I love karin Slaughter and this book did not disappoint. I couldn’t wait to read it through to the end; it was a thrilling ride. Karin Slaughter has a brilliant style of writing which makes you feel sorrow, anger, empathy for her characters. I cannot wait for her next book.

Absolutely not what I expected when I chose this book. An exciting and interesting read containing a lot of difficult topics. I really don’t what I can write without giving anything away but I can say it was a great day spent by the pool reading this!

My only critique would be the opening chapter or prologue where Michelle is kidnapped didn’t make sense as you get further into the book. Why so much about Ashley when you never revisit the character again? And why does “dad” get a mention?

A compelling but gruesome read. Slaughter spins a gripping tale, so much so I dreamt about this one then had to wake up at 4.30am to finish it.
This is my second Slaughter novel and I will definitely read more but be warned this is not for thr faint hearted. The themes are sensitive, emotive and troubling; terrorism, rape, murder, peodophilia you name it.

Michelle felt her mouth drop open.

A van slid to a stop beside her daughter.

The side door rolled open.

A man jumped out.

Michelle gripped her keys. She bolted into a full-out run, cutting the distance between herself and her daughter. She started to scream, but it was too late.

Ashley had run off, just like they had taught her to do. Which was fine, because the man did not want Ashley.

He wanted Michelle.

...after reading that how could I be anything other than hooked!!

I love the Sarah Linton books and the Will Trent books so the 2 together make for a formidable duo and one hell of a page turner!

I couldn't fault this book at all, it gripping from start to finish

I absolutely love the Will Trent series. Will's and Sara's characters just gell together really well.
The Last Widow, had me in the edge of my seat from the start.
Please hurry with the next one Karin.
4.5*

I'm a big fan of Karin Slaughter so was delighted to receive this book.

A great book with an interesting plot line. It's great to see Will Trent back - side note, whilst other books add more character details and complexities you can enjoy this book as a standalone.

Slaughter has the ability to keep the plot pacey whilst being detailed in her writing. It's clever, gripping and action packed. My only slight criticism is that the overlapping of scenes from different points of view at the start of the book wasn't necessary. That said, it wouldn't stop me from buying the book for a friend / recommending it to others.

Already looking forward to the next book in the Will Trent series.

4.5 Stars.

Thanks to Karin Slaughter, HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's been such a thrill to be be reacquainted with Will Trent and Sara Linton and as always, the story lives up to every one of my expectations. The Last Widow sees Will and Sara as close as ever as a couple, and yet, in this story, because of dramatic circumstances, they spend very little time together. However, such is the strength of their relationship, that you feel the extraordinary emotional pull of their connection even when they're apart.

The Last Widow bears all the trademarks of this author's exceptional writing talent with an opening which had me, quite literally, on the edge of my seat, and as the excitement builds there is never a moment when the story doesn't leave you reeling. The plot is very topical and, it must be said, rather brutal both in terms of its characterisation and in the way that the author gives us a very plausible situation, highlighting, in a frighteningly realistic way, the toxic rise hatred and prejudice.

It's perfectly possible to read The Last Widow as a standalone story as the author includes enough information about her main characters so you are able to invest in their situation but of course, this is such a fabulous series that it's better to have followed both Sara Linton's story in the Grant County series, and likewise, start at the beginning of the Will Trent series, and in that way you can apprentice the joy of watching the characters develop in confidence and the sheer excitement of experiencing their collective crime dramas.

I raced through The Last Widow over a couple of days because I couldn't put the story down without wanting to discover how this tense, taut thriller eventually played out.

Wow! What a book this is!
I have not previously read any of Karin Slaughter’s work, what have I been missing?
This story started out with a puzzling prologue of the abduction of the mother of a young daughter, completely changed direction with the chapter on the relationship of Will and Sara and their present difficulties, then the story literally exploded, gathering pace rapidly. By the time it got to chapter three, it was going at breakneck speed into a terrifying and chilling scenario, all too believable for these times we live in. This took the book in a completely unexpected direction for this reader, and I was completely hooked. The narrative did not slow in pace at any point.
Really strong characterisation made me feel I knew Sara and Will, and their relationships with each other and their family, colleagues and friends. The plotting was impeccable and the pace breathtaking. I really could not put this book down, and at times found myself holding my breath it was so exciting.
I now find that I don’t want to start another book for a day or two, as my mind is so full of The Last Widow, which is testament to a very good book for me.
This is the best thriller I have read in a long time- and I read lots of books, many of them thrillers.
This is storytelling at its absolute best.
My thanks to the author, the publisher and to Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

