This Is Why We Lied is Karin Slaughter’s 24th novel and the 12th full-length novel in the Will Trent series. Triptych, published in 2006, introduced readers to Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) agent Will Trent. Although each novel can be read as a stand-alone mystery, the series offers an overarching story arc that centers on the character development of Will, his friends, and his colleagues.

Sara Linton, the GBI medical examiner and Will’s wife in This Is Why We Lied, is one of the main characters from Slaughter’s Grant County series of novels. Sara first appears in the third Will Trent novel, Undone, published in 2009. Over the next several novels, Will and Sara’s relationship developed, and this novel takes place during their honeymoon.

Will’s childhood is an important part of this long arc, beginning with his mother, Lucy Morales. Over the series, his story emerges: Amanda, Will’s current boss, was a police officer when she discovered baby Will in a trashcan near his dead mother’s body. Will remains unaware of this connection for much of his life, but Amanda is a mother figure who plays a prominent part in his life and the series. Family is an important component of the series, including Will’s found family of Amanda, Faith, and Sara (and even including his ex-wife, Angie).