The Silent Wife

Long-time Karin Slaughter fans will gobble up The Silent Wife. The thriller continues Slaughter’s melding of two separate series: the Grant County books with medical examiner Sara Linton, and the Will Trent series with—you guessed it—GBI sleuth Will Trent.

My first exposure to Slaughter was through an author interview. Her comments about trying to break into the crime thriller genre in the 1990s struck a chord. As progressive as I thought those decades were, evidently publishers still considered a woman author candidly writing about mutilation, rape, and murder “in poor taste,” despite the successes of her best-selling male cohorts.

Slaughter ignored those stale paradigms with her breakout 2001 novel, Blindsighted. Blown away show more by both her groundbreaking detail of a heinous murder, and by the quality of her first published novel, I immediately followed the read with her newest effort, The Silent Wife.

Slaughter did not disappoint. Years after the events in Blindsighted, medical examiner Sara Linton teams with Slaughter’s newest protagonist, Will Trent, to investigate a prison riot and subsequent murder. An inmate who has always claimed innocence offers information on both events if Linton and Trent reopen his own murder case. He claims Sara’s dead ex-husband, police chief Will Tolliver, screwed him over years before, sending him to prison while the actual murderer continued murdering young girls.

Slaughter pivots the story between the original murder cases and the present-day investigation, the protagonists searching for a pattern that will identify the killer who remains on the loose.

I’ve only read two Karin Slaughter novels and argue that’s an advantage over long-term Slaughter fans.

First, this book can stand alone outside of the series. Karin Slaughter has written 20 bestsellers that include one or both of our protagonists. I sped through this book and did not once feel that the story was confusing because I’d never read a Will Trent book before. Don’t feel you need to start from the beginning.

Second, I suspect avid Slaughter fans take her storytelling skills for granted. I don’t. She’s got a special talent for character, plot, and gore. Her protagonists leap off the page, pursuing justice while struggling through deep flaws in themselves and their relationship with each other.

“With Will, Sara was keenly aware that she was the only woman on earth who could love him the way that he deserved to be loved.”

The plot is fast-paced, and no suspect gets a pass until the reader rolls into the nail-biting conclusion. The gore is not gratuitous. Slaughter’s depictions of extreme violence show detailed research and she presents the scenes to the reader in a dispassionate, almost medical, manner. I’m not a gore fan, but Slaughter does it right.

Readers looking for similar authors/titles providing the medical/crime thriller vibe that Slaughter has mastered should check out Tess Gerritsen’s Rizzoli and Isles series. You decide—start with her 2001 bestseller, The Surgeon, or the latest release, 2017’s The Bone Garden.

I’ll rate The Silent Wife a 4.5 out of 5 stars. The acid test? I generally read two to three books at once, but when I stumble on a page-turner, the other books go to the back burner. I read The Silent Wife straight through. show less

Slaughter’s 10th thriller featuring Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Will Trent begins with a killing at the state penitentiary. In the course of the investigation by Will and his partner Faith Adams, one of the prisoners involved, Daryl Nesbitt, tells them he can assist them in finding out about the crime in the prison if they help him establish his innocence. Nesbitt claims he was framed for the serial killings of women eight years earlier by the former police chief Jeffrey Tolliver and his partner Lena Adams, and he wants exoneration for those murders. Ordinarily Will and Faith would dismiss him out of hand, but for two facts: they know that at least Lena was a dirty cop, and they have to admit the serial killer seems still to show more be active, in spite of the fact that Nesbitt is in jail.

The story goes back and forth in time from different points of view to revisit Jeffrey’s original investigation. The matter is complicated by the fact that Jeffrey was married, before his death, to Sara Linton, the medical examiner who is now Will’s girlfriend. Reconsidering the case reopens painful memories for Sara, and Will is consumed with insecurity, exacerbated by Sara and Will’s shortcomings in communicating with one another.

But the overwhelming sensation felt by the characters, including Jeffrey in the past and Will, Faith, and Sara in the present, is revulsion over the brutality of the rapes and murders.

As gruesome as they are (and Slaughter depicts them in horrifying detail), the author’s real point, as she explains in an Afterword, is to shed light on violence against women, and the enduring effects of the trauma - at least among women who survive.

