02 - Regional U.S.A. Tour SRC, Audiobooks, D - Southeast USA, Detective, Fiction, Legal, More Than One - Fiction, Mystery, Print, Psychological Fiction, Starlight Book Reviews, Suspense/Thriller

Starlight Book Review – Karin Slaughter’s Triptych – 🇺🇸

Cover of Triptych (Will Trent #1) by Karin Slaughter on a light green background |
Image Source: Goodreads

RUSA SRC – Region #4 Southeast – Georgia

4/5 I admit that I watched ABC’s Will Trent before I cracked the spine on an any of the books by Karin Slaughter which inspired the show. I enjoyed becoming acquainted with Will, Angie, Amanda, and, of course, Betty the Chihuahua. Still and all, I thought Triptych might be just the ticket for literary travel to Atlanta, Georgia in the Regional U.S.A. (RUSA) Tour Stellar Reading Challenge (SRC).

Click here to learn about the RUSA Tour SRC.

Trigger Warnings (TW): Triptych contains the following which may require TW for readers — Trigger warnings: murder, rape, mutilation, kidnapping, sexual relationships between teenagers and adult men, drug abuse, child abuse, mentions of self harm, death of a parent, slut shaming, misogyny, wrongful conviction, wrongful imprisonment.

“In the city of Atlanta, women are dying—at the hands of a killer who signs his work with a single, chilling act of mutilation. Leaving behind enough evidence to fuel a frenzied police hunt, this cunning madman is bringing together dozens of lives, crossing the boundaries of wealth and race. And the people who are chasing him must cross those boundaries too. Among them is Michael Ormewood, a veteran detective whose marriage is hanging by a thread—and whose arrogance and explosive temper are threatening his career. And Angie Polaski, a beautiful vice cop who was once Michael’s lover before she became his enemy… But another player has entered the game: a loser ex-con who has stumbled upon the killer’s trail in the most coincidental of ways—someone who may be the key to breaking the case wide open…”

Slaughter surprised me from the beginning of Triptych with her first point of view – third person omniscient for Michael Ormewood. Maybe the fault of this falls to watching the show before reading any of the books. Yet, as I considered the title of this very book — Triptych — I realized the need for three separate points of view. While definitely gritty, rough, and even brutal (much of John Shelley’s experience made me squint, poor guy!), I liked the sweet gems offered throughout Triptych. Will’s interactions with Betty stand out the most in this regard. Also, I enjoyed reading a little about Georgia – Agnes Scott College, Stone Mountain, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. I might read another in this series when I’m in the mood for something darker because I found Will Trent in particular rather intriguing.

Check out an article about Will Trent the TV Show and its adaptation to screen by clicking here.

Quotes come from book flaps/cover and are featured on color blocks.