The Silent Wife by Karin Slaughter

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for a digital audio ARC for an honest review.

It was a gripping, action-packed story. It was gritty at times but well done. Looking forward to her next installment with her well developed characters and storyline. 

The narrator Kathleen Early kept me on the edge of my seat with this thriller. 

#TheSilentWife #NetGalley

If you have read Karin Slaughter “Will Trent” and “Grant County” series, than you will love this Book. Karin does a brilliant job blending past and current characters, while guiding you on a detailed journey through the story. The characters are so well described it feels like you are catching up with old friends. Can’t wait for the next book!

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra  

The Silent Wife is the first novel in the Will Trent series by Karin Slaughter that I have read. One would think coming in at book #10 might not be the smartest move, but I must say that I was not put off by not having the background. And the story was so good that I do not feel I missed a whole lot by entering the series at this time, except that dang…. I have missed out on a lot of good novels and I am going to have to make reading this series a priority in the future! This psychological thriller / police procedural was gripping, entertaining, a bit twisted and an all around fantastic read. I was brought into the story and the life of Will Trent and all that entailed right from the very beginning.

In The Silent Wife, we find Will Trent entrenched in the murder case of inmate Jesus Vasquez as a result of a prison riot. During the investigative stage, Will speaks with inmate Daryl Nesbit who has claimed his innocence of his crimes of rape and murder from the very beginning and attributes his incarceration as a result of “bad” cops. One of these “bad” cops is the deceased husband, Jeffrey Tolliver, of his girlfriend, Dr. Sara Linton. So Will and his partner Faith begin to question the old case in an effort to solve the new case. The storyline is tangled and weaved from the past and the present simultaneously. At the very beginning, I had to re-read the first few chapters to get a sense of what was really going on, but once it was solidified in my mind – I was good to go. The story just flowed.

I did find the crimes horrific and many times felt myself wanting to weep for those poor women victims. What a monster was all I could think – to perform the types of atrocities described on these innocent women was unconscionable. And how Will, Faith and Sarah dealt with that really gave me pause and thought for police and medical examiners everywhere – what a tough job. The dual timeline was intriguing and really a big part of capturing my interest (thought did take a bit of pause to have them come together in my mind given the lack of history with all the characters).

The author, Karin Slaughter, provided many potential “bad” guys while rooting through the investigations directed previously by former Chief Jeffrey Tolliver. I could not imagine the anguish that Sara had to go through while they were questioning her deceased husbands’ previous actions. What a strain that seemed to put on Sara Will’s relationship. 

While I do not want to get into too much detail (as each reader must take this journey without my words in their head), I found the flow of the discovery of what really happened and who the good and bad guys were very engaging, I also found the relationship between Will and Sara just as enthralling. The evolution of each character kept my interest and I was constantly rooting for them to just sit down and have an honest conversation.

Happily, the conclusion was satisfactory and there was enough summation to leave me satisfied. Whew. 

Now all I can think about, is beginning the series and the start and getting to eventually read this 10th book in the Will Trent Series by Karin Slaughter again in the future. And of course, lamenting on how long I have been missing out on the storytelling of Ms. Slaughter!!!

Another great book by Karin Slaughter! Suspenseful and the narrator was great and took you on a journey to find the killer the GB Investigator Will Trent is looking at all possibilities. Well written and will keep you listening or reading to the end.

I really enjoyed the narrator they did a great job reading this slaughter book. . Fast paced and packed full of action. Another wonderful thing is they always start out with a bang and this one is no different. It gets you hooked right away. There is the perfect amount of crime drama and relationship drama without one feeling too domineering. I have always loved the relationship between Will and Sara. The crimes are always so intricate and well thought out and I love how it ties together at the end. As I say with all Karin Slaughter books, just get it, you won’t be disappointed.

The past is brought to the present for Will Trent, Faith Evans, and the GBI are called in after a riot a the state pen. An inmate is claiming that he was framed by the late Jeffrey Linton. When Will and Faith start digging into the crimes that were attributed to the inmate. With the help of Sara Linton, they start to recognize that there are similarities between recent events and what happened to put him in prison. But he has been in prison, so is there a copycat killer stalking, raping, and killing women? Or did they have the wrong person all along?

