Shannon Cochran.

These stories are interesting but they’re more disturbing than I was expecting.

[L. McCoy · Rating 2 out of 5]

So... why do people love this author?

What’s it about?
A collection of short stories by Karin Slaughter (I know that’s kind of obvious but y’know).

My thoughts on the stories:
Okay, so all of the audio narrators did a good job.
Cold Cold Heart ⭐️⭐️ Well written and sometimes unpredictable but seriously... it’s boring and full of cliches with a not particularly interesting story. Yeah, not a fan of this one. I thought Slaughter was meant to be an author of fucked up crime stuff. This seemed like edgy contemporary fiction in all honesty.
Necessary Women ⭐️⭐️ What the fuck was that? This was barely a story. It’s just “well, I deal with some tough shit” the end. I will give it points for being well written but for real... It’s also pretty predictable.
The Blessing of Brokenness ⭐️⭐️ Holy fuck, this one’s bad. You want a boring story about someone with a shitty life that’s not well written like the previous ones? This is the story for you! I’ll give it a point for some unexpected plot twists and a twisted ending but overall this is terrible. The narrative sounds like a grumpy old woman ranting about shit ranging from religion to rap to men and more which... y’know the character is meant to be an older woman with lots of issues but it’s not like it’s a first person narrative in this so it’s just horrible in it’s execution. When the fuck do I get to the demented thriller stuff? That’s what I hear get hyped up from this author. So far I’m just hearing slightly R-rated contemporary fiction. I’m annoyed at the book at this point but I’m more than half way through this collection so might as well finish it and hope there’s something good here.
The Mean Time ⭐️ Wow, it gets worse. There is nothing good about this, just a short story about “my relatives thought my parents did a shitty job raising me and one time on vacation at the family farm a bunch of stupid stuff happened including me being a bitch.” Worst country song idea I ever heard. I was so fucking tempted to just give up on this but the next story has an interesting title so who knows, maybe that one is the treasure in a pile of trash.
The Truth About Pretty Girls ⭐️ Wow, nope. This book is a boring, awkward and poorly written story about yet another woman who has a fucked up life. It’s yet another story about a woman who has a bunch of sad things happen (yay, exactly what this needed) except this one has a bunch of “I don’t like that I’m old”. I don’t know or really give a shit how old the author is but these stories sound like ranting from a grumpy old woman. Also should note that one line sounds very anti-Semitic when a character is described as “unclean, brooding and Jewish” as if Jewish is something negative... Oh and don’t get me started on the unnecessary, LONG AS FUCK part about the main character’s first period. Ugh, so awkward and has nothing important to the story, I mean... does anyone who isn’t a 12-13 year old girl need to hear about this kind of stuff in such detail? Eww.
Unremarkable Heart ⭐️⭐️ Best of the bunch though still not good. It’s fairly well written and suspenseful but not at all exciting, the characters are shitty and the beginning is hard to sit through because of it’s... well... several problems that I grew to expect from this book. The story is off because it starts off boring as shit then kinda interesting but by the end I lost my interest. Maybe it’s because I was just tired of this book but... yeah didn’t like it.

Overall:
So this was my first and probably last time reading a book by this author. Maybe I got confused with another author or something but I heard she usually does twisted crime drama, this is basically a collection of cliche filled slice of life fiction (a genre I usually don’t care for but can handle if done right, hell I like a couple of books I’ve read in the genre) about boring people living shitty lives.
If that somehow appeals to you... I can’t see how. This book is boring as fuck and I’m just gonna pass on others by this author I think.

2/5

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Distasteful subject, not one likeable character but well written story

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: The description and reviews attached to this book make it sound like it's only one story but the audio CD set consists of 4 discs with various short stories.

These short stories are expertly narrated, very compelling (I couldn't wait to drive somewhere so I could continue listening to them), and very very twisted, but in a very very good way. Karin generally writes suspense thriller crime novels and while these had some elements of crime, most were more along the line of psycholgical studies with some really creepy and disturbing topics. You have been warned...

