The wait is over. After writing a couple standalone novels the past two years, Karin Slaughter has returned her attention to the series that cemented her place as one of the premier thriller authors writing today.
Will Trent is back, but his life as an investigator with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations has never been more complicated.
When a dead body turns up on the land of a famous, wealthy man protected by high-priced attornies–including one who Will butted heads with earlier in his career–Trent is sent to investigate. Initially, things look cut and dry. But as he would soon find out, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
First, Trent finds out that the victim in an ex-cop, adding new urgency to the case. Secondly, the GBI’s new medical examiner, Sara Linton, performs the autopsy and makes a startling discovery. Apparently, a good portion of the blood found at the crime scene belongs to someone other than the dead man. Tests suggest that the blood belongs to a female, but whether she’s involved in the murder or is a potential missing person is left for Trent to figure out.
The case has already revealed a few surprises along the way up until this point, but the shocker comes when Trent links the blood and potential murder weapon at the scene to Angie Polaski, his estranged wife. Making things even more awkward, Dr. Linton, who discovered Polaski’s blood in connection with the murder, is Will Trent’s current lover.
With a juicy and chaotic love triangle in full-swing, Trent’s private and professional lives collide. Even though his character and integrity are being questioned, he’s still determined to do his job and find the killer, even if that means there will be blowback from things he’s done in the past. And there most certainly will be.
Slaughter draws the readers in, leading them along a slippery slope that winds its way to a somewhat surprising ending. The pacing is fast, though it does slow down for a lengthy flashback scene that will connect the dots leading up to the crime. Seeing Trent have to deal with so much conflict and controversy, both at home and at work, adds a compelling element to the story.
Slaughter excels at writing these types of high-tension, nerve-wracking situations into her plots, and counters with the actual investigation, which doesn’t end where many will originally guess it might.
Character development and an intriguing mystery make The Kept Woman a really strong addition to Slaughter’s best-selling franchise and a fun mystery for longtime fans or readers who are new to the series.
Book Details
Author: Karin Slaughter
Series: Will Trent #8
Pages: 480 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 0062430211
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: September 20, 2016 (Order Now!)