The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter

Val Penny ♦ February 26, 2021 ♦ Leave a comment

This is the ninth book in Karin Slaughter’s riveting Will Trent series, although it does work as a stand alone. I treated myself to The Last Widow during lockdown for Covid-19 when reading and writing were my escapes from the real world.

The Blurb

A mysterious kidnapping

On a hot summer night, a scientist from the Centers for Disease Control is grabbed by unknown assailants in a shopping center parking lot. Vanished into thin air, the authorities are desperate to save the doctor.

A devastating explosion

One month later, the serenity of a sunny Sunday afternoon is shattered by the boom of a ground-shaking blast—followed by another seconds later. One of Atlanta’s busiest and most important neighborhood’s has been bombed—the location of Emory University, two major hospitals, the FBI headquarters, and the CDC.

A diabolical enemy

Medical examiner Sara Linton and her partner Will Trent, an investigator with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, rush to the scene—and into the heart of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to destroy thousands of innocent lives. When the assailants abduct Sara, Will goes undercover to save her and prevent a massacre—putting his own life on the line for the woman and the country he loves.

The Review

This is the ninth book in Karin Slaughter’s Will Trent series but it works perfectly well as a stand alone novel too. I enjoyed this book because it developed Will’s character further and I felt I got to know him better. He becomes involved in the case almost by accident when he and his girlfriend, Sara, are at her aunt’s house for lunch. Will has been working in the garden when Sara goes to tell him lunch is ready but an explosion goes off at the nearby hospital.

They go to try to help but Sara is abducted by the perpetrators. Her mother blames Will for letting her get taken and this colours their relationship. Although Will is injured during the abduction but insists on going undercover to try to rescue Sara and secure her release. Sara discovers that she is not the only woman they have abducted, Michelle, a scientist who specialises in dangerous viruses is also captive.

Sara and Michelle are being held by a white supremacist group that lives independently in a hidden hamlet. The group lives a simple life following their leader Dash and his wife Gwen. Gwen’s father established the group but is now held prisoner.

This is a gripping story and I really enjoyed the twists and turns through which the author led her readers. Unfortunately, I felt there were parts of the story that were too verbose and could have been shortened or even deleted. There are only so many times I needed to know about Sara exercising to relieve her boredom. Also I knew Dash and Gwen were strange, wicked people without repeatedly being told about their odd gatherings for family lunches.

Nevertheless, The Last Widow is a gripping tale and I highly recommend it.

The Author

Karin Slaughter is one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed storytellers. Published in 120 countries with more than 35 million copies sold across the globe, her nineteen novels include the Grant County and Will Trent books, as well as the Edgar-nominated COP TOWN and the instant NEW YORK TIMES bestselling novels PRETTY GIRLS, THE GOOD DAUGHTER, and PIECES OF HER. Her most recent book, THE LAST WIDOW, features Sara Linton and Will Trent. Slaughter is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit organization established to support libraries and library programming. A native of Georgia, Karin Slaughter lives in Atlanta. Her standalone novels PIECES OF HER, THE GOOD DAUGHTER, and COP TOWN are in development for film and television.


Facebook: Facebook.com/AuthorKarinSlaughter

Website: http://www.karinslaughter.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karinslaugh…

Val Penny