Will Trent is back in the series’ tenth book by Karin Slaughter. This time the past and the present collide for Will, an agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and his girlfriend, medical examiner Sara Linton. They are sent to the state prison to investigate the death of an inmate, which occurred during a brawl. While they are there an inmate requests a meeting. Eight years before, Daryl Nesbitt who is serving time for child pornography, was the prime suspect in the attacks on several young women that resulted in the death of one. Daryl insists he was framed by the now-deceased sheriff, Jeffrey Tolliver, who is also Sara’s former husband. When Will and Sara realize there have been other violent murders, with similar characteristics, committed since Daryl was incarcerated, they reopen the investigations.

The Silent Wife is a well-plotted book. It moves between the past, when the first two attacks were committed, to the present, as Will and Sara begin to question the investigation that led to Daryl’s arrest and conviction. The story is not only about the investigation, but also about the emotions and feelings that are dredged up when Sara relives her life with her former husband. However, as the story moves back and forth, it can become a little disorienting and difficult to follow the various characters. Sara and Will have a complex relationship that I sometimes found hard to appreciate. The characters are varied, many of them are quite flawed, and none were truly very likable for me. And, finally, the episodes that deal with the actual attacks and the aftermath are gut-wrenching and descriptive. I’m sure some readers will find it much too uncomfortable to read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

This story follows Will & Sara as they work to solve a span of rapes and murders that covers 8 years of time. Do they already have the guilty party in custody? Is there a copycat out there commiting gruesome crimes? As they hear gutwrenching stories, and see horrific crime scenes, they just want to bring justice to the victims. At the same time, digging into these cases brings up the past, which means Sara's dead husband. Can Will & Sara solve the cases, and will their relationship be able to survive this?

I have read Karin Slaughter books before, but I didn't realize that she had a series containting the same characters. So, in reading this book, I didn't realize that there were several books that came before this one in the story. However, it was written in such a way that even if you had not read any of the previous books, it wouldn't hinder your understanding of this story. I found myself only feeling like I was missing one real piece of the puzzle, though it wasn't relevant to the outcome of this story. Karin writes great mystery books. I will note that there are some graphic crime scenes in this book. And unimaginable acts. She did a great job of weaving an incredible story. I'm guessing that if you've read any of the other books with Will Trent, you would enjoy this one as well. And, if you havne't read any of the others, you'll be just fine, (though because of my personality, I think I'd like to start at the beginning and get the whole story). Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to have an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Silent Wife is an psychological thriller which left me feeling disturbed. I can only hope thot others who go trough such awakenings and ice changes aren't as flawed and emotionally damaged as these characters.

I never miss a Karin Slaughter Will Trent book and delighted to have the opportunity to read the latest in the series. As always Slaughter doesn't disappoint. When a recent murder in present time points to the wrong man in prison, who is protesting his innocence, it is time for Will Trent and the GBI gang to go into action to solve the cold case. Brilliantly bringing together the past and present we not only delve into murders but the emotional upheaval to Sara and Will 's life as they negotiate the original case put together by Sara's first, now deceased, husband Jeffrey Tolliver. I can't count on how many times I said WOW as I read the book, not wanting to put it down but knowing I needed my sleep. Till the jaw dropping finale readers will not be disappointed. 5 stars all the way.

My husband asked to read this before me, and handled back the kindle to me saying "Wow"! I highly recommend this thriller, that weaves bits of info into a terrific story. Karin Slaughter did it again and produced an un-put-downable novel that you will compulsively read. Be sure to allow free time because you'll want to read it straight through.

I started this book not realizing it was part of a series, but I find that it didnt affect my enjoyment all that much. Eventually I became familiar with Will Trent and Sara.
I was immediately hooked with the prologue and interested in what happened in the prison fight from the beginning. Once the old police cases started coming up I couldn't put it down. This was twisty, dark, and overall really enjoyable and what I would come to expect from Karin Slaughter!

Sara and Will investigate what could be a serial murderer while grappling with the ghosts of their pasts.

Brutal descriptions make this a difficult read.

