Cop Town

(*This book is an ARC from Netgalley and does not come out until June 24, 2014. I received an advanced copy for an honest review. None of what I say will be direct quotes from the book per request from publisher.)

This is my first Karin Slaughter novel and I know it’s not going to be my last. I was hooked from the first chapter and am still stuck in the book 12 hours after finishing it. Everything that I like in books (plot, characters, and writing) were beyond what I expected.

For me, there were two plots in this book. The first and more noticeable one is to find who the cop killer was. The second and equally important plot was women trying to make it into the police force in the 1970s. The book focuses on Maggie Lawson who grew up show more with a whole family of male cops and Kate Murphy, a beautiful, born rich woman who has hardly met any cops in her life. Both women had different reasons for joining the force, but both still had a lot of difficulty getting the job and even more difficulty being respected in the job. These two plots worked well together and I truly don’t think that they could work well without the other. Both women were trying to make a name for herself in the force by solving the cop killer crime. The cop killer crime was a way for the women to show they deserve respect. The plot to find the cop killer was twisted and turned all over the place. There were so many times that I thought I solved it just to find that I was way off or I thought I was piecing it together just for something else to come in and it ruined everything I thought I knew. Cop Town was unpredictable which made it for such a good read.

I recently said that I wanted more characters like in Gillian Flynn’s books- female characters that are never described as perfect. Female characters that are people. Slaughter gave me that. Maggie and Kate are nowhere near perfect. They made mistakes and they pissed me off at times. I loved them. I wanted to hug them when they were having a rough day at work. I wanted to protect them from the men on the force. They were people to me because they were written as people. Every character in this book was a person. Everyone had flaws, some more than others, but no one hid their flaws and that’s what I like in a novel. There were some characters that I absolutely hated but that’s because we were supposed to hate them. Every character had their nice moments, but they weren’t enough to sway my opinion. I think that we, as the readers, are supposed to have it ingrained in our brains by the end of the book that in the 1970s racism, sexism, etc were still rampant. We, as the readers, never forget that in the book and I think it’s important to never let us forget that.

The writing was spectacular. As I mentioned the twists and turns in the plot. The characters were written well. The dialogue between any characters was never confusing and it never seemed forced. Cop Town is a gruesome book. If you don’t have a strong stomach, you may have trouble reading this book. The writing made all the gruesome parts vivid in my mind. When I can picture everything that is happening in my mind then that shows me the writing is strong. I think this book was planning on being a standalone, but I would love to see this as a series as well. It has potential to be an awesome series.

Cop Town is everything I look for in a mystery/thriller and I’m going to be buying this as soon as it comes out. (And all of her other books as well)

(Again, this is an ARC and I did not post any direct quotes from the book per request of the publisher.) show less

Being someone of few words, I don't know how to say all that I need to about Cop Town. There were so many elements that set this thriller apart from others I've read. It was smart. The story is set in the 1970's Atlanta where there is a cop killer on the loose. There were several themes that showed how Atlanta as a town was struggling with the changes happening in this modern world. The main characters are female cops. There were not many women police officers at the time and Karin Slaughter knows how to to talk to the sexism that was rampant not just in society, but directly in the world of police. The issue of racism is another issue that is not necessarily a central theme, but a running background on the scene. This happens in show more Atlanta, after all. Plus, to add to the social lecture, the police end up on the edge of town where gays frequent, and talk to, of course a transgender pimp. It was a very well-though out plot and the historical aspects added so much interest. Not a run-of-the-mill thriller! show less

Dual review with Swedish first and then English!

SWEDISH REVIEW

De fördärvade är en fantastisk bok! Att läsa den här boken fick mig att inse att jag inte läser många kriminalromaner vars handling utspelas på 70-talet och det är synd eftersom det är en fascinerande tidsperiod. Särskilt, som i den här boken, för kvinnor som försöker hitta en plats i en mans värld

Jag verkligen älskade att läsa om Kate Murphy och Maggie Lawson, två mycket olika kvinnor från olika klasser. Kate kommer från en familj av poliser, både hennes farbror och bror arbetar på samma polisstation som hon gör. Men det är inte så att de gillar att hon är polis, särskilt inte hennes farbror. Maggie å andra sidan är änka, hennes man dog i show more Vietnam-kriget. Hon är också den nyaste polisen på polisstation, och hon lär sig snabbt att ingen, inte ens kvinnorna, kommer att hjälpa henne. Om hon vill jobba som polis, måste hon tuffa till sig och acceptera att bli mobbad. Och som kvinnor hålls de också borta från de verkliga fallen som jakten på polisens mördare. Inte för att det kommer att stoppa Maggie och Kate från att försöka ta reda på vem som dödar poliser.