[Pop · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the most awful collections of stories I’ve ever listened too. Couldn’t finish. Be warned. I have enjoyed her books before. But this this was really gross. Would like the to give it 0 stars, but I can’t .. She must have been deeply depressed when she wrote these.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Unremarkable Heart is Karin Slaughter’s latest short story, published exclusively as an e-book. June Connor is dying of lung cancer; her ex-convict husband Richard is caring for her on her death bed. As she thinks back on how she has arrived at this stage, she mourns her teen-age daughter, Grace, and tries not to allow her last thoughts in this life to be depressing and negative, but thinking back to the events of twenty-one years before makes it difficult. And her husband decides, on this, her last day, to tell the shocking truth. Slaughter once again leaves the reader gasping.

[SheriC · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an odd collection of short stories, and not at all what I expected, based on the Slaughter novels that I've read. Overall, very good, but also very grim. There were a few with fun, O Henry type twists, and each story is well constructed and does not leave the reader hanging as some authors do in this format.

Audiobook, borrowed from my public library via Overdrive. The audio quality is not great, but Shannon Cochran gives a strong performance.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply the best short stories I've ever read. The title story, "The Unremarkable Heart," was cruel, shocking, and the final sentence will haunt me for a long time. Every story is unique, brilliant. Highly recommended.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slaughter is most known for her dark mysteries, but most of her short stories fall more into dark literary fiction (think Donald Ray Pollock) with enough humor or heartbreak to make them feel real. A few in this collection got me right in the heart while others horrified me or made me think. It's a great collection. While indicative of Slaughter's writing skill, it isn't a great example of her full length novels in plot or tone.

[Susy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
Not sure how to feel about Slaughter’s short stories. Though perhaps better than the previous one I read (Martin Misunderstood), I found this to be quite sick. And in a short story like this, it misses purpose, except for shocking the readers….

Characters 6
Atmosphere 7
Writing Style 6
Setup 5
Plot 4
Intrigue 5
Logic 5
Enjoyment 5

[Amanda Tuinstra ( Liefde voor boeken Amanda) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Recensie volgt op mn blog

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the easiest collection of short stories to read and definitely not my favorite of KS’s stories or characters. The darkness ran the gamut, e.g. a Loretta Bobbitt revenge story, incest and murder, hypocrisy and abortion, city v. country cousins, pretty (but awful, self-centered) vapid women, abandoned children, pedophiles and monsters, and none had any redemption or relief. It was chock full of bitterness and sorrow, and devoid of all hope and goodness. What a downer! Still love the author’s writing, although perhaps it doesn’t lend itself well to the audio format; the bleakness of the stories coupled with the narrator’s horribly exaggerated southern drawl was simply too awful to endure, and my disdain for this collection is just further proof, as if it were needed, that anthologies are just not really my thing. Thankfully, it was mercifully short.

Three (reluctant) stars.

OWLS Alchemist
Ancient Runes: Heart Runes
A Book with a Heart on the Cover or in the Title

Reading Women Challenge 2020
Prompt #18 A Book Under 100 Pages

[Carmen Serra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this because I usually enjoy Karin Slaughter in a lot of anthologies that I read. She has a dark humor. Martin Misunderstood was like a secret life of Walter Mitty if it was directed by Quentin Tarantino. So that kind of humor. This book however, not funny. It was good though. I fell like this author could write any kind of genre. These short stories gave me the feel of Flannery Oconnor. Some of the stories were too disturbing and or sad for me especially since I was expecting it to be funny. That's my take on it

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow. That was a dark and uncomfortable ride! I like dark and uncomfortable, but this actually made me squirm with anguish and really pushed the envelop for me. Even the author said this was the meanest thing she has ever written. The characters were edgy and the stories were raw and hard.

