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Criminal (Will Trent #6)

by Karin Slaughter (Goodreads Author)

4.16 of 5 stars 4.16 · rating details · 5,816 ratings · 923 reviews

Karin Slaughter’s new novel is an epic tale of love, loyalty, and murder that encompasses forty years, two chillingly similar murder cases, and a good man’s deepest secrets.

Will Trent is a brilliant agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Newly in love, he is beginning to put a difficult past behind him. Then a local college student goes missing, and Will is inex...more

Hardcover, 448 pages

Published July 3rd 2012 by Delacorte Press (first published January 1st 2012)

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Mar 13, 2013 Scott Archer rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-suspence

Slaughter needs to rethink the series going forward. I had many problems getting through this book.

1. The actual criminal plot takes forever to get moving. Too much of the first half is devoted to the ongoing personal sagas that are pretty much identical for each character as in earlier novels (e.g. Will's inability to articulate or share problems with Sarah, Will's dyslexia, Will's absurd attachment to his witch of an ex-wife). It's like a broken record. A good police thriller should at least...more Slaughter needs to rethink the series going forward. I had many problems getting through this book.

1. The actual criminal plot takes forever to get moving. Too much of the first half is devoted to the ongoing personal sagas that are pretty much identical for each character as in earlier novels (e.g. Will's inability to articulate or share problems with Sarah, Will's dyslexia, Will's absurd attachment to his witch of an ex-wife). It's like a broken record. A good police thriller should at least devote half of the novel focusing on the investigation and story. This book is only about 20% focused on the crime. The rest of the book is devoted to the soap opera among the characters and Ms. Slaughter impressing us with her knowledge of Atlanta roads, buildings and news events.

2. The author knows Atlanta inside and out. So do I. I live in these same neighborhoods. But much of what she shares is unrelated to the story. It is just filler. Did she really need to weave in the story of Atlanta's "Runaway Bride"? And did I really need a description of the linoleum pattern on the floor in some 1970's apartment of one of the characters? Enough already.

3. The back and forth between the 1970's and current time was confusing and just not necessary. I really think Slaughter did this just to work in more tangential stories about Atlanta in the 70's.

4. Slaughter needs to focus on one or two central characters in each book. This book moves from the POV of Will to Sara to Faith to Amanda to Evelyn to Angie and so on. And if there were not enough female characters to keep track of, Slaughter then introduces the POV of a half dozen or more female prostitutes and their histories. I just could not keep them all straight and by the time the book returned to a character, I had forgotten what was going on with them.

5. If you have not read the other Slaughter books, you will not have a clue about these characters. No attempt is made to bring the reader up to speed, or let you know that Sara and Will are a couple, or the familial relation between Faith and Evelyn, etc.

6. Some of the police behavior is this book was truly unbelievable and unprofessional: One police officer goes to a dangerous building with her partner to interview a drugged out dangerous pimp. The officer allows her partner to be sexually molested by the pimp without intervening, but then she finally musters up the courage to hit the pimp with her purse, a tactic she had to resort to because she never loads her gun as her husband doesn't approve of guns in the house.

Gimme a Break. A police officer would lose his or her badge if such an event ever happened. Yet in this novel thee is no investigation, discipline or even any criticism. Instead the characters just joke about it.

Also, I work in a field where I am around Atlanta police officers. The officers I deal with speak to each other in a professional manner, especially at crime scenes and when actually performing their job duties. Good friends on the force may tease each other, but I just do not believe that police officers are so rude and aggressive with each other at crime scenes, etc. Slaughter is falling into the old cliched plot device that requires all cops in police procedurals to behave and act rudely to each other. Its like Slaughter has been reading one too many Harry Bosch or Mikey Haller novels and is employing the rude dialogue seen in Connelly's books.