De fördärvade är en träffsäker roman om en tid i förändring där kvinnor försöker bli mer självständiga. En sak som verkligen berörde mig var den skrämmande attityden gentemot kvinnor i den här boken. Även bland andra kvinnor, ja, även i en familj. Och sedan har vi den omaskerade rasismen och homofobin, särskilt bland manliga poliser. Men det är allt detta som gör den här boken så fascinerande att läsa. Karin Slaughter har verkligen fångat tidsandan och jag mentalt hejade jag på Kate och Maggie för att de våga stå upp mot männen och våga försöka hitta mördaren trots motstånd.

Detta är en av de bästa böcker jag har läst av Slaughter och hon har snabbt blivit en favoritförfattare!

Tack HarperCollins Nordic för recensionsexemplaret!

ENGLISH REVIEW

Cop Town is a fabulous book! Reading this book made me realize that I don't read many crime novels set in the 70s and that's a shame since it's a fascinating period of time. Especially for women that are trying to find a place in a man's world, as in this book.

I loved reading about Kate Murphy and Maggie Lawson, two very different women from different classes. Kate comes from a family of cops, with both her uncle and brother working on the same force as she does. Not that they like that she is a cop, especially her uncle. Maggie, on the other hand, is a widow, her husband died in the Vietnam war. She is also the newest cop on the force, and she quickly learns that no one, not even the women will help her out. If she wants to work as a cop, then she has to toughen up and accept being bullied. And, as women are they also being kept away from the real cases like the hunt for the cop killer. Not that that will stop Maggie and Kate from trying to find out who is offing cops.

Cop Town is a gritty crime novel about a time in changing, with women more and more trying to be independent. One thing that really struck me was the appalling attitude towards women in this book. Even among other women, hell, even in a family. And, then we have the undisguised racism and homophobia, especially among the male cops. But, it's just all of this that makes this book so fascinating to read. Karin Slaughter has really captured the spirit of the time and I found myself mentally cheering Kate and Maggie for daring to stand up to the men in this book and daring to try to find a killer.

This is one of the best books I have read by Slaughter and she is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine.

Thanks HarperCollins Nordic for the review copy! show less

This was very good, but very dark and gritty so if you have triggers, you need to check them ahead of time. This was a unflinching look at how police forces worked (or didn't work depending on your perspective) in the early to mid 70's, they were a "good ol' boys club" and women and minorities were NOT welcomed and were treated accordingly. In fact there is one scene where it's believed a young male officer is both gay and a serial killer and the senior officer thinks being gay is the worse of the two. Like I said, check your triggers! If you've read Karin Slaughter before, you know that she doesn't shy away from the tough stuff, or the gross stuff, or really any of the "stuff". There is some spice, so if you are very against that, then show more you've been warned. show less

This crime/police procedural is all the grittier for being set in 1974 Atlanta, Georgia, a time and place inhospitable to women, gays, blacks, Jews, Hispanics, and anyone else considered a threat by the white Christian males used to being in control.

As fans of Slaughter may recall, she focused on a similar time and place for her previous book in the Will Trent series, Criminal.

This book is meant as the beginning of a new series, and introduces two young patrol officers, Maggie Lawson and Kate Murphy, who are trying to keep their sanity in the sexist, racist atmosphere of the police force in 1974 Atlanta.

Maggie, 23, comes from a family of policemen, and as the book begins, her brother Jimmy is carrying his injured partner to the show more hospital. A cop killer dubbed “The Shooter” has been killing police two at a time, but in Jimmy’s case, the shooter’s gun jammed, so only his partner got killed. The detectives on the force believe the shooter is black, even without any evidence, and will not entertain any other theories. These embittered white cops are looking for an excuse to start a race war.

Maggie desperately wants to help find this shooter, but the men won’t let her on the case. Instead, she reluctantly enlists the help of a new rookie, Kate, and her old mentor, Gail. Gail tries to advise Kate on how to survive on the force:

"Kate . . . obviously didn’t get it. The hardest battles didn’t take place on the streets. They happened inside the squad room. Every time a female officer took a step forward, a male officer felt like he was being pushed back. The guys pounced the minute you showed weakness.”

Kate comes from a privileged background, and is astounded not only by what she sees on the streets, but by the way fellow officers treat her. She explains to her father and grandmother that some of the policemen are repulsive racists and misogynists, and yet, she feels confident they would risk their own lives to help a fellow officer, even a female officer. It doesn’t make sense to her. Her father can only opine: “People stink. But then sometimes they don’t.”

