In her fourth book involving pediatrician/coroner Sara Linton and Chief of Police Jeffrey Tolliver, Karin Slaughter explores the past of Sara and Jeffrey and how it connects to a new horror that will befall the both of them and the Grant County police station.
Indelible begins with two gunmen entering the Grant County police station and killing a handful of police officers, including one whom they believe to be Chief of Police Jeffrey Tolliver. A tense hostage situation ensues which includes Jeffrey’s ex-wife, Sara Linton, the elderly receptionist, three children who were being given a tour of the station, and another deputy.
Interspersed with the hostage situation story is a recollection of the past when Sara and Jeffrey went on their first vacation together. On their way to the Florida beach, Jeffrey stops in his hometown of Sylacauga, Alabama to introduce Sara to his family and friends and reveal to her his shady past. Here, Sara meets Jeffrey’s alcoholic mother, the local chief of police and Jeffrey’s best friends from high school, Possum and Robert, and their wives, Nell and Jessie. After a tense encounter with Jeffrey’s mother, Sara runs outside and hears screams coming from Jessie and Robert’s home. She and Jeffrey investigate and find a dead man, apparently an intruder shot by Robert. But is this really the case, or is everyone glossing over facts to protect Robert, including Jeffrey himself?
As both stories progress, the reader begins to see a connection between the past and the present and gains insight into our two main characters. As the stories proceed to their shattering endings, it’s nearly impossible to put the book down. Karin Slaughter has crafted another page-turner, this time adding another dimension with the two storylines. Along with having a strong and interesting plot, the book also offers more background on her two main characters, helping the reader relate to them and giving the series more depth.
Slaughter has created an intriguing and deep series with her Grant County novels. While Indelible is not as sick or twisted as Slaughter’s last effort (A Faint Cold Fear), it is more character-centered and just as much of a page-turner. I highly recommend this series to fans of Patricia Cornwell, Tess Gerritsen or any who enjoys thrillers with a medical bent.