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Triptych (Will Trent #1)

by Karin Slaughter (Goodreads Author)

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 8,453 ratings · 573 reviews

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Karin Slaughter's Fallen

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...more

Hardcover, 400 pages

Published August 15th 2006 by Delacorte Press (first published 2006)

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Sep 13, 2009 Kasia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-crime-thriller, southern-nostalgia, 1st-in-series

This, Triptych, is as close to man-fiction as a book written by a woman can get. But gosh, was it good?!!

I cried, I laughed, I gasped in surprise countless times. The story was totally engrossing. Karin Slaughter definitely knows what she's doing. But don't read it if graphic violence makes you cringe. Don't read it if you want to believe all inmates are the scum of the earth. Don't read it if you have manly bits and are particularly sensitive, I can't guarantee there won't be trauma. And if you...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Mark Stevens rated it 4 of 5 stars

There are plenty of good examples of cross-gender writers but certainly Karin Slaughter would be Exhibit No. 1. (This is my first by Karin Slaughter, but hard to imagine many female writers better writing today from a man's point of view.)

Here, she has multiple perspectives, both male and female, in this story involving murdered prostitutes, stolen identities, severed (bitten off) tongues, infidelity and personal entanglements.
The overall flavor is raw, in case that’s not already apparent. With...more There are plenty of good examples of cross-gender writers but certainly Karin Slaughter would be Exhibit No. 1. (This is my first by Karin Slaughter, but hard to imagine many female writers better writing today from a man's point of view.)

Here, she has multiple perspectives, both male and female, in this story involving murdered prostitutes, stolen identities, severed (bitten off) tongues, infidelity and personal entanglements.
The overall flavor is raw, in case that’s not already apparent. Without her name on the jacket, I think most readers would guess the author was male—and that’s a good thing.

"Triptych" is big and messy—in a good way. It’s a bit warped. You don’t feel like the story is in the hands of the writer, it’s in the hands of the characters and their very real, terribly tangible situation. This is not writing for flash, this is writing for story and the story is all character. Tangled? Quite a bit. "Triptych" feels shaggy, unkempt and free-flowing. There are no buried sonnets here, just story-telling.

The setting is a gritty, troubled Atlanta and the main character is Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. We are told his role is “purely advisory,” to help local law enforcement agencies apprehend violent criminals.

Trent carries the story but Slaughter adds heft and weight by not giving short shrift to the vice cop, Angie Pulaski, and the ex-con, John Shelley. Trent and Angie have history. Trent has a secret. (It seems everyone is in some sort of trap or has a hole to dig out of.) After the initial set-up, Slaughter give us several chapters with Shelley and this section gives the whole plot an underlying vibe akin to Patricia Highsmith.

Sunny, perfect people don’t exist. Flaws abound. "Triptych" is part police procedural and part real people sorting out and sorting through real problems and dealing with the real cards they’ve been dealt. The procedural part, in fact, fades away and the question turns to how the killer will be caught. The tension fades a bit. I wasn’t too worried at the end when Angie was temporarily “confused” about the man behind the mask.

The apprehension is every bit as violent—and messy—as the set-up. The final encounter you’ve seen or read many times before, but you will feel it because of all the gravity and weightiness that has come before.

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Apr 24, 2011 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, physical-book

The book is written in third person, but we have different narrators throughout. It starts with Michael Ormewood whom I did not like. This is partly why I wasn’t sure whether I’d end up liking the book. I wanted to see things from Will Trent’s perspective, and I wasn’t really fond of Michael. Once Michael’s stint as narrator is over, it shifts between John Shelley, a “loser” ex-con, Will Trent, and Angie Polaski.