In spite of the “soul-killing and humiliating and terrifying” experience she has had on the force though, she also finds it challenging, exciting, and even sometimes, fun. She wonders if she is becoming someone different.

In the end, Maggie and Kate make some surprising discoveries about The Shooter, and get insight both into the fear that makes some of the men act so hateful, and into the occasional and inexplicable moments of love and grace.

Evaluation: Usually I avoid violent, gritty stories with profane, nasty, scummy characters, but Karin Slaughter is an inordinately talented writer and her female protagonists are exceptional. The author knows how to bathe her grimy settings in empathetic compassion and insight. A terrific book; I cried at the end. show less

Cop Town is billed as Kate Murphy's story, but it seemed to me that it was Maggie Phelps's story as much as Kate's. The two women are police officers in Atlanta in the 1970s; Murphy is a very raw rookie. Slaughter's portrayal of the members of the police squad is vivid: the men are virulent racists, misogynists, and gay-haters, and many are drunks, showing the effects of war experiences. Their conversations are disgusting; it's hard to imagine Maggie being forced to listen to them.

The plot centers around a serial cop-killer. The men on the force prop themselves up talking about what they'll do to him; Maggie and Kate review the earlier cases to look for patterns. We see glimpses into the mind of the killer. Events move toward a show more resolution as another cop is gunned down. Will Maggie and Kate overcome the attitudes of the male cops?

The characters are pretty good for this type of mystery, although it's difficult to distinguish among the male officers. Kate and Maggie are the best characters, although we don't really see why Kate is so determined to join the force. Slaughter provides good descriptions of the many cities that make up Atlanta, although she tries too hard on a few occasions, as where the sun "razors" down the street. Overall a well constructed book, which maintains a high level of tension and provides a satisfying conclusion. show less

3.5 stars

This is a stand alone police procedural set in 1974 Atlanta. To say it was a different time is an understatement. Although well written & suspenseful, it's not an easy read. Racism is rampant, domestic abuse tacitly accepted & women are just beginning to explore career options other than secretary or housewife. 
The APD is a microcosm reflecting the city's mores & attitudes. Change is coming as evidenced by a new mayor & chief of police (both black) but a lot of the old guard is still around & not happy the department is now accepting black and/or female recruits. The racial & sexual abuse they suffer is shocking & Atlanta leads the country in police mortality.
So maybe it's no surprise when someone starts killing cops. In the show more last 3 months, 5 have been shot at close range, all white. As the book opens, 5 year veteran Maggie Lawson & newbie Kate Murphy meet for the first time & begin working together. 
They couldn't be more different. Maggie is from a poor, uber- dysfunctional family & serves along side her brother Jimmy & their uncle Terry. Kate is a beautiful young widow from a wealthy Jewish family. Maggie's home life consists of juggling "women's" chores, her mother's bitter disappointment & frequent beatings at the hand of dear old Uncle Terry. Kate's biggest challenges have been attending the proper social functions, using the right fork & accessorizing. 
There is a large cast that includes their family members & colleagues. Almost every male cop is reprehensible. They are portrayed as flask carrying misogynists who believe beating a suspect & planting evidence are part of the job. When Jimmy's partner becomes the latest victim of the cop killer, they go on a rampage in an effort to deliver their own justice to "the Shooter".
But Maggie senses Jimmy isn't telling the whole story & puts together her own posse. Tired of being ridiculed & patronized, the women set aside their differences & start to dig. No one, male or female, black or white, is prepared for what they find.
This is a difficult review to write. Yes, it's a well written, atmospheric thriller redolent of the 70's. The plot is complex with the identity of the killer being just one of the startling surprises in store. There is an unrelenting tension as Maggie, Kate & Co. get closer to the truth(s). Violence is frequent & graphic. These two characters in particular undergo great change & it's interesting to watch them become more & more like the male counterparts they despise in order to survive.
The problem for me was I kept getting yanked out of the story by the racial slurs, crude dialogue & abundance of violence against women. I realize this was meant to reflect the times but I found it so offensive that it made me pause, interrupting the flow of the narrative. Uncle Terry is the worst of the lot, a truly horrible man. By today's standards, if Maggie pulled her gun & shot him, I'd call it justifiable homicide. But ironically that would put her on his level.
So I guess it comes down to personal preference. I'm a big fan of this author, particularly her "Will Trent" series. This is a bleak, darker novel & most of the characters have few if any redeeming qualities. However they are also byproducts of their time, created by the attitudes & values they were taught.
If you're partial to something warm & fuzzy, this is not for you. But it certainly makes you think. Thank God more than just the clothes & hairstyles have gone out of style. While I would call this a good read, I don't know if I can say it was an enjoyable one. show less