Book Description
Bad Blood finds Assistant DA Alexandra Cooper deeply involved in a complicated, high-profile homicide case. Defendant Brendan Quillian, a prominent young businessman, is charged with the brutal strangulation of his beautiful young wife, Amanda. His conviction is not a certainty: Quillian was conveniently out of town on the day of the killing, and he has hired a formidable defense attorney who seems one step ahead of Cooper as the trial opens. But with the help of detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace, she is confident she can prove Quillian paid a hit man to commit the crime.
Halfway through the trial, a major catastrophe alters the course of Alex's case. A cataclysmic ex-plosion rips through New York City's Water Tunnel #3, a spectacular feat of modern engineering that will be completed years in the future. Carved through bedrock six hundred feet underground, the tunnel will replace a vital artery in the city's rapidly deteriorating water supply system. Was the blast caused by terrorism? Political retribution? Or was it merely an accident? Cooper is quickly drawn into the trag-edy when she discovers a strange connection linking Brendan Quillian to the tunnel workers killed in the explosion.
At the same time, Alex meets a mysterious, handsome stranger. Should she get to know him better? Before the answer is clear, she is pulled back into the case, which is becoming more dangerous by the hour. She and Chapman descend deep into the earth to penetrate the subterranean universe of the sandhogs, as the brotherhood of tunnel workers are colorfully known. Their probe soon leads to another murder victim, whose blood may hold the key to Cooper's mesmerizingly complex case. One closely held secret reveals another, and soon Alex discovers that only by unraveling ancient rivalries among sandhog families will she be able to solve the murder of Amanda Quillian -- and save her own life as well.
A riveting tale of up-to-the-minute urban intrigue, Bad Blood is rich with New York City lore and fascinating legal insights that only Fairstein, Manhattan's former sex crimes prosecutor, can deliver. Told in her signature authentic style, Bad Blood is packed with the same twists and turns that made her last novel, Death Dance, a runaway bestseller and that never fail to thrill her legions of devoted readers.
Customer Reviews:
Satisfaction Continues.......2007-09-30
I have enjoyed Fairsteinn's books-all of her Alexandra Cooper series- I automatically order them because I know they will provide an interesting learning experience as well as a satisfying read. Her works are character driven and, thus, when is one is finished, I feel I have closed the page on well known companions. Bad Blood was well done.
Excellent suspense and storytelling.......2007-08-03
In my opinion, I thought "Bad Blood" was an excellent read, and it kept my interest as I followed Alex Cooper as she searched for answers to solve a tunnel explosion and a man on trial for the murder of his wife. The story moves along at a quick pace and I felt it was an interesting read. The reviews are numerous on this tale, so there's no need at this point to recap the story further, else I may give away more of the story for those folks that haven't read it. I will add that it was very educational to learn (which I always enjoy) about the water tunnels of New York City. It was very apparent that Ms. Fairstein did a considerable amount research into this subject and I appreciate her effort. Overall, if you enjoy a great mystery you won't be disappointed in "Bad Blood". I'd gladly recommend it to anyone.
On the subject of recommendations, set your sights on the thrilling mystery The Monopoly Factor by Robert L. Saunders. This gripping story that I read a few weeks ago, will keep you up till the wee hours and you can't help but root for Barry and Susan as they try to stay one step ahead of the evil Rudd and his henchman Buzz Brunner. Mystery fans check it out, believe me it's worthy of your time and money. So Long..
Might Be the Best in the Series..........2007-05-25
...and I've read every one, in order. "Bad Blood" combines all the aspects of a Fairstein novel: obscure New York history (sometimes it's too long and very boring; in this case, it was fascinating), a trip to Martha's Vineyard (mercifully short this time), a usually riveting mystery, and a cast of characters we've learned to love.
