It's 1974 and a cop killer is on the loose in Atlanta. A full-scale manhunt is underway, but there are few leads. If that weren't enough pressure to deal with, there's been a transition to black leadership of the city and the police department. The good-ole-boys-in-blue white cops are uneasy and finding it difficult to adjust to more blacks and females being added to their ranks.

Rookie Kate Murphy is appalled at the treatment female cops are subjected to and wonders if she'll make it through her first day on the job. Partnered with Maggie Lawson, whose uncle and brother are also Atlanta cops, Kate's advantaged upbringing hasn't prepared her for the city's mean streets. Or for the derision she finds in Maggie, who's determined to prove her worth to her family. With the latest victim being Maggie's brother's partner, the stakes were never higher to find this killer before he strikes again. When the men exclude them from working the case, Maggie and Kate decide to do some investigating on their own. The women prevail and the eventual outcome leaves the police force in shock.

Karin Slaughter's COP TOWN is a skillfully written, thought-provoking novel of a volatile time in the history of Atlanta -- and the nation. Prejudice is widespread against a variety of ethnic groups, especially the blacks, as well as toward women, who are starting to take on more jobs that only men usually held. Realistic plotting and compelling characterization make COP TOWN a truly powerful statement of the times.