In The Silent Wife, Karin Slaughter returns with another gripping installment in the Will Trent series, this time weaving together two timelines—past and present—to unravel a chilling mystery. Will Trent is called to investigate a murder inside a state prison, but the case quickly spirals into something far more sinister when an inmate claims he was wrongfully convicted due to corruption by none other than the late Jeffrey Tolliver. As Will digs deeper, a horrifying pattern of violence against women emerges, and to solve the case, he must turn to the one person who complicates everything—his girlfriend Sara Linton, who was once married to Jeffrey. With a serial killer possibly still at large and a decade of secrets to uncover, Will and Sara are forced to confront old wounds, buried betrayals, and the thin line between justice and vengeance.

I absolutely loved this book—I can’t get enough of Karin Slaughter’s writing, and The Silent Wife did NOT disappoint! The audiobook, narrated by Kathleen Early, is once again fantastic, bringing the tension and emotion of the story to life. Not only do we get to catch up with Will, Sara, Faith, and Amanda in the present day, but we also get a look at Jeffrey Tolliver in a previously unseen chapter of his and Sara’s past. And yes, Lena is back too, UGHHHH, in both timelines—still as frustrating as ever. She’s literally the worse then & now.

This book is everything Slaughter does best: dark, graphic, and unflinchingly honest in its portrayal of violence and trauma. But it’s also an emotional, character-driven story, and the love between Will and Sara is one of my favorite relationships in fiction. My only complaint? The events of The Last Widow are almost completely ignored here, which felt like a strange oversight. How is Sarah not having PTSD. How do we not get more info about the cult, like what?! But even with that gap, this is a must-read for fans of the series—intense, emotional, and impossible to put down. Honestly, I’m doubtful I’ll ever read anything less than 4 stars from Slaughter.

AMAZON | GOODREADS | BOOKSHOP |★★★★★

The Silent Wife is out now. Huge thank you to William Morrow for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.  If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.