Karin Slaughter | TRIPTYCH

Plot (via Goodreads):

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...

Review:

Okay, so I've devoured most of Karin's standalone novels and the Grant County series. My next choice was obviously the first in the Will Trent series. Now, comparing the Grant Co. series to the three standalone novels that I've read from Karin Slaughter is kind of different because I felt like there were more twists and turns in the standalone novels whereas the Grant Co. was more about character development and the endings weren't as full of twists and turns as say Pretty Girls or The Good Daughter. Well, with the first in the Will Trent series - Triptych is a game changer.

Told in three parts, this is one hell of a ride. Part one kind of sets up the story and is more focused on Michael Ormewood - a veteran detective and weaves a tight story-line between his professional and personal life. The reader gets a brilliant and honest look into Michael's life, which was so entertaining to read because I loved the depth to his character and the police procedural and building of t he case combined with some 20+ year old articles about a murder that could or could not be related to the current case kept me immersed within the first chapter and ended in a brilliantly twisted partial-finale that made it impossible to not move on to part two.

Part two of this one was a separate story about the really rough life of John - a convicted murderer who has been released for a crime he may or may not have not committed over twenty years ago. This was a different kind of protagonist for me and I was shocked (even thought I shouldn't have been) with how brutally honest and gritty this portion of the novel was. Karin Slaughter doesn't hold back when it comes to how realistic and harrowing this persons life was. Typically, you would think being released from prison would be all sunshine and freedom, but there's a realness and a grittiness to the outside world and this story-line was so brilliant, that I just couldn't help but feel for John. The contrasts and similarities within his personality and what he had been through since his arrest were eye-opening, engaging, and kept me on the edge of wonder and confused as I traveled down this twisty road. Like the previous part, chapter two ended in an insanely brilliant twist and I still had over 200 pages to go!

Part three and the final part was a stunning and remarkably suspenseful and very long conclusion to this novel. The fact that the last part was the longest part to the story was the most exciting because the two worlds from the first two parts combine together dangerously and kept me completely immersed. I was up way too late finishing this one, but the riveting conclusion kept me hostage within this story. I had so many questions that were answered so effectively and rapidly that as I reached the final chapter, I was preparing for a brutal book hangover - and yes, it did hit the very next morning when I realized that not only was I again addicted to another Karin Slaughter series, but I was unaware if I was prepared for what was to come next.

Rating: 4.5/5