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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