A really excellent police procedural that rises above its genre with its whiff of James Ellroy-lite.

In Paterson NJ in 1979, two people are shot in a tavern after it’s closed: one of the owners and one of the girls who dances there. To the police, it’s an obvious case of a robbery and with no witnesses or clues, there’s only going to be a perfunctory investigation. Nonetheless, the sergeant assigns a young patrol officer, Jamie Palmieri, to help out the detectives on the case with secondary interviews and other such mid-level tasks.

At first Jamie goes along with the received wisdom, but as he starts digging deeper and as he works with veterans Andres and Gianelli, things don’t feel quite so simple. And his personal life just got way more complicated.

With a very strong feel for time and place and an Ellroy-esque staccato voice, the author creates a really distinctive narrative that rises head and shoulders above most police procedurals. Highly recommended if you want more than just the facts.

Thanks to High Frequency and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

Jamie is a police officer in Paterson, New Jersey, hoping to climb the ranks to detective. He is given the opportunity to work with two detectives on a double homicide. It is the 1970s and on the heals of the Hurricane Carter conviction, public trust in the police is low. The scene of the crime was in a bar-the owner and one of his dancers. No witnesses. Plenty of twists and turns

Nightswimming takes the reader back to Paterson, NJ, 1979. It’s a gritty time. Anangos does a great job of getting the setting right. Her writing is such that it’s easy to envision every scene. She has also created a firmly fleshed out main character.
In the wee hours of the night, a bar owner and one of his dancers are shot in the bar. Jamie Palmieri is young, still on patrol, unattached. He still has the idealism of youth. He’s tagged to help the detectives with their investigation. Of course, he’s given the lousy jobs designed to free up the detectives for the real work.
This is a slow moving police procedural, which actually made it feel very realistic. The reader gets a chance to watch Jamie learn on the job, so to speak. There’s a good balance between Jamie’s personal and professional life. His relationship with Missy is complicated and not at all the norm. It added a whole other level to the story.
I will gladly read whatever Anangos writes next.
My thanks to Netgalley and High Frequency Press for an advance copy of this book.

A stunning, gritty, truly entertaining noir!

In 1979, patrol officer Jamie Palmieri finds his path to detective accelerated when a brutal double homicide pulls him into a chilling cat-and-mouse game with a killer who’s now hunting him.

I was on the very edge of my seat while Jamie tried to solve this case without getting murdered by the killer himself! Fans of The Hurricane Blonde by Halley Sutton will devour this one!

I'm not really sure how to put my thoughts out on this book. The story was decent and I liked the lack of technology in the book that's probably thanks to the time period it is set in. I just didn't like the writing style, it made me go through the book superficially without feeling any connection to characters or the story. Overall, an okay read.

First off I have to say the back drop for this book was on point. The noir, the mystery, the 70’s. I just felt like I was watching it like a TV show. The author does a great job with ambience, which helps get invested in the story.

There is also no doubt that the author can write a main character you can relate with and fall in love with. Jamie’s character was what kept me invested when there were parts of the story I didn’t feel invested in. I would have liked to see more parts explored or sometimes I felt like the story was skimming over some important parts. I did like this book and I think the author has a great writing style but it didn’t totally hit the mark for me and pull me in.

I am thankful for the opportunity to check out this author and I would try another one of her books in the future!

This was a DNF for me which is horrible because I wanted to like it. It just couldn't keep my attention and I felt like I was reading it to just get it over with.

4-4.5 star read. Excellent start to the trilogy and can't wait to read more of the Jamie Palmieri story.

Really enjoyed the way this story follows a young cop making his way in the 70's dept getting his first taste of a big case. Gritty and dark with the right balance of 70's procedural.

As a slight criticism, some areas quickly passed over important elements or were at least not focussed enough that I nearly missed them.

Looking forward to more.