The book begins calmly enough with Alexandra Cooper prosecuting a very difficult case against a Johnnie Cochran-type defense attorney. The defendant, wealthy society-type Brendan Quillian, stands accused of murdering his wife, Amanda, by manual strangulation. Alex's case is very weak, much more than normal, even though she knows he did it, or hired somebody to do it. We accompany her to the courtroom for several tense, disappointing days--and then all hell breaks lose.
A dangerous explosion in New York's extensive "underground city" that houses Manhatta's entire supply of water (and here is where the fascinating factoids come in) may be an act of terrorism--or some sort of deadly vendetta among rival families who have worked these tunnels for generations. That is bad enough--but what is the connection between snotty Brendan Quillian and the gangs who work below the city? And how will it affect Alex's case?
The book zips through the tale with all the usual elements in place: danger, pathos, drama, and deep, dark secrets, until the denoument, where, for a heart-stopping minute or two, we think her long-time sidekick Mike Chapman might have been killed.
Great stuff. A perfect "beginning of summer" read.
Fairstein never disappoints.......2007-05-14
Each of Fairstein's series of books featuring Alexandra Cooper gets better and better. What I most like about her writing is that in addition to being riveting legal thrillers, they always teach me something about New York City that I never knew before. Hope she never stops writing!
Same characters, different disaster.......2007-04-08
I'm a fan of characters moving from one book to the next. I love Patricia Cornwell for this very reason as well. Alexandra Cooper is a character that I have learned and always want to know what's going to happen next.
What I don't like about the books, including this one, is Cooper's money and that she has a house on Martha's Vineyard. Maybe I'm just not one for sentimentality, but yes, I know her soon-to-be husband was killed on the way to their weeding; yes I know how they were affected by 9/11. Let's move on to some other interesting things about the characters.
Average customer rating:
- Cliches Galore!
- A compelling and inspiring true story about human pain, trauma, recovery and ultimate triumph!
- A true story about colliding New Yorks
- A good page turner killed by author's writing
- Better suited to a magazine article than book
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The Birthday Party: A Memoir of Survival
Stanley N. Alpert
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
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ASIN: 0399154027
Release Date: 2007-01-18 |
Book Description
On January 21, 1998, the night before his thirty-eighth birthday, federal prosecutor Stanley Alpert was kidnapped off the streets of Manhattan. This is the story of what happened next. . . .
Alpert was taken by a carful of gun-toting thugs looking to use his ATM card, but when they learned his bank balance the plan changed. They took him, blindfolded with his own scarf, to a Brooklyn apartment, with the idea of going to a bank the next day and withdrawing most of his money. But the later it got, the more the plan changed again . . . and again . . . as his captors alternately held guns to his head, threatened his family, engaged him in discussions of "gangsta" philosophy, sought his legal advice, and, once they learned it was his birthday, offered him sexual favors from their prostitute girlfriends as a "birthday present." All the while, Alpert, still blindfolded, talked with them, played on their attitudes and fears, tried to figure out where their mood swings would take them next, and memorized every detail he could in the event that he ever managed to get out of there alive.
In the meantime, his friends and law enforcement colleagues, worried that they hadn't heard from him, launched a major police and FBI investigation. It, too, would take many twists and turns before it was done-and some of them would be very strange indeed.
Filled with immediacy, drama, and extraordinary characters, told not only from Alpert's memory and notes but from police reports, interviews with NYPD detectives, FBI agents, and witnesses, videotaped confessions, and court records, The Birthday Party reads like a thriller-but every word is true.
Customer Reviews:
Cliches Galore!.......2007-10-08
This was a fun sort of read, much like eating popcorn. You know there is no nutrition it but something about the crunch satisfies.
Sadly our writer needed a better editor. The writer's urge to rely on chestnuts was rarely denied. It became something of a sport, however, to see how many pages Mr. Alpert could type before he gave into another worn cliche. That combined with his strange "hero-worship" of himself made what might of been a good story probably more self-revealing than this author intended.
