Her Grant County series is famous for introducing Sara Linton and her late husband Jeffrey to the world. And it was quite shocking for her fans when Karin Slaughter let Sara´s husband die. Now, with Will in Sara´s life, I start to get a feeling for the very different worlds they grew up in. A contrast that makes the love story between Will and Sara interesting and entertaining at the same time.
The Last Widow*
by Karin SlaughterWill Trent Series #9
Georgia Series #7
Publisher William Morrow on August 20, 2019
Genre Thriller
Pages 446
Format Hardcover
Source Library
Goodreads
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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. Vanished into thin air, the authorities are desperate to save the doctor.
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 assailant abduct Sara, Will goes undercover to save her and prevent a massacre – putting his own life on the life for the woman and the country he loves.
Story
Will does everything to get the approval of Sara´s mother Cathy. Unfortunately, he gets to know how Cathy really thinks about him the moment a huge explosion takes part and Sara out of his life. And while Sara does everything to leave hints in the wake of a much bigger disaster, Will is determined to do everything within his power to get her back. No matter if Cathy approves him or not.
Style
At the beginning of the thriller, I was a bit confused. The different perspectives of the same scene kind of gave me a déjávu-like feeling. Sure, that changed the moment the style went to another way of being told. It is, without a doubt, the writing style the author is famous for. She shows you the blunt details in a sensitive but exciting way. And yet this thriller was different.
Yes, I was entertained. And yes, I had my pleasure reading it. But the real thrill, I mostly get from reading a Karin Slaughter book, especially her stories where she writes about Will Trent or her famous Grand County series, was not really there. Somehow, she has changed her style when she combined the Sara books with Will´s. Not in a bad way, but you can see the difference. The tone has changed, the atmosphere, the way how Will is presented. And to be honest, when I read the reason why Will hasn´t gone up the job ladder, I was angry and furious with the person who is responsible for it. And I am not talking about Karin Slaughter.
Characters
Will is literally trapped. When I met him for the first time in “Triptych” he was a man who showed confidence in the way how he did his job or handled his life. Sure, it became soon enough obvious that he had some kind of problem, but the way how he handled it gave me a good feeling. I never saw him, not there and not later, as the man I saw in this newest thriller now. He has many doubts, is insecure when it comes to Sara´s family especially her mother Cathy, and no matter what he does at work, it seems that he has to fight for everything. His boss isn´t taking him for full. And THAT made me angry.
Good, the author shows in a very impressive way that men and women do see things in a different way. That they think differently and act differently. And it is quite obvious that a lot of things Sara is used to in the behavior of a man, don´t fit when it comes to Will. We all know, at least Karin Slaughter fans do, that Will´s way of growing up isn´t the same as Sara´s. Not in the least. Will is not used to calling his girlfriend to let her know where he is or that he´ll be late for dinner or whatever. A behavior that drives Sara bonkers. And she tells him that. Sara does things too, Will can´t put in place. But unlike Sara, he isn´t speaking with her about it. For him, it is normal that a woman he is in love with (or believes he is) comes and goes she pleases and that every serious word about it only leads to trouble.
The way how Will and Sara handle their relationship, the problems they have to face because of their different upbringing, is shown by the author in an ironic, entertaining, and very blunt way. It was really fun to read Wills thoughts about things, Sara didn´t even bother to think about.
Conclusion
It was no page-turner and for sure not the absolute thrill for me. But I had my pleasure reading it. And with the great scene, where Sara finally finds out the title of a song and the reader has the pleasure of reading the lines from that song while Sara literally twists her mind – that was quite something. It is a solid read and for the Slaughter fans who love to read a story about Sara always good entertainment.
Happy reading
Karin Slaughter
Karin Slaughter, born 1971, is from Atlanta, Georgia. In 2003 her debut novel Blindsighted was published and went straight to the top of the international bestselling list and catapulted her onto the Thriller-Olympus. She is the #1 internationally bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including the Will Trent and Grant County series and the instant New York Times bestselling standalones, Cop Town and Pretty Girls. There are more than 35 million copies of her books in print around the world.
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