(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

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.

*3.5 stars*

Having been a fan of the Grant County novels for quite some time, I was intrigued by the prospect of a standalone novel by Karin Slaughter. I had no expectations going in...and that turned out to be for the best...

The thing that struck me most about this book was the attention to detail in the historical aspects of this book. I have read a number of books that are tagged as 'historical fiction' - sadly, I rarely get the feeling of history, just the fiction. Not so much in this case. I was totally drawn into the story of Atlanta in the mid-1970's and the position of a woman police officer in a very male-dominated profession - not to mention the attitudes of that period as well.

The story itself was pretty good too - all the traits we come to love about Karin Slaughter's work were here: pacy plot, great dialogue, some good humour and a location that I just wanted to sink into and immerse myself completely.

Where did I lose stars? The characters - it seemed like the men in this book were made to be as offensive and disgusting as possible. From colleagues, to family, and criminals, everything was bleak and hard to read. Not because it made me uncomfortable - because it just was too much of one thing. There was no real balance. And that was disappointing. Also, I don't like books that have the summation of the why, where and how at the end - leave that for Scooby Doo!


Paul
ARH