Will Trent Books In Order

It doesn't take a sleuth to figure out why Karin Slaughter has had massive success with her "Will Trent" series of books. In a market replete with wily but distant detectives, Slaughter created a distinctly humanized, sympathetic character who nonetheless proves to be dang good at his job. Anyone who's delved into one of the various mysteries Trent embarks on will be able to testify to the gritty, down-to-earth prose and setting of the series. The helping of personal and romantic tension certainly doesn't hurt either. But if you're just diving into this world yourself, or if you're relatively new to the series thanks to ABC's Will Trent season 5, it can be a daunting task to figure out the order in which you should follow Trent's escapades. Thankfully, following the order that Slaughter did is really all you need as a baseline. Warning: This list contains spoilers for the "Will Trent" book series 1) Triptych The first novel in the "Will Trent" series to be published is also the first one to pick up to accompany Trent on his pursuits. "Triptych," published back in 2006, lays the foundation for what has become the essence of Will Trent's uniqueness (both in terms of the series and the eponymous character). From the hop, Slaughter throws the reader into a gritty novel that straddles the line between thriller/suspense and detective fiction. But not one to simply serve a copy-paste hard-boiled detective, Slaughter paints a beautifully nuanced protagonist in Will Trent. Put all these ingredients together, and you've got the making of a longlasting and successful series. "Triptych" itself follows Trent as he tracks down the perpetrator of a series of graphic and frankly disgusting murders. The novel gives readers an introduction to the no-holds-barred grit and violence that has become synonymous with the series, which seems gratuitous to some while seen as an enhancement to the grounded realism for others. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation's most interesting agent crosses paths with detective Michael Ormewood and vice cop Angie Polaski in the quest to find the tantalizing criminal before another innocent life is lost, laying the groundwork for the cast of characters in following novels, as well as the captivating mix of professional and personal conflicts that these characters struggle with. If there's only one place to start in the "Will Trent" series, it's got to be "Triptych," especially when examining the differences between TV Angie and her much darker book counterpart. You can purchase a copy of "Triptych" here. 2) Fractured The second novel in the "Will Trent" series brings more attention to Atlanta's high society, tying it to the dregs of the Georgia city through crime and a prospective serial murderer. Naturally, Trent is the perfect fit for the job. Trent proves able to find leads where the regular police bureau sees a shut case. But crucially, that's not the only way Trent butts heads with other law enforcement officials in this novel. "Fractured" brings together the quirky investigator and Faith Mitchell, a police officer aggrieved with Trent after the events of "Triptych." The odd-couple pairing of Trent and Mitchell only adds to the intrigue as the duo navigate their own tensions while simultaneously tracking down a suspected kidnapper/killer. Unsurprisingly, this dynamic only added to the series' success, adding another interesting layer to Slaughter's multitudinous narrative, and it only gets rolling in this 2008 novel. You can purchase a copy of "Fractured" here. 3) Undone Following hot off the heels of "Fractured," 2009's "Undone" (also known as "Genesis" in some markets) is a true crossover event in Slaughter's literary universe. The relationship between Trent and Mitchell continues to develop, uncovering the personal and medical secrets that Mitchell has been keeping from divulging to her newfound partner in solving crime. But beyond this, the duo encounters Dr. Sara Linton from another of Slaughter's hits, the "Grant County" series. The medical expert Linton becomes embroiled in Trent and Mitchell's attempt to track down the cruel and sadistic hand responsible for the victims under Linton's care at Grady Memorial Hospital. Besides the gripping plot, though, Slaughter once again shows her knack for injecting her thriller with the moments of humanity and fallibility that make this series beloved by those who've read it. You can purchase a copy of "Undone" here. 4) Broken Slaughter began a streak of yearly "Will Trent" publications starting in 2008, and that trend continues with 2010's "Broken." But where the previous novel, "Undone," gives readers the crossover potential with Dr. Sara Linton, "Broken" doubles down on that crossover and has the titular detective plunge into the heart of the drama unfolding in Grant County. "Broken" can be read as the fourth novel in the "Will Trent" series or as the seventh novel in the "Grant County" series. Nonetheless, Slaughter writes things such that a reading of the "Grant County" series is not a prerequisite to reading these early-middle installments of the "Will Trent" series. Instead, this novel simply enriches one's reading experience if they've already read the preceding "Grant County" novels. The old mystery of Dr. Linton's late husband resurfaces, as does the body of a university student from a nearby lake. As suspects are mysteriously found dead in police custody, and as murders continue to unfold, Trent finds himself investigating the investigators in a layered narrative that reflects the layers of character inherent in each of these novels — a trend that only continues in subsequent works. You can purchase a copy of "Broken" here. 5) Fallen Slaughter's hot streak continued in 2011 when "Fallen" became the fifth official installment documenting Will Trent's inquisitions. This