The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter (Review by Katherine Iorio)

Rating: 3.5/5*

I’m on the fence with the latest from Karin Slaughter, The Last Widow. While I enjoyed the fast-paced tense storyline, it came to the writing style that made this an off-putting book for me.

This is the ninth book in the series featuring Special Agent Will Trent and Medical Examiner Dr Sara Linton. This book starts with a female scientist, Michelle Spivey, being kidnapped in front of her daughter in a parking lot. After of a major investigation there still no trace of her.

Weeks later, Atlanta is rocked by two explosions at the nearby University campus. In the chaos of it all, a car accident happens right in front of Sara and Will. While investigating the scene, Sara realises something isn’t quite right. The men in the car accident kidnap Sara and make her go with them, leaving Will badly injured.

Despite Will’s injuries, he is determined to find Sara. Working with his partner, Faith, at the FBI, they decide to go under cover and try to infiltrate the terrorist group who is holding Sara. All the while, Sara is doing her best to find out exactly what the terrorist group is up to before they plan another attack.

I haven’t read Slaughter’s other Will Trent series books before, but this one reads as a standalone too. From the trickle of information that was revealed throughout the book, it gave enough of the background that was needed to know Will and Sara’s history.

I thoroughly enjoyed the action and fast-paced storyline that was taking place. From the settling of Atlanta, to the context and background of the white supremacy group, I found this book to be suspenseful yet political at times. It really made for a thrilling ride at times.

What didn’t work for me are the alternating narrations of Will and Sara. It became even more confusing when the timelines alternated too! Don’t even get me started on the scenes at the start of each chapter that were the same for both Sara and Will. It felt like Déjà vu for every chapter. The writing style is what brought this book down for me.

Overall, The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter is a riveting, thought provoking and grizzly book that keeps you interested until the very end. The only part that I found to be negative was the writing style. From the gripping plot, the pace and even the realist characters, you definitely won’t want to put this book down! While this isn’t the most comfortable read, it certainly keeps you entertained from start to finish! I wouldn’t pass this one up! This book comes out August 19.