Alexandra Cooper, Assistant District Attorney in Special Victims Unit, attempts to balance her emotions with the two cases she is working. Alex is close to a conviction on a cold case involving a 35-year-old rape. Revisiting the old rape laws makes Alex appreciate the courage it took the victims to report the crimes. Their bravery was further tested when the justice system subjected them to brutal cross-examinations by defense attorneys.
The pleasure from that case dims with the discovery of a woman who was tortured, raped and murdered on one of the small islands that surround Manhattan. The case takes on high priority when an additional victim is found on another island. Alex's relationship with Detectives Mercer Wallace and Mike Chapman enables her to work closely with them on the investigation as they attempt to determine if they have a serial killer. The history of the islands becomes integral in their investigations. The clues lead them to several individuals, but they have no clear suspect. Time is running out before a media frenzy erupts impeding the already difficult investigation.
Ms. Fairstein's 25 years in Sex Crimes in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office is evident in her depiction of the NYPD detectives and the internal political activities that complicate their jobs. The suspense is top-notch and the banter between Mike and Alex, especially their bets on the Final Jeopardy question, provide a break from the chilling and intense narrative of this thriller.
Itβs August in New York, and the only thing thatβs hotter than the pavement is Manhattan D.A. Alex Cooperβs professional and personal life. Just as sheβs claiming an especially gratifying victory in a rape case, she gets the call: the body of a young woman has been found in an abandoned building. The brutality of the murder is disturbing enough, but when a second body, beaten and disposed of in exactly same manner, is found off the Belt Parkway, the cityβs top brass want the killer found fast, before the tabloids can start churning out ghoulish serial killer headlines.Between dodging the bullets of the gang members who are infuriated by Alexβs most recent courtroom victory and keeping a rendezvous with a charming restaurateur, a serial killer on the loose is the last thing she needs on her plate right now. Then a third victim is found, and it becomes clear to Alex and her team that time is not on their side.Through Alexβs peerless interrogation skillsβand one big breakβ the search becomes focused on someone who has a twisted obsession with the military, and things grow increasingly dangerous when the chase leads to a chain of small, abandoned islands around New York harbor.Once again Linda Fairstein brilliantly orchestrates a page-turning mix of cutting-edge legal issues and forensics, New York City history, and spine-tingling suspense. And at the center of it all is Alex Cooperβstunning, single-minded, accomplished, and not to be trifled with whether sheβs in or out of a courtroom.
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