Criminal (Will Trent Series #6)

Author: Karin Slaughter
Genre: Crime Thriller
448 pages
Publisher: Dell, 2012

Synopsis
Will Trent is a brilliant agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Newly in love, he is beginning to put a difficult past behind him. Then a local college student goes missing, and Will is inexplicably kept off the case by his supervisor and mentor, deputy director Amanda Wagner. Will cannot fathom Amanda’s motivation until the two of them literally collide in an abandoned orphanage they have both been drawn to for different reasons. Decades before, when his father was imprisoned for murder, this was Will’s home. It appears that the case that launched Amanda’s career forty years ago has suddenly come back to life—and it involves the long-held mystery of Will’s birth and parentage. Now these two dauntless investigators will each need to face down demons from the past if they are to prevent an even greater terror from being unleashed.

My review
Criminal is the sixth book in Karin Slaughter’s Will Trent series. I’m gradually making my way through the series and this installment is exceptional! The story unfolds across two timelines, showcasing the elements that make Slaughter’s novels so captivating: gripping, suspense-filled mysteries and deeply compelling characters you can’t help but care about.

Until this point in the series, Will Trent’s past has been a mystery. In the present-day storyline, we learn that Trent’s father has been imprisoned for his entire life—until now. To Trent’s shock, his boss, Amanda Wagner, had kept his father’s release from prison from him, and he only discovers it while watching the news. A young college student has gone missing, and Trent is pulled from the investigation, for reasons that soon become clear.

The second timeline, set forty years earlier, follows a young Amanda Wagner and Evelyn Mitchell, who are just starting their careers as plain clothes officers in Atlanta. They find themselves investigating a gruesome case involving the disappearance and murder of young women. Despite facing numerous obstacles, they press on, uncovering a terrifying truth that nearly costs them their lives.

The way Slaughter intertwines these storylines is brilliant. Despite its nearly 500 pages, I couldn’t put the book down. I was completely absorbed by how the events of 1975 shaped the relationship between Trent and Wagner. The portrayal of the police department’s inner workings in 1974/1975, along with the challenges Wagner and Mitchell encountered—issues that would be shocking by today’s standards—was eye-opening and added significant depth to who they are in the present. The way the story unfolded, with that historical context, made everything more impactful. I now have a much deeper understanding of Wagner’s connection with Trent, its origins, and the reasons behind their complex dynamic. Sara Linton also has a significant role, and I loved seeing her relationship with Trent grow. The narration was well-balanced, never overwhelming the story, which could have easily happened.

Criminal is my favorite installment in the series and another gripping, captivating read from Karin Slaughter. This series is outstanding, and I highly recommend it to all my friends.

My recommendation: read it!