First of all many thanks to the publisher for a free copy of this book. I won it in a GoodReads giveaway. I was so excited because Sarah Pekkanen is one of my favorite authors.

The story could be one of those ripped from the headlines deals (like they do on SVU all the time). The plot follows a police family as the father is accused of racial motives for shooting a young Hispanic boy. What follows though, is a brutally honest account of the hell that both sides go through as well as the importance of having someone on your side. I felt like the characters were believable and flawed and real (much like Pekkanen's other characters in her other books). I would have liked a little more of an epilogue as I felt it glossed over some of the things I really wanted to see but that is by no means a reason to discourage people from reading the book. It comes out in May and if I hadn't won it in a giveaway, it would be a one-click for sure. ( )

Want to give it 0 stars, but I did finish it, so that's worth a star I guess. I chose it because it's about a cop who shot an unarmed Hispanic teenager, & it focuses on him & his family. Bottom line: the kid had had a gun & the cop was exonerated. BUT. It's just not realistic. POV is all worried about the cop, he's off work & NOT BEING PAID & worries about paying a lawyer because the one the department would furnish isn't that good, etc. In other words, nothing like any cop shooting I've read about in the papers. They are ALWAYS 100% supported by the departments. Always. They always go on paid administrative leave. Always. No other cop would ever suggest the shootee might have been armed (here his partner did, FGS.) So. Totally disappointed. ( )

This is a nice little story about a woman named Jamie who is married to Mike, a cop, and has three children with him. Mike also has a son with his ex-girlfriend Christie who is a welcome part of their family. Jamie’s younger sister Lou is also an integral part of this story and some of the best parts of this novel involve her work with elephants at the local zoo. The crisis in this story occurs when Mike is involved in a shooting that results in a teen’s death. This affects everyone he loves and cares about so the resolution is important to a number of people. It was an entertaining read. ( )

I definitely enjoyed this novel by Pekkanen. It's the first of her books I've read and after I completed it, I looked back on Goodreads and saw I've had several of her earlier novels on my "to read" list for a while. I certainly liked what I read here enough to go back and explore some of her earlier works. Probably the only thing that prevented me from giving this a 4-star rating (I'd say this is about 3.5 star - still wish Goodreads let us give half star ratings) is that the novel wrapped up suddenly and a little too easily.

The novel follows the story of Jamie, a stay-at-home mom with three young kids. Her husband, Mike, is a cop. The story is very current -- not long after his partner is seriously wounded in a shooting, Mike finds himself in another dangerous situation. There's another shooting--at Mike's hands.

The story unfolds from the viewpoint of the women in Mike's life: Jamie; her sister, Lou - a slightly eccentric zookeeper and part-time barista; and Christie, Mike's ex-girlfriend, who is night to Jamie's day, but also mother to Mike's eldest son, Henry.

The characters are well-developed and complex. Jamie is a bit irritating at times, but I really liked Lou. The book is a rapid read and a very easy one, as well, even if it's rather stressful. It's certainly a worthwhile and enjoyable read. I'll be curious to see what some of Pekkanen's earlier books are like.

(Note: I received an advance ebook version of this book from Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review.) ( )

Things you won't say by Sarah Pekkanen
Jamie Anderson worries about her husband who is a policeman. Then she gets the call a policeman has been hurt, but it's not her husband but his partner. Mike struggles to go on with a new partner but nightmares keep him from getting good sleep.
Her sister Lew works with animals and lives with an ex boyfriend who's dating a new girl.
Story also follows Sandy and her husband who's laid up in the hospital for months....
Also it follows Christy who shares a boy with Mike and he gets to visit with Jamie and the 3 kids her and Mike have together.
She was a receptionist and now works for a PI, Elroy trying to find unfaithful husbands for a lot higher wage.
Lots of references to elephants and their habits.
Another call and now her husband has pulled his trigger and the teen died. There was no gun but he says he saw it. She needs to stand by him but she has her own doubts.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device). ( )