#BookReview of #AfterThatNight by Karin Slaughter

‘Featuring investigator Will Trent and medical examiner Sara Linton’
– After That Night

[ About After That Night ]

After that night, nothing was ever the same again …

Fifteen years ago, Sara Linton’s life changed forever when a celebratory night out ended in a violent attack that tore her world apart. Since then, Sara has remade her life. A successful doctor, engaged to a man she loves, she has finally managed to leave the past behind her.

Until one evening, on call in the ER, everything changes. Sara battles to save a broken young woman who’s been brutally attacked. But as the investigation progresses, led by GBI Special Agent Will Trent, it becomes clear that Dani Cooper’s assault is uncannily linked to Sara’s.

And it seems the past isn’t going to stay buried forever …

[ My Review ]

After That Night ( Will Trent #11) by Karin Slaughter published June 22nd with Harper Collins and is described as an ‘electrifying thriller.’ A highly anticipated addition to this series, Karin Slaughter holds nothing back as she takes the reader on a dark and shocking journey, returning to the tragic night when everything changed for Sara Linton.

Three years ago Sara was on duty when a young woman was brought into the ER with horrific injuries. Her dying words were a struggle for her but in a whisper she asked Sara to stop the person who did this to her, this person who brutally attacked and raped her. She made Sara promise and, following her tragic death, Sara intended on seeing this promise through. Sara Linton was the victim of a vicious rape the night she should have been celebrating success many years previously. This brutal attack changed the trajectory of her life. Having witnessed this young woman’s life slip away sent Sara’s thoughts spiralling but it also made her more determined than ever to get justice.

The investigation into the attack, and the building of the case, took three years to prepare. Now Sara is in court fighting for the honour of this young woman against a defence team, lead by one of the most powerful lawyers in town. Sara has dreaded this moment but, with Will Trent by her side and her own inner strength, she pushes through. As she leaves the courtroom, Sara goes to the bathroom to regroup and crosses paths with the mother of the defendant. Sara knows this woman from her college days, she knows this woman is a mean and unforgiving person, but she is totally unprepared when she spits venom at Sara and makes a reference to Sara’s rape, insinuating some connection between the two. Sara is shell-shocked, thrown completely off kilter. She speaks to Will and his partner Faith and the trio lead their own investigation outside of work, gathering sufficient evidence to bring to their boss, Amanda.

What transpires is evil most incarnate, with an investigation that opens a pandora’s box of horrors. Karin Slaughter is a master at her trade but I think even Karin Slaughter has gone a step further with this novel, sparing nothing in her descriptions of the despicable behaviour and actions of her characters. Revulsion and pure disgust flooded my brain as I compulsively turned the pages of this challenging, yet completely addictive read. Sara Linton’s story is central to this novel but it is certainly not necessary to have read the preceding books in this series to get a sense of what is happening. Karin Slaughter expertly weaves the backstory into the arc of the novel, creating an all-encompassing experience, whether you are a new reader or an existing fan.

After That Night is an outstanding read. It is devastating, appalling and gut-wrenching with Karin Slaughter depicting scenes with quite a graphic hand that most definitely could be a trigger for some readers. In the midst of the pain, there are some lighter pieces of dialogue that distract the reader and provide a bit of breathing space before being transported down that dark tunnel again. Skillfully written and superbly depicted, with a tight, complex and intense plot, After That Night is a harrowing, gripping and explosive read, one that I highly recommend!

[ Bio ]

Karin Slaughter is the author of more than twenty instant New York Times bestselling novels, including the Edgar–nominated Cop Town and standalone novels Pretty Girls, The Good Daughter, and Pieces of Her. She is published in 120 countries with more than 40 million copies sold across the globe. Pieces of Her is a #1 Netflix original series starring Toni Collette, and WILL TRENT, based on her Will Trent series, is on ABC (and streaming on Hulu in the U.S., and Disney+ internationally). False Witness and The Good Daughter are in development for television. Slaughter is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit organization established to support libraries and library programming. A native of Georgia, she lives in Atlanta.