Fractured - Karin Slaughter - Will Trent Book 2

Fractured
Will Trent Book 2
Karin Slaughter
Delacorte Press
Penguin Random House Canada
ISBN 9780385341950

eISBN 9780440337942

ASIN B0011UJMMK

This is the third story in the Will Trent series I have read by Karen Slaughter. The first I read was Cleaning the Gold that was written with Lee Child as a Will Trent Jack Reacher mash up story. The second was Triptych, which at the time pushed the limit for me. But I recently gave the TV Series a try and after the first episode decided to give the books a try again. And Lo and behold it is the same story; at least mostly. And what an excellent story.

But first some background, there was really something about Will Trent that really resonated with me, and I wanted to give his other stories a try. One of the first things I found out about Will Trent in this novel is that he has a form of dyslexia. As someone who has a dual form of dyslexia, diagnosed in grade two, I realized some of what I recognized in the character. The book was also very addictive. It was very hard to put down.

The description of this book states:

“Ansley Park is one of Atlanta’s most upscale neighborhoods—but in one gleaming mansion, in a teenager’s lavish bedroom, a girl has been savagely murdered. And in the hallway, her mother stands amid shattered glass, having killed her daughter’s attacker with her bare hands. Detective Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is one of the first on the scene. Trent soon sees something that the Atlanta cops are missing, something in the trail of blood, in a matrix of forensic evidence, and in the eyes of the stunned mother.

When another teenage girl goes missing, Trent knows that this case, which started in the best of homes, is about to cut quick and deep through the ruins of perfect lives broken wide-open: where human demons emerge with a vengeance.”

The dust jacket states:

“A broken window. A bloody footprint. Just the beginning.

When Atlanta housewife Abigail Campano comes home unexpectedly one afternoon, she walks into a nightmare. A broken window, a bloody footprint on the stairs and, most devastating of all, the horrifying sight of her teenage daughter lying dead on the landing, a man standing over her with a bloody knife. The struggle which follows changes Abigail s life forever.

When the local police make a misjudgement which not only threatens the investigation but places a young girl s life in danger, the case is handed over to Special Agent Will Trent of the Criminal Apprehension Team teamed with detective Faith Mitchell, a woman who resents him from their first meeting.

But in the relentless heat of a Georgia summer, Will and Faith realise that they must work together to find the brutal killer who has targeted one of Atlanta’s wealthiest, most privileged communities before it’s too late”

I will state that I have daughters in their teens or entering their teens, and as such I found some of the book a hard read. That being said, this story is not nearly as violent or overwhelming as Triptych was. I really appreciate Will Trent, his skills, his abilities, and his overcoming his learning disability. I also really enjoyed watching will and Faith find a way to work together. 

This is a fast pace story that mainly takes place over three days. But During the investigation we look back at events more than a decade earlier. There is a great deal of hostility towards Will from the Atlanta Police Department, because of a case of police corruption he investigated months earlier. And things almost immediately get worse, when he uncovers great ineptitude right from the start at the crime scene. His boss is putting pressure on him, he is not used to working with a partner. Let alone one from the APD. And because of his disability he misses some clues that put them behind. Both Will and Faith are dealing with doubt and regrets, both current and in their pasts. But they begin to work well together. 

This is a fast pace story with a life at stake and 2 already lost. And from the looks of it countless have been impacted over time.

This is an intense read. Parts of it were not easy to read. But the ways the story came together and wrapped up was a great thriller novel, or mystery story. I love the character of Will Trent and will have to read the rest before returning to the TV series. As of the writing of this review there are 12 novels and 3 shorter work featuring Will Trent, at about one I week I should be able to return to the show in a few months. A good read. A good mystery. A true crime thriller. Great characters, And it leaves you wanting more. 

Books by Karin Slaughter:
Will Trent Books:
 1.0 Triptych
 2.0 Fractured 
 3.0 Undone
 4.0 Broken
 5.0 Fallen
 5.5 Snatched
 6.0 Criminal
 6.5 Busted
 7.0 Unseen
 8.0 The Kept Woman
 8.5 Cleaning the Gold with Lee Child
 9.0 The Last Widow

10.0 After That night

11.0 The Silent Wife

12.0 This is Why We Lied
…

Grant Country Series:
1.0 Blindsighted
2.0 Kisscut
3.0 A Faint Cold Fear
4.0 Indelible
5.0 Faithless
6.0 Beyond Reach
…

The Good Daughter Series:
0.5 Last Breath
1.0 The Good Daughter
…

Other Books:
Pretty Girls
Pieces of Her
Cop Town
Blond Hair, Blue Eyes
Thorn in My Side
Martin Misunderstood
Cold Cold Heart
The Unremakeable Heart and Other Stories
The Blessing of Brokenness
…

Contributed to:
Like a Charm
…