A compelling and inspiring true story about human pain, trauma, recovery and ultimate triumph!.......2007-09-20
My congratulations to Mr. Alpert on this masterful piece of writing about a most unfortunate experience. This was the most compelling book I have read in many years, I literally couldn't put it down. I applaud the author for his incredible courage, wit and intelligence in dealing with his captors, which no doubt contributed in a major way to his survival. His remarkable ability to be a rather brilliant detective instead of a hapless victim while in captivity not only led to his captors demise, but I believe also saved him from more serious psychological trauma. Mr. Alpert also somehow manages to take us through this amazing traumatic journey and still keep his sense of humor.
Mr. Alpert's honesty and willingness to share his innermost and intimate thoughts and feelings throughout the ordeal are admirable and make this book so appealing. My thanks to him for allowing us to share in his impressive ability to navigate such a horrible experience while he keeps sharp, negotiates skillfully with his captors and ultimately triumphs. A most inspiring account of the human spirit.
-Al Frankel, Psychotherapist
A true story about colliding New Yorks.......2007-09-05
There isn't one New York, there are thousands -- maybe millions. In 1998 Asst. US Attorney Stanley Alpert's New York collided with some young Brooklyn thugs', and the result was terrifying, bizarre, and even funny. Years after the event Alpert does a good job evoking the atmosphere, sounds, and emotions of his abduction. It's a fast read and a good read. I felt that the narrator came across as sympathetic and honorable.
A good page turner killed by author's writing.......2007-08-16
The story was a very good one and i sympathize for Mr. Alpert, but I believe his ability to tell a story like this was killed by his personal pride and boastfulness. He has every right to be proud of himself for remembering details and catching the guys, and also of his law career, but it does not need to leak into the story. The writing style is very irritating because of it. It really sounds like a ten year old bragging to his parents about how he fended off the bullies on the playground.
It IS a page-turner and very entertaining, but somehow I caught myself skimming the last few chapters of part two: Cat. I think it drags on through the lawyer stuff understandably.
I would recommend this read to anyone. It is an extraordinary story that everyone, but a little under par in the writing section. But hey I guess he didn't get an English degree in college.
Better suited to a magazine article than book.......2007-08-13
I respect Stanley enormously for his infinite courage and savvy in surviving his horrific ordeal by managing to bond with his kidnappers enough that they ultimately decide to release rather than kill him; however, given that we know the outcome in advance -- eliminating any suspense-- the 300-pages feel like 275 pages more than was needed to share his story of his 25 hours in capitivity and of the amazingly successful police investigation that captured the gang so soon after Stanley's release. A far more book-worthy story recounts a 9-day ordeal of surviving a kidnapping in Iraq in "American Hostage: A Memoir of a Journalist Kidnapped in Iraq and the Remarkable Battle to Win His Release" by Micah Garen . This one is told in less than 300 pages and intersperses the victim's account with chapters describing his girl friend's frenzied efforts to eventually get him freed.
Average customer rating:
- Bad, and getting worse
- Another winner!
- A classic and suspenseful whodunit
- Perils of Prosecution
- WOW
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Cover-up
Michele Martinez
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 006089900X
Release Date: 2007-03-13 |
Book Description
Television reporter Suzanne Shepard was a ruthless celebrity scandalmonger with a roster of high-profile enemies. But which one left her mutilated, lifeless body in the dark recesses of New York's Central Park? Federal prosecutor Melanie Vargas needs to find out.
Was it the sinister Park Avenue plastic surgeon with a secret past? Or the trendy personal trainer selling recreational drugs to his rich clients? Or the ambitious city power broker who also happens to be the father of one of Melanie's best friends? Sifting through the scandals that fueled the dead reporter's career is what keeps Melanie from obsessing about her own intense affair with sexy FBI agent Dan O'Reilly.
But there's more at risk than Melanie's heart. She's been receiving chilling e-mails from an anonymous "admirer" who knows way too much about the murder—and about Melanie's every move. If Melanie doesn't find the killer soon, it will be her own death that makes headlines.
Customer Reviews:
Bad, and getting worse.......2007-09-17
I read Most Wanted, and thought it was better than alot of mysteries today, while there were some unrealistic/cliche/annoying parts of it. Finishing school had less of the cliche/annoying, but it wasn't as good as Most Wanted. Cover up, was bad.
For one, we get it, you/melanie vargas is half puerto rican!!!! I think you mentioned it 100+ times in the first book. Second, I wish she'd stop using cliche's and fads. Fads, like gold teeth, that had really gotten old about 4 years ago, and we don't need to know what they're called. Cliche things being like, "glocks and tec-9's"(most wanted), other than in movies, I've never seen a criminal with a glock, tec-9's yes, but they were discontinued in the 90's, so they aren't around much anymore. More like hi-points and ap-9's, if you want to be realistic.
and unrealistic things like all the criminals talking black. Puerto ricans do that alot, but like the salvadorian guy in finishing school, most of them are like mexicans and have their own culture/pride in that culture and dont talk like that. Slice was a realistic puerto rican, but having an ese, talking black doesn't make any sense.
Other than that, "notorious" is going to be about a rap star. She was good at first, and had potential, but Michele Martinez has had it. Cover up was the worst so far, because of the mention of fads, and not really building up the bad guy like before (he's a complete stranger until the end) wich I have to admit is a fairly clever ending. I won't be buying "notorious" or any other books until she can write an entire book without mentioning that the character is half puerto rican, and without ideas she got from rap videos.
Another winner!.......2007-07-21
Cover-Up by Michele Martinez-4
Another winner. 7/11/07
I've read the first three books about Melanie Vargas and they're all very good. As was this one.
After a brutal slaying of a TV reporter Melanie and boyfriend/lover/FBI agent Dan begin the search for a killer. Unfortunately, the killer becomes Melanie's stalker. It's a definite thriller with nice development on the personal front.
Why did I give it a four?
One: Terrible editing which seems to be the norm with books anymore.
Two: Implausibility's Ex: Witness Dave Harris, who had been in the military in Israel: "He had, like, this harness on his head with what looked like binoculars attached to it." Since he had been a soldier why didn't he recognize night vision goggles?
Three: Melanie's' father had cheated on her mom, Melanie had been cheated on by her ex, Dan had been cheated on by his ex. Dan expected Melanie to tell him every contact she had with her ex, even if it was by email. With all this history and trust issues why would Dan pull what he did with his ex without telling Melanie about it? Just doesn't sound like something he would do nor was it necessary as a plot device.
Would I read this book again which is my personal book "rater". Yes, in a heartbeat.
A classic and suspenseful whodunit.......2007-05-30
Michele Martinez initiates a very subtle change of direction in COVER-UP, her third Melanie Vargas novel. MOST WANTED and THE FINISHING SCHOOL, the first two books in the series, introduced not only Vargas but also a plethora of secondary characters that included several members of Vargas's personal family and circle of co-workers. In COVER-UP, Martinez moves a majority of the characters (Vargas's mother, sister and boss, among others) to the side --- if not off the board entirely --- giving a freshly-divorced Vargas and her blossoming relationship with Dan O'Reilly the opportunity to sparkle.
COVER-UP begins with Assistant U.S. District Attorney Vargas being pulled reluctantly into the lead of the investigation of the savage murder of Suzanne Shepard, a television reporter who has a high Q rating with the viewing public but receives low marks from her prospective targets. Vargas has no shortage of suspects, who range from a celebrity personal trainer to a Park Avenue nip/tuck surgeon to --- most significantly of all --- Clyde Williams, a New York City councilman with designs on the mayor chair who also happens to be the father of one of Vargas's best friends in the office. When Vargas does not immediately bring charges against Williams, Shepard's network screams cover-up, which does not help Vargas's investigation.
