Fans Are Begging Karin Slaughter To Give This Will Trent Side Character A Bigger Spotlight

Karin Slaughter might not need help with her Will Trent books, but she’d still benefit from stealing one character from the show. You could spend days analyzing the differences between the Will Trent show and books, and that’s fantastic. Getting to experience the Will Trent cast in two different ways is all part of the fun.

However, now that one of the best characters in ABC’s Will Trent has been written out to the point there’s no way they can appear in Will Trent season 4, it would be fun to see Slaughter’s books reinterpret a character from the series as opposed to vice versa. And there’s plenty of opportunity for the books to do that.

Karin Slaughter’s Will Trent Books Haven’t Been Concluded Yet

Will Trent #12 Leaves The Story Open To Continue

There’s been buzz in the fan community that Karin Slaughter’s next Will Trent novel will be her last. For one thing, Will and Sara Linton were recently married and may decide to settle down and lead lower-risk lives. It’s the perfect time for a happy ending. Additionally, Slaughter just released the acclaimed first book in her new North Falls series.

But whether she sets aside the Will Trent books to focus on the newer book series or not, the most recent book as of now is This Is Why We Lied. And, without getting too deeply into spoilers, there’s no hint in the entirety of This Is Why We Lied that this is meant to be Will’s last murder mystery.

While some reviewers have praised the newest Will Trent book as a possible standalone entry for series newcomers, This Is Why We Lied takes place when Will and Sara Linton are on their honeymoon together. If catching a body under those circumstances doesn’t turn them off of the job, there are definitely enough books left to start considering new characters.

Rafael Wexford Is Will Trent Season 3’s Most Complicated New Character

His History With Will Contains Layers Upon Layers

Just as TV viewers are eagerly awaiting Sara Linton’s appearance in Will Trent, readers might consider demanding the appearance of Rafael Wexford in the books. Rafael is a violent gang leader who also happens to be one of Wilbur’s oldest friends, which in and of itself makes their relationship interesting since it’s technically Will’s job to take Rafael down.

Rafael’s grandmother, Ms. Pearl (played by Marla Gibbs), took Will in when he was younger. Although Rafael objected because Will was jobless and uneducated, the two became very close Rafael killed to save Will’s life after they were caught selling stolen rugs. And even with that dramatic bond, it’s how their relationship plays out that keeps things interesting.

Will and Rafael both struggle throughout season 3 with the knowledge that they’re reviving their friendship at a time when they’re on opposite sides of the law. But they can still ease the tension to have long conversations about watching General Hospital with Ms. Pearl, and it’s entertaining to watch them do so. Slaughter can do a lot with that.

How Karin Slaughter’s Will Trent Books Can Improve On Rafael’s Story

ABC Only Had So Much Time To Develop The Character

Because he only appears in less than half the scenes of a six-episode run, Rafael Wexford isn’t quite as fleshed out in ABC’s Will Trent as he could be. Whereas we had multiple episodes to understand Angie’s downward spiral in Will Trent season 3, we’re told very little about the origins of this very flamboyantly gay man’s seemingly biological daughter.

That’s a breath of fresh air in some ways, showing that Will doesn’t need an explanation to take Rafael and Sunny’s relationship at face value. However, Sunny plays a central part in Rafael’s story arc that would feel more complete if we had more information about her. A novel would allow time to build on that.

Introducing Rafael to the Will Trent books would also allow for more time exploring his backstory with Will. The fact that Rafael initially judged Will’s dyslexia could be particularly compelling, as it would explain why he holds onto his shame after all these years despite the times Angie tried to reassure him.

Knowing that Will once had a dear friendship with someone who judged him for his setbacks would explain why they’re still so important to him when he’d otherwise been given nothing but support. Elaborating on Rafael’s character in the books is essentially a way of fleshing out Will himself, which feels like a worthwhile goal.

There’s Still One Potential Drawback To Rafael Appearing In The Will Trent Books

His Ending Can’t Be As Neatly Wrapped Up As In The Show

It might be fun for fans of the ABC series to watch Will and Rafael interrupt Pearl’s funeral plans to talk about major plotlines on General Hospital, but that wouldn’t suit the Will Trent books’ darker tone. In fact, Rafael’s happy ending on the show feels very unlike something Karin Slaughter might write.

The ABC series has gotten slightly darker with the possible setup of two Will Trent season 4 deaths, but the book series has been much darker since the beginning. The TV storyline, in which Rafael’s able to go into witness protection with his daughter for turning over gang members who betrayed him, is a little too tidy for the books.

While it would be exciting to see Rafael in the books, he wouldn’t likely receive such a happy ending. He’d more likely die, go to prison, or worse. Considering the books write off Ormewood by making him a murderer, one can only imagine how they’d handle a character who runs an entire gang.

But, looking at why Slaughter’s Will Trent books wrote off Ormewood, Rafael at least has a shot at redemption. It’d be fun to see how the author would write that story herself. If Karin Slaughter could find it in herself to give Rafael a chance, it could make for a great reading experience to please TV and book fans alike.