Oh I was excited to see a new Karin Slaughter. I took a wee while to get into this, even though it was gripping from the start, with action beginning with the abduction in broad daylight of scientist Michelle Spivey. Sara and Will were caught right up in events, rather than. being onlookers. I love the different relationships at work with the characters, with Amanda's maternal concern for Will, as well as being his boss. There were so many forces at work here as we encountered a white supremacist cult, so much evil, and at so many layers. Another great read, a move forward in Sara and Will's relationship, and a shocking ending.

4.5*
I didn’t realise when requesting this book it was so far into a series. Having said that, it does read well as a standalone. There was no confusion and I soon had enough feel for the characters from the information drip-fed through the narrative, by means of dialogue and observations, to become invested in them.

The abduction of Michelle Spivey, a scientist who works in disease control, from a shopping mall car park seems targeted, but there is no contact from the abductors, no ransom demand and the authorities are unable to locate Michelle. Due to the nature of her work the FBI have taken over the investigation.

Dr Sara Linton and Will Trent both work for the Georgia Bureau of Investigations and several weeks after the abduction they are about to have a family Sunday lunch when the ground is rocked by two explosions at the nearby University campus leaving hundreds dead and injured. Dashing to the source of the explosions, Sara and Will are waylaid by a road traffic accident. Surveying the carnage at the scene and the group of men involved, Sara felt something wasn’t quite right. The realisation that all was not what it seems came too late as events spiralled out of control. Sara was forced to go with the men and Will was left badly injured.

I enjoyed the insights into the characters’ personalities and could see the development even as this was my first introduction. Despite his injuries, Will is determined to find Sara and risks his life going under cover to try and infiltrate the terrorist group, working with his partner, Faith and the FBI. This is an all too plausible scenario given the shocking and devastating acts of terrorism witnessed in recent years and Will is all too aware of what will happen to both of them if he is found out. Meanwhile Sara does her best to find out exactly what is going on at the camp where she is being held.

A very fast paced, action packed and thrilling ride, not without violence and horrible cruelty, including paedophilia, murder and biological warfare, which delves into the rise of the so called white supremacy groups—the cult mentality, misogyny, racism and male domination that drives them and the twisted principles they use to recruit new, naive young members. The plot structure and descriptive writing guarantees maximum suspense.

A minor niggle at the start was the same scenes told from Sara’s perspective, then from Will’s. Other than that, the differing points of view—Will’s, Sara’s and Faith’s—worked really well, keeping the tension level high. Karin Slaughter has created despicable villains, engaging protagonists and an all too realistically intense and compelling storyline.

A rollercoaster of a ride with a plot which is scary and possible in today’s society. Hard to put down, enjoyable characters who get under your skin with the others you absolutely loath! Highly recommended

I haven't read a Karin Slaughter book with Will Trent in before, and after the annoyingly repetitive beginning wasn't sure I wanted to finish this one let alone read any others However, the reader is soon whisked off at whirlwind pace, leaving various bodies in our wake, while we root for Will, Sarah and colleagues to defeat the white supremacists and save the world. I felt quite tired after reading it, but a great sense of satisfaction as well.
Thank you to netgalley and Harper Collins for an advance copy of this book.

I have read all Karin Slaughter books and especially like the Will Trent series. This storyline was a bit slow in parts for my liking but enjoying his relationship with Sarah and how it evolves. This novel has a strong political message and plot. The pace built up to a conclusion that reflects recent atrocities of radical extremism in the world we live in. I would definitely recommend this book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

The Last Widow is book 9 in the Will Trent series of books. Whilst being a fan of Karin Slaughters stand alone books I have never read a Will Trent book so this was a my first. It could be read as a stand alone but I felt that I missed a lot by not knowing the previous books. For me I didn't love this like I have loved Pretty Girls and The Good Daughter. But I did enjoy this read, although I found it to be a bit slow nd repetitive at the start.

