Title: The Silent Wife by Karin Slaughter
Will Trent Series Book Ten
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 498 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss
Summary:
He watches. He waits. He takes. Who will be next . . .
THE SILENT WIFE
Investigating the killing of a prisoner during a riot inside a state penitentiary, GBI investigator Will Trent is confronted with disturbing information. One of the inmates claims that he is innocent of a brutal attack for which he has always been the prime suspect. The man insists that he was framed by a corrupt law enforcement team led by Jeffrey Tolliver and that the real culprit is still out there—a serial killer who has systematically been preying on women across the state for years. If Will reopens the investigation and implicates the dead police officer with a hero’s reputation of wrongdoing, the opportunistic convict is willing to provide the information GBI needs about the riot murder.
Only days ago, another young woman was viciously murdered in a state park in northern Georgia. Is it a fluke, or could there be a serial killer on the loose?
As Will Trent digs into both crimes it becomes clear that he must solve the cold case in order to find the answer. Yet nearly a decade has passed—time for memories to fade, witnesses to vanish, evidence to disappear, and lies to become truth. But Will can’t crack either mystery without the help of the one person he doesn’t want involved: his girlfriend and Jeffrey Tolliver’s widow, medical examiner Sara Linton.
When the past and present begin to collide, Will realizes that everything he values is at stake .
Review:
The Silent Wife by Karin Slaughter is a twisted mystery that is quite compelling. Although this newest release is the tenth installment in the Will Trent series, it can be read as a standalone.
GBI Investigator Will Trent, his partner Faith Mitchell, and his girlfriend, Medical Examiner Sara Linton are investigating a murder that occurred during a prison riot. In the course of their examination of the scene and the deceased, prisoner Daryl Nesbitt claims to have information about a cell phone ring. However, before he will give up the details, Daryl insists that he was framed for a series of attacks and murder that occurred eight years earlier. He will give them the information about the cell phone ring in exchange for them investigating the cold case. Will and Sara decide to take a second look and they are stunned to discover several other murders that are shockingly similar that have occurred in the intervening years. Convinced a serial killer has been operating under the radar, they are soon looking at old cases in hopes of unmasking a murderer.
Eight years ago, Sara’s ex-husband Police Chief Jeffrey Tolliver and his officers are investigating the savage attack on college student Beckey Caterino and the horrific murder of another student. He is under intense pressure to find the person responsible, but there is scant evidence. After another victim is discovered, a new sense of urgency finally leads to a possible suspect. Although they do not have enough evidence to arrest the person for the attacks, they manage to get a conviction for another crime, leaving the other cases officially open. Jeffery is not certain they have the right person for the attacks but when no new leads turn up, he is forced to let it go.
In the present, Will, Faith and Sara are caught off guard after they are provided with information that links several other possible murders with the cases from eight years ago. As Will and Faith dig into this new evidence, they are absolutely horrified at what they discover. Sara’s expertise proves to be invaluable, but will they locate the prolific killer before this person strikes again?
Seamlessly shifting back and forth in time, The Silent Wife is an absolutely riveting police procedural. Will, Faith and Sara are multi-faceted characters that are easy to like and relate to. Will and Faith make steady progress in their investigation and Sara’s assistance is vital as she looks at old cases that were ruled accidental. With a series of unanticipated plot twists, Karin Slaughter brings this intriguing mystery to a diabolical conclusion. Old and new fans of the Will Trent series are going to LOVE this latest addition!
