Will Trent Books in Order
Will Trent is a GBI special agent with an eidetic memory, severe dyslexia, and scars from eighteen years in Atlanta's foster care system. He compensates for his reading difficulties with obsessive attention to detail and the kind of pattern recognition that makes him the agency's best investigator. His past haunts him, but it also makes him relentless when children are involved.
Karin Slaughter introduced Trent in Triptych (2006), pairing him with his partner Faith Mitchell, a detective dealing with her own family complications. The series took a major turn in Undone (2009) when Sara Linton, the pediatrician and coroner from Slaughter's earlier Grant County series, crossed over and eventually became Will's love interest. The two series are now effectively merged, with Sara appearing in every Will Trent book from Undone onward.
The series spans 12 novels plus three novellas, with the 13th book scheduled for 2026. ABC adapted the books into a television series in 2023, with Ramon Rodriguez playing Trent. The show takes liberties with the source material but captures the procedural intensity and Atlanta setting that define the books.
Slaughter writes brutal crime fiction. The violence is explicit, the subject matter often involves crimes against women and children, and the investigations dig into institutional failures and systemic abuse. These aren't cozy mysteries. They're unflinching looks at the worst things people do to each other and the toll that investigating those crimes takes on the people who catch them.
Triptych
Will Trent is a GBI special agent with a difficult past in Atlanta's foster care system and a secret he hides from colleagues: he's dyslexic and compensates through memorization and technology. His first case in the series involves a brutal attack at a hospital that expands into something larger. Slaughter pairs him with Sara Linton, a medical examiner from her Grant County series, creating a crossover that anchors both characters going forward.
Published: 2006
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Fractured
Trent investigates a case in the Atlanta suburbs where appearances are deceiving and family secrets run dark. Slaughter uses the domestic setting to build tension and explore class dynamics. Trent's relationship with his partner Faith Mitchell develops as they work through institutional resistance.
Published: 2008
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Undone
The investigation hits close to home when someone connected to Trent's past turns up in a case. Slaughter weaves Trent's childhood trauma into the present-day mystery, making the procedural personal. The Atlanta setting provides both urban crime and suburban unease.
Published: 2009
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Broken
Trent and Mitchell take on a case that pulls them into dangerous territory. Slaughter increases the physical danger for Trent while developing his relationship with Sara. The crime plotting is tight and the emotional stakes for the recurring characters build on previous books.
Published: 2010
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Fallen
A case involving sexual assault forces Trent to navigate both the investigation and the institutional failures that let it happen. Slaughter writes these themes unflinchingly and uses Trent's own history to deepen his connection to the case. Faith Mitchell gets more development as her personal life intersects with the investigation.
Published: 2011
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Criminal
Trent goes undercover and the assignment puts strain on every relationship in his life. Slaughter uses the undercover premise to isolate Trent and raise the stakes beyond a typical investigation. The book is one of the more tense entries in the series.
Published: 2012
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Unseen
Trent investigates a case with connections to wealthy and powerful people in Atlanta. Slaughter explores how money and influence shield criminals, and Trent's outsider status becomes both an advantage and a liability. Sara's involvement adds a medical dimension to the investigation.
Published: 2013
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The Kept Woman
A missing persons case turns into something more sinister as Trent peels back layers of deception. Slaughter continues developing the ensemble cast while keeping the mystery plotting sharp. The book deepens the personal dynamics between Trent, Sara, and Faith.
Published: 2016
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The Last Widow
Trent's investigation intersects with events from his past in the foster system, forcing him to confront memories he'd rather leave buried. Slaughter handles the childhood trauma material with care while maintaining the thriller pacing. The case resolution ties into the larger character arc.
Published: 2019
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The Silent Wife
The series continues with Trent taking on a case that tests his investigative skills and his personal boundaries. Slaughter balances the procedural elements with character development across the ensemble. The Atlanta setting remains a strong backdrop for the social tensions the books explore.
Published: 2020
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After That Night
Trent and his team face a case with high stakes and personal consequences. Slaughter keeps the series fresh by varying the type of crime and the emotional territory each book explores while maintaining the character relationships that readers follow across entries.
Published: 2023
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This Is Why We Lied
The latest entry continues Trent's work with the GBI while advancing his personal story. Slaughter has built the series into one of the more reliable crime fiction franchises, with Trent's combination of vulnerability and competence distinguishing him from typical tough-guy investigators.
Published: 2024
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Will Trent Reading Order: Complete Guide to Karin Slaughter's Series
Last updated: February 2025
Will Trent books come with a reading order question that trips up new readers: should you start with the Grant County series first? Here's what you need to know.
Quick Answer
First-time readers have two good options:
1. Start with Triptych (Will Trent #1) if you want to meet Will immediately and don't mind meeting Sara Linton later without her backstory.
2. Start with Blindsighted (Grant County #1) if you want to know Sara's full history before she joins the Will Trent series in Undone.
Both approaches work. The series doesn't require Grant County, but Grant County makes Sara's character richer.