I wanted to give this 1 star but did not want to be the only reviewer marking it that low. I have liked some previous books by Slaughter, but she is developing some bad habits. This book was an annoying stinker. (less)

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May 17, 2012 Wendy Darling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: july, 2012-publication, adult, thriller-suspense, too-many-povs, read-2012, huge-disappointments, inexplicably-violent, rh, gory

3.5 stars I eagerly anticipate every single book by Karin Slaughter, and she's never let me down when it comes to Will Trent and Sara Linton--and after last year's fantastic Fallen, I was really excited to read her new book. Criminal is, however, my least favorite book by this author yet, and the first book in the Georgia series that I've rated less than 4 stars. After thoroughly enjoying each of the previous (12?) novels in this series, it's something of a shock to find myself with such mixed/n...more 3.5 stars I eagerly anticipate every single book by Karin Slaughter, and she's never let me down when it comes to Will Trent and Sara Linton--and after last year's fantastic Fallen, I was really excited to read her new book. Criminal is, however, my least favorite book by this author yet, and the first book in the Georgia series that I've rated less than 4 stars. After thoroughly enjoying each of the previous (12?) novels in this series, it's something of a shock to find myself with such mixed/negative feelings about this one.

The two things that normally make Karin Slaughter books so damned good are crackling, suspenseful mysteries and strong characters that you passionately care about. In Criminal, those elements are woefully obscured by the book's structure (too many POVs, many of which are too long for secondary characters), too much focus on Amanda Wagner's past (which sounded like such a great idea, except that she's much less compelling and sympathetic as a young rookie), and a serious lack of time spent on the central characters we've come to know. The starts and stops of the many, many characters POVs make for a jumbled narrative and a frustrating reading experience, and they detract from both the cleanness of the plotting and any emotional response we might've had to the characters. I'm frankly very surprised that a Slaughter book would be this messy.

Eventually, the central mystery is an interesting one, if a bit on the predictable side. The little we see of the Will/Sara/Angie dynamic continues to be fascinating. The flashback sections that took place in the 70s did provide a few good things: it was kind of neat to see Evelyn Mitchell's early career since we all know how it later turns out, a bit about Will's early beginnings, and through Amanda, it was interesting to read about how female police officers were treated back then. But the issues of discrimination, as well as so many others, were done with a much less expert hand than I'm used to seeing in Slaughter's books. Even the level and detail of the violence, which the author's been criticized for and I've never had a problem with before, seemed unnecessarily extra brutal and verging on salacious here. For the first time in reading this author's work, I felt serious twinges of distaste as I read about (view spoiler); it's not what happens, as I've read similar levels of violence or worse, it's the repetitive way these things are presented to us, without the appropriate subsequent gravity and care to balance it out. When I think about the awful thing that happens to Lena's sister in the very first Slaughter book, ((view spoiler), and how well the author handled both the procedural and emotional effects of that, I am especially surprised at how clumsily heavy-handed this new book seems to be.

So I would just say that if you're considering reading this series, definitely don't start with this one. They should be read in order anyway (I put the order in my review of the first book, Blindsighted), and the others are much, much better. I'm still a big fan of this author's work, but for the first time, I'm going to be anticipating the next one with muted expectations. Fingers crossed she returns to her usual excellent form next year. (less)

