Cop Town
A Novel
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Karin Slaughter, author of the bestselling Will Trent novels, is widely acclaimed as “one of the best crime novelists in America” (The Washington Post). Now she delivers her first stand-alone novel: an epic story of a city in the midst of seismic upheaval, a serial killer targeting cops, and a divided police force tasked with bringing a madman to justice.
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.
Relentlessly paced, acutely observed, wickedly funny, and often heartbreaking, Cop Town is Karin Slaughter’s most powerful novel yet—a tour de force of storytelling from our foremost master of character, atmosphere, and suspense.
Features a preview of Karin Slaughter’s next novel, Pretty Girls
“Karin Slaughter is simply one of the best thriller writers working today, and Cop Town shows the author at the top of her game—relentless pacing, complex characters, and gritty realism, all set against the backdrop of a city on the edge. Slaughter’s eye for detail and truth is unmatched. . . . I’d follow her anywhere.”—Gillian Flynn
“Cop Town proves Karin Slaughter is one of America’s best writers. . . . She pulls her readers into a twisted tale of mystery and keeps them fascinated from start to finish.”—The Huffington Post
“Stunning . . . Karin Slaughter breaks new ground with this riveting story. If you haven’t yet read her, this is the moment.”—Michael Connelly
“Compulsively readable . . . will have your heart racing.”—O: The Oprah Magazine
“Intense . . . engrossing . . . evocative . . . [Karin Slaughter’s] first stand-alone novel [has] a gritty, action-packed plot and strong, believable characters.”—Associated Press
“Slaughter graphically exposes the rampant racism, homophobia, and misogyny of cop culture in the 1970s. . . . Winning leads, the retro setting, and a riveting plot make this one of Slaughter’s best.”—Booklist (starred review)
“Superb . . . explosive . . . [Cop Town] is sure to win over readers new to Slaughter’s work while reminding old fans of her enormous talent.”—Library Journal (starred review)
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Violent crime, police politics, and race relations all figure in this scintillating standalone set in 1970s Atlanta, from bestseller Slaughter . Maggie Lawson comes from a disjointed, emotionally disconnected family of law enforcement officers, and her time spent as an Atlanta PD cop has hardened her to many of the job's horrors. But when her brother, Jimmy, who's also a police officer, loses his partner to a notorious and elusive cop killer only surviving the ordeal himself because the assassin's handgun jammed Maggie decides she can't write this murder off as yet another day on the job. Determined to track down "the Shooter," she finds an unlikely partner in Kate Murphy, a stunningly beautiful widow and new recruit reassigned to Maggie's patrol. While the two women search for answers, Kate becomes the next potential victim in the demented Shooter's crosshairs. Slaughter does her usual fine job of exploring intriguingly troubled characters, though readers should be prepared for plenty of gore.
Customer Reviews
Intense
Have read all of Karin Slaughter's novels. Her character development is at the top of the game. Her writing just keeps getting better. I was curious about what was going to happen to the characters but not attached to them as I have been in her series novels. Her use of gutter language was too much and her point would have been made just as easily with less of it. While not my favorite Slaughter novel, it was an intense read and would recommend it.
A Summer Must Read
Cop Town takes place in the 1970s, a familiar territory for those who read Slaughter's Criminal. While that book was in the Will Trent series and featured familiar characters, Cop Town is a standalone novel and has Kate Murphy, a rookie cop on her first day, and Maggie Lawson, a woman from a family of cops (who think she should be a waitress and get married instead of being a cop) I was really struck by how fast this book goes. I was so immersed in the story that I didn't notice how many hours had passed, but it's time I would give up again and again. I hope this isn't the last we see of these amazing women (and men!)
Cop Town
I could not stop reading this book - and I had so many other things to do! Just read it.