Another great Dr Sara Linton and Will Trent detective story.
This one skips between a serial killer murdering women in the present day, and a case worked by Linton’s now dead cop husband Tulliver eight years ago.
All the familiar characters are here, although you could quite easily read this as a stand-alone novel.
The beauty of it is that Slaughter doesn’t hurry. She gives the characters and the plot room to breathe and this makes it a highly satisfying read.
As always there’s a gripping denouement and a plot underpinned by the push-pull of Sara and Will’s relationship.
Highly recommended.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins, HarperFiction UK for an advance copy of The Silent Wife, the tenth novel to feature Agent Will Trent and Medical Examiner Sarah Linton of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

A murder during a prison riot leads Will and his partner, Faith Mitchell, to prisoner Daryl Nesbitt who offers to name the murderer and expose a mobile phone smuggling ring in the prison if, in return, they will clear his name as the main person of interest in a Grant County cold case. He claims not only that he was framed by Police Chief Jeffrey Tolliver, Sara Linton‘s dead husban, and troubled Deputy Lena Adams but that the murderer is a serial killer who has not stopped.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Silent Wife which captured my attention from the start and never let go. The opening chapters raise so many questions, like what’s Nesbitt’s angle (there’s always at least one), how will Sara deal with it, is Nesbitt right and if so how was it missed, that I had to keep reading. Fortunately this is a long novel so there is plenty of time and space to answer these particular questions, pose more and insert some very good twists - the first time it happened I was gobsmacked and the second, after that I was still taken aback but more ready for it. Great stuff.

The novel is mostly told from Sara and Will’s points of view with other voices added as and when necessary. This adds a certain depth to the novel as it offers different takes on events and gives the reader slightly more information than the investigators have. It also steps back in time to cover Jeffrey’s contemporaneous investigation. Often I find these switches choppy and distracting, but such is the strength of the storytelling that I lapped it up. I think it helps that the perpetrator is well hidden and the current rocky situation between Sara and Will, not least because Jeffrey is involved, plays out in a large way across the novel.

The Silent Wife is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

This is the 10th book in the Will Trent series and to say I have DEVOURED these books would be an understatement! I have binged this series in the last week.

Investigator Will Trent is one of my new favourite main characters, I’m obsessed with him, tese books have also had some major cross overs with the Grant County series, Sara Linton from that series plays a massive part in the Will Trent series and I’m absolutely OBSESSED with them both!

This has 100% got to be my favourite book in the series and I’m off to preorder that beautiful signed edition RIGHT NOW! Can you tell I loved this book?! Seriously, if you love crime books and are looking for a binge worthy series, THIS IS IT. Just keep in mind Slaughter does not hold back, there’s a lot of trigger warnings for her books!

I want to add something here that Karin put in the authors note and that’s “I bet you guys didn’t notice that I’ve been secretly writing love stories. Really gritty, violent, love stories, but still.” And that’s exactly how I’d some her books up and apparent exactly what I’ve been looking for!

Okay, I’m off to order all the books in this series and see what other books Karin has to offer! I’ve been grinning from ear to ear since finishing the last page of this book, seriously, pick them up!

Karin Slaughter remains my favourite crime author and demonstrates her skill in the latest Will Trent. I'm a huge fan of Will and Sara and loved the direction this book took their relationship. It was also satisfying to revisit Grant County and see some old faces. Now, I'm just patiently waiting for the next book in the series.

This is my first Karin Slaughter read and it shot off at a staggering pace. I thought it was a great story with lots of detail and some really gritty characters. As this the 10th book in the Will Trent series I think I would have settled into the book and not have had quite the same confusion needing such a high level of concentration if I’d read some of the previous and known some of the characters back stories. Also for me the chapters were very long. I now want to go back and read some of the earlier books in the series and I feel this would be a good tv series. Thank you for this arc.

I have been reading the books I’m series on and off for years, I’ve not read them all and this was one I read after a long gap. This story brings back some characters from the past and yet this didn’t make me feel I could carry on as a stand alone story. The back and fourth story line opens the reader up to the characters. It’s a gritty serial killer story that kept me gripped.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
Karin Slaughter (KS) is one of my auto buy authors, anything she writes I have to read. because she always transfers me from my world and drops me into a world that it you can see, feel, and smell. Whether it is small town America or large City, wherever she puts you she is in control. It can be dull (Not usually for long), exciting or terrifying as she wants it to be.