I have to read something happy now...and I don't really do happy. :/

[Mel (Daily Prophecy) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, this was such a strange book.. I don't even know how to describe it. I'm going to think about it, because I'm not sure how to review it. The whole storyline was just strange. I've read it in one hour, 'cause the wirting style is nice to read, but I don't think I quite enjoyed it.

[Jillian Ferry · Rating 5 out of 5]

As June dies of cancer, she thinks of the negative of her life as her ex-husband kills her with his last words.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karin Slaughter is one of my favorite authors, so when I found this audiobook of short stories I was intrigued. Short stories can be very difficult to write well, and many novelists just can't tell a story adequately in fewer than 200 pages or so. This book shows that Karin Slaughter does well in both formats. Some of the stories were better than others, but all had well-developed characters and interesting plots, some with twists at the end. The narrator did a good job of bringing the characters to life, using a southern drawl on the first-person accounts to add authenticity. The book isn't quite as good as her full-length mysteries (can't wait to read what's next for Sara and Will!) but it was very enjoyable and easier to "put down" between stories.

[Elvan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories are an aquired taste. The reader has a limited amount of time to get used to the characters and setting presented and try to guess where the author is taking you or what the zinger/twist ending is going to be.
This set of four or five stories have nothing in common with Slaughter's usual police procedurals but are still populated with a fairly broken and flawed cast of characters. Some of the endings are cringe worthy and sometimes entertaining. Some of the stories make you ponder the writer's background as there is just so much anguish that comes across vividly in her writing. Not a happy book. Not at all. I am in awe of Karin Slaughter's talent even when she is writing what appear to be writer's craft efforts.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not impressed! Firstly, I didn't realise it was a short story until I got to 50%, but that was my fault I suppose. But then the story ended really abruptly at 55%. The rest of the ebook is an extract from another book... One of my pet peeves is when you think you've got 50 pages left and are expecting some action and then it ends suddenly and you discover the last 50 pages are 'additional material'.
The story wasn't great... I think the end of the story was supposed to be shocking, but maybe I have read too many thrillers because I'd already guessed where it was going. I normally like Karin Slaughter's books so maybe I was just expecting too much. I'll stick to her full length books in future though!

[BeccaJBooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know this was only a short story, but I didn't really enjoy this book. Karin Slaughter is one of my favourite authors, but this one was a bit of a disappointment to me. I didn't like any of the characters in it, which always makes a good book, I think. There was no hero or good guy in this book and it was just a bit depressing!

[Wendy Darling · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first Karin Slaughter that I rated less than 4 stars. This short story is a bit convoluted in its framework, and not nearly as affective or shocking as I hoped it would be. Depressing, unexciting, and worst of all--predictable.

[Anthea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well that was definitely unexpected.
I didn’t enjoy at all. I just finished Grant County and so this was disappointing.

[sage · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐
“Eventually, she would die, her shame taken with her to the grave.”

This book should've been longer, I wanted an in-depth of it all. Karin Slaughter is the best writer and the way she brings the horror of the world in every book she writes is literal perfection. They way my jaw dropped at the end of the book and she managed all of this in under 60 pages. wow
Literally goes to show how good of a writer she is. This novella made me want to know MORE about each of the characters. It was so good. Gave it a 4.5 because it was too short.
But coming back to the end Richard saying Grace killed herself not because she saw her dad raping her best friend BUT because she was jealous is actually CRAZY. Like, damn chill. The girl was NOT jealous. She and her friend were both innocent 15 yo that deserved a trusting adult not YOU.
Karin queen very good book 🙌🏻

“Is that what happened to Grace? Had her bad blood finally caught up with her? It was certainly catching up with June now. ”

[Caty Hespel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Derde kortverhaal en opnieuw luguber en verontrustend. Je voelt tijdens de opbouw van het verhaal dat het niet goed gaat komen maar het duurt even voor je de puzzelstukken bi elkaar legt en pas op de allerlaatste pagina zie je het aankomen... GVD!!!