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In Karin Slaughter's We Are All Guilty Here , Emmy Clifton is a police officer for whom the job is all It's the Fourth of July, and all hands are on deck with the police for the town's fireworks, crowd control

The initial installment of John McMahon's police procedural series follows a genius, socially awkward fluid approaches to solid procedure--here, carried out by unorthodox, possibly neurodivergent, not politically

Camilla is a new mother who has just dropped off her baby for her first day of daycare when the police Camilla, shocked, mostly cooperates with the police and the negotiator--until the hostages are shot and

The initial installment of John McMahon's police procedural series introduced Gardner Camden, a genius

The third in the Cal Hooper series is a slow-burn mystery in which Tana French serves up deep character development; a prominent, brooding Irish landscape; and a multitide of community secrets, dark motivations, and furious revenge. When I Bossily reviewed the first book in this series, The Searcher , I started my review this way: What do I love more than a Tana French book, a retired detective story, or an Irish setting? Nothing. There is nothing I love more than any of these setups, except all three in one . I continue to stand by all of this appreciation for French and for this series. That brings me to this third and final Cal Hooper mystery, which provides more of all of it: more details of small-town Irish life in Ardnakelty , more retired-cop challenges of trying to live a quiet life, more sharp undercurrents that keep Cal hopping--and more prickly interpersonal encounters as he wades into and through the unspoken language, loyalties, and duty of getting along with and truly becoming part of his community. To recap: Cal Hooper, a former Chicago cop, has settled into small-town Ireland life, made connections, developed a low-key but deeply felt romance with Lena Dunne, and taken on the role of a surrogate father to a local teen, Trey Reddy. But the quiet life he had envisioned continues to elude him. In this third novel in French's series, the community reels over the disappearance and death of a local young woman, Rachel Holohan. She had been involved with the son of a powerful local family, the Moynihans, and it becomes clear that the Moynihans plan to change the area's landscape by building an enormous factory--after buying up all the farms in the area. To say that community feelings are mixed on this matter is dramatically understating things, and the significant rift in the town is exacerbated by rumors, gossip, fears, and fury around Rachel's demise. The focus of The Keeper is largely the complicated, evolving, often unspoken interpersonal goings-on in Ardnakelty , and I was fascinated by Cal's navigation of the minefields (along with Lena's and Trey's entrees into their own complicated social encounters). Cal is flying blind less often now that he's been around Ardnakelty locals for a while, but he must sometimes make educated guesses about the waterfall of repercussions he may be causing with an act or question, or which move increases his loyalty to his best buddies, or how he might manage a sticky situation that involves his best girl or his pseudo-daughter. In this novel, French also digs into the past to show us Lena's past and to illuminate the reasons for her frequent seclusion and her withdrawal from local society. Her dips within this novel into reconnecting with old acquaintances (and the resulting hubbub) illustrate the generations of patterns, expectations, claustrophobic rules, and long-simmering conflicts that swirl through the entire area. The idyllic countryside hides all manner of secrets, greed, cruelties, manipulation, and darkness, and the "Irish noir" label perfectly fits the tone of French's shadows and sinister situations. French highlights the clash of tradition and stasis against modernity, change, and proposed shifts in ownership and community focus. These complicated matters are at the heart of the instigating conflict in the novel. The Keeper is an almost 500-page slow burn mystery. An undercurrent of tension exists throughout, as acts of revenge grow in a cycle of growing stakes and danger. After a time the mystery is no longer a mystery; the main unknown is which form the community's renegade justice will take, and how far it will reach. I wasn't wholly satisfied with the truth of Rachel's demise, and I wasn't sure I fully bought into it, nor the particulars of the justice served to the perpetrators of the major wrongdoings here. But I love a mystery that leans into character development, and The Keeper delivers wonderfully on that front. The character development takes center stage throughout. While I don't think you must read the other books in the series before this one, I do think readers would benefit from the richness of the characters' journeys in prior Cal Hooper books. I received a prepublication edition of The Keeper courtesy of NetGalley and Viking Penguin. More Tana French Novels I love Tana French. You might also be interested in my Bossy reviews of other Tana French novels .

of color in a small Virginia community and the emotionally closed-off former FBI agent and current police

