Scan barcode
A review by wordsofclover
The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Will Trent and his girlfriend Sara are settling down and becoming more serious when their world is upended (again) as the two of them are called in to investigate after a retired detective is found murdered. Evidence discovered at the crime scene leads to Angie - Will's oldest friend and estranged wife - and it looks like she may be in trouble.
This book felt like an important one in the series as Angie has always been a threatening dark cloud over Will and Sara's relationship - both her hold on will, and her slightly psychotic rage towards Sara. In this book we finally see some real strength from Will as he finally stands up to Angie and she begins to realise she's doesn't have so much power over him anymore while at the same time we learn some really big things about Angie's past and why she is the way she is.
I always thought Karin Slaughter's introduction and continued portrayal of Angie in these books was interesting but also slightly puzzling. When we first meet her in book 1, we wee the connection between her and Will and she doesn't seem so bad but with each subsequent book her behaviour and her treatment of Will gets worse and worse. This book definitely lets us in on Angie's secrets and in a way can make us feel empathy for her as to why she acts the way she does but at the same time, she's so vile most of the time and how she talks to Will and makes him feel about himself when he would have done anything for her is so unforgivable.
The investigation in this is quite brutal as it looks into people with a violent past towards women from assault, gang rape, hush ups and drugs - plus as we find out from Angie abuse towards children as well. Like all Slaughter books, if you're sensitive to...well anything, you shouldn't read them as she always goes for the gritty!
Similar to Lena in the Grant County series, Angie is a character i've truly come to hate and I was disappointed we didn't get a real good riddance of her in this book, and I hate that we will continue to have this Angie shadow, never knowing when she will turn up again to ruin the day. I'm so afraid she will do something to Will and Sara, and after the ending of Grant County, I'm not sure I can go through that heartbreak again!
This book felt like an important one in the series as Angie has always been a threatening dark cloud over Will and Sara's relationship - both her hold on will, and her slightly psychotic rage towards Sara. In this book we finally see some real strength from Will as he finally stands up to Angie and she begins to realise she's doesn't have so much power over him anymore while at the same time we learn some really big things about Angie's past and why she is the way she is.
I always thought Karin Slaughter's introduction and continued portrayal of Angie in these books was interesting but also slightly puzzling. When we first meet her in book 1, we wee the connection between her and Will and she doesn't seem so bad but with each subsequent book her behaviour and her treatment of Will gets worse and worse. This book definitely lets us in on Angie's secrets and in a way can make us feel empathy for her as to why she acts the way she does but at the same time, she's so vile most of the time and how she talks to Will and makes him feel about himself when he would have done anything for her is so unforgivable.
The investigation in this is quite brutal as it looks into people with a violent past towards women from assault, gang rape, hush ups and drugs - plus as we find out from Angie abuse towards children as well. Like all Slaughter books, if you're sensitive to...well anything, you shouldn't read them as she always goes for the gritty!
Similar to Lena in the Grant County series, Angie is a character i've truly come to hate and I was disappointed we didn't get a real good riddance of her in this book, and I hate that we will continue to have this Angie shadow, never knowing when she will turn up again to ruin the day. I'm so afraid she will do something to Will and Sara, and after the ending of Grant County, I'm not sure I can go through that heartbreak again!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual violence