Why the Reading Order Matters
Karin Slaughter wrote two separate series that merged in 2009:
Grant County (6 books, 2001-2007): Set in small-town Georgia. Features pediatrician/coroner Sara Linton, police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, and detective Lena Adams. Finished as a complete story.
Will Trent (12+ books, 2006-present): Set in Atlanta. Features GBI agent Will Trent and detective Faith Mitchell. Sara Linton joins the series in book 3 and becomes Will's love interest.
The crossover happens in Undone (2009). Sara's arc in that book carries more weight if you've read Grant County, but Slaughter wrote it to work for new readers too.
Complete Will Trent Reading Order
Publication Order (Recommended)
1. Triptych (2006) - Will Trent and Faith Mitchell introduced
2. Fractured (2008) - Will investigates a home invasion
3. Undone (2009) - Sara Linton joins the series
4. Broken (2010) - Return to Grant County setting
5. Fallen (2011) - Faith's mother goes missing
5.5. Snatched (2012) - Novella
6. Criminal (2012) - Will's origins revealed
6.5. Busted (2013) - Novella
7. Unseen (2013) - Undercover operation
8. The Kept Woman (2016) - Will and Sara's relationship deepens
8.5. Cleaning the Gold (2019) - Novella with Lee Child (Jack Reacher crossover)
9. The Last Widow (2019) - Domestic terrorism
10. The Silent Wife (2020) - Prison investigation
11. After That Night (2023) - Sara confronts her past
12. This Is Why We Lied (2024) - Mountain retreat murders
The Grant County Question
You don't need to read Grant County first, but Sara's emotional arc makes more sense if you do. Here's what you'd be missing without it:
- Who Jeffrey Tolliver was and what happened to him
- Why Sara moved from Grant County to Atlanta
- The trauma Sara carries throughout the Will Trent books
- Lena Adams' history when she appears in crossover scenes
If you decide to read Grant County first:
1. Blindsighted (2001)
2. Kisscut (2002)
3. A Faint Cold Fear (2003)
4. Indelible (2004)
5. Faithless (2005)
6. Beyond Reach (2007)
Then start Will Trent with Triptych.
The Novellas
Three novellas sit between main novels:
Snatched - Between Fallen and Criminal. Faith goes undercover at a mall.
Busted - Between Criminal and Unseen. Will and Faith work a drug case.
Cleaning the Gold - Between The Kept Woman and The Last Widow. Written with Lee Child. Jack Reacher crosses paths with Will Trent. Fun but not essential.
Skip them if you want. They add color but don't affect the main story.
About Will Trent
Will Trent grew up in Atlanta's child welfare system. Eighteen years of foster homes left him with physical and psychological scars he rarely discusses. His dyslexia went undiagnosed until adulthood, but he compensated with an exceptional memory and attention to detail that made him the GBI's top investigator.
He's tall, visibly scarred, and socially awkward in ways that make people underestimate him. That works in his favor. He notices things other investigators miss because he learned early to watch people carefully and trust nothing at face value.
His partnership with Faith Mitchell grounds the series. She handles the paperwork he struggles with. He catches the details she overlooks. Neither of them talks much about personal problems, which means they understand each other perfectly.
About Sara Linton
Sara was a pediatrician and part-time coroner in Grant County when Slaughter introduced her in Blindsighted (2001). Her life there ended badly. The Grant County series tells that story.
She joins Will Trent's world in Undone, reluctantly at first. Their relationship develops slowly across multiple books, complicated by her past and his inability to open up about his own. By The Kept Woman, they're together. The later books explore their partnership both professionally and personally.
Reading Grant County isn't required to understand Sara in the Will Trent books. But the six books she appeared in first explain why she reacts to certain situations the way she does, and what she lost before Atlanta.
Content Warnings
Slaughter writes dark crime fiction. Every book contains:
- Graphic violence, including against women and children
- Sexual assault (referenced and sometimes depicted)
- Child abuse and institutional failures
- Explicit forensic details
- Strong language throughout
These are not cozy mysteries. If explicit content bothers you, this isn't your series.
Television Adaptation
ABC launched a Will Trent TV series in January 2023 with Ramon Rodriguez as Will. The show changes character relationships and backstories significantly. Sara joins the story earlier than in the books. Will's ex-wife Angie plays a larger role. The Atlanta setting and core procedural format remain.
The show works as its own thing. Don't expect it to follow the books closely.
Where to Start: Final Recommendation
Most readers: Start with Triptych. You'll meet Sara properly when she arrives in Undone, and the books give you enough context to understand her.
Completists: Read Grant County first (Blindsighted through Beyond Reach), then start Will Trent from the beginning. This is 18 books before you're current, but you'll catch every reference and understand Sara's full story.
TV fans: The show is different enough that any book is a fresh start. Triptych makes the most sense.
The series keeps getting better. Criminal (book 6) and The Last Widow (book 9) are particular fan favorites. After That Night (book 11) finally addresses events from Grant County that Sara had avoided confronting for years.