Unseen

Karin Slaughter excels again with Unseen, the eighth book in the Will Trent detective series.

Most of the story takes place in Macon, Georgia, where Will Trent, Special Agent of the Georgia FBI, is now dating Sara Linton, a doctor and widow of a police officer. Will is currently working undercover as an ex-con. He is attempting to penetrate a drug ring and discover the identity of the notorious but well-protected crime boss “Big Whitey.” As the story opens, Will manages to stop a planned hit on policewoman Lena Adams, the detective who was in charge of a recent drug bust. Lena’s husband Jared was critically wounded in the attempt.

Complicating matters is the fact that Jared is the son of Sara’s dead husband Jeffrey, who was also show more Lena’s partner at the time Jeffrey was killed. This results in an uneasy confrontation between Lena and Sara, since Sara still blames Lena for Jeffrey’s death. Moreover, Sara has no idea that Will is involved with Lena and Jared.

As Jared fights for his life, Will risks his own trying to bring down the people who did this. And Big Whitey is still at large, wreaking havoc in ways even the police didn’t anticipate.

Discussion: The fact that Sara still can’t forgive Lena for the death of her husband Jeffrey (who was Lena’s partner at the time), is ridiculous and annoying, and yet it is absolutely plausible. I also find very believable the insecurity and equivocation between Will and Sara, especially because Will’s job necessitates his keeping secrets from Sara and even lying to her. Sara’s reaction? Unreasonable, and so true-to-life!

Similar to the ways in which Slaughter’s previous excellent book provides us with background on Atlanta in the 1970’s, this book takes us on a sociological tour of Macon, Georgia, and shows us just how and why it differs from Atlanta. The author has a way of incorporating these details to make them relevant and interesting rather than didactic or distracting.

Evaluation: I have said many times I hate stories that involve drugs, and I hate stories that talk about abuse of women and/or children. Slaughter includes all of this, but she is so compassionate and caring in her treatment of these subjects; so expressive of outrage and sadness over the continued existence of these problems; and so gripping and intelligent in her plot intricacies that I absolutely love her books. I put her on a par with Jo Nesbo for smart thriller writing that is consistently engaging and often gripping. But Slaughter also adds a great deal of heart and a sensitivity to concerns of women that make this a must-read series for me.

Can it be read as a standalone? I’m not sure; I forgot a lot of details from previous books, and I found myself wishing I remembered more, but that’s perhaps because I have come to “know” the characters and feel invested in them. I don’t think these books could not be read by themselves, although I think they are more enjoyable in sequence. show less

Unseen (2013) (Will Trent #7) by Karin Slaughter. Yet another fine example of Ms. Slaughter’s art. Will Trent is undercover attempting to infiltrate a drug ring run by an unseen. unknown but highly feared boss. Violent crime abounds in this book as well as human trafficking, some bikers and abducted humans. Corrupt cops appear, speaking of which, Lena Adams reappears in the series. She is the cop Sara Linton blames for getting Sara’s husband murdered. Sara gets involved in this case and her life is at risk. One of the first things that happens is Trent gets identified by Lena when he comes rushing into a crime scene where Lena has managed to kill her attackers.
Will wonders if Lena will blow his cover, which is the least of his show more problems.
This is a good read. As usual there is a lot going on, conflicts arise among the three main characters, and the threat of the seemingly all-powerful drug lord hovers over all, shading the events with the fear of the unknown evil that could lurk within any one of the book’s population. And there is the growing romance between the well-grounded doctor and the damaged detective. This book will have you guessing to the end. show less

4.5 stars.

I have been reading crime thrillers since I was nine years old, and I've yet to find a writer who can do this genre better than Karin Slaughter. I love all but one of her novels, and Unseen is the best so far. The crimes are gruesome and the violence is intense, but I am a human who faints at the sight of blood, and I can handle it, so I don't think it's excessive. Men tend to compliment Slaughter by saying she writes like a man, which is, you know, condescending and not really a compliment, but I think it does give you a good feel for her writing style, which can be a bit butch in the best possible way.

