I was fortunate to be able to purchase a pre-release copy of Partners in Crime by James Reid. I read it in less than twenty-four hours as I was unable to put it down. You can find the summary and purchase information on the author’s website and Goodreads.com.

This hard-boiled police procedural is set in Atlanta where homicide detective Jeff Strickland finds himself in the unenviable position of having to solve the murder of his friends’ nineteen year-old daughter, Kanya. Along the way “Strick,” who should have recused himself from the case, encounters issues of class, race, faith, politics, betrayal, and his own past while tracking down the brutal murderer of the girl he had once thought of as the daughter he never had. Told by Detective Strickland, this mystery takes its readers through crime-infested projects and secret laden mansions, police stations and churches, vacant lots and corporate offices, each setting with interesting characters and stories of their own.

I enjoyed the twists and turns throughout the novel. Most characters were not as they appeared, and the author was conscientious about showing the real-life challenges and frustrations of police work that are rarely seen on TV crime shows. The ending surprised me, and tied up all the loose ends.

While I highly recommend this novel, I think it fair to disclose that while murders in reality are rarely clean, kind, or cozy, Mr. Reid did not shy away from language or imagery that might be uncomfortable for some readers. If subjects and scenes on Law and Order: SVU trouble or offend you, you might want to pass on this book. That being said, the dialog and descriptions throughout Partners in Crime make it easy for the reader to become fully enveloped in the search for justice for Kanya.