“[The ending is] bizarre and twisted. . . . [Detective Liz Boyle, a] troubled and complex character, is a welcome new addition to local fiction.” The Akron Beacon-JournalDetective Liz Boyle knows there is no crime more heinous than the murder of a child. When she and her partner, Tom Goran, are called to a new scene in an area of Cleveland known as The Flats, they find that a killer has taken … has taken that to new levels.
As the investigation takes them deeper into the city’s seedy underbelly, the case hits frighteningly close to home when someone Liz loves is added to the list of possible suspects. While fighting her personal demons, she must also pick her way around the department bureaucracy to avoid being pulled from the case.
Liz and Tom will need to solve the most mind-bending mystery of their careers, one in which their personal and professional allegiances—and maybe their sanity—will be tested. But Liz vows to bring the killer to justice at any cost.
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Compelling, impeccably well-written thriller/mystery/police procedural story set in Cleveland about a woman detective with an elite unit within the police department. Liz Boyle is an intense personality, a bit of a loner, a driven personality and driven detective, with a complex and troubling backstory. When she and her partner, the calm counterpoint Tom Goren, begin to investigate the murder of a young child, things quickly become personal. As the plot develops, just how personal become more and more clear–and more frightening.
This is a police procedural/mystery with a strong female protagonist and as such it might draw comparisons to Michael Connelly’s Renee Ballard series, which also feature an intense female detective. I had just finished reading two of Connelly’s Renee Ballard books, back to back, when I read The Flats. Far from suffering in comparison, Kate Birdsall’s The Flats soars. I preferred her book because she develops her characters more fully, the family and personal dramas add a complex layer and richness to the stories, and the pacing and intensity are sharper. Not to say Connelly isn’t a great writer—he is—but to stress that Kate Birdsall’s book stands up to the best of them.
A fast-paced, powerful book, The Flats is the first in a series, with The Heights following. Both are gritty, realistic and filled with crisp, on-point writing. Hurry up Kate, and please write another Liz Boyle story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery. The detective is intriguing and multidimensional; the minor characters are well developed; the plotting is tight; the Cleveland-area details are spot on. By the end I was gasping aloud at the unexpected twists.
This is my favorite kind of mystery – one that offers not just a mystery, but complex and psychologically interesting characters. I thought the narrator’s voice was strong and engaging. I immediately liked and sympathized with her. Her scenes in the therapist’s office helped us see a more vulnerable (though still defensive) version of her and there was some nice growth through the book. When the plot started heating up, I had trouble putting the book down. This is a great read for a weekend binge.
Perhaps because I lived in Cleveland when the Flats were developed, I enjoyed this book very much.
Loved that I could picture places from my childhood. Well written.
Good mystery that happens in Cleveland. A nice change of pace to put a police mystery there. The homicide detective, actually the detective and her colleagues are part of a special homicide unit that does the really tough cases. It begins right away with the case they will have to solve so there is no waiting around which I like (sorry, don’t like to give details away). The detective is a tough yet vulnerable woman in her thirties who is gay but it is not overtly portrayed in the book. It’s just one more facet of her make- up. Her partner is a bit older and is a family man. They play well off each other. I liked the book well enough that I am now reading the next book.
Just wanted to read a story based in my CLE! I enjoyed this quick read!
Loved it.
4.5
Book source ~ ARC. My review is voluntary and honest.
Detectives Liz Boyle and Tom Goran work in the Special Homicides division of the Cleveland Police Department. They handle the cases where a child has been killed. Liz is on the edge after an officer involved shooting and she’s seeing a therapist (and making very little progress) when they get the case of a five-year-old boy found dead in The Flats. The Flats was never the greatest part of town, but it’s really gotten bad over the years. What was this boy doing down here and who killed him? As Liz and Tom keep digging they come up with very little, until they catch a break. Will they apprehend the killer or will the killer catch Liz?
First off, I want to state I picked this book solely on the fact it’s set in Cleveland, in the Flats. I’m originally from Ohio and I’d been to the Flats a few times, so I was curious as to how the author would portray it. I haven’t been there since the mid-90s when my favorite place was The Powerhouse and the arcade within. I stayed mostly on the West Bank though and the book’s murder takes place on the East, so it’s possible that the East Bank has not fared as well as the West which is a bummer. In any case…
It’s bad enough a five-year-old is murdered, but Liz and Tom have virtually no leads. Well, they have leads, but nothing they can take to a judge. Dammit! Why is police work so tedious and, and…lawful?! Ok, so yeah there needs to be laws to protect people, but damn, how do LEOs handle it? Don’t answer that. I’ve read the statistics. Anyway…
This is one hell of a good mystery! I was kept guessing until nearly the end. The end! I love when an author stumps me. I love the process of the investigation and all the twists, curveballs, and sudden left turns it can take. This story gives a pretty accurate description of what police work is like, but condensed because this isn’t real life. We gotta get to the end and catch the Big Bad, you know. Excellent writing, great characters, and an awesome mystery. My only complaint is about Liz. It’s probably not fair because she is a flawed character, but some of her actions just pissed me off. I can’t help it, so there it is. All-in-all this is a mystery lover’s dream.
I very much enjoyed this first mystery by Kate Birdsall. Homicide Detective Liz Boyle is still seeing the therapist to discuss her last case. Liz had killed a suspect who was attempting to shoot her partner, Tom Goran. Now, she and her partner are assigned to a particularly disturbing case. A five-year old boy has been found murdered in an alley in The Flats, a popular area in Cleveland. The boy had been reported missing by his parents, although he was visiting his grandparents when he went missing. She and Tom will question the patrons of the bars in the area, looking for any clue as to who killed and left the boy in the alley. When the police believe that they have their suspect, Liz is not so sure as another murder takes place. There still seems to be some “threads” to the crime that don’t add up. Also, someone is sending her baffling text messages that make no sense. Liz will have to dig deep in to her past in order to catch the killer. I look forward to reading the next Det. Liz Boyle mystery. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to give an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)