A review by vacantbones
Criminal by Karin Slaughter

4.0

I can't believe it has been *this* long since I've taken a deep dive into the Will Trent series. Thankfully, Slaughter writes in a way that made me instantly remember the names of each of these characters, their connections, plots, etc..

Overall, I loved this one. Loved. There's some true progress in developing Will as a character (as well as his backstory), and Amanda as well. The 70s plot consisting of two women kicking ass was so rewarding for me, though it takes a while to dive into the story. And that ending? I gasped! Audibly! Karin, you crazy lady!

The only thing holding me back from giving this one a full 5 stars is how uncomfortable I was with the way Slaughter doesn't hold back from fully showcasing 70s policing in all its glory: corruption, nepotism, racism (complete with plenty of slurs to round the whole thing out), and violent sexism. I understand *why* this was done and respect the decision to not shy away from reality, but I do feel like it nears extreme levels that probably aren't entirely necessary to developing the plot.