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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
I gave this a three but only out of loyalty. I felt dirty after reading this book and at one point almost didn’t finish it. Not her best.
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really struggled with the first half of this book. I put it down for a couple of weeks then I picked it back up and raced through to the end. Really great ending and glad I read this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Murder
Moderate: Forced institutionalization
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
True to its time period, just about every slur possible is said in this book. It’s not really my place to comment on the use of slurs to make a time accurate book but was extremely aware that this is written by a white woman from Georgia who I do not believe to be Jewish. Another thing that gave me pause and took me out of the story is the fact that every man is enamored with Kate, even the gay ones. And even when her uniform is three times too big and couldn’t possibly show her boobs off
Fox/Bixby even holds off on killing her because he wants to have sex with her too badly
I almost thought that Rick would be the shooter based on how much attention he got and that he was also a vet but was the “safest guy”. I didn’t mind it just being one of the assholes who stuck around Terry though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Outing, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Car accident, Abortion, Gaslighting, Classism
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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:
Complicated
I love the way Karin Slaughter writes a novel; she is truly a queen at her craft! She knows how to create a setting and drop the reader into that world with what seems like ease. Cop Town is unlike other novels by Slaughter because it is not set in a present day Atlanta, but rather the 1970s. This gives this work an unique feel to it and sets itself apart from her series such as the Grant County novels or the Will Trent series. However, It does feel genuine to the world built in those series, so you could easily believe that this novel just takes place years before those other works.
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Sincere thanks to Netgalley and Random House for providing the e-galley of Cop Town to be published June 24, 2014.
Where have I been? This is my first experience with author Karin Slaughter. It certainly won't be my last.
Cop Town begins with a hit the ground running, grab your attention, prologue. Jimmy Lawson carries his partner, Don Wesley, over his shoulders, fireman style, to the hospital after a serial cop killer known as The Shooter shoots Don. Jimmy credits his own survival to the killer's gun jamming. Cop Town rushes to its conclusion in only a few days but what intense days these are.
Kate Murphy lost her husband to the Vietnam War two years ago. Her family has the means to cushion her from the real world. They'd love to see Kate get a nice, safe, secretarial job. Kate has other ideas. When Kate reads an article in The Atlanta Journal recruiting women police officers for motorcycle patrol she joins the Atlanta Police Department. This is 70's Atlanta and it's no stroll in the park. It's hard to know who is lowest in the pecking order, the blacks or whites divided by gender or possibly the Jews on the force. It's safe to say the rookies are way down on the list. Kate's first walk into the building in her "fitted" issue uniform might be comical if not planned at her expense. The top is swimming, the pants, so long they need to be stapled or clipped, the shoes so big she knows she'll have blisters by the end of the day, her hat falling so far down on her face so that her view is obstructed. This doesn't even account for the rest of her equipment, flashlight, nightstick, radio transmitter, gun, all which she has no clue how to manage. Where does her purse go? Add to this the man handling (pun intended) and catcalls. You get the picture. Making her way to the woman's dressing area is a human obstacle course which provides no sanctuary as even the veteran women cops haze the rookies.
Though I was pretty certain Kate had the guts to stick it out, it was quite exciting to watch her get there. Her acknowledgment of her own strengths makes for some of the most interesting passages in the book. Partnered with Maggie Lawson, a veteran with an uncle and a brother on the force, Katie and she seek common ground as they search for the cop killer. This killer, known as The Shooter, has targeted teams; making them kneel, lace their hands over their heads, killing them in execution style. Obviously the whole department is out to get this guy and there are lots of interpersonal stories to keep the plot moving.
At times the brutality and depravity left me with my mouth open but never seemed unrealistic. Gritty, but rang true. I loved it.
Karin Slaughter lives in Atlanta and she has given this city life and a unique voice of its own, if not everyone's Atlanta, at least one that is based on many truths a makes for a great setting.
Cop Town, Kate, Maggie and some other characters are just begging to be brought back. Let's hope so.
Where have I been? This is my first experience with author Karin Slaughter. It certainly won't be my last.
Cop Town begins with a hit the ground running, grab your attention, prologue. Jimmy Lawson carries his partner, Don Wesley, over his shoulders, fireman style, to the hospital after a serial cop killer known as The Shooter shoots Don. Jimmy credits his own survival to the killer's gun jamming. Cop Town rushes to its conclusion in only a few days but what intense days these are.
Kate Murphy lost her husband to the Vietnam War two years ago. Her family has the means to cushion her from the real world. They'd love to see Kate get a nice, safe, secretarial job. Kate has other ideas. When Kate reads an article in The Atlanta Journal recruiting women police officers for motorcycle patrol she joins the Atlanta Police Department. This is 70's Atlanta and it's no stroll in the park. It's hard to know who is lowest in the pecking order, the blacks or whites divided by gender or possibly the Jews on the force. It's safe to say the rookies are way down on the list. Kate's first walk into the building in her "fitted" issue uniform might be comical if not planned at her expense. The top is swimming, the pants, so long they need to be stapled or clipped, the shoes so big she knows she'll have blisters by the end of the day, her hat falling so far down on her face so that her view is obstructed. This doesn't even account for the rest of her equipment, flashlight, nightstick, radio transmitter, gun, all which she has no clue how to manage. Where does her purse go? Add to this the man handling (pun intended) and catcalls. You get the picture. Making her way to the woman's dressing area is a human obstacle course which provides no sanctuary as even the veteran women cops haze the rookies.
Though I was pretty certain Kate had the guts to stick it out, it was quite exciting to watch her get there. Her acknowledgment of her own strengths makes for some of the most interesting passages in the book. Partnered with Maggie Lawson, a veteran with an uncle and a brother on the force, Katie and she seek common ground as they search for the cop killer. This killer, known as The Shooter, has targeted teams; making them kneel, lace their hands over their heads, killing them in execution style. Obviously the whole department is out to get this guy and there are lots of interpersonal stories to keep the plot moving.
At times the brutality and depravity left me with my mouth open but never seemed unrealistic. Gritty, but rang true. I loved it.
Karin Slaughter lives in Atlanta and she has given this city life and a unique voice of its own, if not everyone's Atlanta, at least one that is based on many truths a makes for a great setting.
Cop Town, Kate, Maggie and some other characters are just begging to be brought back. Let's hope so.
This police thriller set in the 1970s in Atlanta was compelling enough and the whole woman and minority in the police dynamic was eye-opening though hopefully a bit overstated. Listened to the audio version read by Kathleen Early who did a decent job.
I enjoyed this book, it was raw and gritty and really made you think about how it was back in the 70's, was it really that bad? At times it made me feel quite uncomfortable with how the characters treated each other and behaved. It kept me turning the pages and kept me guessing right up until the end who the perpetrator was.
I really enjoyed Cop Town, it was definitely odd to see a novel set in the 70's. At the same time, I really related to the message that was portrayed here. Karin Slaughter is such a fantastic writer, and that definitely carried over into this book. It covered everything from homophobia, racism, sexism, and I just could go on and on. I really appreciated this novel and what it showed about this time period. 4 out of 5 stars.
This was very, very well done. Slaughter really captured the essence of the characters and the time period in which this story takes place. The storyline was captivating and I felt myself growing attached to characters and becoming invested in their stories, quickly.
What a great thriller - and I totally had the wrong killer pegged in my mind, which is always a delight to be wrong.
What a great thriller - and I totally had the wrong killer pegged in my mind, which is always a delight to be wrong.