The Policeman's Daughter

October 30, 2017
Boyce’s captivating third novel featuring Atlanta PD officer Sarah “Salt” Alt (after 2017’s Old Bones) is a prequel about how Salt became a detective that introduces a cast of multidimensional characters that bring the gritty neighborhood to life. Salt, still a beat cop, is working one of the toughest beats in the city, an area called the Homes. During a routine traffic stop, she is shot in the head, giving her prolonged eyesight problems. She starts to see double and even has what appear to be visions, but she hides the injury to avoid being taken off the street. When Shannell, a crack addict and sex worker Salt knows, is murdered, Salt can’t let the investigation rest, even though she’s not a detective and the case has immediately gone cold. Salt chases leads that result in conflict between her and the local gang. This taut, authentic depiction of life as a female beat cop will resonate with crime fiction fans. Agent: Nat Sobel, Sobel Weber Associates.

Detective Salt (Sarah Alt) is portrayed with passion in a clear, warm voice by narrator Allyson Ryan. Well-developed characters and authentic dialogue are Boyce's strengths, and Ryan splendidly enhances them. This gritty police procedural takes place before Salt has been promoted to detective. The current case involves a drug-addicted hooker, Shannell, and her boyfriend, "Big D," who have an abusive relationship. They live in a housing project in Atlanta that is plagued by violence. In addition, Salt, an absorbing and engaging character, is still dealing with her father's suicide when she was 10. Ryan brings a bit of lightness and hope to the otherwise gritty plot with changes in pacing and tone. S.C.A. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine