Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Will Trent is unpopular with Atlanta's police force as a result of the corruption enquiry he headed that jailed sixcops and forced the resignation of a well-loved high ranking officer. When the murder of a young girl and the abduction of her wealthy friend sparks one of the most high profile investigation's the city's seen, Will is partnered with Faith Mitchell, a city police officer who happens to be the daughter of one of the cops targeted in the investigation.
A sequel, or at least companion piece, to Triptych, Fractured concentrates on the enigmatic Will. I can't recall a lot of detail about the first novel but I remember his character being odd and distant - Fractured goes a long way to addressing why that is. As the novel progresses we learn more about his upbringing, and about the disability that's lead to his secrecy and privacy. I particularly liked the relationship that develops between Will and Faith, of mutual respect and appreciation truiumphing over initial guardedness and suspicion.
Of course, this would just be Literature without a pounding plot - there are multiple suspects and dead-ends, background to investigate and internal issues, all bound together with the overriding urgency of the hunt for a seventeen year old girl.
I've enjoyed all of Slaughter's novels, but I think Fractured is a notch above even her usual high standard, primarily due to the complexity of both the lead characters - Faith has a son at the university involved in the investigation, even thogh she's only thirty three, and Will is scarred from a childhood of foster care and an undiagnosed learning disability. It would have been understandable if Slaughter had decided to hook them up, but the relationship they develop instead is more satisfying and internally coherent. I hope there's a sequel, and look forward to whatever she puts out next. - Alex
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