There were threads woven throughout this plot that intertwined in the most interesti...more

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Jun 13, 2008 Marie rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Excellent book !! I recommended this book to both my son and my best friend, and neither of them could put it down either. All the story lines within the book were so interesting that I could not wait to see what would happen next.
As a result of this book I became A huge fan of the author and went on to read every book that she wrote, in order. The rest of her books are more of a mystery series that stick with 2 main characters. This book stands alone (at least so far). Although I was also a hug...more

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May 05, 2013 M.M. Silva rated it 5 of 5 stars

This week's read was Triptych, by Karin Slaughter, an author I recently discovered while perusing the online auction for Brenda Novak's Diabetes Research. (Which, by the way, is a great website! There are all kinds of goodies for you to bid on, with the proceeds going to a great cause. The auction ends May 31st, so check it out soon. https://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/)

I digress. I was very psyched to discover this author and her series, and I will be starting book 2 shortly. The premise in...more This week's read was Triptych, by Karin Slaughter, an author I recently discovered while perusing the online auction for Brenda Novak's Diabetes Research. (Which, by the way, is a great website! There are all kinds of goodies for you to bid on, with the proceeds going to a great cause. The auction ends May 31st, so check it out soon. https://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/)

I digress. I was very psyched to discover this author and her series, and I will be starting book 2 shortly. The premise in this mystery is that a fifteen-year-old boy, who's become mixed up in drugs and alcohol, is accused and convicted of raping and murdering a school mate of his. The book bounces back and forth between that fifteen-year-old kid in 1985 and the thirty-five year old man who gets out of prison two decades later. The man is trying to get his pathetic life in order, by working at a car wash and living in a one-bedroom craphole, and he can barely make ends meet. While wondering each day how he's going to have money to survive, he inordinately stumbles upon the fact that he has a good credit rating, a number of credit cards, and a house in Tennessee. (?) Which leads him to wonder--why would someone be pretending to be him, an ex con and a convicted murderer? And if they know so much about him, then do they know anything more about the murderous night in 1985? Because it's a night he can't remember at all...

A little word of caution--this book has a few crass parts. I didn't think it was over-the-top, but I just want to prepare you for a few sections such as when the author describes the jailhouse "behavior and actions" towards a nubile fifteen-year-old boy or when she describes some parts of the female anatomy in other sections. The murder scenes...well, they're murder scenes, so they aren't flowery and sunshine. Just know that you'll need some tough skin in a few chapters, but please don't let that deter you from reading this. It's really good, and the back-and-forth between the decades is a great way to show you how the key characters think and feel. 'Til next week, happy reading! :-)
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Mar 24, 2013 Eunyoung rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another fantastic thriller by Karin Slaughter! I devoured the Grant County series- every one of them defined "edge of your seat" thriller. This first in the Will Trent series didn't disappoint. Then why not 5 stars you ask? Perhaps I've elevated Slaughter to an impossibly high level. I certainly hope not!

Some of the key points that has me addicted to Slaughter's books:
- excellent plot: Truly edge of the seat, can't put it down. Unlike her other books where she has withheld the identity of the m...more Another fantastic thriller by Karin Slaughter! I devoured the Grant County series- every one of them defined "edge of your seat" thriller. This first in the Will Trent series didn't disappoint. Then why not 5 stars you ask? Perhaps I've elevated Slaughter to an impossibly high level. I certainly hope not!