In a tense and thrilling run-up to the denouement, we learn who the killer really is, the significance of the title of the book, and how all of the characters cope with the repercussions of the case.

Evaluation: Karin Slaughter simply never disappoints. I tend to avoid books involving violence against women, but she treats the matter with such compassion, illuminates so much that should be brought to light, and writes so skillfully, that I always make an exception for her books. Make no mistake, the crimes she depicts are gritty and appalling, and the aftermath for women is tragic.

Fans of the series as well as new readers will appreciate all the series background Slaughter supplies by virtue of the need - in the story - to look back in time. show less

Holy cow! This crime thriller is incredibly dark and disturbing. Even though I had to put this book down every once in a while to catch my breath due to the graphic subject matter, I recharged and anxiously read through the night to find out who the inhuman murderer was.

Book 10 is cleverly told in the past and the present opening up an 8-year-old murder case that explodes into a race for time. In addition, Slaughter’s characters are intriguing and complex including medical examiner, Dr. Sara Linton’s struggles of investigating her dead husband’s past cases and Georgia Bureau of Investigations Agent Will Trent’s insecurities about Sara’s feelings for him while he’s trying to uncover clues almost a decade old to find an show more extremely smart, meticulous, and brutal killer.

Believe it or not, this is my first Karin Slaughter novel and it will not be the last. The Silent Wife is a gripping, suspenseful, and intense crime thriller with plenty of twists. It made me angry, it made me sad, it made me sick to my stomach, and it had me completely engrossed right up until the incredibly shocking ending.

Thank you to Ms. Slaughter for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review. show less

The hardest part about reviewing a Karen Slaughter book is when you run out of superlatives to describe the experience. The Silent Wife is no different. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is called in to a state prison to investigate a murder. Investigator Will Trent, his partner Faith Mitchell, along with his girlfriend, medical examiner Sarah Linton, are called to the scene. While there a prisoner with important information is only willing to share it if they investigate the crime he was accused of and convicted of 8 years earlier in Grant county. A crime that was investigated by Sarah's now-deceased husband Jeffrey Tolliver.

While investigating the claim they discovered that there may be something to the prisoner’s story and that show more there may be a serial killer who has been raping and killing women for the last 8 years.

The story unfolds in parallel timelines, one in the present day and one eight years ago in Grant county. The investigation uncovers the heinous details of the crimes as well as the horrible toll it has taken on the survivors and their loved ones.

Slaughter doesn't pull any punches and her books are not for the faint of heart. Slaughter is open about her decision to write frankly about violence against women. Her brilliance comes in the way that she is able to connect the reader emotionally to the violence and the trauma.

Slaughter's characters are exceptionally vivid. They're both admirable and flawed individuals. Watching characters that you admire deal with some truly gut-wrenching circumstances is a powerful experience. She is skilled at interjecting light moments into the story to keep it from being continually dark. As Will and Faith - a single mother with young children - are driving, Faith offers him a Band-Aid for a cut on his hand. Given the choice of an Elsa or an Anna Band-Aid Will asks “There's no Olaf?” In another instance, she describes Faith as someone who looks like what she was " a single mother who spent ninety percent of most mornings asking a two-year-old how something got wet ". It is moments like these that are nearly universal in their banality and humor that contrast with the truly horrible things that these characters experience in the course of their investigation.

The story is especially important for Will and Sarah because of the strain it puts on their relationship. Reliving memories of Sarah's dead husband, the former Chief in Grant County. It is a painful memory for Sarah and leaves Will competing with a ghost.

In her 20th novel, Karen Slaughter delivers a powerful story filled with great characters and an ingenious, gut-wrenching plot. Reading this book is a cathartic experience as Slaughter puts all of your emotions through the wringer. It is also an exceptionally rewarding experience. There's quite simply no one better at this than Slaughter. Highly recommended.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. show less

The Silent Wife by Karin Slaughter is a very highly recommended thriller and procedural. I was riveted to the pages. This is one of the best books I've read this year!

Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Will Trent and his partner, Faith Mitchell, investigate the claim of an inmate at the state penitentiary that he has information he will share if his case is reopened. He claims he is innocent of the brutal attack and rape of Beckey Caterino eight years earlier. At the time he was the prime suspect and he claims has proof that the guilty party is still out there committing murder. There are eight murders that he believes are connected. Nesbitt says that Police Chief Jeffrey Tolliver, the now-deceased husband of Will’s girlfriend, show more medical examiner Sara Linton, framed him, leaving a serial killer at large and still active.

Only days before this another young woman was targeted and murdered. It becomes clear that Will and Faith must begin to investigate the past and will require Sarah's help even though it will bring up the past. To complicate matters, Will and Sara are having a misunderstanding and tension in their current relationship, while the original investigation into Beckey Caterino's attack hearkens back to the time when Jeffrey and Sara were divorced. As everyone looks into Jeffrey's case eight years ago, Sara can't help but recall that time in her life.

Slaughter writes in the afterword: "I bet you guys didn’t notice that I’ve been secretly writing love stories. Really gritty, violent love stories, but still." I loved this and laughed aloud over it and several other statements. (Don't read the afterward until after the novel.)

The narrative alternates back and forth in time from the Grant County investigation eight years ago to the current investigation and the investigations are told through several points-of-view. The details of the attacks are brutal, calculated, and bone-chilling, and that it is certainly a serial killer who has been refining his methods and M.O. As I expected, the writing is excellent and made for an engrossing and absorbing reading experience. Everything works together perfectly in The Silent Wife to create a plot that is complicated, gruesome, dynamic, nuanced, and compelling. The discussion of the stigma that surrounds rape and rape victims and the trauma that they continue to experience is honest, frank and sympathetic.

Obviously, the characters are well-developed and well-known to fans at this point. Readers will be thrilled to go back to Grant County and see some familiar characters. The identity of the killer made perfect sense, but I didn't have a clue who it was until Slaughter dropped enough hints for us all to get it. (Nicely played, Karin!) This is a dark, violent story, but, yeah, also a love story. I enjoyed The Silent Wife immensely and it is going on the list as one of the best novels I've read this year.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2020/07/the-silent-wife.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3463172678 show less

I didn't realize, when picking this up from my local thrift store, that it was part of a series. Actually its a second part series, the spin off of another series. On her website Karin Slaughter states that although these books are part of a large and long running series, they can all act as stand alone novels. This is true. She did a wonderful job with this, which isn't an easy feat. At no point during this book did I feel lost or out of touch with past events leading up to this story. Slaughter included just the right amount of character and event history , without devoting too much time in the past. I feel no great need to read the other books to have the full story, but rather, choose to because I appreciate her writing.

The story show more itself is also extremely well done, with great plot development, a nice flow and just enough suspense. The characters are likable and relatable, definitely characters I would like to follow further. This is thriller/suspense done right! show less

I eagerly await every new book that Karin Slaughter writes. It doesn't matter - stand alones or series. Her newest book, The Silent Wife is the tenth entry in the Will Trent series.

(Side note - this could absolutely be read as a stand alone, but you're missing out on some great reads if you've not read the previous books)

Will is an agent with the GBI. While investigating a riot at the prison, one inmate demands to talk to an agent. He insists that he is innocent, the killer is still out there and that he was railroaded by Sheriff Jeffrey Tolliver. Tolliver is the now deceased husband of Will's girlfriend (and coroner) Sara Linton. Whew, that is just the bare bones - there is so much more to this plot - did I forget to mention the serial show more killer?

Long time characters return - Will's partner Faith, Will's boss Amanda and....oh yes, the character I've loved to hate - Lena. Lena is a detective now, but her background, her actions and her time working under Tolliver (and now) are sketchy. And....there are chapters from the past through Jeffrey's point of view.

Slaughter's writing is amazing, her plotting is stellar and the characters are ones I've come to know and care about. (most of them.) The relationship between Will and Sara is also explored in The Silent Wife. Will is a wounded soul and Sara is carrying her own baggage. No sappy stuff here - but an exploration that suits the characters. (And I admit it - I'm a little infatuated with Will myself.)

An absolutely brilliant read! And - there's more to come - I can't wait for the next in this series! show less