Meanwhile, FBI Agent O'Reilly is his usual competent self --- both on the job and between the sheets (functions that, as readers shall see, he sometimes performs simultaneously), though his increasingly frequent nighttime disappearances are giving Vargas pause. To make matters worse, it appears that the killer is now tracking Vargas to the extent that he knows her every move despite her own best efforts.
Suspects are ruled in and then out, making COVER-UP a classic and suspenseful whodunit, even as Vargas races to a fateful and climactic apprehension in a noisy and dangerous Times Square video arcade. There, Vargas engages in the ultimate role-playing game, as she matches wits with a brilliant and deranged killer while time runs out for one of them.
This is by far the best in an already top-notch series whose expectations have been exceeded since the publication of MOST WANTED. Martinez continues to fine-tune her character both personally and professionally, walking a fine line between the familiar and the unexpected. COVER-UP is one more reason to add, and keep, Martinez on your must-read list.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Perils of Prosecution.......2007-04-10
If you watch any of the versions of Law and Order that are continually running on one cable channel or another, the local police are quickly pulled into the case following an accidental discovery of a crime. The police lead the way for 20-30 minutes and then the prosecutors start to take over. By the end, we only see cameos of the police as they make brief testimonies and look for last minute evidence. Occasionally, a high-profile crime involves the federal authorities who do their best to oust the local prosecutors and cops. The federal authorities seem to have their own agendas.
Cover-Up is quite a change from that tried-and-true formula. As the story opens, federal prosecutor Melanie Vargas has taking her FBI boyfriend, Dan O'Reilly, out for dinner to celebrate his birthday. Before the evening ends, he's summoned to the crime scene and invites Melanie along. When the local prosecutor can't take the violence at the horrific scene, Melanie finds herself the woman on the stop and is soon handling the press. But the crime scene makes no sense. Why would top investigative reporter, Suzanne Shepard, be out in a part of Central Park known for gay rendezvous in a rainstorm? What's the reason for the extreme violence perpetrated against her? Someone has a grudge, but that's true of everyone she's ever reported on.
The case soon takes on political overtones when the father of one of Melanie's fellow prosecutors is linked to Shepard by a threatening package. Melanie's boss is about to get married and can't be bothered to run proper interference and Melanie is accused of running a cover-up.
In the middle of all this, Melanie acquires a stalker who likes to send threatening e-mails.
At the same time, Melanie finds her relationship with Dan up in the air when Dan's ex-father-in-law dies. The personal dimension is further developed as Melanie struggles with baby sitters and a cheating ex-husband who doesn't take his paternal responsibilities very seriously.
As the case evolves, more and more suspects appear. Each has a decidedly unpleasant aspect. Despite this, the judges aren't at all sympathetic and make progress more difficult than it needs to be.
The suspense, danger, and pace of the story build nicely over the course of the book. The ending will surprise you and provide an appropriate coda for a story of intense hate and sadism.
Ms. Martinez has a nice ability to capture the common elements of a day, as well as tell her gripping tale. That contrast makes her story telling seem more real, which makes the tension more powerful. You'll also find yourself being interested in the characters, even the ones that aren't developed very much. It's a rare skill to be able to make even incidental characters seem interesting.
Ms. Martinez could do a little more to steer the reader into feeling the pulse behind the story by what she has her narrator think about. Once Ms. Martinez develops that ability, there's no stopping this excellent author. With that skill, she won't have to rely quite so much on shock tactics to get your attention.
If you find the gruesome a little hard to take, you'll find this book to be over the top. But compared to much crime literature, I found the violence level to be acceptable.
WOW.......2007-03-27
Cover-Up The best in the series. I thought the first two were the greatest, Most Wanted, and The Finishing School boy I was wrong. MS Martinez is growing to be the best writer as she continues to write she is very talented. I was captivated when I first read Most Wanted from that time on, I was hooked in on the characters (Melanie and Dan) and very lucky I found a new author. And, very surprised that Most Wanted was her first book. I read 2 to 3 books a week. Please Read this book and the other two you won't be disappointed.
