The first novel in the Anne Capestan crime series.
I wasn't sure what to expect from THE AWKWARD SQUAD, but what I found was an enjoyable, quirky, often funny crime/mystery/procedural. The characters are varied and well-drawn, and enjoyable to spend time with.
A very strong first novel in a series, I'm really looking forward to reading more.

I found this to be slow moving but it sped up once the cast of characters was fleshed out. The writing is slyly humorous.

I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of a British TV show called New Tricks, where a group of older men are off solving cold cases and getting into trouble.

The Awkward Squad, however, isn't just older men and women police officers. It's a French police squad of undesirables and people unable to be fired. This leads to some interesting characters from an officer believed to be a curse and another officer who wrote a series of famous books. All of the characters were really interesting and well fleshed out. They each had a distinct personality, but when working together as a whole unit, they meshed wonderfully.

Capestan, the leader of this rag tag group seems to have a hard time ahead of her, but she doesn't let this new job get her down. They start with some cases that have loose threads that need wrapping up. Soon, they are embroiled in murder, corruption, and more.

There were some lovely twists and turns and by the end, I was sad to leave this new team. Hopefully, there will be more, but if not, this was a lovely ending to a great story.

A crime story that, unfortunately for me, I just could not connect with - perhaps it is a translation issue? I wanted to like it, and there's not really anything to dislike, per se, so I think I'm just not the right reader for this one. Even though this was a pass for me I suggest giving it a shot.

I really enjoyed this translated French crime novel that is based in Paris. Anne Capestan has just learned she still has a job after her latest fatal shooting incident, however, she has been reassigned to head up a group of misfits that basically cannot be fired. Not everyone shows up, but of the group that does, they learn they have the free will to investigate cold cases without the supervision the used to have. With Capestan as their leader, they come across two unsolved murders and the group works together to solve them. This was not what I was expecting at all, and as each ‘misfit’ has a backstory, I loved learning about each of the characters as well as following them as they worked to solve the crimes. The cases were well thought out and not easily predictable, and the banter between everyone was enjoyable. I think this is the first in a series and I will definitely read the others in this set. Thanks to NetGalley for an electronic arc of this book.

I've long been a fan of the unconventional police procedural story. I was a devoted viewer of the TV show Castle, and am a sucker for the new show Deception. I like stories in which investigations must take the road less traveled to get the bad guy. Throw in the fact that this squad of Paris investigators is a bunch of misfits who, for various reasons, can't get fired, and I was intrigued. The Awkward Squad isn't quite awkward, but definitely has its quirks. I have a feeling I might enjoy subsequent installments of this series more because, as is the case with first books, there was a lot of introduction happening here, therefore not a ton of chances to really dig deep and get to know some of these characters. The mystery had a decent number of twists and turns, and though it took me a little while to get into it, ultimately over the course of the few days it took me to read, I got invested and stayed up past my usual bedtime in order to finish.

Author Sophie Hénaff starts with a premise that a lot of businesses probably wish they could do: round up all the losers they can't fire and put them someplace where they can be overlooked and forgotten. What I love is the fact that the author then turns this on its head-- what if these police officers aren't the wastes of space everyone believes them to be?

French police hierarchy has rounded up this group of embarrassments, put them in a rundown building with little or no equipment or supplies and tells Commissaire Anne Capestan point-blank, "We're paying you to play dominoes or do some knitting." That was their second mistake. Their first was to put Anne Capestan in charge of this motley crew that includes Bad Luck Torrez, Merlot the drunk, Évrard the gambler, and others. Capestan has absolutely no intention of going quietly into that good night, but she needs the help of the few officers who bothered to show up for duty.

The mysteries this group solve are good ones and make for enjoyable reading, but the real treat of The Awkward Squad is watching this group of misfits come together to form a team, find resources that headquarters won't give them, and solve crimes that no one expected them to solve. The sly humor that appears from time to time is icing on the cake.

There's always been a part of me that roots for the underdog, and now that I've met this unlikely group of crime solvers, I can't wait to cheer them on in the next book.

A police procedural where the police don't exactly follow procedure. The Awkward Squad is formed to keep a group of misfits out of sight and out of mind, but these misfits certainly don't stay there. This crime mystery is well-written and fast-paced from beginning to end. So often, books in this genre tend to lag a bit in the middle, but that is not the case here. Each character has a different story - a different reason for being assigned to this squad of misfits. Of course, there is some butting of heads within the group, but whether it's because of their differences or in spite of them, they're all interesting and the banter between them is witty and often chuckle worthy. The pacing and story line keep the pages turning and I hope to see more of this quirky bunch of crime fighters.

