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One might initially wonder why Karin Slaughter would choose to depart, however momentarily, from her Grant County mythos, developed in such critically and popularly acclaimed thrillers as BLINDSIGHTED and FAITHLESS. The reason for this interruption is TRIPTYCH, and Slaughter's motivation becomes obvious upon reading this haunting work, which could be one of the best novels from any genre to be published this year.
First and foremost, TRIPTYCH is a crime novel. But like the greatest of the works in this genre, it is also a character study. Perhaps it's more accurate to say studies, in that the book focuses on three individuals with the shifts in perspective slowly revealing all. The central event bringing the three men together is a series of horrific rapes and mutilations, the most recent of which ends in the brutal murder of a prostitute in an Atlanta housing project.
Homicide Detective Michael Ormewood is the investigating officer, but the focus of the novel's initial pages is not so much on his investigation as it is upon his personal life. Ormewood's marriage is dying the death of a thousand cuts, leaving him to wonder what happened to this relationship. At least one void is being filled by Ormewood's next-door neighbor, about whom more is gradually learned. When the ultimate revelation comes, it provides new insight into Ormewood and signals an important turning point in the narrative.
John Shelley, on the other hand, is newly released from prison on parole after serving 20 years for a brutal murder that bears an uncomfortable resemblance not only to the victim in Ormewood's investigation but also to a series of increasingly brutal attacks that began almost simultaneously with Shelley's release. There is more though to both Ormewood and Shelley than might first appear; as Slaughter begins to work her magic, it slowly but inexorably becomes obvious that neither man is who he seems to be.
It turns out that Will Trent, a special agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation who is brought in to assist Ormewood in his investigation, is the most interesting and enigmatic of these three protagonists. Trent is an odd though principled duck; Slaughter wisely chooses not to tell readers everything about him, so that an air of subtle mystery lingers long after the last page is read.
TRIPTYCH is a riveting and astounding work, as compelling as Dennis Lehane's MYSTIC RIVER and for entirely different reasons. Those who might be initially disappointed by Slaughter's momentary deviation from rural Grant County to the grit and grime of urban Atlanta will find cause to rejoice from first page to last. Very highly recommended.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
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