War I London through the points of view of Diamond Annie, head of an all-woman gang, and the female police But one of Britain's first female police officers, Lilian Wyles, is underestimated, dismissed, disrespected I wish we had spent more time with Lilian in her role as a police officer, as the story skews heavily

Whitaker offers several interconnected storylines, and while each one individually appealed to me, I felt a growing lack of connection to the characters as the tales melded into another: young friendship, serial killer, outlaw search, small-town intrigue, and longtime mysteries revealed. Chris Whitaker's novel All the Colors of the Dark  builds a story of a deep friendship between two young outcasts in small-town Monta Clare, Missouri: Patch, a pirate-playing young man missing one eye, whose mother is unreliable and a substance abuser; and Saint, a tomboy raised by her fearless grandmother. A kidnaper and serial killer intrudes on the quiet community and directly impacts Patch and Saint. The horrifying crimes seems to be motivated by religious fanaticism, and both Patch and Saint's futures are shaped by their ties to the darkly disturbing events. I adored the early building of the deep connection and affection between Saint and Patch. And I was intrigued by the disparate-seeming story that soon emerges, beginning with the premise of a serial killer whose actions haunt our main characters and whose horrifying spectre looms over them. There's yet another somewhat separate-feeling story of an outlaw, and a study on prison life, as well as an extended look at a life spend in law enforcement and seeking justice. There are deep betrayals, long-term mysteries, and, finally, many revealed truths (some of which you may anticipate, including the biggies). Each of these storylines would be one I'm interested in, and Whitaker offers a fascinating interconnectedness between them. But the storytelling frequently felt scattered to me, with overly dramatic moments, abrupt statements that are seemingly meant to add impact, and what felt like self-conscious attempts to be offbeat. Characters frequently offer grand speeches to each other about how the world works, and these didn't feel genuine or likely to me. A key character gives up everything to relentlessly seek out a dreamlike possibility of something that might be real, and this didn't sit comfortably with me after the early devotion illustrated between our main protagonists and the character growth evidenced in the meantime. This character's youthful romantic relationship, whose impact becomes pivotal in some ways, also didn't feel real to me. Yet the cast of characters is colorful, and I enjoyed the time I spent with them. I received a prepublication edition of this title, which was published June 25, courtesy of NetGalley and Crown Publishing. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Chris Whitaker is also the author of We Begin at the End , a novel I adored.

I was intrigued by the issues raised in Blackwater Falls--police corruption, racial conflict, religious the body of a golden-child student and star athlete--positioned for attention in a mosque--for the police thriller Blackwater Falls, Ausma Zehanat Khan explores complicated issues surrounding racial injustice, police corruption, political concerns, faith, and religious conflicts that threaten to tear apart a community

found myself wanting more character development--particularly regarding the younger members of the police find fiction and nonfiction books I've read and reviewed that explore issues of race and racism and politics

Are Not Like Them, Pride and Piazza dig into a friendship of opposites, conflicts around race, and a police But when Jen's police officer husband is involved in the shooting of a Black teenager, the women's friendship

stronger bonds with each other in rural Maine while assisting (and sometimes running over) the local police Summer Guests , they operate as a team to try to find a missing teen--both helping and annoying the new police Multiple suspects capture the attention of the police as well as the Martini Club, and the former agents

A new investigator on the team comes from the police and is a known rabble-rouser with her mischievous Robin seems on the cusp of becoming engaged to her boyfriend, handsome police officer Ryan Murphy, and Ryan's tenuously connected to the police case that the agency is looking into, but his goals are somewhat

The Chamberlain-Kahn Act...legalized and encouraged police to stop any woman on the street who looked Police were to detain the woman and test her for sexually transmitted diseases.

that Ellie is back, she's frustrated by Ellie's refusal to provide information that might lead the police who snatched her, where she might have been, and who else was there--all of which could have helped police

promising lacrosse player headed to UNC in the fall, who was behind the wheel, tries to navigate a police uncomfortable as the story draws to a close, with plenty of messy, imperfect resolutions shaped by money, politics

Camilla is a new mother who has just dropped off her baby for her first day of daycare when the police Camilla, shocked, mostly cooperates with the police and the negotiator--until the hostages are shot and

mother, and when she finds that a student in one of her classes is fighting for his life following police The story takes a brief but powerful dip into the vast issues of race and policing in America, then the