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Oct 11, 2012 Marleen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I’ll admit I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand I think Karin Slaughter did a fantastic job and has surpassed herself by catapulting us back into the 1970ies and giving us a glimpse of the misogynistic world female police officers had to work in. There was so much prejudice, so much meanness coming from men towards females; it was an eye-opener, truly. On the other hand, I struggled with the fact that I didn’t recognize the tough old Amanda in that 25-year old plainclothes youn...more I’ll admit I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand I think Karin Slaughter did a fantastic job and has surpassed herself by catapulting us back into the 1970ies and giving us a glimpse of the misogynistic world female police officers had to work in. There was so much prejudice, so much meanness coming from men towards females; it was an eye-opener, truly. On the other hand, I struggled with the fact that I didn’t recognize the tough old Amanda in that 25-year old plainclothes young officer. She was so tentative, so docile, and practically under her father’s thumb in an way, and always trying to please everyone. She was the opposite of what she is now. I guess what bothered me the most (probably because I’m a woman of my present time) is that Amanda and Evelyn themselves were so old-fashioned in their way of thinking, sometimes too easily accepting their standing and situation as females in the police force. Luckily they went passed that. They wanted to make a difference, they forged on with the case despite all the backlash and resistance they had to endure. It was also notable that their approach to the case of the missing girls was almost “amateurish”. Am I glad times have changed for women! So yes, congrats to Karin Slaughter for rendering such a realistic view of the 1970ies policing.
As for Will Trent, we saw another side to him. We also learn who his parents were. Finally, finally! We also know WHY Amanda has this peculiar relationship with her protégé Will. So much becomes clear. That is such a milestone in the series, because now we can move on to a whole new chapter. Will Trent is still one of my favorite characters, but fissures in his armor are beginning to show. I don’t understand why he tolerates Angie’s dramatics. Now that his relationship with Sara is beginning to grow more serious I hope Will becomes emotionally stronger and I hope next book will make a break in Will’s relationship with Angie (who in my opinion is more a sister to him than anything else).
I can’t wait for more Will Trent, Sara Linton, Faith Mitchell, Amanda Wagner – they are stunning and exciting characters and after reading her two last installments I’m even more convinced than before that Karin Slaughter is an exciting writer and hopefully she’ll entertain us with great thrillers for many more years.
It's a ***3,5*** rating.(less)

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Jul 04, 2012 Dotti Elrick rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love this series and this author. This new book is no exception. It was amazing. In Criminal, we learn a lot about the parents of GBI Investigator Will Trent. And Will finally gets some of the answers he's been looking for. He learns a little more about the strange relationship he has with his boss Amanda Wagner.
This story is told in two parts. Two crimes that take place 30 years apart. Both involving Will and Amanda. Atlanta, 1975, women are not a welcome or wanted part of the Atlanta Police...more I love this series and this author. This new book is no exception. It was amazing. In Criminal, we learn a lot about the parents of GBI Investigator Will Trent. And Will finally gets some of the answers he's been looking for. He learns a little more about the strange relationship he has with his boss Amanda Wagner.
This story is told in two parts. Two crimes that take place 30 years apart. Both involving Will and Amanda. Atlanta, 1975, women are not a welcome or wanted part of the Atlanta Police Department. Amanda Wagner and Evelyn Mitchell (Wills partner Faith's mother) are among the first females promoted to detective. Its obvious that the author has done her homework in regards to the living and working conditions of the 1970's. It is very well written. Amanda and Evelyn are sent to check out the rape of a prostitute in a very bad neighborhood. Things are not adding up. It seems they have been on a wild goose chase. They want to know why, so they start investigating on their own. Which really angers the two bullies who are working a murder of another prostitute in the same building. Their investigation, leads them to several missing prostitutes, two of which turn up dead.
Present day Atlanta. Will is being held back from working a high profile case which is unusual. Amanda Wagner wants Will nowhere near this case. He learns That his father has been paroled after serving 30 years of a life sentence. And now girls are going missing again.
This story is told in alternating chapters. We start out in 1975 and switch to present day, then back to the original story. Both crimes are being told parallel of each other. It was a bit confusing at first, there are A LOT of characters to keep track of and some of the characters from the past are also still around in the present day case. It gets easier as the book goes on.
On a personal front for Will, he's having a hard time. He has been assigned the dreaded airport duty, he's being kept off of one of the biggest cases going on in Atlanta, his boss will not speak to him or give him any answers. He wants to get closer to his girlfriend doctor Sarah Linton. But as he learns more about suspect in these disappearances he closes himself off from everyone. Including Sarah. Sarah wonders if she can be with a man who cannot be honest with her and open up to her. And to make matters worse, Will's estranged wife Angie shows up again.
The two cases come together in the end and questions are answered. The bad guy is taken care of, a bit anti-climactic, but this, I think will lead into the next book. And Will learns more about himself than he's ever known.
I liked this story, learning Will's history was interesting. A story that needed to be told. I do have to caution anyone thinking of reading this book. While it is a great story, what this villain does, is graphic, extreme and disturbing. I've never read anything like this before.
(less)

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Aug 09, 2012 Lelia Taylor rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: full-reviews

Dear Reader, if you’re looking for a cozy or even a soft-boiled mystery, this is not it. In the past, Karin Slaughter‘s work has been described as “captivating”, “gruesome”, “intense”, “engrossing”, “surprising”, “searing”, “challenging”, “compelling”, and all of those adjectives fit nicely with Criminal. There are few authors who can write with such intensity and sustain it throughout the story but this author can and does.