The Silent Wife is the 20th book and it is a continuation of the Will Trent series. As always KS writes with brutal honesty, the descriptions of the crimes can often, be so disturbing that you may need to take a breath before moving on. This book can be read on its own, but it has even more meaning read in order as part of the series.
Most of the characters have evolved over the last 20 years and feel like old friends. The new characters are well developed, as you belt through the story. Before starting this clear your diary as this is a fast-paced book. It will keep you racing through the chapters to discover how the killer is found, the way the details of investigation, medical examinations, police procedures, thought processes are described is brilliant. A word of warning though, be aware that the level of gore and violence in this book is on another level. Not for the faint hearted.

The book does jump backwards and forwards in time, as the extreme violence and rape against women is investigated, but it is managed well. At no point did I wonder which time period we are in. I loved revisiting the old town and its characters, plus small-town nuances. Quite nostalgic.

As with “most” of KS books its gruesome, gritty and violent, with a good dollop of romance thrown in. You must read this, you won’t regret it, as long as you can cope with the nightmares anyway. Strongly recommend reading all the others in the series, mainly as it is an awesome series.

Karin Slaughter is becoming one of my favourite crime writers so when I saw this on Netgalley it was even better.
This is part of a series but it's a stand alone story - I haven't read the rest myself. Usual warnings apply as for all her books that the crime descriptions are graphic so it's not for everyone.
This one follows the search for a possible serial killer and reopening of old cases after a new case is found whilst the mam arrested is in jail.
I did work this one out towards the end but enjoyable none the less. My very minor criticisms are that it was perhaps a bit too long and the confession didn't really explain everything.

I am thankful that I had the opportunity to read this book. I am an avid reader of Psychological thrillers and Karin Slaughter is one of my favourite authors. I am invested in the Will Trent series and Grant county. This book could be read as a standalone but you'll get much more out of it if you where to read from the beginning. This book has flashbacks to the past where we revisited Grant county. I enjoyed learn more about some of the key characters in this book.
A very enjoyable read, I look forward to any future books

Wasn't immediately hooked on this book and didn't much like the back and forth between the past but it started to get more interesting from 50% onwards. Bit done with the whole Will/sarah dramatics though.

Well, this book went all round the houses and back again as it twisted and turned to its shocking conclusion. It also flitted about in time as historic cases were re-investigated, the original events playing out in real time in flashback. We also have Will and Sara battling in their relationship, trying to keep it on an even keel and back into calmer waters as they struggle a bit with their joint and separate pasts which now start to threaten their future.
Starting with a death in a prison, we soon also have a body, a woman attacked and left for dead, an apparent accident. This leads Will to a historic case, the perpetrator of which has been convicted and incarcerated eight years ago. He's always protested his innocence and feels that this could be something that could help his own case. He's also embroiled in the prison killing and tries to bargain with the police. With this in mind, Will decides that the best course of action is to go back to the original case to try and find the truth. As he starts to dig he is shocked at what he finds and needs the help of Sara going forward. But also what he finds threatens their relationship as it brings into question the integrity of some of the people closest to her. Can they survive this both personally and professionally and also, put their troubles and differences aside in order to bring justice once and for all.
Wow! What a tangled web this book turned out to be. Those familiar with the author will be aware that it's the continuation of the merging of two series, Grant County and Will Trent, both of which are well worth a read, bringing Will and Sara together in one series. Normally I'm not the biggest fan of too much personal stuff creeping into a book but here the author gets the balance perfect, aided I suspect in this case by some personal history actually being integral with the plot.
And what a plot it is - oh my - talk about intrigue and keeping my interest and attention right up until the very last page. It's quite brutal in places and pulls no punches but it has to be to match the most heinous story being told. Characterisation is excellent as always, Sara and Will are brilliantly matched both personally (although sometimes they forget this) and professionally and although both wounded by pasts, don't just rely on that baggage to define them. We also reconnect with faces from the past in this book as the historic cases are reopened and it was good to have that, even though it wasn't always pretty.
It hit the ground running right from the start, held me in its thrall throughout, spitting me out at the end exhausted but satisfied. Holding my attention constantly throughout which is no mean feat given the state of things in the world at the moment. It was nice to escape into a different world for a while even if that world was a bit dangerous.
All in all, a cracking addition to an already impressive back catalogue. Looking forward to nest time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Wow. This book leaves a mark. And after twenty years and twenty books, perhaps that is the right thing. I don't think you can read this book without being affected by it, even just a little. It is dark, it is emotional, it is often brutal, but then the subject matter is not one that can simply be glossed over, the effects of the kinds of attacks that the victims in this book suffer, far reaching and inescapable. So if you are going to read, be warned. As nice as it is to be back with Will and SAra, and, in spite of what follows through the course of the book, when all is said and done it is nice to be back with them, this is a hard book to read, one that took me longer than I expected, but the more I look back, the more I understand why. It is a book you probably need to take a break from, if even only for a short while, as Karin Slaughter leads you into a dark and deadly case some eight years in its execution.

