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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
Rating: 3.5 rounded up
Before I provide my thoughts on the actual book, I want to provide a bit of context regarding my history with Karin Slaughter because I feel it's important considering how different this story is from some of her previous ventures
My primary introduction to Karin was Pretty Girls and The Good Daughter, two of her more recent stand-alone novels and they were fucking fantastic. Dark. Gruesome. Twisted. Absolutely perfect. This prompted me to start her Grant Country series which, after reading the first two books, did not impress me. Now, to be fair, these were her first two books ever so, naturally, she has grown as an author. And I will likely continue in that series.
I then went to Pieces of Her, which put me into a rage unlike I have never before experienced with a book's MC (please see review for more information) and most recently, I picked up the sequel, Girl, Forgotten, which reinstated Karin Slaughter as the master I know she is.
Cop Town is a middle-read in terms of her publishing history. So I have read newer and I have read older, and have a fairly well-rounded view of her story-telling. But it's also her first stand-alone as well as her only true historical thriller. This wasn't a book that had one perspective in the past, like with some of her other stand-alones. This was purely set in 1975 and Karin Slaughter does a great job of bringing to life what that actually means.
I mention this because I have heard from many people that this is their least favorite Slaughter book, and that is likely because this book is purely focused on the racism and sexism of the 1970's, and just how difficult life for women in a police uniform was. And in order to truly capture what that meant, Cop Town was extremely gritty, filled with relentlessly awful people, meaning the story line was dark and gruesome as you would normally expect, but it was just so infuriating as well as overall grim. It was sometimes difficult being inside this story just because of how fucking awful the two main characters were treated by the Good Ole Boys in the Atlanta PD and how prejudice literally every one was, even the MC's themselves.
And yes, you can expect a great deal of colorful terminology representative of the 70's such as kike, slit, faggot, and all of the other lovely names that people felt were appropriate for those who were different or who chose to live outside the norms of society.
At the time that Slaughter wrote this, she had been fully entrenched in her Grant County and Will Trent series. So for those who had been with Slaughter on that journey, they were now being introduced to a different ball game. And for those, like myself, who have read her newer stuff, the content of this story was as abrasive and jarring as we have come to expect, just in a different form and fashion. I wasn't necessarily prepared to hate practically all the characters. But again, she does such an excellent job of showing what it meant to be a woman cop in 1975 Atlanta, or what it meant to be black, gay or Jewish. What it meant to be different.
I didn't necessarily love Cop Town, primarily because everyone was awful and I didn't necessarily connect with the "Whodunnit" reveal and motive, but it was absolutely a stronger story then her earliest Grant County novels and even a newer standalone like Pieces of Her. I encourage anyone who considers themselves a Slaughter stan, to go into this one prepared for a story that was unlike what she had written before and after.
Before I provide my thoughts on the actual book, I want to provide a bit of context regarding my history with Karin Slaughter because I feel it's important considering how different this story is from some of her previous ventures
My primary introduction to Karin was Pretty Girls and The Good Daughter, two of her more recent stand-alone novels and they were fucking fantastic. Dark. Gruesome. Twisted. Absolutely perfect. This prompted me to start her Grant Country series which, after reading the first two books, did not impress me. Now, to be fair, these were her first two books ever so, naturally, she has grown as an author. And I will likely continue in that series.
I then went to Pieces of Her, which put me into a rage unlike I have never before experienced with a book's MC (please see review for more information) and most recently, I picked up the sequel, Girl, Forgotten, which reinstated Karin Slaughter as the master I know she is.
Cop Town is a middle-read in terms of her publishing history. So I have read newer and I have read older, and have a fairly well-rounded view of her story-telling. But it's also her first stand-alone as well as her only true historical thriller. This wasn't a book that had one perspective in the past, like with some of her other stand-alones. This was purely set in 1975 and Karin Slaughter does a great job of bringing to life what that actually means.
I mention this because I have heard from many people that this is their least favorite Slaughter book, and that is likely because this book is purely focused on the racism and sexism of the 1970's, and just how difficult life for women in a police uniform was. And in order to truly capture what that meant, Cop Town was extremely gritty, filled with relentlessly awful people, meaning the story line was dark and gruesome as you would normally expect, but it was just so infuriating as well as overall grim. It was sometimes difficult being inside this story just because of how fucking awful the two main characters were treated by the Good Ole Boys in the Atlanta PD and how prejudice literally every one was, even the MC's themselves.