The story begins with a women that we later learn is Michelle Spivey being abducted from a shopping mall, in front of her daughter. A month later and she still has not been found. Dr Sara Linton and Will Trent are enjoying a family lunch when a massive explosive goes off and they race to help. Sara is taken in front of Will who is powerless to stop it from happening. She is taken hostage by a white supremacist group. Will ahs to use all his skills and experience to find Sara and stop this group from destroying the world. Meanwhile Sara is working try to find out what these people want and why.

Thanks to Harper Collins UK for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

I hadn't read any Karen Slaughter for a few years until I picked up this book, and so the Will Trent series was new to me. However the book read well as a standalone. Although the story started fairly slowly, the pace soon picked up. The plot is very current and realistic, often violent and sometimes makes uncomfortable reading. But all in all I did enjoy the book and will now try to read the series from the beginning.

Whenever you pick up a book by Karin Slaughter you know you have a good book on your hands. Again I wasn’t disappointed. A woman is kidnapped in front of her daughter but for what reason.
Dr Sara Linton is with her family and partner Will Trent when blasts rock their local community. Whilst rushing to help, Sara is taken hostage by a white supremacy group.
Will must use all of his skills to find her and tackle what is going down.
A highly recommended book

A routine shopping trip turns into abduction . Michelle Spivey is abducted from the mall while our shopping with her daughter. The police search for her but have no idea what happened and the case goes cold. One month later when Agent Will Trent and his girlfriend Dr Sara Linton are on there way to lunch with Sara’s Parents there is an explosion and Will & Sara go to help but Sara is then abducted . They have to work out who took Sara and why. It’s a race to get to get in time . This book will have you hooked till the very end.

Karin Slaughter is one of my go-to authors. I have loved the Doctor Sara Linton series since the beginning and like Sara have lived through the transition from her marriage to Jeffrey through to her relationship with Georgia Bureau Investigator, Will Trent. Theirs is an entirely different kind of partnership. Born of love and recognition of vulnerabilities, this is a couple who would no more think of taking advantage of the other’s weakness than kick a puppy.

In The Last Widow, Slaughter sets off at a roaring pace and never slows down. At the beginning of the book a mother is kidnapped. Despite a major hunt, she is not found but the FBI are saying nothing about what’s behind this abduction. Faith and Amanda are holed up in an endless briefing about a high value prisoner who is about to be transported to another location.

Then all hell breaks loose. Bombs go off and as Sarah and Will go to the assistance of the wounded, everything goes wrong. Sara is kidnapped and Will can do nothing to stop it happening in front of him.

In one of her most terrifying scenarios yet, Slaughter places Sarah at the heart of a terrorist white supremacist group intent on causing maximum damage and loss of life in a targeted attack calculated to bring America to its knees.

As Will risks everything to get Sara back, my heart was in my mouth waiting for him to be found out. Meanwhile Sarah is using her head to try and discover why she has been held hostage in the depths of the Appalachian Mountains and what this neo-Nazi group have planned.

Slaughter weaves in Sara’s family to this desperate terrorist plot; a plot all too easily believable in the face of America’s current polarisation and the reader really feels for Will as he tries to convince Sarah’s mother that he would give up his life for Sara.

This is shocking writing, full of nail-biting tension and Slaughter’s grasp of inter-agency working coupled with her understanding of the political situation in the US makes for riveting reading. As the scenes flit between Will and Sarah we build a picture that is too terrible to contemplate but all too plausible. That plausibility gets to the heart of the readers fears and left me feeling wrung out and a bit of an emotional wreck.

Verdict: This is heart pounding, dramatic fiction that evokes strong feelings and does not flinch in its depiction of hard core cult extremism. Unmissable.

This was another good Karin Slaughter book that I enjoyed. It was a bit slow at the beginning, but still I liked the build up. Then, things picked up and it was really thrilling. I liked the character development, the plot and the story. Definitely a good one to add to the Slaughter collection.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Yet another amazing book by Karin Slaughter. A political message is the back bone to this story that really gets you thinking about how the world is. This is another Will and Sarah book and it's lovely to see how their relationship is progressing.