The Last Widow (The Will Trent Series, Book 9)

Karin Slaughter

June 2019 · HarperCollins

About this eBook

The No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller!Watch Will Trent on Disney+!

She might be the first victim, but she won't be the last.

Three...

A woman is abducted in front of her child.

Two...

A month later, a second is taken in explosive circumstances.

One...

But the web is bigger and darker than anyone could imagine.

The clock is ticking to uncover the truth.

Praise for the Number One bestselling author

‘Passion, intensity, and humanity’ Lee Child, creator of Jack Reacher

‘The queen of the explosive thriller’ Good Housekeeping

‘I’d follow her anywhere’ Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl

*The Last Widow was a No.1 Sunday Times bestseller w/c 17/6/19

Ratings and reviews

3.5 Stars It's been a long time since I have read one of the Karin Slaughter books featuring Will Trent or Sara Linton and it seems like quite a lot has happened to the pair of them since I last picked up one of the books in their individual series. I have to be honest and say that I am not entirely sure that the merging of the two works particularly well and throwing them together as a couple just feels uncomfortable somehow. They are such disparate people beneath the surface and it just doesn't work for me. So much so by the end I was beginning to wonder if Sara is suffering from some kind of saviour complex and that is why she is with Will. The bigger problem though is that because these are such well established characters that the jeopardy that is intrinsic to making this novel work is dissipated; it is VERY unusual for an author to kill of a beloved character that is the main protagonist of a series of novels. Therefore, you know pretty much how things are going to turn out so you are just reading for the hows and not breathlessly turning the pages to find out if they are going to make it. I was also initially frustrated at the way the early chapters unfold. The tale is told to us from 3 different viewpoints - Will Trent, GBI field agent, psychologically damaged from his childhood, dyslexic and autism sufferer (all of which defines his character on the page and always has done and is part of why I abandoned the Will Trent series); Sara Linton, GBI Medical Examiner, pediatrician, rape survivor, police widow and romantic partner of aforementioned Will Trent (a real Girl Scout whose fictional personality is as a Debbie-Do-Good and is held up as somehow perfect in many ways - a reason why I abandoned the Sara Linton series as she was beginning to grate); Faith Mitchell, GBI Field Agent that is a single mother and partner to Will Trent (probably the only one of the trio who reacts in normal, quantifiably human ways). The three pronged attack on the story is not a bad thing and the voices interrupt each other just enough that my natural annoyance with 2 of the 3 was diverted. The problem comes in the early stages as you have to sit through the same few minutes being told from the perspective of will or Sara, literally the same events unfolding over the same timeline with a slightly different vision. Fortunately Faith's minutes are substantively different so I kept reading. This format is utilised throughout the book but as the 3 are generally in different locations it is more informative and actually does begin to drive the story. The bits I really want to discuss I don't feel that I can in a review, as they give away a major narrative to the plot and as it is really the lynch pin of the whole thing it would give too much away. It is definitely one that would work well in a Book Club setting and give the members plenty to chew over and rehash. The main plot deals with belief, brainwashing, subjugation and what happens when people become disenfranchised. Once I separated the characters form the events I began to enjoy it more - the world which the "bad guys" inhabit is richly created and their behaviours are justified to themselves in a way which is wholly believable. I do not personally share their belief and find their justifications ludicrous but in the knowledge that tens (if not hundreds) of thousands happen to agree with their philosophy. The plotting is strong and generally well paced, the author knows the right points to ratchet tension and when to divert the reader. The research in to the procedure of police and government is solid and gives a believability to the text. My problem lies solely with the main characters as they are never really anything more than a shadow of a whole person. It's a good enough procedural tale but lacking any true peril for the main players, leaving the reader just bumping along for the ride in the blacked out panel van. Leaving you feeling slightly dishevelled and needing a good hot shower at the end of it. FREE COPY RECEIVED VIA THE PIGEONHOLE

who's really writing these books? the phrase shelter in place used multiple times, the stolen woman was from infectious desease CDC, explanation about what the CDC do, the words quarenteen and worldwide public health used too. this was written last year it's no coincidence! this was planned so again how did the author know? subliminal messages!!! we need to wake up and fast. this is the third book now with this type of soft msg I'm starting to think the names of these authors are just that, names. these books along with films news advertising....all using the same words n style n message. I'm sick of it is that why this book was 99p? to get the message out to multiple people? oh now we're talking about vaccinations and vaccines and hiw this woman saved lives by vaccinating children! now we have the patriot army who thinks that the gov should be violently overthrown and given to WHITE Christian men, and the talk of nazi ....BLM anyone? smh agenda in plain sight!

Could not put it down! As always hate it when ive finished reading one of Karin Slaughters books! Excellent.

About the author

Karin Slaughter is one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed storytellers. Published in 120 countries with more than 35 million copies sold across the globe, her 19 novels include the Grant County and Will Trent books, as well as the Edgar-nominated Cop Town and the instant Sunday Times bestselling novels Pretty Girls, The Good Daughter, and Pieces of Her. Slaughter is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit organization established to support libraries and library programming. A native of Georgia, Karin Slaughter lives in Atlanta. Her standalone novels Pieces of Her, The Good Daughter and Cop Town are in development for film and television.