Some of the key points that has me addicted to Slaughter's books:
- excellent plot: Truly edge of the seat, can't put it down. Unlike her other books where she has withheld the identity of the murderer until the end, she lets the reader know fairly early on in the book. Despite this, the suspense was very much present.
- interesting characters: There is depth to all her main characters. They aren't black and white- the good guys being perfect, 100% likeable and the bad guys devil incarnate. She manages to portray the grayer side of them and I look forward to reading more about Will and Angie. I didn't particularly like Angie. She reminds me of Lena from the Grant County series- the tough chick with a dark past than manifests in her interactions with people- but for some reason, I didn't quite empathize with her as much. Maybe I will grow to like her more as I continue to follow her throughout the series.
For the bad guy- I think this is where Slaughter lost a star for me. I wasn't entirely convinced by the motive of the protagonist. In the beginning of the book, a few chapters are told from his perspective. The reader is led to empathize with him as he is sickened by the crime scene. When he wakes from a nightmare evidently caused by what he witnessed at the crime scene, my heart went out to him. He's portrayed as a hard working detective who tries to make ends meet to support his family and especially his special needs son despite his cold wife and nagging mother-in-law. So when all this turns out to be a lie, I was a bit confused as to the reason why the author chose to show us this perspective in the beginning of the book because by the end of the book, there is absolutely nothing pitiable about him. Is he delusional and really believe himself the victim- the hard-working husband and father whose wife doesn't appreciate him and with her refusal to be amorous, drives him to do these awful things to other women? He truly seems to love his son- his terror that something had happened to his son didn't seem to be an act. With these possibly redeeming qualities, how is the reader supposed to reconcile his unspeakable acts?
Angie and Will's relationship was a bit confusing to me. Do they love each other? They clearly do. But Angie seems to think that she needs to let him go if she is to truly love him because she thinks he is better off without her in his life. Do they simply know too much about each other from practically growing up together? Is their love more a brotherly/sisterly love? I look forward to discovering how this relationship develops throughout the series. I just hope she's not one of those frustrating, self-destructive women who in their battles with inner demons, hurt those around her who love her.
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Jan 14, 2013 Tanis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Taking a break from her Grant County Series where Medical Examiner Dr. Sara Linton takes centre stage, Slaughter turns to this stand-alone novel in which horrifying physical vehemence grows and is nurtured into a creepy, deeply disturbed look at nasty human nature.
Nobody would care about Monroe, the prostitute slaughtered in an Atlanta housing project, if her killer had not bitten off her tongue right off. But because Monroe is the fourth victim over a period of a few months, Det. Michael Ormewo...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Tanja rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

John Shelley saß mehr als zwanzig Jahre für einen Mord im Gefängnis, den er nicht begangen hat. Während dieser Zeit wurde ein gemeingefährlicher Mörder zu einer Art Vaterfigur und Freund für ihn. Als Teenager ins Gefängnis gekommen, fällt es ihm nicht gerade leicht, mit mehr als dreißig Jahren endlich wieder in Freiheit zu sein – vor allem nicht, weil er nicht aufgibt, seine Unschuld irgendwie zu beweisen zu wollen.

Monate später wird Michael Ormewood zu einem Tatort gerufen, an dem eine Prostit...more John Shelley saß mehr als zwanzig Jahre für einen Mord im Gefängnis, den er nicht begangen hat. Während dieser Zeit wurde ein gemeingefährlicher Mörder zu einer Art Vaterfigur und Freund für ihn. Als Teenager ins Gefängnis gekommen, fällt es ihm nicht gerade leicht, mit mehr als dreißig Jahren endlich wieder in Freiheit zu sein – vor allem nicht, weil er nicht aufgibt, seine Unschuld irgendwie zu beweisen zu wollen.

Monate später wird Michael Ormewood zu einem Tatort gerufen, an dem eine Prostituierte vergewaltigt wurde. Anschließend biss der Täter ihr die Zunge heraus und sie erstickte an ihrem eigenen Blut. Ein scheinbar unlösbarer Fall – zumindest bis Will Trent die Bühne betritt und auf Parallelen hinweist, die der Fall mit mehreren ähnlichen Taten an Mädchen gemein hat. Jungen Mädchen, die ebenfalls von einem Unbekannten vergewaltigt und denen dann die Zunge herausgeschnitten wurde.

Ormewood sträubt sich dagegen, die Parallelen anzuerkennen. Bis seine fünfzehnjährige Nachbarin nach demselben Schema ermordet wird. Die Nachbarin, mit der Ormewood eine Affäre hatte. Dann besteht kein Zweifel mehr – die Vergangenheit hat Michael Ormewood eingeholt.

Durch puren Zufall entdeckt John Shelley völlig verblüfft, dass sich jemand in den vergangenen Jahren seiner Identität bedient hat. Zunächst versteht er den Sinn dahinter nicht. Als er dem Mann, der seine Personalien missbraucht jedoch auflauert und ihn wiedererkennt, wird plötzlich alles klar. Der Mörder von Mary Alice, dem Mädchen, in das er damals vor all den Jahren verliebt war und die er selbst ermordet haben soll, war immer da. Und niemand anders als seine damalige Anwältin - die Mutter des Mörders – trägt die Schuld daran, dass John zwei Jahrzehnte seines Lebens im Gefängnis verbrachte, ja, die Höchststrafe bekam.

