This story opens with an abduction of a mother out with her teenage daughter on an innocent shopping expedition. Leaving this situation aside, the action moves to Sara Linton a widow trying to resume her life after her husband, a policeman was killed in action. Will Trent, working for the Georgia Investigative Bureau, has, with the support of his mentor, and subsequent relationship with Sara, attempted to move on from a difficult and abusive childhood in care. Quickly a terrorist attack on the local hospital, followed by a second abduction, drags our protagonists into the middle of an unknown crisis with little idea why or whom is responsible. We the reader are gradually exposed to several issues that appear to have a tenuous link although lack of cooperation between the FBI and GIB suggest the relevant bodies are working to their own agenda. Those responsible for safeguarding the country face a race against time, and often adverse assistance from their counterparts to discover who is carrying out the atrocities and the reasons behind their terrorism. The author draws on several topical issues all highly controversial , particularly our general inherent assumptions as to who and what we expect terrorism to look like. We are then taken on a cat and mouse chase where every second counts, towards an earth shattering conclusion where rapid response is not always timely or appropriate and good versus bad is not always an equal confrontation.

Topical Georgia-based thriller with plenty of action - a roller-coaster ride!

At the beginning of this novel, a disease specialist is kidnapped and, from that point onwards, it's virtually non-stop action as Sara, a doctor and medical examiner, and her partner, Will, a GBI agent, try to thwart the kidnappers in their plan. Without giving too much away, there's a lot of character development and the plot moves along at a steady pace. As with many thrillers, there's bloodshed, a body count and plenty of other types of criminal activity. This is the third Karin Slaughter book that I've read and it lives up to the standard which I've come to expect. - although not my favourite. Still highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Widow is the ninth book in the Will Trent series. It can be read as a standalone but you may well want to go and read the backstory of both Will and his partner, Sara. I have been a huge fan of the author and I’ve read all her books. This did not feel like the usual offering from Karin Slaughter, which is not to say that I didn’t enjoy it.

This novel centres on a group of white supremacists intent on conducting biological warfare within Georgia. The group have kidnapped a scientist who specialises in disease control and, in a rather convenient coincidence, also kidnap Sara who is a doctor. There is a sickness in the group’s camp and they expect Sara to treat the sufferers. It is up to Will and his colleagues at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to track Sara down and avert a biological disaster.

The novel is well written, plotted and executed. It takes a long hard look at the continued rise of right wing ideology and the reasons why young, white, males are drawn to this view of the world. Slaughter pulls no punches in her language or coverage of the subject matter. There is plenty of action and violence in this thriller which really had a different to feel to her previous books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Karin Slaughter is one of my favourite authors but this time she served up a book that was very dark indeed and delves into the psychoses of several people including her hero and heroine as well as their foes. A gripping book that goes to the wire.
The story shows just how mad can some Americans get in their belief in how the original and entitled inheritors of the land are white men - yes, women are only useful for providing children and looking after the men. So a complete patriarchal society and selective memory as to who ‘owned’ the land they claim.
And then there is the belief that young girls really do want to be raped by fathers and other males from a very very young age - yes, according to paedophiles they are sexually aware and ready from babyhood.
So we have a man, a paedophile in fact, who is a cross between a prepper - in that he wants to live off the land and in a very basic ‘biblical’ manner, whereby the patriarch has many wives (even if they are all his female children); that all other ‘adult’ males can be used as cannon fodder but shouldn’t be near his females unless he has absolute control over them - and a person who reasons that society has become corrupt and needs to be cleansed, violently, and as completely as possible, and is willing to sacrifice everyone else to his beliefs. I am not American but I do believe that there are white supremacists who believe similar tings about society and that being white is to be the world’s inheritor.
The last widow is to be the witness to this sacrifice to ensure that society knows who performed the cleansing and why.

I do like Karin Slaughter as an author - she has such a twisted mind that her books are always a surprise and dark delight, and this is no different. Avidly reading through the book, it starts quite reasonably in a scenario most people can envisage, if only in nightmares, and then captivates and draws the reader in, in quite a similar way to the storyline, to a dark and twisted conclusion. You can't predict where this is going to go until you turn the page. Classic Slaughter - love it.

I loved this book! I think I would have enjoyed it a little bit more if I was up to date with the rest of the series, but I was still able to read this as a standalone and to love it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Sara and Will and think they are amazing characters and very well written. This storyline was tense and impossible to put down. Although some parts were slow going, they were still enjoyable because you knew they were building up to a big event. It was a nice change from typical thrillers, and definitely surprised me. Full of action right from the start, this is a very tense and suspenseful read! In time I will definitely be reading the rest of this series. I have some other Karin Slaughter books waiting to be read, so I’ll definitely be reading them very soon!

Before you start this the latest book in the Will Trent series, make sure you have enough time to finish it. You will not want to put it down. Karin Slaughter is a master (or should that be mistress), when it comes to storytelling. She somehow moves the story on at such a pace, but at the same time builds up the tension. I don’t think there were any extraneous words in this. Every one of them was needed.