Shifting back and forth between the mid-1970′s and present day, we see t...more Dear Reader, if you’re looking for a cozy or even a soft-boiled mystery, this is not it. In the past, Karin Slaughter‘s work has been described as “captivating”, “gruesome”, “intense”, “engrossing”, “surprising”, “searing”, “challenging”, “compelling”, and all of those adjectives fit nicely with Criminal. There are few authors who can write with such intensity and sustain it throughout the story but this author can and does.

Shifting back and forth between the mid-1970′s and present day, we see the consequences that a crime has on a small group of people at that time and continuing years into the future. The killing of a prostitute is an old story but how can it possibly be related to the disappearance of a college student more than thirty-five years later? Will Trent and his boss, Amanda Wagner, are linked in ways that go far beyond their work and both must deal with the psychological wounds of their pasts as they seek to keep it all from happening again. Along the way, the already somewhat strained relationship between the two will become tangled in unexpected emotions and Will’s incipient connection with Dr. Sara Linton may suffer irreparable damage.

A significant side story involves the conditions within the Atlanta Police Department in the 1970′s, particularly the racism and the hostility of the “good old boys” towards the women infiltrating their domain. Was it really that bad? I don’t know but I do remember that there was a lot of fingerpointing and accusations of racism and lack of interest between the department and the public during the 1979-1981 depredations of serial killer Wayne Williams.

Oddly enough, there have been a few comments from other reviewers questioning the accuracy of Ms. Slaughter‘s depiction of women’s lot in the mid-70′s. I can’t speak to their experiences in law enforcement at the time but, from personal knowledge, I can attest that women were often not considered for employment positions traditionally held by men because they were believed to be less qualified. If they showed themselves to have backbones, they were called “bitchy”, and those reviewers should remember that much of this dismissal of women still goes on today. And, yes, it WAS hard for a woman to get credit. When I divorced my husband in 1979, our joint gasoline credit card was terminated and I was denied one in my own name solely because I was no longer married (they actually put that in writing). There are a couple of passages in Criminal when 25-year-old Amanda and her partner don’t have a clear understanding of female health issues and I don’t really buy that (at their age, also in the 70′s, I certainly understood these things and I was not brought up in a forward-thinking atmosphere) but, otherwise, these sceptical reviewers should have done a little research before deciding the 1970′s could not have been this bad. They were.

Ms. Slaughter‘s writing is, as always, riveting—no, gutwrenching—and no one handles the violence and pathos of murder better than she does. Criminal is not easy to read but it’s also not easy to put down; you might as well settle down and accept the fact you won’t be getting much sleep. This is a worthy addition to the author’s bibliography and especially to the continuing story arc involving Will Trent, Sara Linton, Amanda Wagner and other characters from her two series. I wonder what the lady has in store for us next.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, August 2012.(less)

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Apr 18, 2012 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have read Karins books from day one. I love the characters so much they feel like old friends.
In Criminal we discover a whole lot more about Will Trent, the circumstances of his birth who his parents are/were and more about his life as a small boy.....oh and some murders along the way. We also find out about his boss Amanda's early life in the police force where it was obvious women weren't welcome. Told in present and past (1974) time, this was, to me, yet again a wonderful piece of story tel...more

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May 18, 2013 Michael Sherer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Criminally Good.

My expectations rise exponentially when I pick up a book by a best-selling author I haven’t read before. And like a lot of readers, I get comfortable with authors I like and often find it difficult to read someone new. But several months ago, I risked a nominal amount of money on SNATCHED, a novella by Karin Slaughter, and I was hooked.

However, SNATCHED was so good that my expectations rose even higher when I got one of her latest books, CRIMINAL. It may sound strange coming from...more Criminally Good.