Will Trent hingegen erscheint Ormewoods Betragen mehr als verdächtig. Als er nach Jahren wieder auf Angie Polaski trifft, mit der er einst im Heim gemeinsam aufwuchs und mit der er hin und wieder eine Beziehung hatte, erfährt er schließlich, dass es Gerüchte über Ormewood gibt. Gerüchte, die sich darauf beziehen, dass er dazu neige, Prostituierte in Gewahrsam zu nehmen und sie dann wieder, nachdem er ihnen ein nicht ganz koscheres Geschäft angeboten hat, wieder frei lässt.

Als Angie ihn im Gegenzug um Informationen um einen seltsamen Kauz fragt, an den sie geraten ist, während sie verdeckt als Prostituierte ermittelte, kann Will es nicht fassen: besagter komische Kerl ist John Shelley, der Mary Alice Finney auf auffallend ähnliche Weise ermordet haben soll, wie die Prostituierte kurz zuvor. Will platzt der Kragen und Angie wird klar, dass er sie immer noch so viel mehr liebt als sie es verdient hat – hat sie ihn doch absichtlich immer und immer wieder verletzt.

Kurzerhand nehmen Will und Angie John fest und versuchen ihn zu einem Geständnis zu bewegen. Doch dann verschwindet Angie und John erzählt von Woody, seinem Cousin, der Mary Alice und die Prostituierte ermordet, sowie die anderen Mädchen vergewaltigt und verstümmelt haben soll. Schon bald wird klar – was jetzt kommt, ist ein Wettlauf gegen die Zeit …

Mit dem ersten Teil ihrer neuen Buchreihe trifft Karin Slaughter bei mir voll ins Schwarze. Denn ihre neue Hauptfigur Will Trent ist weder überheblich – äh, Jeffery Tolliver? – noch verbittert und zugleich überperfekt – äh, Sarah Linton? – nein, er ist sympathisch. Ganz im Ernst. Er kann nicht lesen und nur schwerlich schreiben. Und trotzdem gehört er schon jetzt in die Liste meiner liebsten Charaktere. Da das also schon mal geklärt wäre, nun weiter zum Buch …

Die Spannung zieht sich von der ersten Seite an durch das gesamte Buch. Ob nun aus der Sicht von Michael Ormewood, Will Trent oder John Shelley geschrieben, entfaltet sich die Geschichte ganz und gar stimmig und zugleich überraschend, so dass am Ende ein vollkommenes Gesamtbild entsteht. Der einzige Minuspunkt ist Angie Polaski, oder auch Madame Ich-muss-immer-mit-dem-Kopf-durch-die-Wand-und-verletze-gerne-hobbymäßig-den-einzigen-Menschen-der-mich-wirklich-liebt genannt. Von daher also voll verdiente …(less)

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Sep 22, 2012 James Thane rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-fiction

Will Trent, an agent for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, is teamed with Atlanta detective Michael Ormewood to investigate a series of brutal crimes in which someone is killing women and cutting out their tongues.

Everyone in the book is damaged in some way. Oremwood has a troubled marriage and a child who is mentally challenged. Trent, who is severely dyslexic, had a very troubled childhood. His best friend, Angie Polaski, is a vice cop with a troubled past of her own. Added to the mix is J...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Eccentrika rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller, series, adult, crime

