Karin Slaughter's new book focuses on Atlanta, Maynard Jackson - Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5

Karin Slaughter is the number one internationally best-selling author of crime books. Though her subject is gruesome, the setting is familiar to Atlantans.

Her gritty crime novels have topped the New York Times bestseller lists and have been translated into 32 different languages, but her books are based in Georgia. She calls Atlanta home.

"It's just the sort of place that has such a rich history and culture. And it's an interesting background that is also a character in many ways," said Slaughter.

With Atlanta's rich history, why crime?

"Crime is really interesting. It's very difficult to name a book that endures in our collective memory that doesn't have some element of crime. Whether it's The Great Gatsby which has a murder, or even Gone with the Wind has a murder," said Slaughter.

Character development is Slaughter's hallmark. Her main characters are not perfect.

"I remember when I was a little girl and my grandmother would take me to church and she'd introduce me and she'd say 'This is Mrs. Smith or Mrs. Jones' and as soon as the woman turned her back she'd say, 'Well, you know, she's a drinker or you know her husband's cheating on her.' I just grew up knowing everybody had deep, dark secrets," said Slaughter.

While fiction, her books are based on real events and time periods. Her newest book, Criminal, emphasizes the increase of women in law enforcement and Maynard Jackson's tenure as mayor of the city.

"I give Maynard Jackson credit because he didn't care about color of skin. What he cared about was the color of money. And he really made Atlanta a business town. And talking about that transition in Criminal was a lot of fun," Slaughter said.

Though Slaughter's book signings take her all around the world, she says she'll always come back home to Atlanta. In her books and her life, keeping it real is important to Slaughter.

"I do love Atlanta, but I think it's important if you love something, to accept it for what it is. I really want to show the city, warts and all, because it is a fantastic, vibrant city," said Slaughter.

Slaughter is a long-time supporter of libraries and is the founder of the Save the Libraries campaign. It's a non-profit that encourages support of libraries. All proceeds raised go directly to local libraries. For more information about you can help, click here.