Category Archives: Will Trent Series

July 29, 2020 · 11:58 pm

Review: The Silent Wife by Karin Slaughter

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!

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Filed under Contemporary, Karin Slaughter, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, The Silent Wife, Will Trent Series, William Morrow

August 21, 2019 · 11:58 pm

Review: The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter

Title: The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter
Will Trent Series Book Nine
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 464 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

New York Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter brings back Will Trent and Sara Linton in this superb and timely thriller full of devious twists, disturbing secrets, and shocking surprises you won’t see coming

A mysterious kidnapping

On a hot summer night, a scientist from the Centers for Disease Control is grabbed by unknown assailants in a shopping center parking lot. The authorities are desperate to save the doctor who’s been vanished into thin air.

A devastating explosion

One month later, the serenity of a sunny Sunday afternoon is shattered by the boom of a ground-shaking blast—followed by another seconds later. One of Atlanta’s busiest and most important neighborhoods has been bombed—the location of Emory University, two major hospitals, the FBI headquarters, and the CDC.

A diabolical enemy

Medical examiner Sara Linton and her partner Will Trent, an investigator with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, rush to the scene—and into the heart of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to destroy thousands of innocent lives. When the assailants abduct Sara, Will goes undercover to save her and prevent a massacre—putting his own life on the line for the woman and the country he loves.

Review:

The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter is a chilling mystery with a topical storyline. Although this newest release is the ninth novel in the Will Trent series, it can easily be read as a standalone.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation Agent Will Trent and his girlfriend, medical examiner Sara Linton unwittingly find themselves in the middle of a domestic terrorism plot.  Hearing explosions that appear to have been set off at nearby Emory University, they rush to lend assistance. Before they reach the explosion site, Will and Sara are stopped by a traffic accident. While Sara is giving aid to the wounded, they both notice something about the scene is off. The situation soon turns dire after Sara makes a heart stopping discovery.  Having been savagely beaten, Will helpless watches as Sara is kidnapped. Despite his injuries, Will joins his GBI partner Faith Mitchell and their boss Amanda Wagner as they begin their investigation.

Meanwhile, Sara fears for her safety as she is forced to treat the wounded men in her care. The apparent leader, Dash, assures her he will set her free when he no longer requires her assistance. Sara tries to remain calm as Dash forces her to accompany him to his remote encampment in the mountains.  She quickly deduces Dash is running a paramilitary organization that is preparing for a cataclysmic mission.  Sara is tasked with caring with the children at the camp who are in the midst of a measles outbreak.  Her concern for her patients escalates as their conditions worsen despite medical treatment. Sara is growing extremely alarmed as Dash makes final preparation for an eminent attack.

Will is growing increasingly agitated as he tries to find Sara. He and Faith are both frustrated over the lack of co-operation between the different agencies working the investigation. They quickly discover Dash is the leader of a white supremacist group which has managed to fly so low under the radar that details about the group are scarce. Will is determined to figure out a way to go undercover in order to save Sara. But with time running out, is there any chance he can infiltrate the group before it is too late?

The Last Widow is a pulse-pounding, suspense-laden mystery with a terrifyingly real storyline.  While certainly compelling, the pacing of the novel is a little slow since the same scenes are shown from multiple characters’ points of view.  Despite this unusual narrative choice, the tension builds to an almost unbearable pitch as the novel hurtles to an action packed conclusion. Old and new fans of Karin Slaughter’s Will Trent series do not want to miss this all too realistic mystery which features a sinister, ripped from today’s headlines plot.

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Filed under Contemporary, Karin Slaughter, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Suspense, The Last Widow, Will Trent Series, William Morrow