Sono rimasta sorpresa dalla lettura di questo libro. Mi aspettavo un thriller di stampo classico, quelli in cui fino all'ultimo ti lasciano con il fiato sospeso con il dubbio di chi sia l'assassino. Ma "L'ombra della verità", come mi sono accorta durante la lettura, non ha per niente uno schema narrativo classico. E' un romanzo che lascia comunque con il fiato sospeso fino alla fine, ma per un motivo diverso. Le pagine iniziali potrebbero far pensare al contrario: un omicidio violento, la polizi...more Sono rimasta sorpresa dalla lettura di questo libro. Mi aspettavo un thriller di stampo classico, quelli in cui fino all'ultimo ti lasciano con il fiato sospeso con il dubbio di chi sia l'assassino. Ma "L'ombra della verità", come mi sono accorta durante la lettura, non ha per niente uno schema narrativo classico. E' un romanzo che lascia comunque con il fiato sospeso fino alla fine, ma per un motivo diverso. Le pagine iniziali potrebbero far pensare al contrario: un omicidio violento, la polizia che accorre sul luogo del delitto e inizia le indagini. Tutto ordinario quindi, come nella migliore tradizione del giallo investigativo. Ma le somiglianze finiscono qui, perché capitolo dopo capitolo il lettore si accorge che c'è qualcosa che non va, o meglio, ci sono talmente tanti piccoli indizi che con un po' di intuito è facile metterli assieme, e la sensazione è quella di conoscere già l'identità del colpevole. Subito mi sono detta: impossibile, non può essere così facile, ma poi le prove sono così schiaccianti che sembrano non esserci dubbi. E, come se non bastasse, a metà libro la certezza diventa addirittura verità assoluta.
Non pensavo che un giallo in cui si conosce già l'identità dell'assassino potesse essere così interessante, ma invece lo è. Già, perché il romanzo è scritto in terza persona e cambia punto di vista spesso, tanto che il lettore funge così come entità onniscente, mentre i personaggi all'interno del libro sono a conoscenza solo di una parte della verità e starà a loro ricostruire il puzzle. Il lettore seguirà la vicenda con un misto di curiosità e apprensione, sperarando ardentemente che la verità che lui già conosce venga a galla. Sono le dinamiche che legano i personaggi del libro ad essere importanti, tutto ciò che fa da contorno, e questo, oltre ad affascinare sempre di più pagina dopo pagina, induce ad una lettura quasi frenetica, specialmente nella seconda metà del libro, dove il ritmo narrativo diventa più veloce. Si potrebbe pensare che un romanzo in cui il lettore, a differenza dei personaggi, è onniscente, possa creare una sorta di barriera ed estreniarlo dal contesto narrato, come se seguisse la vicenda dall'alto senza coinvolgimenti emotivi. Ma sono contenta di poter affermare che non è così, e che questo libro riesce ad andare a segno anche a livello di coinvolgimento.
"L'ombra della verità" si rivela così un ottimo thriller ad alta tensione, dalla struttura atipica ma efficace, con molti concatenamenti ben riusciti, e ricco di segreti sepolti nel passato che si dipanano senza lasciare falle. L'autrice sfoggia un linguaggio crudo, di stampo maschile ed a tratti scurrile, con l'intento di dare esattamente l'idea dell'ambientazione, in una periferia degradata di Atlanta, dove la violenza è all'ordine del giorno. Sinceramente, nonostante nella postfazione a fine libro l'autrice indichi Atlanta come la città che lei ama di più al mondo e per la quale ha un legame affettivo molto forte, non mi ha fatto venire voglia di visitarla, mi accontenterò di andare lì solo con la mente :-) Ma ho invece tantissima voglia di leggere altri suoi romanzi. "L'ombra della verità", nonostante sia autoconclusivo al 100%, è il primo libro di una serie che ha come protagonista il poliziotto Will Trent. Sicuramente leggerò anche i sequel quando verranno pubblicati.(less)

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Jul 12, 2012 Ronna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

"Will turned his back to her, looking at the painting over the mantel.It was a triptych , three canvases hinged together to make one image when it was open, another image when it was closed.He had always assumed she liked the duplicity of the piece.It was just like Angie, one thing inside, another out.Just like Michael Ormewood, come to think of it. What a perfect pair." (p. 306- TRIPTYCH by Karen Slaughter)

In TRIPTYCH , Karin Slaughter creates a psychological mystery where nobody is who they se...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Angela Risner rated it 4 of 5 stars

Triptych is the first book to feature Will Trent and Angie Polaski. Those characters crossover to the Grant County Series in the book Undone.

There's a serial killer running around in Hotlanta, focusing mostly on young victims. His parting shot is to bite off the tongue of his victims. The main suspect is a recently paroled sex offender/murder suspect.

That's more of the side story, though, as the book centers mostly around Will Trent. This is your introduction to an amazing character. Will grew u...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Marsha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, detection-myst-thr, _fiction

I first became acquainted with Karin Slaughter in one of her later books. Usually i try to start at the beginning of a series or go forward from where I start but I find myself reading her whenever I come across a title previously unread by me.

