'Will Trent' author has a 'shocking' new book coming – See the cover (exclusive)

When you’ve got a name like Karin Slaughter, you’re pretty much destined to write crime novels.

The thriller author is known for “We Are All Guilty Here,” “Pretty Girls” and the “Will Trent” series, the adaptation of which is now in its fourth season on ABC. Living up to her name, her books are filled with grit and twists, dark lies and violent crime. And she’ll soon publish a new one.

“The Secrets We Hide” comes out Aug. 11 and is available to preorder wherever books are sold. USA TODAY is exclusively revealing the cover, with a sneak peek from Slaughter herself.

See the cover for ‘The Secrets We Hide’ by Karin Slaughter

This is the second book in Slaughter’s “North Falls” series, which opened with last year’s “We Are All Guilty Here.” In that book, officer Emmy Clifton digs into the disappearance of two teenage girls, a mystery that has a personal edge. The series is set in North Falls, a small town with big secrets. 

Clifton will return in “The Secrets We Hide,” investigating a new attack with her sister, former federal agent Jude Archer. But as she digs deeper into what is disrupting the peace in North Falls, her mission turns more and more dangerous.

“The jacket is very atmospheric – the single light turned on in an empty room, the stormy night sky – everything about the image sets a great tone for what’s to come,” Slaughter shares with USA TODAY over email. “Lots of lies to be uncovered and secrets to be revealed.”

The lone house against the dark blue backdrop represents a “very normal house in a very normal neighborhood, which makes the shocking things that happen all the more surprising,” Slaughter says.

Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you’re reading at [email protected].