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 . . .

Series:

Will Trent

Book Type:

Thriller

Review: The Silent Wife

With THE SILENT WIFE, bestselling author Karin Slaughter delivers an extraordinary procedural thriller that’s all at once brutal, poignant and utterly mesmerizing.

Slaughter opens with the shocking assault of college student Beckey Caterino—a crime from years past investigated by medical examiner Sara Linton’s late husband, Police Chief Jeffrey Tolliver.

Beckey’s brutal attack—along with the rapes and murders of other women—arise following a prison riot as an inmate insists that he was set up to take the fall by Tolliver and his corrupt team. He claims the real perpetrator is out there still, preying on women across the state. And when another woman is found viciously murdered, it looks to be substantiating proof.

Will Trent and his partner, Faith, must revisit the nearly decade-old cases if they’re to catch what looks to be a serial killer. Worse yet, Will must seek the help of the woman he loves (Sara), despite opening a wound he fears has not yet healed. Their investigation takes shocking turns with consequences that weigh heavily emotionally, and which undoubtedly change the lives of everyone involved.

As always, Slaughter is unflinching in her portrayal of crime, making it all too real and terrifying. Through past and present alternating chapters, we uncover the dreadful fates that befell the women, and experience the strain of Sara and Jeffrey’s relationship leading up to his death.

The case is brutal, the investigation is fascinating, and the aftermath is deeply affecting. Through the story, Slaughter poignantly explores the stigma of rape and the long-lasting effects of trauma. She also evolves Will and Sara’s relationship, as they struggle to find solid ground amidst the turmoil of the case.

I’m such a fervid fan of Slaughter’s books because they truly feel to have it all—perfect pacing with thoughtful, twisty plots that come alive through well-drawn characters. They balance the very real horrors we sometimes see in the world with relationships and interactions that have depth and rouse emotion and relatability.

This one is one of her best—a chilling whodunit you won’t be able to put down.

You Might Also Like: