ISBN: 9780345547491
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: 06/24/2014
Format: Hardcover
My Rating: 5 Stars
Karin Slaughter, author of the New York Times bestselling Will Trent novels, is widely acclaimed as “one of the best crime novelists in America” (The Washington Post). Now she delivers her first stand-alone novel: an epic story of a city in the midst of seismic upheaval, a serial killer targeting cops, and a divided police force tasked with bringing a madman to justice.
Atlanta, 1974: As a brutal murder and a furious manhunt rock the city’s police department, Kate Murphy wonders if her first day on the job will also be her last. She’s determined to defy her privileged background by making her own way—wearing a badge and carrying a gun. But for a beautiful young woman, life will be anything but easy in the macho world of the Atlanta PD, where even the female cops have little mercy for rookies. It’s also the worst day possible to start given that a beloved cop has been gunned down, his brothers in blue are out for blood, and the city is on the edge of war.
Kate isn’t the only woman on the force who’s feeling the heat. Maggie Lawson followed her uncle and brother into the ranks to prove her worth in their cynical eyes. When she and Kate, her new partner, are pushed out of the citywide search for a cop killer, their fury, pain, and pride finally reach the boiling point. With a killer poised to strike again, they will pursue their own line of investigation, risking everything as they venture into the city’s darkest heart.
Relentlessly paced, acutely observed, wickedly funny, and often heartbreaking, Cop Town is Karin Slaughter’s most powerful novel yet—a tour de force of storytelling from our foremost master of character, atmosphere, and suspense.
My Review
Loved this Atlanta Crime Thriller, COP TOWN!, Karin Slaughter’s upcoming new stand-alone crime thriller based in Hot Atlanta. A dark encounter of life on the streets, back in the seventies in a controversial city full of hatred and crime, in a predominantly male law enforcement world, with no respect for women, or other minorities. The 70’s were proving to be a bad decade for police officers. Atlanta had suffered more losses than most and in the past two years they caught five cop killers though only one of them had seen the inside of a courtroom. The others had mysterious accidents and the fifth one had walked out of the courtroom a free man. It was great returning to Atlanta, to all the familiar neighborhoods, with a beautiful, kick ass rookie cop, named Kate, a Jewish Buckhead gal, who recently lost her husband in Vietnam. Kate, walks into the Atlanta Police Department, blindsided with every kind of racism, sexism, discrimination, and abuse you can only imagine, especially being a woman in a man’s world--- as readers get to experience firsthand her first EIGHT days on the force. (they are not pretty ones). Kate gets paired with seasoned partner, Maggie Lawson. Maggie of course is under the thumb of her Uncle Terry and brother, Jimmy and her life is not easy (they even treat their own family like dirt). A lot of bad cops and not too many good ones. No one gives Kate, the new girl a break, as she quickly gets introduced to hookers, drug dealers, crack houses, pimps, violence, bigotry and the down and dirty Atlanta (all the evil is not within the town, but inside the police force). Kate is not sure she will make it through day one. These people are crude, violent, sexist, and obnoxious. - She is not safe anywhere, and little does she know the killer is on her trail, as well. A brutal murder has taken place and a serial killer is targeting cops and a divided police force with the mission of bringing a madman to justice. Maggie and Kate team up with Gail (this is one crazy and funny woman), to try and crack down a madman with no help from the macho pigs. No liberals, gays, or minorities are welcome by these guys. As the suspense builds, readers hear from three POVs -Maggie, Kate, and the Killer, (Shooter/Fox). The killer remains a secret, as Slaughter does a bang up job keeping you guessing. There is much more to the novel than the actual murders and crime. The author dives into the life of Kate, her past, family, and her struggles with people being good and bad at the same time. Maggie is quite a mystery; however, she and Kate learn from one another and develop a trust. (Liked the little sexy diversion of Dr. Philip Van Zandt -Dr. Zipless). Maybe more from Maggie in another book. A fast-paced, heart-racing, riveting crime thriller which keeps you on edge-- from Chester Bridge, Little Five Points, Howell Mill, Cabbage Town, Midtown, Buckhead, Grant Park, Downtown, to Grady Hospital---getting a glimpse into the dark alleys and secrets of Atlanta’s finest—truly engrossing, filled with humor and sarcasm for a satisfying bestseller read. Having moved to (Buckhead) Atlanta in the early nineties, missed all the happenings in the earlier times; however, have heard horror stories. Slaughter did an outstanding job with the fictional account, research, and reality of this devastating time. For those who do not reside in the area, you will be glad to know a number of these seedy dark areas are now quite trendy and hip, with lots of lofts and restaurants. Looking forward to reading more from this talented author!
A special thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
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About the Author
Karin Slaughter is one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed storytellers. Published in 120 countries with more than 35 million copies sold across the globe, her 21 novels include the Grant County and Will Trent books, as well as the Edgar-nominated Cop Town and the instant New York Times bestselling stand-alone novels Pretty Girls, The Good Daughter, and Pieces of Her. Slaughter is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit organization established to support libraries and library programming. A native of Georgia, she lives in Atlanta. Her stand-alone novel Pieces of Her is in development with Netflix, starring Toni Collette, and the Grant County and Will Trent series are in development for television. Website