GBI Agent Will Trent and medical examiner Sara Linton will go on an emotional journey with their relationship. The present homicide cases will take Sara back to her past relationship with her deceased husband who was the police chief eight years earlier. Dealing with those emotions will put her and Will at odds. A full review can be found at FreshFiction.com.

I have reviewed this book for New York Journal of Books where it will be posted on their site the night before the release date.


"The Silent Wife" by Karen Slaughter
William Morrow
August 4, 2020
10-0062858103
Psychological Thriller

What happens when an alleged serial killer is handed a prison sentence only to have other murders occur with the same M.O. after the authorities believe they got the right guy? The killing of young women eight years ago landed Daryl Nesbitt behind bars after being convicted of these crimes. Now everyone thinks they are safe. But are they?

Will Trent, an agent for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation heads to Philips State Prison, a medium-security facility after a riot there takes the life of an inmate. While interviewing those concerned, Trent receives a note from Nesbitt asking to meet with him. Nesbitt swears he was framed by Jeffrey Tolliver, a now-deceased police chief who led the team that put him away and who Nesbitt insists are corrupt. Similar crimes of which he was charged happened after his arrest, and he can offer proof about them. He also states he can supply information about the prison riot that cost a man his life and by giving this knowledge he wants to cut a deal.

The first victim, local college student, Beckey Caterino was savagely attacked and left to die, but survived only to sustain a ruptured spinal cord and is now tied to a wheelchair. She had been discovered lying in the woods by Leslie Truong, who reported what she thought was an accident. When the police arrive, also determining the co-ed fell and was seriously injured, they take Leslie’s statement, then send her on her way without offering an escort back to the college. Soon Leslie goes missing and later is found slain.

Now more violent murders are happening with the victims being dumped in the woods surrounding the local college. Their deaths show the same M.O. that got Nesbitt convicted. This puts additional heat on Trent for he must find the perp who is now raping and killing these women. In addition to this, he is in a quandary about opening a case involving Tolliver.

The news about Jeffrey places a huge burden on Will. Jeffrey is considered a hero, so can he dig into the man's past and maybe find evidence to tarnish his reputation? To make matters worse, Will is in a relationship with Jeffrey's ex, Dr. Sara Linton, medical examiner for the county. He loves her dearly, but could they survive if the hearsay about Jeffrey proves to be true, and he is the one to break the news to Sara?

Living in Atlanta when she met Jeffrey, Sara fell deeply in love with him. "Jeffrey had been a Frank Sinatra kind of man. Respected. Capable. Admired. People naturally wanted to be around him, to follow his lead. Jeffrey had taken it all in stride."

Sara is delighted when Jeffrey chose her and soon, she moves to be closer to him. She insists she wants to live in a rural community, yet her real reason is to get away from the city where she suffered the horror of a violent rape—an item she never discloses to Jeffrey.

The recent murders are proving to be just as heinous and brutal as those from the past, and Trent knows he must find and stop this demon. A search commences to include all the Nesbitt family members, all who come from a bad part of the county and all who hold criminal records.

Another survivor of the women brutally attacked, is Tommi (Thomasina) Humphrey, one of Sara's patients. She seeks Sara’s assistance after her attack but refuses to report the crime. Fortunate to escape with her life, she pleads with Sara to keep it to herself, and Sara respects her privacy due to doctor/patient confidentiality. Though Tommi perseveres from this attack, she is only a shell of her former self. When Trent meets with her, he hopes to gain additional information and maybe get identifying hints about the killer, but Tommi does not have much to offer.

Though painful for them both, Trent needs Sara's help to solve the killings and information from Jeffrey’s old records to exonerate his good name. Things become strained between them, yet there's no turning back. They need to find the truth, though their determination and love for each other will be tested to the limits.

"The Silent Wife", the 10th issue in the Will Trent series, is explosive and haunting with an unexpected and chilling ending. The in-depth description of the atrocious crimes against these women is descriptive and not for the faint of heart yet prove the author has done intense research with both criminal and medical cases. The only detrimental aspect of the novel is the chapters of backstory introduced with the current time frame make it somewhat disconcerting to stay on track. Though this can stand alone, it may be beneficial to read previous issues in this series. Nevertheless, the suspense of this thriller is sure to please the most diehard lover of mysteries.

