Book Review: The Policeman’s Daughter by Trudy Nan Boyce

This was a fascinating, in-depth look at a beat cop’s life in one of the most notorious housing projects in Atlanta. I understand it is a prequel – I have not read any of the other series books, but a prequel is often as good a place to start as any…

Salt is a fascinating character – tough but fragile, and clearly someone who gives her all to her job, which must be an unbelievably draining way to live, given what she sees on a daily basis. The book is very well written – the style is engaging and descriptive and dark yet somehow still hopeful. I suspect the latter is entirely due to Salt herself; she’s a great protagonist, real and believable and intensely complex without being complicated.

The supporting cast is also strong; Trudy Nan Boyce paints an incredibly vivid picture, both of the personalities and the environment that is shaping them. At times, quite frankly, that vividness makes the book difficult to read – this is not a sunshine and roses fairy tale world, after all… But still, the voice is authentic and resonant, and that helped me stay with it.

I would imagine that the book provides interesting backstory for other recurring characters in her series – in that sense, it is probably a different read for someone new to the books, like me, than it is for a veteran. I did not feel like I was missing anything by not having any familiarity with the characters/world of these books, though, so that should not affect a reader’s decision to pick up the book. I will definitely be on the lookout for others in the series; I’m intensely curious to see how Salt develops and what her detective life is like, as compared to her early beat cop days… I’m also curious to track the other characters – there are some surprises in their personalities, and I wonder where they will go over time. Sparking that level of curiosity with a prequel is a strong indicator, to me, that the series will be entertaining and engaging.

My review copy was provided by the Penguin First To Read program. The book releases in the US on February 27, 2018.