Okay, moody moment over - for now ... It's not all bad news. Any Grant County/Jeffery Tolliver fans out there (me!!!) take heart, as this book takes us back to a time in Sara's past - one where Jeffery is very much a part of her life, not perhaps in the most positive of ways granted, but enough that his presence in this investigation can cast a shadow over her relationship with Will in the present day. Whilst the circumstances of the trip down memory lane are not remotely heartwarming, I did enjoy being back with Jeffery again. Okay - so this wasn't exactly a moment of crowning glory for the guy - read it and you will know why. If you have read the Grant County series at all you will know that he and Sara had some ... difficulties ... an t is this time in their relationship that is brought into sharp focus through Will and Faith's present day investigation. A potential miscarriage of justice, with a man accused of a series of ever more brutal attacks on women that he may well have been innocent of. Could Jeffery really have made such a mistake? Lena - hell yeah. And this book reminded me how much I dislike her as a character and why I have not yet been able to bring myself to finish reading Skin Privilege. Let's say that she hasn't improved with age.

This is, as I said before, a hard book to read. Whilst we are not present during the attacks, the after effects, the pain in injury inflicted on the victims, is described in detail as some stages, and leaves little to the imagination of the reader. It is clinical rather than graphic, but it is still brutal and will get under your skin without question. If sexual assault is a difficult subject to read for you, then you may wish to steer clear of this book as the author is not shy in laying it all out for the reader. But outside of the nature of the attacks, this is a complex and mystery laden investigation, carried out over a dual timeline. Part is told from the perspective of Jeffery, Lena and Sara as they deal with what they believe to be the only attacks to have occured. The other half of the investigation comes as Will and Faith try to discover whether or not the wrong man may have been accused and if a brutal rapist has been at large for all those years. The action moves between the two period almost seamlessly, the frustrations of both teams clear and palpable as you read. Both are laced with tension and keep you on edge but it is the emotion that really drew me into the story.

I loved seeing the way Karin Slaughter explored the impact of bringing Jeffery into Sara and Will's world had on the pair. Their relationship was already fractious for reasons that will become apparent in the reading and seeing Will compete with the ghost of Sara and Jeffery's relationship, the impact that it had on a man who finds it so hard to express himself, was really bewitching. I really like Will as a character, like his stoic nature, his ability to remain calm, and seeing him react so badly, so out of character really made the story pop. A man of few words, his actions spoke volumes and his uncertainty, frustrating as it could be at times, really made me feel for him.

The book, as a whole, had my emotions all over the place, for so many different reasons. Littered with characters you cannot help but hate, scenes that will hit you right in the gut, and an underlying sense of tension and menace that keeps you right on edge, I think this may be Karin Slaughter at her dark, unforgiving, emotion wrangling best and fans who can stomach a walk on the darker side, will not be disappointed. Highly recommended, but do heed the warnings. This book will shock. will take you to the brink, but will also leave you with a huge portion of hope, all wrapped up in a Big-Mac box.

A new Karin Slaughter is always a treat; I can’t believe I have been following her Grant County series for 19 years! The writing is superb and it is easy to get invested in the characters which are so well written. This book returns to former characters in a dual timeline plot, so we get to meet old favourites which is a treat. If you haven’t read this author before enough detail is given for it not to matter, it can be read as a stand alone.
Some serial killer plots can be over the top, but not this one; the more challenging details are practically and sensitively done.
The story begins with a cold case. The culprit who originally confessed now claims he is innocent and was forced to confess by corrupt police.
The case has to be reinvestigated and more cases are discovered with links to the past. The suspense builds throughout and the ending unexpected.
The writing, plot and characters combine to make this a standout novel. I look forward to the next!
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for giving me an advance copy in return for an honest review.

OMG WHAT A READ!!!!!!
The hunt for a serial killer that no one knows anything about. The story spans ten years where women are dying from what looks like accidents. Thanks to the partnership of Dr Sarah and Special Agent Will they unearth the truth. They are now hunting a serial killer like no other. What his victims suffer is chilling and abhorrent and at times left me feeling a little queasy. Karen Slaughter is an author who never disappoints. I never read the blurb for one of her books as I know that I will be in for a real rollercoaster of a read. Each book in this series is a five star read. A fantastic storyteller, authentic police and medical procedural. If I could award this book ten stars then I would IT IS THAT GOOD. Chilling, gripping and yes abhorrent. This author has done it again. A MUST READ AND SO HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Thanks to HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for the ARC.

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.