In "Triptych" she introduces dyslectic GBI detective Will Trent. He along with childhood friend Angie Polaski of the Atlanta PD find themselves caught up in the same case but from different angles. The case involves the murders of women with their tongues...more

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Dec 28, 2010 Vivienne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, police-procedural

This was originally meant as a stand alone novel separate from her Grant County series but since its publication Slaughter has returned to write a second novel and her latest work, Genesis, combines the two series. As I enjoyed (if that is the right word for such dark and violent crime novels) her Grant County series I really felt I needed to read the Will Trent books before embarking on the latest book.

At the start of the novel Atlanta police detective Michael Ormewood is called out to the scen...more

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Aug 01, 2010 Randa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

I will first start with the title of the book. This is the first time I remember when I look up a title in the dictionary. My digital Collins says:
triptych [ˈtrɪptɪk:]
n 1. a set of three pictures or panels, usually hinged so that the two wing panels fold over the larger central one: often used as an altarpiece
2. a set of three hinged writing tablets
From Greek triptukhos, from tri- + ptux plate.

One of the story's characters has a triptych on her mantelpiece. When the two side panels fold over...more I will first start with the title of the book. This is the first time I remember when I look up a title in the dictionary. My digital Collins says:
triptych [ˈtrɪptɪk:]
n 1. a set of three pictures or panels, usually hinged so that the two wing panels fold over the larger central one: often used as an altarpiece
2. a set of three hinged writing tablets
From Greek triptukhos, from tri- + ptux plate.

One of the story's characters has a triptych on her mantelpiece. When the two side panels fold over the central one a new image or canvas is formed. There is a blurb on the book cover: Three people with something to hide. One killer with nothing to lose. I believe the Triptych reference is to these three people and the way their deception makes things take different forms at different times.

I bought this book after I read Fractured by the same author because I liked the character of Special Agent Will Trent and wanted to read more about his personal story. This book did not disappoint, as the plot moved at a cracking pace. There were plenty of unexpected twists that kept me turning the pages, and re-reading some parts to discover how the author expertly wove the pattern of deception.

I love the way Karin Slaughter handles her characters. Unlike clean predictable sleuths such as Temperance Brennan (Kathy Reich's forensic anthropologist), Karin Slaughter comes up with more vulnerable and gritty characters for her police force. They show many human frailties that anyone can relate to and sympathize with. Her characters fight their private battles as they are fighting crime, and this makes them all the more appealing.

The story starts with the murder and mutilation of Aleesha Munroe, a prostitute and a drug addict living in one of Atlanta's rough neighborhood. Detective Michael Ormwood is in charge, but he soon finds out that he needs to work with Special Agent Will Trent from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). Will Trent is helping out because the murder has some similarities with other attacks around the state. Within 24 hours Michael's next door neighbor is found dead in his backyard and in order to solve the mystery the two men need to look back into a past that refuses to stay buried.

I will not elaborate more on this excellent thriller in order not to spoil it for future readers. More than just a good thriller the story challenges the perceptions of right and wrong, justice and injustice. It showed the grim reality of prison and why a convicted felon almost always ends up back in prison.

I will remember many characters in this book. For example there was the mother character who fought bravely and unrelentingly for her son, it was a character I related to. She stands in contrast to the mother who fought blindly for her son doing a lot of damage to people's lives in the process.
Another character later in the book speaks poignantly about her children: "It's the most wonderful blessing God has given us, our ability to bring a child into the world. You hold them in our arms that first time, and they are more precious than gold. Every breath you take after that is only for your child". This is so very true.

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Dec 13, 2009 Ria rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wanneer politierechercheur Michael Ormewood wordt opgepiept om naar de plaats delict bij het beruchte Grady Homes te gaan, wordt hij geconfronteerd met een van de bruutste moorden in zijn gehele carri

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Sep 19, 2009 Mandy rated it 5 of 5 stars

As a fan of Slaughter's Grant County series, I was disappointed when she decided to take a detour with new characters and setting. I put off reading Tryptych until I realized there was a character tie-in with the recently released Grant County book, Undone.

