Monday, August 24, 2009

Review: Undone by Karin Slaughter


Book Info:
Undone by Karin Slaughter
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press (July 14, 2009)
ISBN-13: 9780385341967
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Rating: 4.25/5


Three years ago former Grant County medical examiner Sara Linton moved to Atlanta hoping to leave her tragic past behind her. Now working as a doctor in Atlanta's Grady Hospital she is starting to piece her life together. But when a severely wounded young woman is brought in to the emergency room, she finds herself drawn back into a world of violence and terror. The woman has been hit by a car but, naked and brutalized, it's clear that she has been the prey of a twisted mind.

When Special Agent Will Trent of the Criminal Investigation Team returns to the scene of the accident, he stumbles on a torture chamber buried deep beneath the earth. And this hidden house of horror reveals a ghastly truth - Sara's patient is just the first victim of a sick, sadistic killer. Wrestling the case away from the local police chief, Will and his partner Faith Mitchell find themselves at the center of a grisly murder hunt. And Sara, Will and Faith - each with their own wounds and their own secrets - are the only thing that stands between a madman and his next crime...




I've been mulling this book over for the last few days...and on one hand I really liked it, but on the other, I was disappointed. I stumbled on The Grant County series when it first came out and it instantly became a favorite. I loved the how gritty and dark the series was, but Slaughter's writing always included a bit of humor or sarcasm to lighten the mood.

The writing in Undone is perfect as always. The story is dark and the plot keeps you guessing right up until the end. The bad guys are creepy and the story had plenty of twists and turns. There were even a few times I had to laugh, and I love that about Slaughter's writing. She goes from dark to funny so easily.

My biggest problem with this book, as a long-time fan of the series, is that this isn't a Grant County book. No Jeffery, no Lena and very little Sara. I really enjoyed Fractured (the second Will Trent book) and was glad to see him and Faith Mitchell again, but Undone should have been billed as their third book, not Grant County's seventh book.

I don't think Sara is a strong enough character to carry this series on her own and I'm curious to see if the two series will become one. Either way, as long as Slaughter keeps me guessing I will keep reading. 4.25 stars

6 comments:

Jennifer said...

I like Karin Slaughter's novels and now I am intrigued as to her newest one. Thank you for the well done review.

Sandy Nawrot said...

Your perspective, as a fan of the series, is interesting. I came into this book cold, and loved it. I do intend to go back and read the prequels. You are right, Slaughter has a wicked humor!

Jenny said...

That's interesting about it not being a real Grant County book... I've only read the first in the series. Is this the first book that does this? B/c I would want to read the other series first if this has characters from there.

Melissa said...

The Grant County series is wonderful, but the ending of Beyond Reach, the book before Undone, has a shocker of an ending. Undone has Sara in it(from the Grant County Series), but focuses more on Trent and Mitchell, who are in Triptych and Fractured.

Zibilee said...

Sorry that this book did not live up to your expectations. It sounds like an interesting premise, and I might try to look into the first of this series. Thanks!

Becky W. said...

Great review! The only other book I've read of hers is Fractured and I loved it. This is on my wish list, so maybe I'll have to grab it for my Kindle faster than originally planned!