I think that Will Trent is my favorite fictional detective. As I was listening to the audiobook of The Silent Wife,  I wondered why his character hasn't been optioned for a television series. The Silent Wife is unique because the timeline jumps around. The past, when Jeffrey Linton was investigating the original crimes, and present-day when Will, Faith, and Sara are trying to determine if the new crimes are connected. It was great to get to "see" Jeffrey Linton again and watch the way he engaged with Sara, it explains a lot about how she engages with Will in the present-day.  I will say that The Silent Wife is a story about crimes against women. Graphic and horrific crimes that may be difficult for some to read. I will say that the story ends on a high note with a surprise that will just delight longtime Will Trent fans!  CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS - 

Bottom Line - Karin Slaughter has spent years developing Will Trent, Faith Evans, and Sara Linton.  I look forward to every new book that allows us a chance to spend more time with them. The Silent Wife is just evidence at how much the characters have grown. And I patiently wait to see what happens next.

Details:
The Silent Wife by Karin Slaughter
On Instagram
Pages: 496
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: 8/4/2020
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the free book in exchange for an honest review.

This was my second Karin Slaughter book, and I will definitely be reading more of her books in the future. Even for having not read the other books in this series, the book gave enough backstory for this book to be completely enjoyable on its own. Slaughter's strong point I think is her characters. She puts so much life into her characters, and makes them fully 3-dimensional, which we don't always get to see in thriller/myster/suspense novels. I really love that she takes the time to not only flesh out her stories and her plot but also her characters. I really loved this one, and can't wait to read more by this author.

Karin Slaughter is known for her phenomenal storytelling. She shines with this book. The Silent Wift k is perfect for people that love domestic thrillers. This is a great book to cozy up with on a rainy day.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

I have been a fan of Karin Slaughter for some time now, but I have only read her stand-alones. I have loved them immensely, despite how dark and disturbing they tend to be, so when I was offered the chance to read/listen to this latest one, I jumped at it. I didn't realize at first that it was part of her series...a long-standing one at that. So, I did something that I am not really fond of doing, but have been doing more and more lately and that is jumping into a series midway. 

While I always prefer starting a series at the beginning because I love getting all that character development, I know that it is not always possible, and as was the case here, time was not in my favor. On top of that, there is always the possibility that I might not like the series enough to even make it that far...I had book 10 and didn't even own the earlier books. So, throwing caution to the wind, I jumped in. And I found that I wasn't too lost. Most authors these days give just enough backstory to keep new readers engaged so that they understand what is going on and I felt I had a good handle on things. Do I want to go back to the beginning? ABSOLUTELY!!!

This story grabbed me from the beginning and never lets up. This book addresses violence against women and it's gritty, creepy and raw. These books are not for the feint of heart. I loved the police procedural/detective aspect of the story and even the slight romance part kept it from staying too dark the entire time. The multiple points of view and having the story move and back in time kept the story moving and as it is quite a long book, this helps! I never once felt that this book dragged and that's saying something - this book is close to 500 pages/over 18 hours of audio-time and I was totally captivated the entire time. I listened to the whole thing, but loved having the print book on hand as there were times I needed to go back to reference something or reread some section and it's always so much easier to do that in the print book than in an audiobook.

This story is complex and I loved that I never once knew where things were headed. I also loved that as the story moved back and forth in time, we would be left with little hints as to what might come next. This really kept me engaged and I had such a hard time putting the book down. While I tried to put the pieces together, I never saw the end coming and that's a good thing. I love being caught off guard. And this one completely shocked me in the best way possible.

I do not regret picking this book up mid-series. I enjoyed the story as I knew I would because I love Karin Slaughter's writing. And now I know I have a series I am looking forward to going back to reading from the beginning. I am eager to really getting to know these characters on a deeper level and seeing how they all fit together.

But now I am in a bit of a quandry...I want to go back to the beginning...but what beginning? Do I start at the beginning of the Will Trent series or do I need to go back further to the Grant County series? If you've read these series...let me know what you suggest I do!