I am glad for the tie-in because I might have missed Tryptych. This is a truly great book--my unoriginal but heartfelt title for this review. I read a lot of books--especially so-called genre fiction. And while I enjoy reading suspense/crime...more

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Sep 11, 2009 Kayeb rated it 5 of 5 stars

I missed subtle clues and wasd way into the book before I started catching on the bad guy... it also opens up a new look into the lives of state raised orphans......

[close:] From Atlanta’s wealthiest suburbs to its stark inner-city housing projects, a killer has crossed 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 t...more

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Aug 06, 2009 Monique rated it 2 of 5 stars

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

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Jun 18, 2009 Lori rated it 4 of 5 stars

"TripTych" is my first book by Karin Slaughter, but if it is any indication of the types of books that Ms. Slaughter authors, it won't be the last.
The basic plotline of "TripTych" could be formulaic (is a dead prostitute in Atlanta connected to a serial rapist/killer?) but thankfully it is not. The discovery of the prostitute in the first chapter is only the springboard to introduce us to a plethora of characters and a brutal murder from 20 years prior. While none of the primary characters are...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Leen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2013

In dit boek introduceert Karin Slaughter Will Trent, een man die al veel heeft meegemaakt, en ingezet wordt bij een onderzoek naar de gruwelijke moord op een hoer. Hij kan de zaak linken met andere gevallen waarbij vrouwen werden verkracht en de tong afgebeten, met de dood tot gevolg.

Slaughter wisselt vlotjes (maar niet overdreven vaak) van vertelstandpunt: we beginnen met rechercheur Michael Ormewood, wat de lezer op het compleet verkeerde been zet, om vervolgens over te schakelen op het verhaa...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Lara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-mystery, favorites, read-2012

"L'ombra della verità" non è il primo romanzo che leggo di Karin Slaughter, ho infatti apprezzato molto anche gli altri libri della serie di Will Trent ma trovo che questo, piu dei racconti a venire, faccia emergere i tratti distintivi di questa autrice: la sua bravura nel creare personaggi così complessi da sfuggire a qualsiasi schema o classificazione e la sua capacità nello stimolare il lettore a non dare mai nulla per scontato.

La prima metà del libro è una sfida continua per capire con chi s...more

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May 10, 2012 ɑƨħŵɑɡ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 220-in-2012, 52books-in-52weeks-2012, awesome-heroine, fantastic-couples, mystery, thriller

The first in Will Trent series, deals with a serial rapist/killer and even more than that. He, along side with his childhood love, Angie, try to uncover the identity of that killer.

The pace and character conflicts are enough of a reason to keep me reading. I really couldn't put this down although as I contemplated putting it on hold as soon as I reached Chapter 3.

What I liked the most was the shifting perspective. We got many different personalities, and each given their own space to get us insi...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Melbourne on my mind rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, thriller, 2012

This is the first book I've read by Karin Slaughter, and I'll definitely be tracking down others. The title is reflective of the story - told from three main perspectives: GBI Special Agent Will Trent, Atlanta Police Officer Angie Polaski and paroled criminal John Shelley. When the perspectives overlap, the full story is revealed.

The plot had potential to be somewhat formulaic - a dead prostitute in Atlanta whose murder appears to be connected to a serial killer. But it's nowhere near formulaic....more

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Sep 29, 2010 Adam Panzer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow, what can I say. There is so much I want to talk about and yet nobody I know has read this. Here goes:

1.) I loved this book for the plain and simple fact that the characters are so beautifully crafted. They seem so real, so plausible, and their pain is more than palpable. I loved every minute of this book as I read it on the train and for the most part, I almost always debated not getting off at my stop, just so I could keep reading.

The way in which the story unfolds (no pun intended, ie: t...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Sarah Verminski rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-thriller, karin-slaughter, will-trent, favorites

The thing that makes this book so brilliant is part 1. Don't keep reading if you haven't finished the book yet (SPOILER ALERT).

