American crime writer Karin Slaughter triumphantly returns in this 10th instalment of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Will Trent series of novels.

However, to those of us who are familiar with the Georgian based author’s work, you could be forgiven for being a little confused thinking it is a continuation of her previous Grant County series of books. Since the main character of those novels, coroner Sara Linton moved away to Atlanta and became romantically involved with GBI agent Will Trent, this work takes her back to a case she was previously involved in back in her Grant County days.

Will Trent and his partner Faith Mitchell are investigating a prison murder when inmate Daryl Nesbitt offers to inform on who the murderer is if they investigate eight incidents relating to the rape of Beckey Caterino 8 years before.

Nesbitt is currently serving time for child pornography images found on his computer while the Police, who were convinced of his guilt of murder and rape, investigated the Caterino case. He maintains his innocence of those accusations, being convinced that a previous Grant County Chief of Police, Jeffrey Tolliver (the deceased ex-husband of Sara Linton) tried to frame him and insists that a serial killer is still at large.

Sara is taken on a heart wrenching trip down memory lane mourning her ex while Will is left reeling, wondering if he and Sara have a future.

It is obvious that Karin Slaughter knows her audience and is fully aware of what they want. “The Silent Wife” is a triumphant renewal in the Will Trent series and although having an intricate plot with numerous flash backs to the past, it brings the characters of Will and Sara and the state of their relationship very much into the present.

The Washington Post hit the nail firmly on the head when they wrote “What raises Slaughter above the sensational is her wonderful way with characters.” She is one of the top thriller writers currently working and any new release is an event to savour.

I would like to thank NetGalley and publisher Harper Collins for supplying me with an advance copy for review.

This is the first book I have read by Karin and Wow! I love crime thrillers and this kept me guessing right to the end. Loved Will and Sara and the time changes in the storyline. I don't want to give too much away but will say if you don't like graphic violence descriptions, then it's definitely not for you.

Thank you Net Galley for letting me read this and to Karen for writing it, I will be looking for more novels by you now and can't wait to see what's in store for Will and Sara- i hope it's happy!! I will be recommending to friends and family.

I've read all of the author's novels. This is a hard-hitting, violence against women novel. It is a return to form and I'd like to ask for more of the same please.

Karin Slaughter delivers another brilliant thriller and a welcome addition to the Will Trent series. That being said, it could also be considered an addition to the Grant County/Chief Jeffrey Tolliver series (which ended over a decade ago with the death of Tolliver), as The Silent Wife alternates between Will and Sara in Atlanta now, and Tolliver investigating a crime in Grant County 'eight' years ago (Slaughter acknowledges in the afterword that making it fit, time-wise, required some bending of the timeline). As it often is, Slaughter's theme is the myriad ways in which men victimise women, and this is explored sensitively, especially through the character of GBI medical examiner Sara Linton (who also happens to be Tolliver's widow, and Trent's current partner).

Wow wow wow! Karin Slaughter has done it again. I’ve had to give myself time before writing this review. Will and Sara are brilliant characters and I love reading about them. Was so excited to hear that Karin had written a new Will and Sara book, and even more excited to be given an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is just shocking! Graphic and very disturbing. I was enthralled right from the start and right until the end. I was angry, sad and happy all throughout! Rarely can an author bring you right into the story like Karin Slaughter does with this. I can’t wait for the next one.

Love this author & was his book was amazing as I’ve come to expect from her. I’ve recommended her books To so many people that love them as much as me. A must read.

As someone who absolutely adores a good thriller, Karin Slaughter is a name I've seen come up again and again, but I've never actually picked up one of her books. When I saw The Silent Wife on NetGalley, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to give one a go! What I didn't realise going into this, was that this book is a part of a long-running series of detective/crime novels, that I had no idea even existed! So when I started reading, I quickly realised that this would not be the thriller I was anticipating, and it took me a while to get into, but that's entirely my own fault.

However, once I did get into it, I ended up enjoying it a lot more than I expected. The plot gripped me and kept me guessing up until the very end, and I fell in love with the characters and their relationships. The writing was definitely a lot more gory and graphic than I'm used to, so take that into consideration if that's something you're not into. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives we got throughout the book, as well as the dual timeline which I thought worked really well. It was definitely a bit slow for me at times, and as I said it took a while to get going, but it was still a solid read! I'll definitely be checking out more Karin Slaughter in the future!

Thank you to Harper Collins UK & NetGalley for sending me this ARC 💖

Wow this is book 19 from Karin Slaughter, where did that time go to, I’ve read these stories from the start and over the years II fell in love with the characters Sara & Jeffrey and Will, I’ve despised Lena and cheered on Sara and Will finally realising they are meant to be together, so when a new Grant county book is released it’s like coming back to family and it’s always a shame to leave them until the next time a new book is released and this novel the silent wife is no exception, it’s a grisly novel featuring rape and murder and I must read to many crime novels because I had worked out who was the perpetrator was quite early on, but I think Karin Slaughter has excelled again with this one and I can not wait until the next book.

