Karin Slaughter's Will Trent series

Karin Slaughter is a prolific crime writer. If anyone was destined to following that calling, it is someone with that surname! Check out my post that introduces Slaughter's work, my review of her four standalone novels to date, and my thoughts on her new series featuring Andrea Oliver, a US Marshal.

The two series that Slaughter is most known for are the Grant county and Will Trent books. The former includes six books (published 2001-2007) set in a small fictional Georgian town, Heartsdale. This series features Dr Sara Linton, the town's paediatrician and later Medical Examiner, her husband, Chief of Police, Jeffrey Tolliver, and local Detective Lena Adams. The second series of 12 books (as I write this post) is set in Atlanta and follows Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Will Trent and his partner, Faith Mitchell. The two series merge in the third Will Trent book, Undone, published in 2009.

As I've mentioned in my Slaughter introductory post, the Will Trent books are now a television series. I haven't watched the series as, looking at the cast list, hardly any of the actors look like how I imagine their characters to be in the books. I know that is a weak reason not to watch the show, but after having read the books for so long, I just can't vibe with the mismatched actors.

Below is my review of the 2024 Will Trent book, This is why we lied, the latest at the time of writing this post in the Will Trent series. i've made some comments at the end of the post on the previous books in the Will Trent and Grant County series. I'll keep updating this post as new Will Trent books are published.

This is why we lied | Published August 2024 | Read September 2024

The first thing to note, as I mentioned above, is that Karin Slaughter's books are extremely dark and brutal, even though her plotting is usually on point. I have to marvel at the way her mind must work! That said, Slaughter can be pretty raw in her descriptions of violence (and a lot of it directed at women). The violence isn't gratuitous, but her books are still often tough to read.

This is why we lied is definitely disturbing, and it comes with a long list of content warnings. Mercy McAlpine is the manager of an off-grid, mountainous family-owned lodge. When she is murdered and the property is cut off from the nearest town after a storm, all the family members and guests become suspects. Working my way through the book I found myself deeply unsettled and saddened by Mercy's situation. I actually struggled to read some of it.

Georgia Bureau Investigation Special Agent Will Trent and Atlanta Medical Examiner Dr Sara Linton take over the investigation into Mercy's murder as they are honeymooning at the lodge. The book is part of the Will Trent series, merged with the Grant County one after he meets Sara.

If you haven't read any of the books in the two series, it's still possible to read each book as a standalone. That said, all the backstory and context help with the reading experience. Will and Sara, as noted above, have been part of 12 books together, with Sara in her own series of six books prior to meeting Will. I suggest going back through the series if this is your first outing, at least to the start of the Will Trent books (Triptych, published in 2006) to get a clearer picture of the players. If you do jump in at book 12, you might find the ongoing storylines and character relationships a bit hard to follow.

I have stuck with the series for Will rather than Sara. Will is a fascinating character. He had the most awful childhood, he's dyslexic, and has come out of a toxic and violent relationship to be with Sara (although thankfully that storyline seems to have been put to bed). I'm not sure what it is about Sara that doesn't have me on board the train. I find her a bit Mary Sue-ish and patronising.

There are other enduring characters to love, though. One of them is Faith, Will's partner. I like how she's been written over the course of the books. She's got plenty of grit and she always comes through for Will. Faith feels real and she has a more intriguing personality and backstory than Sara who I reckon would have been a Mean Girl in high school...

This is why we lied is another lengthy book but as a Slaughter fan, I'm used to that. A word of warning: she does take a long time to get to the point. That's just her thing. I usually don't feel the books are drawn out, but this one did have a lot of descriptions of the scenery, of the mountain trails, of mud, horses...you get the picture.

Also, overdone now is Will and Sara's relationship. It's always been a bit sickly sweet for my tastes. I get they are on their honeymoon in this book, but I'm a bit over it, especially the way they talk to each other. There's much more interesting stuff to explore with the two of them than their relationship.

Book number 12 is a locked room mystery, given the storm has cut off access to the lodge. Mercy's killer has to be one of the family members or guests. Slaughter doesn't usually write locked room-style, and I found this approach made me like the book less than her usual fare. The whole story after Mercy's murder is spent jumping from one suspect to another, all of whom have secrets (of course they do!) and could be the perpetrator. I did find the link to Will's past interesting, and the exploration of Mercy's backstory, as heartbreaking as it was.

The book is complex, and there's no doubt Slaughter is still able to churn out high-quality work. I found This is why we lied just a wee bit over-the-top for my liking, though, with so many vile and damaged characters that I found hard to read about. I also don't think the narrative had the usual energy of the previous books in the series.

So...I didn't love it but I didn't dislike it. I will still rock up for book number 13 when it comes out.

Book 12 rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Will Trent series rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Grant county series rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Final word on Will and Sara:

Don't let book 12 put you off if you haven't read any of the others in the Will Trent and Grant County series. They are top notch examples of crime novels and I have loved working my way through both series. I do prefer the Will Trent books, but that's mostly because I can't really get on board the Sara train, I find her husband, Jeffrey Tolliver annoying, and I just like Will better. He's a more complex, nuanced, and authentic character. I do like the Lena Adams character in the Grant County books, but her self-destructive behaviour wears a bit thin after a while.

Of the more recent Will Trent books, try After that night (2023) as it's a disturbing but cleverly plotted book that connects Sara's past to a current case. I also loved Triptych (2006), the first Will Trent novel, a cracking crime story that got me hooked on the series. I also recommend Fractured (2008), Undone (2009), Broken (2010), Fallen (2011) and Criminal (2012), the latter for a fascinating look at Will's backstory. As noted above, Undone (2009) is where Will and Sara first meet and the two series merge. You could also give these ones a go from the Sara Linton series: Blind sighted (2001) and Kiss cut (2002). If you're interested in what happened to Sara's first husband, Chief of Police, Jeffrey Tolliver, read Indelible (2004) and Beyond reach (2007).