What’s it all about?:
Karin Slaughter’s novels featuring detective Will Trent are utterly riveting and masterfully drawn. Her latest thriller, Unseen, pits detectives, lovers, and enemies against one another in an unforgettable standoff between righteous courage and deepest evil.
Will Trent is a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent whose latest case has him posing as Bill Black, a scary ex-con who rides a motorcycle around Macon, Georgia, and trails an air of violence wherever he goes. The cover has worked and he has caught the eye of a wiry little drug dealer who thinks he might be a useful ally. But undercover and cut off from the support of the woman he loves, Sara Linton, Will finds his demons catching up with him.
Although she has no idea where Will has gone, or why, Sara herself has come to Macon because of a cop shooting: Her stepson, Jared, has been gunned down in his own home. Sara holds Lena, Jared’s wife, responsible: Lena, a detective, has been a magnet for trouble all her life, and Jared’s shooting is not the first time someone Sara loved got caught in the crossfire. Furious, Sara finds herself involved in the same case that Will is working without even knowing it, and soon danger is swirling around both of them.
In a novel of fierce intensity, shifting allegiances, and shocking twists, two investigations collide with a conspiracy straddling both sides of the law. Karin Slaughter’s latest is both an electrifying thriller and a piercing study of human nature: what happens when good people face the unseen evils in their lives.
What did I think?:
Hooray, another Karin Slaughter novel! Regular readers of my blog will know I’m a big fan, especially of her Will Trent series and this latest, while not my particular favorite is still a damn good read which I enjoyed more than the previous book in the series, Criminal. A big thanks to Random House and NetGalley for a copy of this novel in return for an honest review. If you’re familiar with the series, you will know that Will and Sara are now a couple. Unfortunately, Will’s latest assignment is undercover, as hard as nails ex-con Bill Black (complete with motorcycle and probably a toothpick in his mouth). This takes him away from Sara for a bit as he concentrates solely on his mission. But it’s probably not the best time to be away from his partner, as things are kicking off on her side also.
Detective Lena Adams is back (another hooray!) and where Lena goes, trouble is bound to follow. Sara and Lena have a rather strained history as Sara blames Lena for the shooting of someone she loved and as a result, has never forgiven her. Lena is now married to Sara’s stepson Jared and gets mixed up in a very dangerous case where Jared ends up being shot. Sara is obviously devastated, feeling like history is repeating itself and once again, Lena finds herself the recipient of Sara’s fury. What they don’t know is how inter-linked the case Lena was working on and the case Will is undercover for really is. And Sara may not be too happy with it by the way. When all hell breaks loose, Sara and Will find themselves in a very precarious situation that may threaten their relationship indefinitely. As always, there are gruesome scenes a-plenty, and the story touches on the issues of child abduction and abuse which may not be for all readers but I think it was handled well.
I really love the characters in Karin Slaughter’s novels, especially Will Trent (whom I may have gushed about in previous reviews). For this review, I’ll gush about Lena instead! I was really pleased to see the return of this wild and slightly damaged detective and enjoyed that we got to see a bit of her vulnerable side in this novel. I know some reviewers may not really like Lena as a character, but I find her so interesting and immensely readable and always wonder what disaster she’s going to end up in next. This novel is jam packed with twists, turns and surprises and often kept me guessing with each page I turned. Karin’s new novel Cop Town is out now and even though it’s not part of the Will Trent series, I’m excited to see what it’s all about. For me, this is an author that can’t do much wrong.
Would I recommend it?:
But of course!
Star rating (out of 5):