My expectations rise exponentially when I pick up a book by a best-selling author I haven’t read before. And like a lot of readers, I get comfortable with authors I like and often find it difficult to read someone new. But several months ago, I risked a nominal amount of money on SNATCHED, a novella by Karin Slaughter, and I was hooked.

However, SNATCHED was so good that my expectations rose even higher when I got one of her latest books, CRIMINAL. It may sound strange coming from a thriller writer, but I’m not big on novels about serial killers or novels that depict depraved violence, especially toward women. So imagine my dismay when CRIMINAL opens with the abduction of a prostitute.

More full disclosure: writing books often is really hard work; the last thing I want to do when I read a novel is work. But with CRIMINAL I found myself working to keep up with jumps in the narrative from past to present and back and from one character’s POV to another. Worse, for me, was trying to figure out what past and present had to do with each other.

But we’re talking Karin Slaughter here, so I got over myself and slogged on. And am I glad I did. What seemed disparate, disconnected threads at the beginning slowly twined in patterns that formed a rich, complex tapestry where past and present collide in unexpected and thrilling ways. Slaughter gives us a terrific, conflicted, strong but inwardly sensitive hero in Will Trent (who, I’m happy to learn, is a recurring character in her books), a tough, wise boss in Amanda Wagner, and a whip-smart, sweet and intuitive love interest in Sara Linton.

Slaughter’s look back at the 1970s through the flashback narratives is fascinating, and not at all revisionist. Though I don’t remember thinking at the time that the kinds of gender and race discrimination in Slaughter’s 1970s Atlanta took place, I know they did. As a young man freshly out of college in 1974, I spent a couple years in Denver where I worked alongside African Americans in a restaurant kitchen and often went to gay clubs with waitresses on nights off or after work because the music was better than anywhere else, and never considered that blacks, women or gays faced the kind of hatred and bigotry they still face today. In hindsight, I know better. Slaughter has captured it perfectly.

CRIMINAL wraps up all the loose ends with a final twist that makes for an incredibly satisfying whole. Karin Slaughter doesn’t need more pr or another five-star review, certainly not from me. But not to do so would be, well, CRIMINAL.
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May 01, 2013 Jacqueline Chapman williams rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was torn over how to rate this book. If I judge it by Karin's other works, I'd score a three, but even a mediocre book by this author surpasses most, and this is by no means a mediocre book. It took a while to get around to where she was going, but ultimately she managed to flesh out the back stories of both Amanda Wagner and Will Trent, while providing a deeper understanding of their heretofore slightly odd working relationship. We also witness some significant advances in Will's relationship...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Vivisection rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lifetime-novels, procedural-mysteries, psychological-mysteries

The parts of this novel that really kept me reading was the portrayal of the police force in Atlanta during the 70s. I liked seeing Amanda as a young, unsure police officer trying to get out from the shadow of her father and the sexist behavior of the other male cops. Her struggle and that of Evelyn really bring a lot of empathy to their characters since they come off as controlling matriarchs in much of the other novels.

That being said....I really like the character of Will Trent; I really do....more

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Jan 25, 2013 Tanya Peterson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was my introduction to Karin Slaughter and to Will Trent. I stumbled upon the description while lazily browsing for new books on my Kindle. I wasn't quite sure what I was in the mood to read, but I knew that I wanted a character to whom I could connect. For me, character is always key. I can read various story lines in different genres and ride along with plots, but it is a bond with characters that I seek and crave. Karin Slaughter fulfilled my need for character depth and passion! Wi...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Ankur rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book answers two very important questions to fans of Will Trent and this series,
1. Complete life history of Will Trent and
2. What made his boss Amanda such a tough as a nail boss.

This book is written in two parts...one in the present revolving around a murder and second taking us back to 1975 when Amanda and Evelyn(Faith;s mother) had just started out as cops.

This book tell us about Atlanta in 1975 and how much Color and Gender influenced the police system and life in general.

Amanda in 1975...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Jill Bratcher rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was my first book by this author; I checked it out from the library as an audio book. I didn't realize until I was most of the way through this was a series. I wish it was clearer on the label, "This is #7!" I prefer to read a series from the beginning when possible.

