Terrier (Beka Cooper #1) ~ Paperback ~ Tamora Pierce

Tamora Pierce begins a new Tortall trilogy introducing Beka Cooper, a rookie with the law-enforcing Provost's Guard, and she's been assigned to the Lower City. It's a tough beat that's about to get tougher, as Beka's limited ability to communicate with the dead clues her in to an underworld conspiracy. Someone close to Beka is using dark magic to profit from the Lower City's criminal enterprises—and the result is a crime wave the likes of which the Provost's Guard has never seen before. The Beka Cooper Trilogy is set in the same world as the Song of the Lioness and The Immortals series. Review “Pierce’s latest book takes place in Tortall some two hundred years before Alanna from the Lioness Quartet. This first-person narrative tells the story of sixteen-year-old Beka Cooper, who is a puppy–or trainee–to the Provost’s Guard, commonly known as the Provost’s Dogs. Working with two of the best guards, Matthias Tunstall and Clara Goodwin, she is given the dangerous assignment of evening shift in the Lower City. Soon she hears rumors of a nefarious criminal called the Shadow Snake, who kidnaps young children of the Lower City and holds them ransom for unique trinkets and family heirlooms. Tamora Pierce is recognized for her strong female characters, and Beka does not disappoint. She sniffs out clues with the tenacity of a terrier, from which she gets her nickname. Her descriptions of the law enforcers and the lawbreakers are both thoughtful and entertaining. Indeed, fans of Pierce’s fantasy series may be surprised to find a police procedural full of intrigue, suspense, and plenty of action. Strong characters, a suspenseful plot, and a magical setting combine in this gripping page-turner, sure to enthrall a wide variety of readers.” Children's Li­terature. Author Biography Tamora Pierce is a bestselling, much-loved author, perhaps best known for her Song of the Lioness quartet. She worked as a social worker for teenagers and wrote for radio before publishing Alanna: The First Adventure in 1983. Since then she has written over twenty-five novels for young people, is a New York Times bestseller and was awarded the 2013 Margaret A Edwards award for ‘significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature’. Tamora lives in New York with her husband Tim and their three cats and two birds.