The Policeman's Daughter

It takes a cop to write an outstanding police procedural. Trudy Nan Boyce, a 30-year veteran of the Atlanta PD, delivers a hard hitting, gritty homicide procedural. The Policeman's Daughter is a prequel to her Detective Sarah Alt series and centers around the homicide case that got Alt promoted to homicide.

Alt, whose street name is Salt, is a beat cop in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Atlanta, The Homes. Patrolling as a lone officer, she depends on her friend and fellow officer, "Pepper'' Greer, who patrols a nearby area. Salt and Pepper. The duo are well known to the residents of The Homes. When the body of Shannell McCloud is discovered, shot to death in the closet where she had been hiding, Alt is angry that there is nothing show more she can do to solve the problems in The Homes. With very little evidence and no witnessses willing to come forward, detectives tell Alt that there is very little chance of solving the homicide. But Alt is obsessed and determined to find the killer who shot the woman to death as she cowered. In the world of gangs, street crime, drugs and death, it's dangerous to be a lone beat cop, but Alt wants to make a difference.

I enjoyed this book, but it's a rough, gritty read. Boyce paints a bleak picture of life in Atlanta's gang-filled Projects, but not a hopeless one. Alt is a good cop. She really cares about the people and wants to make a difference. Boyce's years as a cop in Atlanta add a realism and truth to this story that mkae it raw and hard hitting.

I will definitely be reading more from this author. There are two other books in the Sarah Alt series. I can't wait to read them both! This prequel in the series is coming out in February 2018.

For more information on the author and her books, check out her website: http://www.trudynanboyce.com/

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from First To Read/Penguin-Random House. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** show less

A Police Procedural that Feels Real

Lil’ D, Dirty Red, Q-ball, Man. They aren’t the nicknames of anyone I know, but after reading The Policeman’s Daughter, it feels like I do. Boyce vividly brings to life the people and the setting of an area of Atlanta known as the Homes. It’s a tough, violent neighborhood and a difficult life, on the edge of poverty, ruled by a drug gang, forgotten by all…except Detective Sarah Alt, aka Salt. Salt patrols her beat with guts, with intelligence, and most of all, with compassion. But what part of that compassion represents her need to feel close to her father, a cop she found dead by his own hand when she was just ten? How far will she go to cling to that memory by walking in his shoes? It’s a show more tense ride, as Salt tries to come to grips with her past without sacrificing herself, her home, and those around her.

Boyce weaves the tale from ‘war stories’ on the job – talking a violent man into the wagon, watching kids play in a fire hydrant on a sweltering summer day in Atlanta. As a result, the book feels a bit slow at first. But soon, the plot centers around the murder of Shannell, a woman who does whatever is necessary to get her drug fix; and Stone, the violent lieutenant of the local drug gang. There are places where the story became somewhat muddled. At one point, Stone sets up Lil’ D to be arrested for drugs, but I wasn’t sure why. To establish his dominance? To test Lil’ D’s mettle? In another, a fellow policeman, Pepper got a flat tire. Or was it shot out? Was this supposed to be a warning, because if so, none of the police seemed to make the connection, except perhaps Salt. (And yes, the nicknames Salt and Pepper seemed a little too cute at first, but that bit of syrup is soon lost in the suspense.)

The Policeman’s Daughter is not the kind of mystery you can solve by paying attention to the subtle cues, and so, identify the killer before the author comes to the finale. Boyce, through a character, tells you that. It’s a world teetering on the edge of collapse, where anyone could have snapped and killed Shannell. Even so, the conclusion is a bit shocking. And in that ending, Boyce draws the themes of past vs. present, her father vs. the force to a satisfying conclusion. Only the apparently miraculous recovery of Salt’s eyesight seemed too convenient.

Overall, The Policeman’s Daughter is driven by Boyce’s rich depiction of life in the Homes and Salt’s growth as a person and a cop. It’s well worth the read. show less

I really wish I had liked this book better, as I truly enjoyed Boyce's previous volumes in this series, but no. It just seemed too disjointed, as though she is showing Salt's introductions to these characters that make up her other two books. Then there is Salt herself and her constant forward-then-back recollections of her life to that point, her dad, and her refusal to budge. On anything.

Otherwise, the descriptions of the Projects (the "Homes"), the complicated relationships between the people who live there, and the grinding tragedy of so many people's lives are spot on. They were written with compassion rather than pity, and Boyce must have been a heck of a police officer who brought much of herself into her work.

