Review of CRIMINAL

The disappearance of a teenager involves the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and links back to a series of disappearances at the time of Amanda Wagner’s first law enforcement job, working at the Atlanta Police Department. Will Trent wonders about Amanda’s involvement in the current case and why is so determinedly leaving him out. The reasons end up being a big part of the story, which is told in both past and present.

One of Karin Slaughter’s strengths as a writer is the way she realizes her characters, and it is fascinating the way she brings different characters to the forefront each time. The best part of this novel was the historical element and finding out about 1970s Atlanta police force when sexism and all the other “isms,” such as alcoholism and racism dominated.

What I didn’t understand was how Amanda went from being a naïve, father-pleasing, young rookie to hardened creature that she is now. Too much of a disconnect without there being a satisfying portrayal of her change. I also find long kidnapping scenes at the hands of a serial killer pretty boring reading. I had a hard time distinguishing between the three victims in the past, as we never really meet them as characters. It was hard to care about their fates, as a result, although I got the point that Amanda and Evelyn were not as quick to dismiss them as were the men of the department. Some of the scenes between Amanda and Evelyn trying to work out the details of the case got a little “talky.” The ending was interesting though, and the way the threads came together.

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