So after years and years of reading psychological and crime thrillers and seeing a zillion recommendations for Karin Slaughter, I finally took the leap and read The Silent Wife and now I want to go back and kick my own butt for waiting this long! Ms. Slaughter is a phenomenal writer. I absolutely loved the way I was pulled in from the very first page of The Silent Wife. My jaw dropped several times throughout the book and I just couldn’t put it down! I’ve already purchased her first several books and I’m excited to read them all! I’ll definitely be buying every single one.
This book is the latest in a series (which I typically don’t do) but I am glad I did because I can report to you that Karin did such a great job filling in the gaps and telling the reader what happened in the past to make sure we know what’s going on. I fell in love with all of the characters just from reading this one book and I’m excited to read about them in her previous books.

I definitely recommend The Silent Wife even if you’ve never read anything by Karin Slaughter!

Huge thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for allowing me the incredible privilege of reading this book in advance!

Many many moon ago I discovered a thriller writer in the heat of the summer. I read everything she had to offer and then pre-ordered what she had coming next. Now, it is a summertime tradition for me to stay up all night reading Karin Slaughter and being uncertain about turning out the lights! She is a master storyteller and creeper-outer! I loved this book!

Karin Slaughter tells a gripping story while also addressing important issues such as violence against women. The Silent Wife could be read and enjoyed by itself, but as a long time fan of Slaughter's books I enjoyed revisiting the characters from previous books.

I really enjoyed this mystery. It was suspenseful all the way until the end. The characters were well developed, and I could understand the back story even though I hadn't read any of her earlier books.

Back for more, Bureau Investigator Will Trent and his partner team up with Will's girlfriend at the coroner's office. A brutal crime has been committed that fits a pattern from past crimes and the man who has been convicted of those murders now says he has proof that the killer is still out there. We have the best of Karen Slaughter in this one - violent crime, danger on every page, ramping intensity that makes it hard to stop reading and characters that we care about. This is one intense roller coaster crime novel. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

This book describes extreme brutality against women. I thought this was unusual for Slaughter, but she addresses this in an author's note at the end: Violence towards women IS brutal. Women who survive are stronger than we can imagine.

I found this to be a surprising but excellent continuation of the Will Trent series. Jeffrey Tolliver lovers won't be disappointed, either. I'm glad to hear this series will continue!

The Silent Wife is the latest in a series of Will Trent Detective books and it does not disappoint. This is a stand alone book because it gives you history and present information to be able to put everyone together, but I recommend reading the ten earlier books also.

There is murder, mystery and romance. It is fast paced and a great psychological thriller.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.

The Silent Wife by Karin Slaughter
10th book in the Will Trent series
I love Karin Slaughter's books and "The Silent Wife" did not disappoint. We get to see how Sara and Will are doing AND we get to learn more about Sara's past with Jeffery from eight years earlier. While investigating a murder within a prison, Faith and Will meet an inmate who claims to have been framed for rape and murder by Jeffery several years earlier. Around the same time, another woman is found with a similar MO. The team must revisit the earlier case to find the truth. This one kept me on the edge of my seat and I did not see the end coming! Great read!

Karin Slaughter does it again! This is a great addition to the Will Trent series, but I love how it went back in time to include more of Sara and Jeffrey's past. I figured out who did close to the end and it was a shock! I expected it to be someone else. I love how Karin manages to always surprise me with her twists and turns.

I love this author. I believe I will need to start at the beginning of this series in order to appreciate this book. Slaughter’s stand alone novels are amazing.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I don't read a lot of police procedurals because I find them over the top. There are only a few authors that I feel actually write them well enough for me to enjoy, and Karin Slaughter tops that list. I have read so many of the Will Trent/Sara Linton books and each and every one of them sucks me right in. This one was no exception. The subject matter was pretty dark and I'm not gonna lie, there were times the book was so violent that I just had to put it down for a little bit. But. It's amazing. I do recommend reading this series in order if you can because of the Will/Sara relationship, but you don't have to. If you are looking for a good crime thriller and can handle violence and gore, then you will get a lot out of The Silent Wife. The characters are so well-written and multi-dimensional.