The characters are so richly drawn, their flaws and quirks presented without judgment from the author, that everything that show more happens to them feels real and raw and immediate. And she's not afraid to kill them off. Once I start reading one of these novels, I cannot go to sleep until I've finished it because WHAT IF WILL DIES and OH GOD NO THEY CAN'T BREAK UP and PLEASE SOMEONE KILL LENA BECAUSE SHE IS THE ABSOLUTE WORST and, seriously, WHAT IF WILL DIES.

When the book opens, Will is undercover as a biker with a criminal past (he watched Sons of Anarchy to prepare for the assignment because he is adorable and I love him) in Macon, where Lena is a detective. You guys, Lena really is just the absolute worst. She makes those dumb anti-feminist Mila Kunis jokes--you know, like directing "What are you, a bunch of little girls?" and "Are you on your period?" at dudes. Because women are weak and worthy of your ridicule and...I freaking hate Lena. And she's mean to Sara, who is the most awesome character.

It took four books to get Will and Sara to the point where they are finally together (although he is still technically married to someone else), and like an idiot he is not being completely truthful about his undercover assignment because he knows she'll be scared for him and also because he was there when the people he's undercover with broke into her stepson (who is in a coma)'s house and shot him. And because he's on this assignment because of Lena, and Sara's husband was KILLED while on an assignment for Lena This is a disaster waiting to happen, especially once Sara has to go to Macon herself. Even Will's awesome harpy of a boss Amanda tries to talk him into telling Sara what's going on. Because obviously it's dumb to lie about important things and she will have to dump him if she finds out about it. Oh, speaking of Amanda's amazingness:

You know you can catch more flies with honey.

Yes, Faith, thank you. That's exactly what I need is more flies.

There was really only one thing that bothered me about this book, and it actually made me kind of angry to the point that I slammed my kindle shut (and then immediately reopened it so I could finish reading). There's a point near the end where a clue comes out because of someone's name. And Will makes a slight logical leap, but it's not really a big deal, because he's freaking brilliant and clearly right, and even if he's wrong, he has to look into it because better safe than sorry and all that. But then he says, to clarify why he's right, " Benjamin's not a common name here."

So here's the deal. I grew up in the tiniest of tiny rural towns 35 miles north of Macon--so, like, midway between Macon and Atlanta. And because of this, I know that Benjamin is literally the single most popular name for men in that part of the country. Three of my ten best guy friends in high school had it, as did at least two of my friends' dads. About one out of every fifty males I know in the state of Georgia goes by that name. Slaughter lives in Georgia. How could she make a mistake like this?

Grrrrrr.

Still, you have to have to have to read these books, and they need to be read in a pretty specific order. They're sorted wrong on Goodreads, which is really annoying because, as I said above, sometimes Slaughter gets rid of characters, and if you get the order wrong you'll miss out on a lot of surprises. There are two separate series with overlapping characters, and the Grant County books MUST be read first.

The Grant County books (which take place in a fake county near Macon) are:

Blindsighted
Kisscut
A Faint, Cold Fear
Indelible
Faithless
Beyond Reach


The Will Trent books:

Triptych
Fractured
Undone
Broken
Fallen
Criminal (This one is garbage. You should skip it.)
Unseen


Please don't break the reading order. I read the Will Trent series first and then went back and read the Grant County books, and that was a huge mistake.

Trigger warning: This book contains portrayals of rape, child abuse, sexual abuse of children, and extreme violence.

Also posted at Finding Bliss in Books show less

Oh wow - Karin Slaughter has done it again! I've been waiting for her latest release and Unseen did not disappoint. It may be the best one yet, but I say that with each and every book she writes. This is the 7th book in the Will Trent series and ties in characters originally introduced in the Grant County series.

In the opening chapters of Unseen, Slaughter brings back Lena - a detective that I flip back and forth on - sometimes I feel sorry for her, other times I really dislike her. Also included in the action packed opening chapter with Lena is one of my favourite characters - Georgia Bureau of Investigation Agent Will Trent.

But, not the Will I expected to see - instead he is undercover this time, posing as an ex-con maintenance man show more at a local hospital, hoping to make the connections that will lead officials to a criminal king-pin known as Big Whitey.

I was hooked from that first chapter, but Slaughter is a devious author. A few chapters in, she backtracks to a week ago, with the events that led up to that blood soaked opening chapter......but leaves off at a key revelation. What was behind that wall? Well, there was no going back for this reader - I stayed up late, got up early and feverishly read on every break at work.