Audio thoughts: This audiobook was fantastic! I have found a new series to binge. I will absolutely be going back to the beginning and will certainly be listening and I can only hope that Kathleen Early is the narrator for this whole series. She does a phenomenal job with the voices, giving each character their own distinct voice and personality. I am such a stickler for consistency when it comes to narrators and series when possible and I really hope there is some consistency here. Her pacing and intonation was spot on and she infused just the right amount of emotion and tension into her voice as needed.

I love Karin Slaughter's books.  Her writing brings her characters to life as they race to solve the current crime and bring justice to the victims.  I'm not a huge fan of audiobooks but I enjoyed this one.  The narration was paced to bring out the best in the story while this narrator conveyed shock, surprise, dismay...all of the emotions that I usually get from the books.  I may have to change my mind on audio books

This tenth novel in the Will Trent series is a great addition. Will and Sarah’s relationship is more closely examined, as is the reputation of Sarah’s deceased husband Jeffrey. Action packed thrills begin as the team investigates a prisoners claim that he was falsely accused of the brutal rapes of which he stands accused.. A strong series entry will please fans and leave them anxious for the next installment,
Unputdownable !

NOT the book for a Karin Slaughter newbie to start with (or an almost-newbie...I did read her very first Grant County book, though I remember more details about the crime than I do about the characters that show up again here). I spent much of the first half trying to keep straight who was whom and when that part of the book was taking place. (It would have been helpful if the audio version had added "x years earlier" or similar to the chapters from the past, just saying "Grant County, Tuesday" and similar didn't quite cut it for this reader, at least not while I was still trying to keep characters and timelines straight in my head.)

Still, this was one heck of a read, once I really got into it and could keep the Sara and Will storyline straight from the Sara and Jeffrey one. The villain is terrifying, his crimes horrific, and OMG how it all unfolds and he is revealed still has me reeling. Good grief, I don't know that I'll ever be able to casually touch my hair in public ever again without thinking of this book...thanks for that, Ms Slaughter.

I don't know yet if I'll go back and read all of the books between the first that I read and this one (really not a Jeffrey fan from things revealed here) but chances are excellent I may read the ones that come after--especially after how this one ends!

Rating: 4 stars / A-

(Though I really enjoyed the book, the listening experience through the app was less than ideal. It often stopped for no apparent reason, and none of the "chapters" were given unique names, so when it also kicked me out of the book it was very difficult to figure out where I was in it! They literally all said "chapter _ of 34" on them, with no number in place of the _. Hopefully these bugs will be worked out soon...I used the app on an Android.)

I love the character of Will Trent. As raw and real and flawed that he is, he is also kind and loving and determined. Pairing him with Sara Linton adds such emotional sophistication that is just the right blend of personalities to give this story of rape and its stigma the empathetic treatment as well as the police procedural elements to keep the reader satisfied.

It’s been a minute since I finished this.  I actually listened to it when I was Covid testing, and it was the best distraction from the monotony of the job.  But now I know, this is the tenth Will Trent book, and I’ve got book one on hold at the library.  I’m ready to start at the beginning so I can be introduced to Will and Sara, Lena and Jeffrey (I’ll eventually figure out what all of that means).
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As a stand-alone, without knowing any of the main players, I thought this was fantastic.  It involves an investigation of young women murdered at Grant Tech.  The story itself is brilliant and I loved the writing.

This was my first Will Trent book, but I didn't feel like I missed much of the back story. I will definitely be reading more! Karin Slaughter is such a fun writer of dark material.

Whewww! This was my first full-length Karin Slaughter book and it did NOT disappoint.

This book takes place across two timelines. 

There's present-day Atlanta, Georgia - where we follow the police investigation of a woman who's been brutally attacked. 

The trail is cold but when Will Trent (the investigator) gets a call to the local prison, he realizes that there's far more to the case than he ever expected. 

There was a string of murders about 10ish years ago across cities that suddenly (and horrifically) begin to spell out a pattern. 

Meanwhile, in the past, we follow Jeffery as he stumbles upon the original set of murders. Two victims, a short timespan and possible connections and far-reaching implications. 

The more present-Will unravels this secret, the sicker it becomes. 

