Karin Slaughter, Will Trent Mysteries
Will Trent is a 6’ 3” GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) agent with extraordinary investigative skills and limited social skills, both of which can be traced back to his childhood in a state-run orphanage. (His orphan nickname was Trash, because he was abandoned in a trash can.) His terrifying GBI boss, deputy director Amanda Wagner, barely tolerates his idiosyncrasies. His partner, Faith Mitchell, with her own secrets, is more sympathetic but often exasperated as well. His personal life, such as it is, consists of a manipulative girlfriend who has known him since they were in state care and a chihuahua named Betty.
In Fractured and Undone, Trent and Mitchell investigate a kidnapping and serial killer respectively. Both cases are gruesome, and Slaughter does not go easy on the graphic specifics. But Trent and Faith’s relationship and the detailed investigative process win out over the gory crime scenes and autopsies, which I just skipped.
WHAT OTHER REVIEWERS SAY
People: “Startling twists…[the detective’s] quirky relationship—as much as the increasingly intriguing investigation—fuels this fun read.” (Fractured)
WHO WROTE IT
Karin Slaughter’s nineteen novels include the Grant County and Will Trent books, as well as the Edgar-nominated Cop Town, and The New York Times best sellers, Pretty Girls, The Good Daughter and Pieces of Her, which are in development for film and television. Slaughter is also the founder of the not-for-profit organization Save the Libraries. She lives in Atlanta.