"Triptych", by Karin Slaughter

Book 1 in the Will Trent series

This is a fine crime fiction that doesn’t miss a beat and where every detail has been scrutinized and utilized to its maximum to provide one fascinating and captivating tale. The story has a touch of violence, it focuses on: Homicide Detective Michael Ormewood, John Shelley a recent parolee, Special Agent Will Trent of the Criminal Apprehension Team and Vice Cop Angie Polanski. They are all brought together in a series of brutal murders.

Skilfully plotted the story unfolds at a rapid pace. It starts when Michael Ormewood is summoned to a brutal murder, the horribly mutilated body of Aleesha Monroe. It is evident that this murder is the latest in a series of similar attacks and could be of interest to the Criminal Apprehension team, so Special Agent Will Trent quickly becomes a vital player in solving the case. Tension takes a complex turn with John Shelley entering the scene. Being an ex-con, he becomes of special interest to Angie after meeting her in her undercover role as a prostitute. Unknowingly, he has stumbled upon the killer’s trail and holds the key to bringing the murderer to justice.

If you are a crime fiction addict, this novel won’t disappoint you. It has everything one can wish for in a page turner: an intricate mystery, great plot development, several threads expertly interweaved, many twists and turns to give it suspense and excellent character development. This is one riveting and compelling mystery that I highly recommend.