And yes, you can expect a great deal of colorful terminology representative of the 70's such as kike, slit, faggot, and all of the other lovely names that people felt were appropriate for those who were different or who chose to live outside the norms of society.
At the time that Slaughter wrote this, she had been fully entrenched in her Grant County and Will Trent series. So for those who had been with Slaughter on that journey, they were now being introduced to a different ball game. And for those, like myself, who have read her newer stuff, the content of this story was as abrasive and jarring as we have come to expect, just in a different form and fashion. I wasn't necessarily prepared to hate practically all the characters. But again, she does such an excellent job of showing what it meant to be a woman cop in 1975 Atlanta, or what it meant to be black, gay or Jewish. What it meant to be different.
I didn't necessarily love Cop Town, primarily because everyone was awful and I didn't necessarily connect with the "Whodunnit" reveal and motive, but it was absolutely a stronger story then her earliest Grant County novels and even a newer standalone like Pieces of Her. I encourage anyone who considers themselves a Slaughter stan, to go into this one prepared for a story that was unlike what she had written before and after.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Genocide, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Stalking, Outing, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Rape
RATING: 4 STARS
(Review Not on Blog)
This was Karin Slaughter's first standalone novel, and even though it does not have Will and Sara, it was damn good. This one is set in 1974 and looks at the life of female cops in Atlanta. While there is a divide between the genders, there is also a divide between race. Kate Murphy, on her first day learns that being a cop isn't teamwork as much as staying out of certain group's way. She is paired with Maggie Lawson, who comes from a family of cops. As cop is gunned down, they are set out to find the killer. I really enjoyed listening to this on audio and I was gripped till the end.
(Review Not on Blog)
This was Karin Slaughter's first standalone novel, and even though it does not have Will and Sara, it was damn good. This one is set in 1974 and looks at the life of female cops in Atlanta. While there is a divide between the genders, there is also a divide between race. Kate Murphy, on her first day learns that being a cop isn't teamwork as much as staying out of certain group's way. She is paired with Maggie Lawson, who comes from a family of cops. As cop is gunned down, they are set out to find the killer. I really enjoyed listening to this on audio and I was gripped till the end.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Well done in terms of writing, but not for me. Full of disgusting racist, sexist, homophobic, violent characters I would rather not experience even if they get their comeuppance.
I love all Karin Slaughter books, but this was my least favorite.
The good: realistic detail and an incredible sense of both time and place. The heroines are given complexity, and the ugly reality of the trials suffered by women in the police force in 1970s Atlanta have real impact. It's never pleasant to be immersed in rampant abuse and power play of gender, racial, and social politics (both domestic and professional), but there's a tragic undercurrent of authenticity that's inescapable.
The bad: boy, is this book agenda-driven, especially in regards to sexual identity, and the heavy-handedness is off-putting. The crudity of the repeated epithets was also hard to bear, though to be fair that will be exacerbated in audio experiences. Kate's uncle was cartoonish in his villainy, and it was difficult to believe that there wouldn't be even one individual with sparks of decency anywhere in the character roster. It's a hard book to enjoy, especially when the mystery/thriller elements are uneven.
audiobook note: Kathleen Early gives weight and empathy to a gritty, grimy story that is difficult to hear. Very strong reading.
The bad: boy, is this book agenda-driven, especially in regards to sexual identity, and the heavy-handedness is off-putting. The crudity of the repeated epithets was also hard to bear, though to be fair that will be exacerbated in audio experiences. Kate's uncle was cartoonish in his villainy, and it was difficult to believe that there wouldn't be even one individual with sparks of decency anywhere in the character roster. It's a hard book to enjoy, especially when the mystery/thriller elements are uneven.
audiobook note: Kathleen Early gives weight and empathy to a gritty, grimy story that is difficult to hear. Very strong reading.
i love karin slaughter and this is one of her only books i hadn’t read yet, so i was determined to read it eventually. just know that parts of this book are hard to read bc it takes place in 70s atlanta.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was given this book by Net galley for an honest review. I really liked this book. It pulled me right in and I couldn't put it down. Kate and Maggie are 2 police officers in the 1970's. There are a lot of prejudices that they have to deal with. I have read a lot of Karin Slaughters books and Cop Town is different than any of her other books. Cop Town is now one of my favorite books by her.