Klan used its wide reach to control elections and place members in high-ranking state and national political Police officers, judges, lawyers, and other community leaders who were part of the white supremacist Should they call the police, they would be reporting something already known, and even encouraged. You can click here to find other books I've read and reviewed that explore issues of race and politics

A Love Story; I'm reading Heather Webb's historical fiction novel about a female gang and a female police But one of Britain's first female police officers, Lilian Wyles, is underestimated, dismissed, disrespected

give up on finding out the truth of what happened to their son, and when the reactions from London police

The group's friendship with local police officers continues, and the officers' private lives are beefier

They simultaneously take the local police detectives under their wing, feeding and caring as they can --while politely squeezing out information they can use.

the body of a golden-child student and star athlete--positioned for attention in a mosque--for the police Khan explores racial injustice, police corruption, and the implications of American politics in this

and Knopf . 02 Inside Man (Head Cases #2) by John McMahon The initial installment of John McMahon's police

they didn't feel like the "bad guys"; the greedy, privileged characters who manipulated the law and police

I had unreasonable hopes for gaining compassionate understanding of disparate political views through I...began to think about liberal and conservative policies as manifestations of deeply conflicting but He tracks historical concerns, ways of thinking, and trends in political parties. I was particularly interested in the history of political leanings and the reasoning for the entrenched views of and essential issues for those in different political parties.

Now Elly is having trouble getting the police or anyone else to believe in the existence of the unknown

intention was always to draw Elly into a mysterious plan, and now Elly is having trouble getting the police

Charlie, who was behind the wheel, tries to navigate a police investigation, guided by his father.

Golden boy Nate grew up to become a police officer and marry his high-school sweetheart.

(North Falls #1) by Karin Slaughter In Karin Slaughter's We Are All Guilty Here , Emmy Clifton is a police

Meanwhile, Robin seems on the cusp of becoming engaged to her boyfriend, handsome police officer Ryan

Summer Guests , they operate as a team to try to find a missing teen--both helping and annoying the new police

that Ellie is back, she's frustrated by Ellie's refusal to provide information that might lead the police

She and Larry, a new local friend--a recent widower and a former police officer--begin trying to find

When the police forces of multiple states seem unable to contain or prosecute the diminutive, self-aggrandizing

In Karin Slaughter's We Are All Guilty Here , Emmy Clifton is a police officer for whom the job is all It's the Fourth of July, and all hands are on deck with the police for the town's fireworks, crowd control

country sandwiched between Germany and France, as well as extensive forays into the country's traditions, political stronger bonds with each other in rural Maine while assisting (and sometimes running over) the local police Multiple suspects capture the attention of the police as well as the Martini Club, and the former agents I wished for more behind-the-scenes peeks at Shakespeare's shows, and I was least interested in the political

the Shrines of Gaiety story line is Detective Frobisher, an upstanding outlier in the largely corrupt police

War I London through the points of view of Diamond Annie, head of an all-woman gang, and the female police But one of Britain's first female police officers, Lilian Wyles, is underestimated, dismissed, disrespected

lives a quiet life, which is partially dictated by his physical limitations since suffering through polio the idea of becoming a mother, and when a student in one of her classes fights for his life fighting police

War I London through the points of view of Diamond Annie, head of an all-woman gang, and the female police But one of Britain's first female police officers, Lilian Wyles, is underestimated, dismissed, disrespected

evidence into her pocket, gathers and questions those she thinks are suspects, and bosses around the police

stronger bonds with each other in rural Maine while assisting (and sometimes running over) the local police Multiple suspects capture the attention of the police as well as the Martini Club, and the former agents

She and Larry, a new local friend, a widower and former police officer, begin trying to find out the

evidence into her pocket, gathers and questions those she thinks are suspects, and bosses around the police

I love a peek behind the scenes, and I loved the politics, rivalries, determination, mind games, and Camilla is a new mother who has just dropped off her baby for her first day of daycare when the police Camilla, shocked, mostly cooperates with the police and the negotiator--until the hostages are shot and

participants, used its wide reach to control elections and place members in high-ranking state and national political Police officers, judges, lawyers, and other community leaders who were part of the white supremacist

Adam Hamdy's The Other Side of Night, the lives of a young boy, a respectable citizen, and a disgraced police