The Last Widow author Karin Slaughter interviews her own book’s character, Will Trent
Will Trent is the leading man in nine novels by international best selling author Karin Slaughter, including her latest release The Last Widow. Today he steps outside the pages for a Q&A with his creator.
Books
Don't miss out on the headlines from Books. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Will Trent is the leading man in nine novels by international best selling author Karin Slaughter, including her latest release The Last Widow. A longtime investigator for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), he is also a heartthrob, according to his 35 million adoring fans and his longtime love interest, Sara Linton. Today he steps outside the pages for a Q&A with his creator.
Karin Slaughter: Let’s start with some easy questions. What is your favorite food?
Will Trent: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Pizza. Convenience store burritos. The same kind of stuff everyone eats.
KS: What do you like to do with your free time?
WT: I like to work on anything that has an engine or a motor. I have a Porsche 911 that I’ve fully restored from the ground up. I also like to work on my house, which is older and needs a lot of attention. I like spending time with my girlfriend. And I take care of my dog, Betty.
KS: OK, let’s get a little more serious. You grew up in the Atlanta Children’s Home, which was basically an orphanage. Tell us about what that was like?
WT: I guess it was like any home that has a lot of kids—noisy, not clean but not filthy, either. We’re not talking a Dickensian existence. We had food and a bed and we went to school like normal kids. Mrs. Flannigan ran the place. She wasn’t the warm, fuzzy type, but she was fair to the kids. My first memory is from when I was about five years old. Mrs. Flannigan gave me a comb to keep in my pocket. On visiting days I would stand at the mirror trying to make my cowlick go down so I’d look like the kind of kid you’d want to take home with you. I kept that comb on me until I was 18.
KS: Tell us about how you got your start at the GBI?
WT: I was recruited by the GBI straight out of college, which was a good thing because I had absolutely no plan for the rest of my life. It’s funny that I ended up a cop because considering my juvenile record, and the statistics about kids in state care, it was more likely I would continue to be in state care well into my adulthood. As in prison. But an understanding judge cleaned up my record after I did some community service and had a few college classes under my belt. I found out after I was hired that my boss, Amanda, was doing some string-pulling behind the scenes, which is weird because the only strings she likes to pull are the ones that are tied to short hairs. But at the time I was pretty sure that it was destiny and I was meant to be one of the good guys. My job comes with its own set of challenges. But I love it.
KS: You have a phenomenal success rate, and have solved nearly 90 per cent of the cases you’ve investigated. What is your secret to success?
WT: I like a good puzzle, which helps in my line of work. Most of an investigation is inside a cop’s head. You think a lot about what’s happened to the victim or victims, and what kind of person would do the terrible or stupid thing that happened. I’d say that usually stupidity is a big part of a criminal’s downfall. Cops like to think that we’re brilliant super heroes, but a lot of times you get a lead because someone slipped up.
KS: You and Sara Linton have been together for a while now. Not to pry, but how is that going?
WT: OK
KS: Well, your fans want to know, is Angie going to continue to be a problem?
WT: So, I look at it this way: Let’s say you’re allergic to cats and you go to a party where the person has a cat. The cat just knows, and somehow, even if there are 200 people in the room, by the end of the night, that cat is going to end up sticking its ass in your face. That’s Angie. History tells us that the minute my life is going great, I’ll turn around and see her ass.
KS: If Sara were to say something about you, what would it be?
WT: This reminds me of a recent heated discussion. For a smart man, I can make some pretty stupid mistakes.
KS: What’s next for Will Trent?
I hope good things. I’m kind of on probation with Sara right now. I screwed up some things (I told you I could’ve been a criminal) but I feel like she’s forgiven me.
The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter, published by HarperCollins, out now, $32.99
BOOK OF THE MONTH
TODAY is the last chance for readers to get hold of July’s Sunday Book Club Book Of The Month, Devil’s Lair by Sarah Barrie. Set in the Tasmanian wilderness, this psychological thriller is about a widow who seeks refuge in an isolated mansion after her husband’s violent death. But the house has secrets and she soon finds herself in a race to uncover them. Sunday Book Clubs readers can get a 30 per cent discount at Utopia by using the code NCBT19. And don’t forget to share your favourite new reads at The Sunday Book Club on Facebook.
Originally published as The Last Widow author Karin Slaughter interviews her own book’s character, Will Trent
‘Don’t try this at home’: Risk rewarded
Joanne Fedler defied inner fear and official advice, to take a risk at a time of personal loss – and made an extraordinary discovery that brought back her gift for storytelling.
‘What happened? Who is guilty?’
Four girls disappear from a school camp and a male teacher goes after them. The girls return – but the man does not. Wouldn’t you be asking hard questions, writes Nikki Gemmell.