That said, I enjoyed the book and will look into the earlier ones in the series.

The reader wasn't a distraction as some are, but the flipping back and forth in time frames was harder on audio than in a print copy. If I missed th...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Gloria Feit rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When a long-running series reaches a point that a look back is in order, and that is exactly what takes place in this novel. In “Criminal,” we learn more about Will Trent and Amanda Wagner, his mentor in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. In a remarkably written novel, alternating between the past and the present, the story about their relationship unfolds.

It is a tale of two people whose lives are intertwined. First is a look at the year 1974, as Amanda fights prejudice against women in Atlan...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Shonna Froebel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This thriller takes us back and forth between the present and the summer of 1975. It also brings together two characters from previous novels, GBI detective Will Trent, and doctor Sara Linton. In the present, Will and Sara are early in their relationship, still learning about each other. Will has been sidelined to less active duty very recently by his boss Amanda Wagner, and when a college student goes missing he wonders why he isn't on the case. When he discovers there is a link to his own past...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Jaime rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, mystery, police_procedural

I am a big fan of Will Trent, and this one goes back to his well-hidden roots. We also learn more about Amanda, and why she is so invested in Will’s well-being. In fact, Amanda’s story is probably the more enlightening of the two. We already know that Will’s upbringing sucked, and that his father was a criminal. What we get that is more surprising is a softer side of Amanda. She’s relatively new on a police force that doesn’t yet know what to do with women who don’t spend all day typing. On top...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Mal Warwick rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Surprises galore in this beautifully crafted novel of crime and punishment in Atlanta

In every one of Karin Slaughter’s previous novels of murder and mayhem in the Deep South, Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) officer Will Trent and his boss, Amanda Wagner, GBI’s deputy commander, were characters shrouded in mystery, their actions frequently difficult to understand. In Criminal, Slaughter rips off the shrouds. This is an unusually suspenseful, affecting, and, in the end, deeply satisfying sto...more Surprises galore in this beautifully crafted novel of crime and punishment in Atlanta

In every one of Karin Slaughter’s previous novels of murder and mayhem in the Deep South, Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) officer Will Trent and his boss, Amanda Wagner, GBI’s deputy commander, were characters shrouded in mystery, their actions frequently difficult to understand. In Criminal, Slaughter rips off the shrouds. This is an unusually suspenseful, affecting, and, in the end, deeply satisfying story.

The action in Criminal shifts repeatedly from the present day to 1975 and back again, and the connections between the events in those two years become clear only well into the book. Amanda is a central figure in both strands of the story – beginning her career in the Atlanta Police Department in 1975 and nearing retirement amid the latter-day events. Will Trent takes center stage on the contemporary scene, his new romance with Dr. Sara Linton blossoming and then sorely tested as the action unfolds.

The novel opens in 1975 with the disappearance of Lucy Bennett, a rich girl gone bad, hooked on heroin and working the streets under the thumb of a pimp who goes by the name of Juice. Only in the final pages of the novel do we come to understand fully what happened to Lucy, and why.

Slaughter writes from an omniscient perspective, shifting the viewpoint from time to time as one character or another moves on-stage. Her prose is spare and pulls no punches. Although her characters harbor secrets that will only later be revealed, there is nothing manipulative about the author’s failure to disclose what they know any more quickly than they themselves would be likely to do so.

Slaughter’s research into the Atlanta Police Department of the mid-1970s was extensive, and what she reveals about its egregiously bad behavior in that era is deeply troubling. Amanda Wagner’s experience as a rookie officer, and that of her female friends, is shocking – though perhaps no more so than what female officers experienced at the time in other law enforcement departments where their presence was a novelty. Slaughter’s sensitive treatment of race relations during that era is no less revealing.

