I haven’t read a Karin Slaughter book in a few years, but after devouring two offerings this month (this and Criminal) it has definitely reminded me of why she is one of my favourite authors.
Set in Atlanta in the 1970’s, Cop Town is a gritty tale told from the viewpoints of Maggie Lawson, police officer with the Atlanta Police Department, and Kate Murphy, the rookie she is partnered with. There is a killer on the loose – the Atlanta Shooter, who has already taken the lives of four police officers in identical killings. The book opens with the brutal murder of Don Wesley, partner to Jimmy Lawson, Maggie’s brother and fellow cop. Ex-footballer Jimmy, nephew of bullish Terry, also a cop, is the Golden Child of the Atlanta Police Department, and can do no wrong. Or can he? Something isn’t right, and Maggie and Kate are determined to solve the case despite the scorn of their fellow counterparts.
Right from the off, we are thrown into the turmoil of the era. Atlanta in the 1970’s is not a nice place to be in if you aren’t a straight, white male. Fresh from the Vietnam war, the majority of the police officers are old school and strongly believe that the police force is no place for a woman, especially one who is widowed, moneyed, and Jewish (Kate). Maggie doesn’t fair much better, even with family in the force, and doesn’t appear to have any support from them.
I must admit, this book paints the police force in the ‘70’s in a particularly unforgiving light, rife with drinking on the job, police brutality, evidence tampering, bigotry, sexism, and racism, amongst many other things. The male police officers in particular are awful, and the way the women accept the treatment inflicted upon them by the men is extremely frustrating.
Despite that, Karin Slaughter has written a corker of a book, and Maggie and Kate are excellent heroines, and extremely well-written characters. Following on from Criminal’s dabbling in the 1970’s, this is a fast-paced and enthralling police procedural, and I hope to see the girls in later books.
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