I received an ARC copy of Undone by Karin Slaughter - but it turns out that this novel is to be published under the name of Genesis outside of the United States. A little confusing perhaps, but there you go. I don't know why one name wasn't chosen, and I do think that Genesis is more evocative name. But hey, maybe the religious connotations are too much for the U.S.
Karin Slaughter is one of the leading lights in the crime thriller genre and she has had a hugely successful career to date. She is the author of two series - the Grant County series featuring doctor Sara Linton and the Atlanta series featuring policeman Will Trent. Apparently this novel is the 7th in the Grant County series, the 3rd in the Atlanta series and the first in a new series, the Georgia series, which will feature both main characters. This merging of two stories will surely please dedicated fans, while cutting down on the amount of writing that Slaughter has to do.
Someone is taking kidnapping successful women and holding them prisoner in a foul, underground, cave which has been dug from the earth itself. When a car collides with one of the women, who has escapted from her captor, but is tortured and starving, Trent, and his partner Faith Mitchell, find themselves on the trail of a horrific and sadistic mind. When the woman is taken to hospital, Sara Linton is the attending physician and she is horrified by the pain and condition of the woman, who calls herself Anna. Her suffering and pain is beyond belief. When reports filter through of a similar woman being kidnapped, Trent and Mitchell know that they are in a race against time.
It's easy to read this book without needing to read the previous novels. While you will be aware of past history, Slaughter does a good job of providing enough information to get you involved. The crimes described in this book are dark and ugly but Slaughter gives her lead characters more than enough human frailty and honesty to compensate for the dark nature. They are genuinely likeable people. Additionally, I felt that the author did a great job of taking the reader through the internal thoughts of a detective who is working to solve a case, as well as showing us how inter-departmental politics can jeopardise an investigation.
The novel did feel a little rushed towards the end - and somehow, the ends came together a little too neatly. But Slaughter isn't the first author to fall into this trap and she won't be the last. Overall, this is a good, personable crime thriller. Fans of the genre are bound to enjoy it, and new readers will surely be encouraged to pick up another Slaughter novel.
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