Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter Narrator: Kathleen Early
Series: Will Trent #9
Published by Blackstone Audiobooks on August 20, 2019
Genres: Mystery
Length: 16 hours, 41 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple
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.
I love this Will Trent series and I’m so happy I was able to listen to it all with the new audio recordings, so everything was the same narrator. Every book seems to get better. There is a sharp contrast between man’s inhumanity to man based on greed or superiority or need to control others, and the kindness and willingness to sacrifice of love. It often comes out in murder mystery thrillers because someone thought they should choose who lives or dies.
These white racist groups who think they are superior and the answer is to kill everyone who doesn’t share their beliefs is chilling. Their lack of compassion, even for those of their own race, is clear. Everyone is a tool to be used, abused and discarded at their whims. The treatment of children is heart-breaking.
The Last Widow was a timely story about the white racist terrorists, which seem to be all too common today. I was horribly worried for Will trying to take them on when he got injured early in the events. Plus they are a trigger happy, even trigger giddy bunch. It is indirectly told but the racist leaders are also rapists and pedophiles. They were easy to hate. The rest were more shaded in good and bad, so more realistic. The poor followers were young, less educated, eager to have a cause and be important cannon fodder.
I loved seeing Will and Sara progress in this story. Though they were separated by circumstances, their relationship grew. Will interacted more with her family. Sara realized she just had to tell Will some things since his experiences weren’t going to make him think of them on his own. I also loved that Angie was NOT here.
I don’t know if there will be more of this series but I hope so. There are nine books now and not a bad one in the bunch. I highly recommend them, and I would read / listen in order because of the development in the personal relationships and careers.
Narration:
I am so excited I was able to listen to all but one of the series with narration by Kathleen Early. I have truly enjoyed her performances. She is THE narrator of the series which might seem odd with the main character Will Trent being male. But Will is introspective and not very talkative. All the key people in his life are female: Angie, Amanda, Faith, and now Sara. The primary points of view here are Will, Faith and Sara. Both male and female voices were comfortable for me and I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
About Kathleen Early
Kathleen Early has performed on Broadway, as well as performing off-Broadway and at a number of regional theaters. She has made forays into the film and television world, winning a Beverly Hills Film Festival Outstanding Female Performance Award for her part in Trip in a Summer Dress. She was most recently seen as Dr. Dasiy Pepman on Grey’s Anatomy, and will be Nurse Kathy on the upcoming series Miami Medical.
About Karin Slaughter
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. 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.
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2019 Audiobooks
- 2019 Releases
- COYER Hunt
Oh you made me really curious now!
I love this series so much! I have listened to all 9 in less than a month.
I’m thrilled you are still enjoying the series so much. I’m way back at the fifth book and want to catch up.
Well I recommend them highly.