To date, Karin Slaughter has written a total of 12 novels featuring Will Trent and Sara Linton. I previously reviewed Broken and Blindsighted, both of which are set in the small Georgia town where Dr. Linton previously ran a children’s health clinic and served part-time as medical examiner. I’m sure I’ll be reading more of Slaughter’s novels.(less)

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Oct 10, 2012 Maureen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Spoiler alert.
I started reading Karin Slaughter about 18 months ago and found the Will Trent series to be my favorite. He's the guy whose been battered by life but who holds on to his humanity and kindness. Criminal answers so much about his and his mentor, Amanda Wagner’s origins. He also moves forward with his intimate relationship with Dr. Sara Linton.

The book opens with a student kidnapping case that Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) agent, Will Trent, has been deliberately kept out of b...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Nicola rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reason for Reading: Next in the series.

Wow, oh, wow, oh, wow!! Not since Karin's first book have I been so taken with one of her books. This is a good series, that kind of went down a bit in the middle to 3s & 4s for me, then last book, Fallen, raised the bar back up to a 5 and here with Criminal, Slaughter has outdone herself. This is probably the most disturbing crime (or MO) a serial killer has ever performed that I have read in fiction. I'm actually afraid to check online to see if there...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Luanne Ollivier rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was hooked on Karin Slaughter's writing from the first book, Blindsighted. The first six books were set in Grant County and featured the local sheriff and his wife, the local coroner. They're excellent crime/mystery books, with great plots and wonderful characters. In fact, it is the characters themselves that draw me back, over and over again.

Things move in real time in Slaughter's books. Her writing has segued to focus on another character from the Grant County books - Georgia Bureau of Inve...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Theresa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Karen Slaughter has been one of my favorite authors for years, but since she has added the character of Will Trent to the life of Dr. Sara Linton, her books have become an addiction! He is one of the most interesting, complicated and richly created characters that I have ever read about. He isn't your typical lawman haunted by tragedy; his is a back story that is more than plausible, and yet the way that he fought and clawed to appear "normal" and become the agent and man he is today is heartbre...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Mat rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Criminal: A Novel is Karin Slaughter's dark crime novel. Criminal is interesting in many ways. First, the story is told during two different time periods--the story switches back and forth between 1974 and the present day. Although the two timelines are separated by 40 years the story is not fractured. By involving two different time periods the dimensions of her characters are very deep. The reader not only understands what the character is about but you see how they came to be that way. Slaugh...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Nancy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great book, although the switching back and forth from present to 1975 got confusing.... Kept feeling like I had read the book before, but I checked and I didn't. Just another book in the series. Must have missed a book somewhere. Still exciting and definitely kept your interest!!

Will Trent is a brilliant agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Newly in love, he is beginning to put a difficult past behind him. Then a local college student goes missing, and Will is inexplicably kept off t...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Ramona rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Will Trent is in love, but he's still married to Angie. Will he finally be able to break loose from her hold on him? Will discovers his father has been released from prison for two months & murdered girls are turning up again even with him being watched. Amanda continues to keep secrets from Will & he finds her at the abandoned children's home he grew up in searching for something when she has an active case to be working. Will wants to go to the hotel his father is staying & outrigh...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Rick rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was afraid that "Criminal", being labeled an "epic spanning 40 years", might get mired in too much sentiment or even lapse into a 'novel with a cause' (women struggling in a mans world). What I got was another top-notch thriller from Karin Slaughter.

People who read Ms. Slaughter's books regularly have been drawn not only to her tension filled mysteries, but to her characters Will Trent, Faith Mitchell and Amanda Wagner. In "Criminal", Slaughter does an impeccable job of weaving both plot and p...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Lyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller

Will Trent’s atrocious childhood has frequently been mentioned in the earlier books of the Will Trent series, but little detail has been given. Now his father James Ulster, a convicted murderer, has been paroled from prison and Trent’s reaction seems to be excessive considering he never knew the man.

Amanda Wagner, Will Trent’s supervisor at the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, has been a part of Trent’s life since he was born, although he never realized it. He became aware of her presence when...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Barbara Mitchell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've been reading Karin Slaughter's books and enjoying them forever it seems. Her newest, Criminal, is one that I found a little difficult to get into, but once I was caught up in the story I couldn't put it down. The characters are so well depicted that I simply had to find out both their background and what was going to happen in the present day. The story is set in Atlanta.