Karin Slaughter is one of the best suspense/mystery writers around. I purchased her first novel, Blindsighted, in 2001 and have continued following her work. The Silent Wife brings back Will Trent and the rest of the characters (Sara Linton, Jeffrey Tolliver, Faith Mitchell, Lena Adams, and Amanda Wagner). "The Silent Wife" did not disappoint.

When a woman is found in the woods unconscious and bleeding, Will and Faith are called in to investigate. As the investigation begins to unfold, it becomes a race against time to prevent the possibility of more crimes against women. Obstacles are thrown their way, personalities clash, memories from the past start to encroach and stifle their investigation. The key word in the entire book is "silent" or a variation of the word as in "silence." It can be construed in a positive or a negative way. An example from the book: Will, with the rifle slung over his shoulder, he looked at Sara, silent, but the silence said everything."

I did realize that I'm going to have to go back and re-read her books. It's been a long time and I need to refresh my brain. I give this a high five!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have liked everything this author has written and this was no exception. It had me hooked from the beginning, great storyline, great characters and a great ending.

This is my first instalment of the Will Trent series and somehow my first book from Karin Slaughter!

Even though this is part of a series it was really easy to pick up without having read the series beforehand. This book is very graphic and some potentially triggering events so be warned but it was a fantastic read and kept me gripped throughout!

Will definitely have to pick up more Karin Slaughter in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @netgalley and @harpercollinsuk for this gifted #ARC copy of The Silent Wife by the amazingly talented @Karinslaughter in exchange for an honest review.

As with all Karin Slaughter books they are not for the faint at heart. This was a gripping psychological thriller with a lot of extremely gruesome violence. From the very beginning, I was sucked into this story. I was both horrified and captivated by what I was reading which made her newest thriller a page turner to the very end! The best part? I found out this isn’t the only book about these characters and I am psyched at the opportunity to learn more about Jeffery, Sara and Will!

There is a murder at a local prison and the GBI is called in to investigate. One of the inmates wants to cut a deal. He wants to prove he innocent of the murders he was accused of committing. Will thinks he is guilty because doesn’t all cons think they are innocent? However, when more evidence comes to light and more murders, he begins to doubt he is a perpetrator. The problem, his girlfriend, Sara’s dead ex-husband, the great Jeffrey Tolliver was the one who accused him of being the killer. The team works to find the real killer before he gets his next victim. It’s a race against time with some background from Jeffrey Tolliver from eight years earlier, that will help them find their killer. The ending will surprise everyone.

This book is due for release June 2020!!!

Another brilliant book by one of the best authors out there. Absolutely fantastic. Creepy dark and twisty. I loved it. And I love Will x

This is another Karin Slaughter story designed to keep you reading. It is important to do just that as it has a large caste of characters,some on the death list and it is important to keep tabs on them all. The story goes back and forward in time and that too requires attention. The supposed murderer and rapist of a group of women is in gaol when another murder in similar style happens. The supposed killer is also involved in a prison riot and offers a trade of information in return for a review of the evidence against him. The story goes back in time to review how the earlier murders were handled as it becomes clear that the evidence then was not properly handled. Not only do we go back in time for the deaths,it happens that the now dead chief of police at the earlier time was married (twice) to Sara,still the lead pathologist. She is now the partner of Will, a detective. That is just one of the many dysfunctional relationships scattered through the book. The main storyline,without these distractions,is well contrived and has an ending that is difficult to predict. It is the pathologist who faces down the serial killer while the police wait outside,an unlikely scenario! Slaughter as always gives considerable descriptive detail,of the process of dissecting bodies as well as,for example,the colour of the tiles and decoration of the morgue in the basement of the hospital. Stick with the storyline and it is a good read.

I have read all the grant county and Will Trent series
So to have the plot with flashbacks involving Jeffrey and Lena was a fans paradise
The plot is fast paced, could not put it down
and when I found out who the killer was well .............. Shocked
Absolutely gripping

Thank you netgalley, Karin Slaughter and HarperCollins for allowing me to read and review this book.

Slaughter has done it again! Another gripping and engrossing book from this really talented writer. I have read all her previous books and this one does not disappoint.

Complicated ,gritty thriller,well written and engrossing. I had worked out who done it,but the story kept me intrigued. The mix of stories from past to present worked well.