After fourteen books, I've become invested in these characters - they have substance and just feel 'real'. Dr. Sara Linton has been a constant in both series. Sara is forced to revisit the past in Unseen and the 'feud' between her and Lena finally comes to a head. A conclusion seems to be reached, but I don't know if I'm happy with it. Karin Slaughter is never predictable in handling her characters' lives. Strong, silent, enigmatic Will is such a great protagonist - a damaged knight with his own dark past. Other regulars - Will's partner Faith and his boss Amanda are also back. Slaughter continues to expand and explore her character's personal lives with every book.

Slaughter has come up with some really scary bad guys this time around. Really scary. I'm not going to detail the plot - but it's gripping, gritty and graphic. (Fair warning to gentle readers) I could see what was coming and was so tempted many times to flip ahead, just to see.....but I didn't. Slaughter kept me guessing to the very last pages - there was a gotcha I didn't see coming. And it takes a bit to surprise this crime fiction fan. Read an excerpt of Unseen.

Although there is enough of the past revealed to enjoy Unseen as a stand alone, you would be robbing yourself of an absolute fantastic series and the journey to this latest book. Do yourself a favour and start at the beginning of the Grant Series with Blindsighted. show less

A very good, gripping read in the best Karin Slaughter style. While the first few pages were a little slower and had me scratching my head to remember who is who in her world, the action and character details became quite gripping.

This book has two complex women characters, Lena and Sara, who are also antagonists due to the death of a central male character in an earlier book. They are both women in a man's world and have different ways of being tough. Plus, there are two behind-the-scenes women characters who add a lot to the movement of the plot and its intricacies.

Another part that intrigues me about Slaughter's writing is the depiction of a male GBI investigator who is also dyslexic. This disability (or ability to see the world show more differently) is one of those unseen and often overlooked ones, and the fact that it is mentioned and described is a gutsy addition to the character of Will Trent.

Another good part of what makes this book engaging is the timeline going in a non-linear fashion. While the botched raid is referenced at the very beginning (and makes the opening pages a bit bothersome), the slow building of what happens in the raid and its aftereffects is quite gripping.

Great book that I highly recommend! show less

Will Trent has never found it easy to open up to anyone and then he and Sara Linton, another wounded soul, find they can create a relationship which is growing stronger each day. When Will has to go undercover the very fabric of that relationship is stretched to the breaking point as the lies continue to mount. And then Lena, the woman who Sara believes lured her first husband to his death enters with all of her baggage and inherent poor judgment. Add to that the toxic mix of drugs, good cops, bad cops, and someone who is willing to kill anyone who gets in his way of making big money on bad drugs, and you have a storyline that keeps you glued to each page.

Although I really liked the storyline, there was a couple of things that bugged show more me. For starters, Lena continues to be casted in the role of the "bad guy". It really seems that the things she is being blamed for are just the unfortunate hazards of the job that Sara's husband and stepson chose. Maybe her choices were poor but she does not deserve to be drug through the guilt mill in every past and future book. While on this subject, I became inpatient with Sara's reaction to Will's undercover assignment. Yes he lied to her, yes he didn't tell her everything, but which part of "UNDERCOVER" didn't she understand? She was married to a cop. Come on, Karin.

Now that I'm finished ranting, 4 stars for an action fuilled book and a great plot line. show less

I received this copy as part of the Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
I absolutely love Karin Slaughter and have been a fan since the beginning. I think she has outdone herself again. I began reading her material because she is from Georgia and the locations in her book are all places I am familiar with and grew up around. Now I read Karin Slaughter because she is just sharp and magnificent. I read a lot of serials and sometimes get bored either because the characters always win or they just seem to find themselves in crazy trouble everywhere they go. (I love Jack Reacher, but really? Every town he goes to trouble seem to just follow him?) Not quite believable, but I accept that it's a novel and lose myself in the story anyway. Slaughter show more will let a character die. She shows all of their flaws and makes you believe that these are real people, not just characters in a book. I won't bother to talk about what this book is about - plenty of people will do that. I will say that the last third was riveting, and if I could have called in sick to finish my book, I would have. I took it to the dinner table, I took it to the bathroom and I even read it while putting on my makeup. Buy this book and get ready to hang out for the weekend! show less