time, though, the line between personal and professional problems becomes blurred beyond distinction. Faith Mitchell finds herself at the heart of a crisis as well as an investigation when her mother and retired police captain Evelyn Mitchell goes missing. Faith, along with Trent and Linton, must come to grips with the new reality of Faith becoming a dual witness-and-suspect of this mystery. Meanwhile, the seedy underbelly of Atlanta's police department only proves to provide roadblocks for Trent and company, as some of Evelyn's former coworkers may well be co-conspirators in her disappearance. Even if the crime weren't so close to home, this novel would be notable for developing Trent and Linton's relationship further, involving Linton on the investigation front more and giving readers plenty of alluring tension on top of an already-thrilling crime plot. You can purchase a copy of "Fallen" here. 6) Snatched Although this selection follows chronologically, it is the first of the bunch to break the all-novel trend. Serving as a kind of literary bottle episode in the "Will Trent" series, this short story is set entirely in Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and follows Will Trent as he attempts to track down a kidnapper in one the world's busiest intersections, all on nothing but a hunch and his intuition. While this 2012 release may not give as much as previous entries in the series with regards to character development or gritty, dark crime drama, it nevertheless proves to be a worthwhile read for fans of the series. Trent must rely solely on his own faculties (excepting the ability of his peers to essentially halt operations at the airport), and thus readers find a character suddenly alone amongst a crowd of strangers. It's the ultimate needle-in-a-haystack story, but one with life-altering implications for one innocent life. The short story form makes this a fast-paced, tight narrative that emphasizes Trent as a modern detective fiction icon. 7) Criminal By 2012, Slaughter had become known through this series for her ability to blend the personal lives of her characters with the thrill-inducing plots they investigate. Not only does she blend these on a personal level, though — she also implicates the characters themselves in and among the crime-riddled Atlanta of her novels. This was evident with Faith in "Fallen," but it becomes an even clearer motif in "Criminal," a story that bookends 40 years of history between Will Trent, his estranged father, and his supervisor, deputy director Amanda Wagner. It turns out that the case of Trent's orphanage and the setting of Wagner's very first case are tied at the hip, and the two must now navigate the messy fallout of these findings amidst a new case of a missing person. Of course, Trent couldn't simply live out his romance found in the previous novel in peace, and "Criminal" asserts itself as a lesson to Trent that his past may never truly die. You can purchase a copy of "Criminal" (including "Snatched") here. 8) Busted The second short story in as many years for the "Will Trent" series, "Busted" serves as a thrilling mini-episode and as a direct prequel to 2013's "Unseen." This short story sees Will Trent undercover as the threatening Bill Black, an ex-con seeking to gain access to a corrupt criminal cabal. But naturally, things can never go smoothly as planned. An incident at the Lil' Dixie gas station propels the disguised Trent into pursuit of a pickup truck-bound killer, threatening to blow off his undercover status before he even sees the fruits of his labor. Much like the previous short story, "Busted" eschews the deeper developments of the novels for a fast-paced action-thriller. However, since this story ties directly into the following novel, it remains essential reading even if Slaughter's prose wasn't enticing enough on its own. 9) Unseen Off the back of "Busted," Will Trent finds himself still disguised as Bill Black, and still in the midst of infiltrating Macon's criminal network. There's just one problem, though: when your relationship partner is as headstrong and capable as Sara Linton, your sudden and unexplained disappearance won't go off without an investigation of her own. What unfolds because of this is a web of interconnected investigations, questionable motives, and potentially misplaced suspicions as Trent and Linton both find themselves at sometimes-opposing ends of the same inquiry. Of course, Trent's undercover status and its potential unraveling are at the center of the dramatic irony on display in this novel. But beyond that, "Unseen" gives readers even more development into Linton and the hardships and the hardships that she must continually live and, in some cases, relive. You can purchase a copy of "Unseen" (including "Busted") here. 10) The Kept Woman After releasing six books and two short stories in just six years, Slaughter took a step back from the "Will Trent" series for a few years. But in 2016, the lovably eccentric detective made a return to the GBI and, naturally, to a crime scene rife with mystery and hinting at ghosts of Trent's past. Slaughter has never shied away from highlighting the social stratification in this series, and that motif is once again seen in "The Kept Woman." Most notably, this is evident in the wealthy landowner whose construction site became the latest crime scene, and who has a fraught past with Trent to put things mildly. Trent therefore already has an uphill battle in solving this mystery, as he must combat the red tape and personal resentment of those with low morals and high status. This novel emphasizes the shortcomings of the justice system when it faces class and social structures, not shying away from the dark, almost-cynical themes found in the series so far, were it not for Trent, Linton, and co. You can purchase a copy of "The Kept Woman" here.