Not entirely sure where to start... First of all this book was amazing, second of all I have so much to say and when I read this book I had no one to talk about it with!!! Third of all, this review is going to have spoilers in it. I will put a massive spoiler warning before I get to those bits though! :)
The Silent Wife is Karin Slaughter's 20th book and it is a continuation of the Will Trent series. After a little run of standalones - Pieces of her, The Good Daugher - Karin gave us The Last Widow last year, and now The Silent Wife to give us our fill of Will and Sara.
The blurb tells us that there is a brutal murder case (always) that Will and Sara need to solve. The tricksy bit is, that the MO is similar to a murder 8 years ago (I'll come back to this time frame later) however there is already someone in prison for that crime. Sara and Will need to go back and solve the original case before they can solve the latest one.
OK this is where I have to say SPOILER ALERT AHEAD. If you are going to read the book PLEASE don't read on. I really really want you going into this book blind, it will be so worth it, I promise.
I'd recommend reading the series from the start, but you can read it on it's own. You'd get more out of it if you read from the beginning though :)
Remember Jeffrey? Ahhhh Jeffrey. I love Jeffrey. Always have been, and always will be, Team Jeffrey. So this book brings back our favourite small town police chief. Karin teased us with this last month on her various social media platforms and since then I have been waiting for a chance to read this book.
The original murder case was Jeffrey and Lena's (Pah Stupid Woman), and the book jumps back and forth between present day and back then. I liked this format and it was really well done, and easy to read. It flowed the way it should and I never didn't know what time period I was in.
The earlier story was during the time between Sara and Jeffrey's two marriages, so - to put it mildly - they weren't on good terms.
Now, I said I'd come back to the time thing... well KS put a note at the end of the book to explain that although the original story in the book is set 8 years previously, in fact it has been 19 years since Blindsighted - she just said that it's fiction and she can do what ever she wants basically :) Which I wholeheartedly agree with - however, I wold have appreciated this note before I read the book because I was constantly thinking I was going a bit crazy with my timings.
Also there is a bit where it says Lena is 32, and has 15 years police experience behind her - I make her 17 , then, when she became a cop?! I think I must have misread or misunderstood a bit somewhere, but that stayed with me for a bit.
Anyway, that isn't important.
In regards to the series - Grant or Trent - I have always preferred the Grant County Series of books. Probably because I read them first and I am loyal to my favourite book - Blindsighted. So I was really glad to be able to revisit the old town and set of characters from back then. I loved being back in a small town, where everybody knows everybody, and we are amongst old friends.
The Lintons - Tessa, Eddie and Cathy. Brock. Marla. The police squad - Frank, Matt, Lena. I am 100% not a fan of Loser Lena, as you will know from ANY of my other Grant County reviews .
The original murder was of a college student, out in the woods near the college. She was brutally attacked and left for dead, the offender using his knowledge of anatomy to paralyse her so that she was still alive during his sickening abuse, but couldn't move. Loser Lena makes a nearly fatal error of not checking properly if the girl is alive or dead - costing her half an hour of time where the victim could've been receiving medical treatment.
When Sara and Will eventually solve the case and the bad guy/gal was revealed, I was a bit gutted that it was them. About 60% of the way in, I started cottoning on to the idea that it could be them, and then at 90% when it was confirmed I was a bit.... saddened. And I think you will be too, if you have followed the whole series.
Running along in the background is the ongoing story between Will and Sara and the will they/won't they get married storyline. This rumbles on throughout the book, and although I enjoyed it, I did want to shake them both at points and just bash their heads together.
Faith and Amanda are both back. As is Nick Shelton. I love Nick, he is adorable. I've said before that I think he and Sara should've got together in another world where Jeffrey didn't exist.
So overall this was a fantastic book, a great addition to the Will Trent series. I am pretty sure that we won't see Jeffrey again though, which upsets me no end. But then I thought that after Skin Privilege and here we are! :)
Sorry that this was such a babbling review, but as I said at the start, I've had no one to talk about this book to!! Definitely read this if you are a thriller fan, a KS fan, if you want gore and violence and plenty of small town nuances. KS writes very gory details and the level of violence in this book is another level. I think it is probably at the very top of my threshold for reading about, but as she mentions in a passage after the book - she has always written gritty books about violence against women and she believes it is a story that needs telling.
Ok I'll leave it there. If you've made it this far, well done!

I’ve been a fan of Karin Slaughter’s for 20 years now. I devoured her books but I hit a wall with her last 3 books, for me they weren’t typical Slaughter stories. But, with this one she is back to what she does best - classic whodunnit, police procedural and the most amazing characters, with a jump back to the past. I haven’t put the book down in two days, loved it!

Special Agent Will Trent and his partner Special Agent Faith Mitchell of the GBI are called to investigate when a prisoner is murdered during a prison riot.
While there they receive a note from one of the prisoners, Daryl Nesbitt claiming he will give them information into the murder if they agree to look into a crime he was widely believed to be guilty of. Jeffrey Tolliver, Lena Adams and the Grant County police force were wrong to assume his guilt and that more women have died as a result.
Dr Sara Linton, Will’s girlfriend, is Jeffrey Tollivers widow so Will knows he is going to have to tread very carefully.
Digging back into the old crime raises more questions than Will expected and it quickly becomes apparent that Nesbitt could have a point. Will needs to track down the real culprit and keep his relationship with Sara on track before any more women go missing.
Great read, well written (as always). Very twisty, didn’t have a clue who the killer was. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where so many of the characters were so complex but that just made it more interesting.