barbara fister reviewed Cop Town by Karin Slaughter
Review of 'Cop Town' on 'LibraryThing'
A sniper is targeting cops in Atlanta in the 1970s just as women and African Americans are joining the force and finding the ingrained cop culture bigoted, sexist, and violent. Maggie reluctantly takes a newcomer, Kate, under her wing, resenting her upper class innocence. But as Maggie pursues the killer who shot her brother's partner, she finds Kate has hidden strengths. Compelling, loads of character development (particularly with Kate and her initiation into a rough culture where she has to find her courage), and engagement with issues, but all on a full boil. Personally, I would have preferred a slower simmer. The racism, sexism, and violent close-mindedness would have been more affecting if it wasn't constantly in my face - however accurate it might be historically. I think it would have been more effecitve if somehow I'd been made to feel inside the culture rather than having its worst features …
A sniper is targeting cops in Atlanta in the 1970s just as women and African Americans are joining the force and finding the ingrained cop culture bigoted, sexist, and violent. Maggie reluctantly takes a newcomer, Kate, under her wing, resenting her upper class innocence. But as Maggie pursues the killer who shot her brother's partner, she finds Kate has hidden strengths. Compelling, loads of character development (particularly with Kate and her initiation into a rough culture where she has to find her courage), and engagement with issues, but all on a full boil. Personally, I would have preferred a slower simmer. The racism, sexism, and violent close-mindedness would have been more affecting if it wasn't constantly in my face - however accurate it might be historically. I think it would have been more effecitve if somehow I'd been made to feel inside the culture rather than having its worst features paraded past me. Giving me the tiniest bit of empathy for the old guard would have made it even more disturbing.
