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.
It’s August in New York, and the only thing that’s
hotter than the pavement is Manhattan D.A. Alex Cooper’s
professional and personal life. Just as she’s 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 city’s 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 Alex’s 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 Alex’s
peerless interrogation skills—and one big break—
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-edgelegal issuesand forensics, New York
City history, and spine-tingling suspense. And at the
center of it all is Alex Cooper—stunning, single-minded,
accomplished, and not to be trifled with whether she’s in
or out of a courtroom.
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