Cop Town by Karin Slaughter

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.

BLURB:

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:

This week, I am reviewing something different and this story has no romance at all. This is a Fan Girl review of suspense.

If you are looking for a beach read,this book is not for you. Karin Slaughter does not do light and fluffy. Cop Town is all dark and biting, and it keeps you turning the pages.
The story takes place in Atlanta in the 1970's when the world was changing rapidly. It's hard to see the struggles that minorities, women, and the gay community went through during these turbulent times right after Viet Nam. This story might be set in the south, but it happened nationwide. We owe a lot to the brave ground breakers of the past.
This story deals with cops that are being murdered. Newcomer Kate Murphy and four year veteran cop Maggie Lawson end up being partnered up and have a lot to endure, not only by the criminals, but by the condescending good-old boy system that believed women should be seen and not heard, especially in the crime field. Even by family members.
I found this book is riveting and definitely not nice. Maggie and Kate are brave, but they both have wounds and are flawed human beings. They make mistakes.
I was a fan of The Grant County series and I knew I had to check this one out. It is different, but Slaughter is never afraid to throw something dark and different at her readers.

I would like to thank the publisher...and NetGalley for letting me reading the ARC in exchange for an honest review.