I picked up The Awkward Squad because the description sounded an awful lot like one of my favorite British TV series, New Tricks.

It turns out that it sounds a lot like it because it is a lot like it, and that’s a good thing. There are certainly differences, and the cases they actually end up solving are nothing alike, but the premise is the same, at least in the important bits.

The Awkward Squad is the last hope for a group of police officers in Paris who have screwed up irredeemably in one way or another, but who also can’t be fired for one reason or another. The divisionaire (think Superintendant) has created this squad of misfits, stuck them in a run down apartment far from police headquarters, given them the worst of the cast-off furniture and equipment, taken away their guns, and dumped every box of cold cases that HQ can find on their doorstep.

They are all supposed to take their relegation as a sign that it’s time to quit, or retire, or possibly even die.

Instead, their Commissaire (think commanding officer) takes the relegation as a sign of hope. She believes that if they manage to do good police work and show up whoever originally handled some of those old, cold cases, they’ll all have a chance at returning to HQ where they belong.

Anne Capestan, every bit as disgraced as the unit she finds herself commanding, is both half right and half wrong. She’s right in her idea that if they take their no-hope unit and do some real policing with it, they can all earn back the respect they’ve lost.

But she’s wrong in thinking that they all belong back at HQ, or as part of the regular police force that has marginalized them. As her “awkward squad” of misfit cops bands together, they discover that they do their best work outside of the bounds of the regular force – and with each other.

It’s supposed to have been a dead-end job for dead-end cops. It turns out to be a home, and a family and a damn good unit.

And a setup from the word go.

Escape Rating B+: It’s hard for me to lose the resemblance to New Tricks. In the show, the misfits are all retired cops, admittedly sometimes forcibly retired for the same types of infractions and troubles that plague this squad. The new commander in both cases has been sidelined after a well-publicized action that should have ended their career. And in both cases, they investigate cases that the original officers either half-assed or willfully neglected.

But unlike New Tricks, all of Anne’s squad are still serving officers, albeit barely in some cases. They all still have a chance to resurrect their careers if they can face their demons.

And Anne’s squad was set up for a special purpose, in addition to the stated purpose of driving them all to leave. There’s someone at HQ who hopes that Anne will dive into the two murders that were hidden among all the boxes of old casework, and that she’ll figure out what all the investigators before her have missed.

Not because she’s good, although she is, but because she’s dogged, particularly in the face of officialdom saying “NO”. Which it does. Repeatedly and often. Which only makes Anne more determined to get a “YES” – or make one.

But what makes this book is not just the case, although it is fascinating and convoluted and keeps the reader guessing until the end.

What makes this book are the members of that awkward squad and the way that they coalesce from a bunch of misfits into a family of choice. The way that they work their way around the roadblocks in their path as well as the way that they work their way towards each other, is often lighthearted and frequently hilarious.

In the end, their family is centered around a dog, and the case is solved because of a cat. With a lot of sometimes rueful laughter along the way – and often at their own expense.

I had a great time getting to know Anne and band of misfit cops, and I sincerely hope that further books in this series are translated and make their way to this side of the “pond”.

I enjoyed The Awkward Squad tremendously - it was a well-written, fast-paced police procedural. The various personalities that comprise the squad were entertaining and there is plenty of room for further character development should the series continue, which I hope it does. The main character, Anne Capestan, is a disgraced police officer who has been given one last chance - leading the titular awkward squad. Capestan is a sharpshooter without a gun, a leader without a cohesive group, and a cop without a clear directive. She takes her rag-tag bunch of troublemakers and solves a difficult case.
Sophie Henaff is a talented writer - The Awkward Squad is a strong debut novel. I would happily recommend this book to all of my friends.

I really enjoyed this book. read my full review at https://journalingonpaper.com/2018/03/19/book-review-the-awkward-squad-by-sophie-henaff/

4.5 stars (release date April 3, 2018)

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a new police crime series set in Paris centering on disgraced police officer Anne Capestan. She is suspended from duty for shooting and killing a suspect. Fearing that she is about to be fired, Capestan reports to HQ to learn her fate and is surprised by being assigned to run a new unit that will focus on cold cases. The catch? The other team members are a group of misfits, troublemakers and unfit police officers that can't be fired and no one wants in their unit.

Determined to make the most of it, the few officers that actually report for duty start to look into several old murders. To their surprise, they develop new leads that could possibly solve the cold cases and earn them a small modicum of respect from their superiors. The characters are well developed, the story is well written and there is plenty of action and twists and turns. I really enjoyed this book. It is fast-paced and so interesting that you won't want to put it down. I look forward to reading more books in this series.

I loved this! The fabulous cover aptly captures this funny, interesting mystery. A truly awkward squad of misfit French officers have to work together to solve two mysteries, and the reader will be entertained by their large personalities and unique problem solving skills.

Excellent mystery with unique characters! Looking forward to more from this author.

I enjoyed the humor in this novel. The translation was good--not amazing--but the characterization of Paris and the French was also good. Fun characters; I'd read another in this series.

After Commissaire Anne Capestan fires one bullet too many on the job, she is placed as the head of a new squad in charge of cold cases. Comprised of a band of misfits who, for one reason or another, have become “undesirable” to the police judiciare, this new squad sets out to reconfirm their own worth as well as prove that they cannot be banished so easily.

This quirky cast of characters was a delight to read and the mysteries they are solving almost become secondary to their individual journeys and growth as a group. The mysteries themselves were well-written, though their resolution seemed a little quick. I look forward to reading more in this series.

This is a translated work originally published in French. A small glossary is provided for some of the fFrench phrases remaining within the story.

Offbeat translation of French crime comedy which takes place in Paris as a police captain is demoted to managing a pack of rag tag police officers, hence the "awkward squad." Her assignment is clearing cold cases with a bunch of misfits, which leads to endless possibilities of adventures.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R25TJY7WQ5KMQF/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8

Likely to appeal to fans of noir and hard boiled crime fiction.

A few years ago, I endured one of the greatest catastrophes of all time in reading translated foreign literature. For various reasons, sometimes a series is published out of order. A long time ago (pre-internet) I struggled to discover the correct order of Maj Sjowall’s and Per Wahloo’s Martin Beck series. And for a long time I held off reading Fred Vargas’s Adamsberg series as the books were published out of order in English. In 2013, I heard about a fantastic new crime novel from a French writer by the name of Pierre Lemaitre called Alex. I ran out and bought a copy and was then absolutely gutted to learn that it was the second book in a series. It turns out that the untranslated first book in the series, Irene, had one of the most tragic and devastating endings in all of crime fiction. (That sounds like an exaggeration but I think it is accurate.) Starting on the second book first, experiencing that ending was ruined for me. Why on earth the publisher chose the second book of a trilogy to be published first, especially when the ending of the first book contains such a smashing revelation, is beyond me. I dutifully read the rest of the series and though I have since held a grudge for having to read the books out of order, Pierre Lemaitre became one of my favorite crime writers.

That brings us to the two books considered here - Pierre Lemaitre’s new novel Three Days and a Life and Sophie Henaff’s The Awkward Squad. I am delighted to report that The Awkward Squad is the first book of a series and that it looks to be the start of a great series. Sophie Henaff is journalist at the French edition of Cosmopolitan magazine and this appears to be her first book, something I find a little hard to believe as this is as finely polished a debut police procedural as I have read in a long time. And it has a great hook - Anne Capestan, a decorated police officer, is coming off a six-month suspension and as further punishment, is exiled to head up a new squad of Paris’s worst police officers. Other reviewers have compared this to Mick Herron’s failed spies in his Slow Horses series - an apt comparison and also a great series. It also brought to mind the ragtag bunch of detectives assembled in the first series of the great TV drama The Wire. Or to go back further, The Dirty Dozen. So, not the newest concept but one that delivers when done well - which Henaff does with her awkward squad. The squad’s first two cold cases inevitably merge (but that’s okay, this happens all the time in crime fiction) and soon Capestan’s assortment of castoffs are doing the same things that got them in trouble to solve these previously unsolvable crimes. I look forward to reading more Sophie Henaff.

Pierre Lemaitre’s new novel, Three Days and a Life, is a stand alone. This book is stunning. Initially, it is the story of a young boy who impulsively and unintentionally murders a younger boy and conceals his body in a forest outside their small French town. Given the title, I assumed it would take three days for him to be found out or to find a solution to his dilemma. As authorities search for the missing boy, the tension is unbearable. I can't think of anything I've read where I've felt so bad for the suffering of a murderer as he waits for his crime to be uncovered. I don't want to spoil anything but that there is no immediate resolution to the disappearance of the small boy does not mean the murderer escapes. He is unable to forget what he has done and it warps his life until the time comes for him to return to the town where he grew up and murdered his neighbor. When he does, the tension and dread again becomes unbearable as the reader waits for the inevitable. Something does happen but not at all what might be expected. A sentence of a different sort will be served for this crime. Rarely have I read something so powerful, gripping, and agonizing and that has a convincing ending. Though this is not Pierre Lemaitre's first novel it is the perfect book to start reading this great French writer.