John Shelley is working at the car wash, but his mind is anywhere but on the car he’s drying. Robin, the hooker he’s crushing on. Martha Lam, his parole officer who keeps showing up for surprise inspections. The guy who stole his identity and opened credit accounts in his name. But what he really can’t get out of his mind is what he saw while shadowing the identity theif the other day – he killed a girl…the same way John had been accused of killing a girl as a teen. He just figured out who set him up all those decades ago.
Karen Slaughter delivers a slow burn thriller that leaves you second guessing yourself throughout Triptych, the first release in the Will Trent series. Part police procedural, part mystery, this novel utilizes a dual timeline to develop John’s original case as a teen while investigating the current day crimes. Set in Metro Atlanta, Slaughter’s knowledge of the area and various law enforcement offices shines, including the drama and animosity between certain departments. This book really centers on how seemingly normal people can be hiding such horrific character traits and crimes.
I give Triptych 4 out of 5 stars. Slaughter is a talented writer with an uncanny ability to develop stories that connect with the reader and deliver twists throughout. This book is no different. However, I found the use of foul language verbose and distracting. The many twists in the story also left me feeling like a part of the story wasn’t told – it seemed that Slaughter invested a good amount of time in developing the storyline of the criminal’s spouse only to abandon the story as the case resolved. Perhaps this is resolved in later editions in the series, but it was distracting in the final chapters.
I would recommend this novel for readers who enjoy other detective thrillers like John Sanford’s Letty Davenport series or Marc Cameron’s Arliss Cutter series. Given the story revolves around the sexual assaults, batteries, and murders of young girls, I would caution readers who may be triggered by graphic discussions of murder or assaults. I would also recommend this for more mature audiences over 16. However, if you’re from Atlanta or familiar with the area, you will enjoy this novel!
I chose Triptych for the Booklist Queen Reading Challenge prompt “a detective story”. I have heard of the Will Trent series before, but really became interested in the books after watching the Will Trent series on ABC earlier this year. This is one of those times where I wish I hadn’t seen the show before reading the books. Some of the best interactions in the TV show are a complete contradiction to the characters in the book. The description of Will Trent in the book is of a very tall, very skinny man – the actor who plays Trent on TV is about half a foot too short. Even with that said, taking this book on it’s own merits, I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series now. Have you read the Will Trent books? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
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