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this_little_bookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
This was a fun read about a disreputable bunch of cops who have all been shunted out of the main French Police and onto their own squad of trouble makers. Returning from her recent suspension, Anne Capestan finds herself leading this squad as they investigate cold cases… somehow without the constraints of the regular police force. I’m crossing my fingers that the full series ends up being translated because I’m thoroughly enjoying it!
k4mi's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
roxane_titaina's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mfumarolo's review against another edition
3.0
*e-ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley - Thank you! This in no way impacted my opinions of this book.*
I've long been a fan of the unconventional police procedural story. I was a devoted viewer of the TV show Castle, and am a sucker for the new show Deception. I like stories in which investigations must take the road less traveled to get the bad guy. Throw in the fact that this squad of Paris investigators is a bunch of misfits who, for various reasons, can't get fired, and I was intrigued. The Awkward Squad isn't quite awkward, but definitely has its quirks. I have a feeling I might enjoy subsequent installments of this series more because, as is the case with first books, there was a lot of introduction happening here, therefore not a ton of chances to really dig deep and get to know some of these characters. The mystery had a decent number of twists and turns, and though it took me a little while to get into it, ultimately over the course of the few days it took me to read, I got invested and stayed up past my usual bedtime in order to finish.
I've long been a fan of the unconventional police procedural story. I was a devoted viewer of the TV show Castle, and am a sucker for the new show Deception. I like stories in which investigations must take the road less traveled to get the bad guy. Throw in the fact that this squad of Paris investigators is a bunch of misfits who, for various reasons, can't get fired, and I was intrigued. The Awkward Squad isn't quite awkward, but definitely has its quirks. I have a feeling I might enjoy subsequent installments of this series more because, as is the case with first books, there was a lot of introduction happening here, therefore not a ton of chances to really dig deep and get to know some of these characters. The mystery had a decent number of twists and turns, and though it took me a little while to get into it, ultimately over the course of the few days it took me to read, I got invested and stayed up past my usual bedtime in order to finish.
sandin954's review against another edition
3.0
A quirky and entertaining debut mystery about a newly formed French police squad that is the dumping ground for all the problem officers that can not be fired but no one wants for various reasons. I really liked the main character who just got on with her job and found the plot to be pretty well done.
lattes_lipstick_literature's review against another edition
5.0
*Thank you to Edelweiss+, The Publisher and The Author for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair and hones review*
So going into this book, I didn't really know how I was going to feel. Although I liked the synopsis, I was worried it would be more comedy hi-jinks, with a smidge of mystery. I was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case. I was even more surprised that I did not guess the ending, weird right? It has been such a long time where I haven't correctly guessed the ending of a book that it made me excited to see what was going on. I ended up reading this book in about a day.
First off I loved Capestan, despite the fact that she was basically in charge of unwanted cops, she didn't let that stop her from actually doing her job and trying. She was not some defeated has-been captain, she took what she got and ran with it, and it worked! Ultimately the squads job is to take cold unsolved cases and solve them, however no one actually expects the squad to solve these cases. This lack of faith doesn't actually stop the m from trying to solve these cases.
Secondly, there was not a single person on the squad that I hated. While some may be slightly annoying, there wasn't one I didn't like. They made the story interesting but not comical, which is great. When there was humor in the story it was well placed, and didn't take away from the mystery. The conclusion was gripping and I loved how it ended. I found out this was a series and immediately knew I would be reading the second book
So going into this book, I didn't really know how I was going to feel. Although I liked the synopsis, I was worried it would be more comedy hi-jinks, with a smidge of mystery. I was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case. I was even more surprised that I did not guess the ending, weird right? It has been such a long time where I haven't correctly guessed the ending of a book that it made me excited to see what was going on. I ended up reading this book in about a day.
First off I loved Capestan, despite the fact that she was basically in charge of unwanted cops, she didn't let that stop her from actually doing her job and trying. She was not some defeated has-been captain, she took what she got and ran with it, and it worked! Ultimately the squads job is to take cold unsolved cases and solve them, however no one actually expects the squad to solve these cases. This lack of faith doesn't actually stop the m from trying to solve these cases.
Secondly, there was not a single person on the squad that I hated. While some may be slightly annoying, there wasn't one I didn't like. They made the story interesting but not comical, which is great. When there was humor in the story it was well placed, and didn't take away from the mystery. The conclusion was gripping and I loved how it ended. I found out this was a series and immediately knew I would be reading the second book
octavietullier's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
jmatkinson1's review
5.0
Commissaire Anne Capistan is in trouble, she has shot one too many suspects and is suspended. Salvation comes in the form of Chief Buron who allocates Capistan to a new squad who will look into cold cases. However when Capistan sees who is on her squad, she knows that her team consists of those officers that cannot be fired but need to be parked out of the way. The team pick up on a couple of unsolved murders, the only ones that they have, and they quickly find that they are related. Bureaucracy seem determined to stop the team investigating these crimes but against the odds the individuals bond together with common cause.
I really enjoyed this French police procedural mainly because there is an excellent story and a terrific bunch of characters. It is easy to get engrossed in the plot but the little hints and slow development of the backstories and idiosyncrasies of the individuals also beguiles. I found the book humorous but also clever which is a great combination.
I really enjoyed this French police procedural mainly because there is an excellent story and a terrific bunch of characters. It is easy to get engrossed in the plot but the little hints and slow development of the backstories and idiosyncrasies of the individuals also beguiles. I found the book humorous but also clever which is a great combination.