The background story is covered in sections from 1975 when women cops were a new phenomenon, and as such suffered endless...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Lisa Beaulieu rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I never ever give mysteries or crime novels 5 stars. But Slaughter has gone well beyond a crime novel this time. I don't know how she managed the timing of the books release to coincide with the election, but it is perfect. Which is not to say you have to be either liberal or conservative to enjoy it, for the book is not didactic, but a strong reminder of where we have come from as a country as far as civil rights and liberties, and a call to be more careful about protecting them.

The story is to...more I never ever give mysteries or crime novels 5 stars. But Slaughter has gone well beyond a crime novel this time. I don't know how she managed the timing of the books release to coincide with the election, but it is perfect. Which is not to say you have to be either liberal or conservative to enjoy it, for the book is not didactic, but a strong reminder of where we have come from as a country as far as civil rights and liberties, and a call to be more careful about protecting them.

The story is told in chapters that alternate from the early seventies, to present day, and from the perspective mostly of either victims (both in 7os and now) or Amanda, Will's boss, as she began her career as a police officer, one of the first women on the Atlanta force.

We discover how Will came to be, and more of Amanda's connection to him. But this really is not a Will Trent story. It's Amanda's story, as well as a meditation on civil rights, and on nature vs nurture vs just having a plain old good soul, that overcomes both.

The basic premise is that a killer from the 70s is caught and put away. His mo is basically using religion to justify in his own mind torturing women ... who are literally tied to the house (it's gross) and pregnant, just to drive the point home. Unbelieveably he is paroled and sets about doing the exact same thing present day. Like, everyone says don't worry we will never backslide into racism, sexism, open Klan affiliation ... so everyone thought he would never get out. But he does....

All the historical details are amazing. I am old enough to remember how things were, and Karin Slaughter is not - but she really did her research, which she discusses in an afterword. It's a tour de force, truly, how she reminds us of what we have to lose. And again, you don't need to be conservative or liberal ... I think I can safely say, all good people want to avoid these bad old days, that Amanda bravely comes from. I especially would love to see young women who have no idea what their mothers went through to fight for their rights to read this.

Now, the eensy little problem. It is really gross. Karin Slaughter has always been right on the edge for me ... I keep going because I love her characters and her writing. But this one was a bit too far. I think there were tie-ups I missed, but I couldn't go back and reread to catch up, because in the crime parts, once was too much. I know one of Slaughter's favorite authors is Moe Hayder, who I read 2 very good books by on her recommendation. Then I thought, I cannot put myself through this. I worry I may reach that point with Slaughter now ... and I hope not, because I really want to keep reading about these wonderful characters Will, Amanda, Faith, Sarah ..... I am even interested after this book to take another look at mean old Angie!
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Aug 17, 2012 Jacqueline Corcoran rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The disappearance of a teenager involves the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and links back to a series of disappearances at the time of Amanda Wagner’s first law enforcement job, working at the Atlanta Police Department. Will Trent wonders about Amanda’s involvement in the current case and why is so determinedly leaving him out. The reasons end up being a big part of the story, which is told in both past and present.

One of Karin Slaughter’s strengths as a writer is the way she realizes her cha...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Manjak rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 16, 2012 V.R. Barkowski rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Criminal is well written as are all of Karin Slaughter's books, but to call it part of the Will Trent Series is misleading.

We do get a good chunk of Will's backstory through the eyes of other characters, but little of it comes to us via Will. This is not Will's book, but Amanda Wagner's. And while I find Amanda a far more compelling character than Slaughter's other female protagonists, I read this series specifically for Will Trent's POV, and there is little of Will to be found here.

The book su...more

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About Karin Slaughter

Karin Slaughter (born 1971), is a US author who debuted with her novel Blindsighted in 2001. It became an international success, made the Dagger Award shortlist for "Best Thriller Debut" of 2001, and has been published in 23 countries.

Slaughter was born in a small southern Georgia community, and now resides in Atlanta. She is widely credited with first coining the term "investigoogling" in 2006.

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Criminal (Will Trent #6)

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