Overall - I really enjoyed this book. 

It did feel a little weird to jump in on this series at book 10 but at the same time there was enough background given that it wasn't too much of a leap. (Though, the quick rundowns of all the relationship stuff did slightly make my head spin).

The mystery aspect of this book was fantastically done - I had absolutely no idea where the book was taking me but I was 110% there for it. 

The way Slaughter set up all of those dominoes for this story - fantastic. The grand reveal - completely and utterly satisfying. Loved the tension and the build.

I was slightly thrown by the relationship dynamic between Sara and Will - it felt more like drama for drama's sake but ultimately I was okay with how it played out. 

All in all, I cannot wait to go back and read the rest of the series. I am hooked!!

The quality of the video was fuzzy and I ended up nit finishing but I will always recommend Karin slaughter!!

I received an advanced copy of the audio version from NetGalley. The story, carrying over from other Will Trent books, was very easy to follow - even considering I have not read other books with these main characters. The author included helpful background information in a way that seemed natural to the story. The mystery was well written and formulated, but the details of the crimes were disturbing. Not for the faint of heart!  The audio was nicely paced and the narration was well done. Thank you to Net Galley and Blackstone Publishing for the advanced audio of this book!

This is my 9th  Karin Slaughter novel.. 
One reader states “Ms. Slaughter liked to put us “out of our comfort zone”.

Yep! The ugly language as well as the brutal and very violent abuse to women quickly had me “out of my comfort zone”. 
            NOTE: I read Ms. Slaughter’s Facebook page that has so many cute and adorable kitties ~ hard to 
            believe she can get into such dark zone! 
Her stories are on the dark side and I am fine with dark and creepy but have a low tolerance for f-bombs and other profanity. (I get that there are time when someone is so furious and has exhausted a reasonable and powerful word and an expletive seems perfect. But to me is unnecessary as filler in a normal conversation ~ Okay! I know I am alone in this belief.)

This is my fourth Will Trent and of the 9 novels I have read, I have liked stories with Trent the best. I read book Will Trent book #9 and it was so good I was able to tolerate being out of my “zone”!

This story starts out with brutal murder of Chief of Police Jeffrey Tolliver. (The husband of recurring character Sara Linton medical examiner and Will’s girlfriend)  In addition, gory brutal attacks on women by a serial killer are occurring.  This MO is very similar to a series of rapes that took place years ago and the rapist Daryl Nesbitt has been in prison for the past 8 years. . Nesbitt has claimed he was innocent but framed by Chief of Police Jeffrey Tolliver and Lena Adams another police officer. 
Nesbitt wants Will Trent’s help. 

Story is told past and present 
Past ~ Jeffrey and Sara
Present ~Will and Sara

I like Will but he seemed to be a minor character. This is more Sara’s story. 
It kept me interested. Story describes in graphic details the disturbing attacks on women.
Story is about how horrible the attacks have left these women. They are so wounded their lives are a nightmare and never the same.
 
In the "Author’s Note",  Ms. Slaughter once again gives us some spoiler details.
 I always enjoying reading authors thoughts ~ gives us readers as secret knowledge of where and why the authors gets their story ideas. 

Want to thank NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this audiobook (took me longer than usual to finish this as I had some problems with the audiobook app.) This audiobook was granted to me in exchange for an honest professional review.  Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publishing Release Date was August 4, 2020

Just wow I don't think I've read book this kind of dark. There was just some gruesome things mentioned that I just couldn't even picture or be prepared for but it made this book all the more darker. I loved that there was no romance in this book which is a change for me personally. The one thing I will say that I was hard for me to follow the multiple perspectives. But then again I was lucky enough to get ahold of the Audiobook but on a normal time multiple perspectives are a challenge for me. This book was interesting enough to me not to want to stop it but going further and getting the hang of it. The point of views that were giving were interesting enough to distinguish between the characters, I loved getting the people investigating and victims and such point of view. Like when it came to the victims it was pretty creepy seeing what they were going through what would be their last moments, how they were feeling the paranoia or just the confusing feelings they were going though, just wow. Perfect book to read during this fall I recommend you lovely readers to put this book on your tbr.