Book Description
If One L is the book to read before law school, Relentless Pursuit is the book to read after-a real-life legal thriller that shows, from the inside, a prosecutor's quest to deliver justice to a family devastated by murder.
What happened to Diane Hawkins and her daughter Katrina-a brutal double murder in which the girl's heart was cut from her body-devastated a Washington, D.C., community and left its mark on everyone involved in the subsequent investigation. Especially moved was federal homicide prosecutor Kevin Flynn. He had handled any number of grisly murders, and was no stranger to the depravity of the human soul. Yet the way Hawkins's family and friends rallied together to help each other through the tragedy-and the generosity they ex-tended to Flynn, whose own father was dying of cancer at the time-turned this case into a personal mission. He was determined to use his position to effect real closure, to right a wrong-to bring justice on behalf of the victims and their families.
Relentless Pursuit is the story of that journey to justice, an intensely gripping beat-by-beat reconstruction of the events as they unfold-the murder, the arrest, the trial, the verdict-told with astonishing candor, and providing a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life of a dedicated prosecutor. Above all, it's about healing and community, a story in which, in the end, the system works and-for once-justice prevails.
Customer Reviews:
An unusual perspective for a true-crime book........2007-09-29
True crime, sometimes, is far less interesting to read than crime fiction. In fiction, the author has many choices that a true crime writer doesn't. Fiction can place the reader inside the mind of the killer and/or inside the mind of the victim. Seldom is the author of a true crime book given that opportunity. Some writers can speculate with a great deal of seeming accuracy. That's not the road that Kevin Flynn takes in his book.
RELENTLESS PURSUIT is told from the perspective of an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington, DC; he is prosecuting a man for the brutal murder of a woman and her daughter
Diane Hawkins and Katrina Harris were murdered in May of 1993. The trial took place over a year later, in August of 1994. This may seem like a speedy trial, all things considered. The family of Diane Hawkins and Katrina Harris didn't think so; they knew right away who had killed these two people and had a difficult time with the slow and measured pace of the legal process. It took cool heads to persuade some members of the family not to take justice into their own hands.
RELENTLESS PURSUIT is not the best true crime out there; Flynn can be redundant and verbose. The story he tells, however, is compelling and fascinating. It is unclear until the verdict is delivered in court whether or not he has done his job as a prosecutor. And the reader does want to know the verdict. While the case is already decided in the minds of the reader (probably) and in Flynn's mind, he makes us all too aware of the realities of a jury trial, the complexities of presenting a good case, and how little things can undermine the best presentation.
Amazing first book.......2007-08-08
This is a true crime written somewhat similarly to Ann Rule. A pair of victims, Diane Hawkins and her daughter, Katrina Harris, are brutally murdered. It is Kevin Flynn's job as a DC prosecutor to put the alleged murderer behind bars. In his tale, Mr. Flynn expresses outrage at their horrific deaths and loses the cool mask of distant prosecutor. He becomes involved with other family members and friends of the victims and contrasts their closeness to his own small family's experiences with his father's impending death and birth of his first child.
This book is clear and well written, although it will take some readers a bit to "get into" the book. Stick with it, it is well worth the read. I have bought this book for numerous friends and all have appreciated this thoughtful, insightful read.
Well-written and compelling book.......2007-04-24
Kevin Flynn is a homicide prosecutor in a city that has one of the highest homicide rates in the country, Washington, D.C. Being surrounded constantly with stories and photographs of death and murder, you would think he would have grown a thick skin, learned to objectify the cases and move through them in a detached manner.
But this case was different. The murders of 40-year-old Diane and 13-year-old Katrina Hawkins left a lasting impression on everyone associated with the case. Their murder investigation was one of the most brutal that police and prosecutors ever worked. Over a year after the crime occurred, during the trial, Detected Combee would still grow quiet when testifying about what he saw in the Hawkins house that day.