Her books can sometimes be criticised for including too much violence and not particularly, politically correct. Personally I feel that is quite refreshing in the current climate when a small minority complain about any deviation from what is considered the social norm. This story certainly deviates from the social norm. It is based around a white supremacist group that will stop at nothing to eradicate non-whites, including, child murders, paedophilia, rape and biological warfare, but as distressing as these topics are, they didn’t feel out of place in this compulsive and engaging story.

Sara and Will feel like friends this far into the series, yet their characters continue to develop and evolve, along with the usual other characters from the series. A very emotive ending. Cannot wait for the next in the series.

Overall this is a fantastic book that has obviously been extremely well researched, developed and adapted to fit scenarios that worryingly do not feel impossible, with all that is going on in the real world. A strong contender for my book of the year, at least.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Oh. My. God.
This is my first Karin Slaughter. It will not be my last.

Sara and Will get mixed up I’m a white supremacy group whilst inadvertently trying to help out at a road traffic accident. And the tension ratchets up. And up and up. Told in real time with continual time checks throughout the book, this storyline will have you holding your breath time and again.
The terror of the situation, the disbelief, the psychological manipulation are all too evident. If you ever wondered “how” terror groups recruit the disenfranchised this book will tell you.
Unbelievable but shockingly believable of our times this is a book you won’t ever forget.
Karin is a Master of her craft and an incredible writer

For reasons that I can no longer remember, I originally gave up on Karin Slaughter after her 2004 Grant County series novel, Indelible - this is a mistake which will be quickly remedied.

The Last Widow is the ninth book in her Atlanta GBI series, which seems to follow on from Grant County, but despite not having read the intervening ten books and assorted novellas I fell straight back into the narrative.

Dr Sara Linton and GBI Agent Will Trent are en route to an emergency when they stop to help at the scene of a fatal car accident, but things are not as they seem, and the situation quickly deteriorates for both Sara and Will. Torn apart, they need to summon the strength to deal with a white supremacist militia group, and to quickly discover what they want with a CDC scientist.

The Last Widow is fast paced but loses nothing for the urgency with which it is told. It’s well written, terrifyingly relevant to current events, and gripped me from start to end. The only bad bit was that it ended, but at least I’ve added another ten books to my reading list.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Round of applause to Karin Slaughter for another amazing book!!!!
Ever since reading her first book I’ve been hooked and I was so happy to read this and very thankful for an advanced copy.
The pace of the book is great, it gives us information about every character introduced to the book and it gives you more insights on the relationship between Sara and Will. I also enjoyed reading about the way the family feel about Will and the way they deal with this.
The plot of the book is amazing. It’s fast paced and definitely a page turner. It was very interesting as it brings in modern day tragedy. I spent so many late nights reading to see what happens.
I cannot wait for the next instalment as it did leave us on a little cliffhanger between Sara and Will. Once again thank you for the advanced copy. Well done Karen

After thoroughly enjoying Karin Slaughter’s ‘The Good Daughter’ I was very excited to learn of Karin’s latest offering. In reality I did not realise it was part of a series, a series that I hadn’t had any knowledge about. Ordinarily I would not jump into a series anywhere else but with the first book, but I am so glad I didn’t forego this based on that outlook.

Firstly to assuage anyone’s concern that this can’t be read as a standalone, let me assure you that it can. Although, having said that, I would urge any reader to start the series from the start (at least I wish I had). But if that is not possible, then definitely jump in right now, it is definitely worth it.

‘The Last Widow’ reminded me of how great writing can be. Everything about this book is great. Brilliant plot, complex characters, real emotion and a style of writing that brings everything together in a flowing, encapsulating manner.

Now, for me to go back to the beginning of the Will Trent series.

Thanks NetGalley and HarperCollins for a review copy.

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Wow! Another great read from Karin Slaughter who brings us back Sarah Linton and Will Trent, a fast paced thriller with lots of twists., once you start this book you do not want to put it down. This is book nine in the series,
The story starts with the opening chapter being told in full by several characters, the plot is different, though as always it’s easy to empathise will Sarah and Will and feel their pain throughout the story, Sarah is one of two woman that have been kidnapped by a terrorist group.
Lots of tension, action and a great ending, leaving of course the anticipation of another book. 5 stars

Oh wow it is such a long time since the last Will and Sarah book. I have read all of this series and the Grant County and Will Trent series. I was not disappointed with this book and and it certainly is one you can't put down

Karin Slaughter is one of my all time favourite authors, and this, the 9th in the Will Trent series did not disappoint. Will and Sara (Dr Sara Linton, Will’s girlfriend) are thrown in at the deep end when they rush to help the victims of a car accident. But the details of the car accident are not quite as they first appear. Long story short, expect bombs, kidnappings, white supremacists, pedophiles and look out for The Message.