When you're reading part 1, you're thinking this guy isn't perfect, he's cheating on his wife for one, but he obviously cares about his kid so he can't be all that bad.. Then you get to the end of part 1 and realize he's been sleeping with his neighbor's 15 year-old daughter, whoa! If you're anything like me, you might re-read the parts with Cynthia trying to pick up a...more

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Sep 28, 2010 Kayla rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-star-books, read-in-2010, own, karin-slaughter, favorites, series

TRIPTYCH by Karin Slaughter

I came across Karin Slaughter by chance, I had never heard of her books before I grabbed one from the library. I had originally wanted to read FRACTURED, so when I noticed it was Book #2 in a series I sought out Book #1 to read first. Enter TRIPTYCH. I'm glad I didn't miss out because this book was awesome! This is exactly the kind of storyline I like, and I enjoyed everything about this book. The twists and turns, the past and present, the characters - all written to...more

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Feb 27, 2010 Barbra rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This really is an explosive thriller with plenty of twists. It's a long time since I've read one of her books but it didn't disappoint. A good read.

Back Cover Blurb:
When Atlanta police detective Michael Ormewood is called out to a murder scene at the notorious Grady Homes, he finds himself faced with one of the most brutal killings of his career: Aleesha Monroe is found in the stairwell in a pool of her own blood, her body horribly mutilated.
As a one-off killing it's shocking, but when it become...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Donnell Bell rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is my first Karen Slaughter novel. To say I liked it would be false, to say I was compelled to read it and finish it, would be more in line with my thinking. There are no light moments in this book. It's gritty and violent but Slaughter's writing, her research well done and her storytelling and the way she keeps the reader guessing, amazing.

When I started the book I was confused, I thought I was following the hero--and didn't like what I was reading at all. Turns out I was following the ant...more

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Apr 24, 2010 Ana T. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, read-in-2010, mysteries-thrillers

I'm here trying to write a review of this book that I just read in one sitting, a whole afternoon for 557 pages, and one word keeps coming to mind - wow!!! I've been wanting to read Triptych ever since I finished Skin Privilege and found out that the next book in the Grant County series would include characters from the Will Trent series (there are only two books in this series of which Triptych is the first book). I don't know exactly what I was expecting but this story just blown me away. It h...more I'm here trying to write a review of this book that I just read in one sitting, a whole afternoon for 557 pages, and one word keeps coming to mind - wow!!! I've been wanting to read Triptych ever since I finished Skin Privilege and found out that the next book in the Grant County series would include characters from the Will Trent series (there are only two books in this series of which Triptych is the first book). I don't know exactly what I was expecting but this story just blown me away. It has a very different feel from the Grant County series and I think it a great achievement by Slaughter that after writing 5 successful books in the same series she manages to sound completely fresh in this one.

It's a bit difficult to write a review without giving much away and part of the power of this story is precisely what you uncover as it develops. It opens with a murder. The rape and mutilation of a whore being investigated by the Atlanta police force. The main detective is Michael Ormewood but he is soon joined by Special Agent Will Trent who notices the similarities between this case and at least two others involving the same type of mutilation. The action then jumps to another man, John Shelley is a registered sex offender, at 16 he is convicted of the rape and murder of a 15 year old girl and her spent 20 years behind bars paying for his crime.

This is what we know at first but, as Slaughter makes us know them better, we soon realise that not everything is what it seems about the 3 men. Trent is definitely the most enigmatic character (and an undiagnosed dyslexic); hopefully we will get to know more about him in the next book. Regarding Ormewood and Shelley it was fascinating to follow all the twists and turns till we reach the conclusion. It was not an easy read though, it's a story about complex characters that all seem to have a lot of emotional baggage and some a really mean streak, and it deals with pretty horrible crimes so it might not be for everyone. As for me I loved how the author plotted it, how every detail is important and how it all makes sense in the end.

Grade: 4.5/5
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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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Quotes from Triptych

“It didn't take a Harvard economist to figure out that it'd be a hell of a lot cheaper spending money on helping keep kids safe when they were younger than it was to put them in jail when they were older. That was the American way, though. Spend a million dollars rescuing some kid who's fallen down a well, but God forbid you spend a hundred bucks up front to cap the well so the kid never falls down it in the first place.” — 2 people liked it

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Triptych (Will Trent #1)

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