But this case is not about the terrible method these two victims were murdered. To quote from the book:
It's a story of extremes: the worst and the best the world can offer, humanity at its most brutal and most noble. It's the story of two families -- mine and another from a world that I thought I knew but didn't -- two families full of ordinary people who did their best under awful circumstances.
Relentless Pursuit does indeed follow the Hawkins case, from the initial night of the murders May 25, 1993 to the prosecution in August 15, 1994. But there is much more to the case than just the horror and the story of how they caught the man responsible.
This is also the story of the Hawkins and Flynn families, which became irrevocably linked together. The Hawkins family suffered one of the worst losses a family can, the loss of both a sister and strong influence in the family, and a child, who had just begun to show her gifts and talents to the world. But through it all, they clung to their faith in God, which also served to help their new-found family member, prosecutor Kevin Flynn.
The Flynn family though, was going through its own trials. Kevin's mother was suffering from depression and shortly after he began work on this monumnetal case, his father was stricken with cancer. Through the entire case, Kevin is required to balance his work and family life, including his wife and child, and try not to let anyone down. And part of that includes the Hawkins, who look to him as the only man that can bring them any measure of justice on Earth.
The book is told in a compelling style, taking us through the case, from the night the murders occurred through the entire case. There are procedural sections to the book, such as descriptions of how certain courtroom processes work, but that does not get in the way to the story, which is what the book is really all about.
Relentless Pursuit is not a book for those looking to learn about how the law really works, but you will learn a great deal about how the defense and prosecution work together and against one another, how much power a judge can wield, and some of the reasons why cases don't work out as cleanly as they do on television.
In the end, this book is just what the quotation above says, it is a story of two families. And it is an excellent book.
Excellent true crime!.......2007-04-11
Thoroughly enjoyed this book - an excellent true crime story carefully and thoughtfully told - the writer's courtroom skill - I call it Flynn's Finesse - not only makes this book a great read but provides the reader with valuable lessons for the day he or she finds himself or herself in the Courtroom as a part of a prosecution or defense team or as a member of the jury.
AWESOME.......2007-03-12
I ran out and bought this book on a Thursday night. I couldn't put it down, I had to read every chance I got. I finished it very late Saturday night. By the end I was ready to read his next book. This is an awesome true crime writer.
Average customer rating:
- Not Bad
- Edward George Bulwer-Lytton would be ever so proud!
- Not an Enjoyable Read
- Cold Hit....A Hit With Me
- Alex Cooper keeps going like the Energizer Bunny
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Cold Hit (Alexandra Cooper Mysteries)
Linda Fairstein
Manufacturer: Scribner
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The Bone Vault
ASIN: 0684848465
Release Date: 1999-08-17 |
Amazon.com
When Linda Fairstein describes the route Alexandra Cooper takes from the district attorney's office to NYPD headquarters, you know she's walked that way many times herself. "I took the shortcut over to One Police Plaza, cutting behind the Metropolitan Correctional Center and alongside the staggeringly expensive new federal courthouse, which made our digs, complete with oversized rodents and roaches that obviously thrived on Combat, look like judicial facilities in some third world country."
Like her fictional counterpart, Fairstein is a Manhattan assistant district attorney in charge of a sex-crimes unit. As she did in Final Jeopardy and Likely to Die, Fairstein mires her somewhat unlikely heroine (a beautiful 35-year-old blond with an Ivy League education, a house in Martha's Vineyard, and an affection for betting on quiz shows at cop bars) in a wealth of procedural detail. The "cold hit" of the title, for example, refers to a computer match between DNA samples from a recent rape case with evidence from an older crime.