The Policeman's Daughter by Trudy Nan Boyce is a gritty police procedural about a woman cop who patrols of one Atlanta's poorest projects, the Homes. This third installment in the Detective Sarah Alt series is a prequel that takes place before her promotion to detective and can be read as a standalone.

Sarah "Salt" Alt has been patrolling the Homes for ten years and she not only knows, but cares, about its residents. She and her friend and fellow officer, "Pepper" Greer, are well known and well liked by the people they encounter while on patrol. After getting shot during a routine traffic stop, Salt has recently returned to work when one of women on her beat, Shannell McCloud is murdered. Homicide detectives Will and Gardner are assigned show more to Shannell's murder but the case quickly goes cold. Salt wants justice for Shannell so she begins digging around in hopes of uncovering the killer.

Salt is the daughter of a cop who killed himself on her tenth birthday. She has never quite gotten over his death and since they were close, becoming a cop was a natural decision. Despite patrolling the Homes for ten years, Salt has not become inured to the tragedies, poverty or criminals she encounters during her shifts. She truly cares for the Homes' residents and for the most part, she has a good relationship with the various people she meets.

Salt is no stranger to Shannell, her boyfriend and her son's father Big D and their son Lil D. She carries a bit of guilt over not being able help Lil D when he was a teenager so she has a soft spot for him. She watches out for him and she is well aware othat Lil D works for local gang leader Man Man who deals drugs. Salt also keeps running across Curtis Stone, who works for Man Man too. However, unlike Lil D and Man Man, Stone is a predator who has no use for Salt. Although she is wary of Stone, Salt is not intimidated by his thuggish tactics and she refuses to stop looking for the person who murdered Shannell.

Although a little slow paced in the beginning, The Policeman's Daughter is a engrossing police procedural. Salt is a compassionate police officer who becomes a little too personally involved with the residents of the Homes yet this is what makes her such an outstanding police officer. Pepper is a wonderful friend who tries to be the voice of reason when she gets overly involved searching for Shannell's killer. Trudy Nan Boyce does an outstanding job bringing the Homes and the people who live there vibrantly to life. The investigation into Shannell's murder is intriguing and the perpetrator's identity is cleverly concealed until the novel's poignant conclusion. A brilliant prequel to the Detective Sarah Alt series that fans of the genre will enjoy. show less

I wasn't sure what to think about The Policeman's Daughter, and there are some uneven sections, but overall I really (really!) enjoyed this read. Boyce brings quite a bit of social commentary to her story, but also makes us care about the protagonist, Sarah Alt (Salt) and what happens to her and why. Will definitely look for more books in this vein by Boyce!

Review of Uncorrected Proof
Atlanta Police Officer Sarah “Salt” Alt patrols one of the city’s poorest, most violent housing projects. Known as The Homes, it is here that Salt has worked for the last ten years.

Plagued with drugs, prostitution, and gangs, The Homes is a tough beat . . . one that Salt requested. Over the years, she’s come to know and care about the people who live here and when Shannell McCloud is murdered, she is compelled to find the culprit. But The Homes holds many secrets and some will do whatever is necessary to keep them hidden. Nevertheless, Salt persists in her efforts to solve Shannell’s murder, unaware of the true nature of the danger she faces.

The third in the Sarah Alt series, this gritty police show more procedural pulls no punches in its depiction of the day-to-day life of a beat cop. In a narrative peopled with strong, realistically-drawn characters, Salt is authentic, steeped in compassion and possessing a strong sense of morality; her backstory adds depth to the character and provides insight for readers. Sub-plots and unexpected twists keep the suspense building toward a stunning, unforeseen ending. Despite the uncompromising realism, readers will find it difficult to set this compelling tale aside before reaching the final page.

Recommended. show less

Detective Sarah Alt, aka Salt, has been patrolling The Homes district in Atlanta for ten years. It is the toughest district in Atlanta, home of crackheads, drug peddlers and prostitutes. She knows the people and the players. Ten years has not dulled her senses to the plight of its occupants. While she tries to help, she realizes that those born in The Homes rarely leave it alive. When Shannell, a part time prostitute, full time crackhead is found by her young daughter shot to death in her closet, Salt vows to find the killer. Having failed Shannell’s son, Lil D, several years earlier by not getting him out of The Homes and into foster care, Salt feels she owes him. A police procedural showing the ‘human side’ of Alt as well as her show more persistent professional side, pits her against the pushers and pimps of The Homes as well as her own armor shielding her from a colleague’s attempts to get to know her better. This third Sarah Alt installment after Old Bones, is action packed. Salt continues to march to her own drum, putting herself in danger more often than not. The story is a strong addition to the series. show less