So, this book is definitely not for the faint hearted, that said, it’s tense, gripping, edge of your seat stuff that’s hard to put down. But it also feels quite close to home and very topical, current affairs being how they are at the moment brings the storyline hammering home, which alongside tense and gripping ranks The Last Widow both front and centre and uncomfortable ‘to boot’. But these are just more reasons why you should read it.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter
This book is the ninth in the Will Trent series and I have not read any of the others. It works effectively as a stand-alone and I did not feel as if I was missing out on any important details. The opening of the novel deals with an abduction and it is not until very much later in the book that it becomes clear why this woman has been targeted. Will Trent and Dr Sara Linton are then on their way to deal with an explosion at the nearby hospital when they encounter an accident. She is taken hostage and the next part of the novel unfolds with various characters and what is happening to them. As the timeframe overlaps there are repeated descriptions of the same scenes with the same dialogue which I found a little frustrating. I also found some of the detailed descriptions late in the book dragged and I found myself skim reading.
Many thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

Fast moving, violent and graphic, certainly not for the faint hearted, this is a typical Karin Slaughter book.
When a scientist is kidnapped and no ransom received it leaves the GBI (Georgia Bureau of investigation) wondering why.
Will and Sara both work for GBI and are a couple. When two bombs go off locally with loss of life they rush to help. However on the way they stumble on a car accident, all is not what it seems and Sara is taken hostage.
The big question is are events related? How can Will find Sara and get her back alive. Events move really quickly and will keep you hooked throughout.

Great to see the return of Will and Sara.

However it take me a while to get into this, felt it was a bit slow to start, though it’s a thrilling, if sometimes an uncomfortable read once it gets going.

Thank you Harper Collins and Netgalley for the arc of this book and the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

As soon as I saw that this was a Linton/Trent book, I had to rush off and reread the earlier ones in the series. Theirs is such a tortured/sexy love story. After I'd gorged myself on the old books I read the new one in pretty much one go. Slaughter is a master of character. Her dialogue and inner thoughts are always spot on and she writes real people, alongside thrilling crime - rare to find. I loved the new one and was so happy to be thrown back into the characters' lives (happy is an odd word for reading about a gruesome, crime filled world but you know what I mean). Highly recommend - but start with the earlier ones for maximum ahhhhh.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, Netgalley and Karin Slaughter for the chance to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

An exciting, absorbing and frighteningly real thriller, this novel is an example of why Ms Slaughter is one of the world’s most acclaimed authors.

Told in the third person with multiple narrators, the story begins with the abduction of Michelle Spivey in a shopping centre car park. It then jumps forward to a month later and the rest of the book takes place over a tense three days.

Two explosions rock the Emory University Campus. Will Trent, a special agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and girlfriend Sara Linton, a doctor and medical examiner with the GBI, race to help after feeling the earth shake and seeing the plumes of smoke rise. On their way there they come across a car accident and stop to help. Too late they realise these aren’t innocent victims, they’re part of the team who attacked the campus. Not only that but with them is Michelle Spivey who is terrified and bleeding. In the ensuing fight Will is seriously injured and Sara is taken.

But why is the FBI so tight lipped about what they know? What are the Independent Patriot Army planning? Why do they need Michelle, a scientist with the Centres for Disease Control? Finding themselves embroiled in the complex case, the team race against the clock to save Sara, rescue Michelle, and prevent whatever atrocity the IPA has planned.

Wow! I needed some time to catch my breath after finishing this book. It was quite a ride. The multilayered plot deals with topical threats and issues that give the book an added sense of realism and made it a chilling read.

The characters were well written and very real. I loved Sara, Will and Faith and thought they each added different but complementary aspects to the story. The relationship between Sara and Will helped create an extra layer of desperation and tension that I enjoyed too. When it comes to protagonists Dash and Gwen are two of the most despicable people I’ve read. Their callous, cruel, deluded and reprehensible actions and beliefs made them hard to read at times but also very real. They are exactly the kind of people you can believe would get caught up in such cowardly and heinous acts. The ones I felt pity for were their children and the young, vulnerable people they’d manage to convince to follow them and were entangled in things they didn’t really understand.

When I requested this book I didn’t realise it was part of the Will Trent series, which I’d heard of but never got around to reading. Despite not having read the previous eight books in the series I never felt like I was missing anything as there is enough backstory given that you understand the relationships and what has led to this point in the character’s stories. That being said, I would no doubt have had a deeper understanding of the characters and past events if I’d read the other books and reading this has made me even more eager to read the series from the start.

The Last Widow is expertly written and thoroughly researched. It is a story told with candor and a spectacular, absorbing, eye-opening, intelligent and affecting thriller. Despite the dark and serious topics there is humour woven throughout the book and there were many scenes that had me laughing out loud, as well as ones that were harrowing and heartbreaking. I raced through this book and found myself unable to tear myself away. I was desperate to discover the answers to my questions and see how it would end.

I have been a fan of Karin Slaughter since I read Blindsighted many years ago, but I haven’t read any of her books in a while. This book reminded me why I love her work and I now want to read everything she’s written as soon as possible.

Sara Linton is in the right place at the wrong time, while Wil Trent is in the wrong place at the right time. Sara is taken and Wil has to find her even though this seems an impossible task.
Another excellent gripping book by Karen Slaughter.
A group led by an extremist with a plan to make the world listen and follow his ideals for the future of mankind has taken Sara into his compound in the mountains. Millions could be in danger if his plan succeeds. Can Wil save Sara and stop this disaster? Read and find out and enjoy every page.