With her trusty cop sidekicks Mike Chapman (who eats everything in sight and drops wisecracks like they're crumbs) and Mercer Wallace (who is a big fellow and can take a bullet meant for Alex without flinching), Cooper is working on two major cases--a serial rapist who has suddenly decided to come out of hiding and a couple of murders linked to the nasty underground world of fine-art sales. But she also has time to give her fellow sex-crime prosecutors advice on how to handle everything from a man shooting video up women's skirts at a Star Trek convention to a guy who takes his love for racehorses well past the legal limits. Once again, Fairstein has produced a story whose entertainment value is very high. --Dick Adler
Book Description
A chilling new Alexandra Cooper thriller from the acclaimed Manhattan Assistant D.A. who lives the gritty and glamorous life she writes.
The raves are in for Linda Fairstein's Alexandra Cooper novels. "Riveting authenticity," says Vanity Fair. "Grisham-esque," says Time. "There is an anger and a passion in Alex Cooper that is clearly not fictional," says The London Times.
From its dramatic opening scene when a silk-clad corpse washes up from the turbulent waters at Manhattan's northern tip to its stunning conclusion when Alexandra runs for her life, Cold Hit transports the reader behind the scenes with the cops, the criminals, the victims, and the denizens of the art world. Here is the authenticity, the vision, that only Linda Fairstein can provide.
On a steamy August evening, after an exhausting day in the courtroom, Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cooper joins her longtime pals and partners-in-investigation, NYPD detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace, at a somber crime scene. In her ten years as a sex crimes prosecutor, Alex has seen many victims, but few more poignant than this one, pulled from the water with her hands and feet obscenely tied to a ladder.
Sleep comes uneasily after such a vision, but the knowledge that monsters walk the city's streets, preying on the innocent, motivates Alex and her colleagues in their sometimes heartbreaking work. Perhaps this time they will be lucky. A "cold hit" could match DNA from the crime scene with a suspect's DNA profile in the police database. Or is this case a more sinister kind of "cold hit"? Who was this latest victim?
From a luxurious Fifth Avenue apartment to famous midtown auction houses to the avant-garde galleries of Chelsea, Alex, Mike, and Mercer hunt for a killer in a very special world where priceless art meets big money in a lethal mix. Whether it's a missing Rembrandt, a Vermeer in need of authentication, or doors paneled with precious amber and missing since the great Nazi art thefts, the stakes are high, the consequences potentially fatal.
Illuminating and inspiring, Cold Hit takes us from the paint-chipped offices of cops and D.A.s to the elegant restaurants of Alex's privileged Upper East Side life. The contrast is striking, but it's all part of the extraordinary world that author Linda Fairstein has brought so vividly to life in this magnificent novel of suspense.
Download Description
Illuminating and inspiring, Cold Hit takes us from the paint-chipped offices of cops and D.A.s to the elegant restaurants of Alex's privileged Upper East Side life. The contrast is striking, but it's all part of the extraordinary world that author Linda Fairstein has brought so vividly to life in this magnificent novel of suspense.
Customer Reviews:
Not Bad.......2006-10-08
This is the first book by Ms. Fairstein that I've read. It was enjoyable. I especially enjoyed the art history in the books. I'm not into art that much so it was fascinating to me. It was something different for me. I did however like the mystery itself. Author had some good plot twists in there. I liked the characters interplay with each other and how you could see their bonds. I think I made the mistake of reading the third book first however. They speak of other cases which I'm assuming are in the first books. I plan on picking those up soon. It's not early Cornwell or Sandford but I would still highly recommend this book to others looking for a murder mystery.
Edward George Bulwer-Lytton would be ever so proud!.......2006-06-25
If you enjoyed Paul Clifford, you'll love this. Here's the first sentence for you: "It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents--except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness." Linda Fairstein has taken the master's style and run with it.
Not in my recent reading have I seen a book so in need of slash and burn editing. It is said that smarter people write longer sentences, but this book bludgeons you with excess words on every page.
Not an Enjoyable Read.......2005-06-20
Linda Fairstein's 3rd novel in the Alexandra Cooper mystery series, "Cold Hit," follows Alex and her team as they track the killer of a victim who washed ashore in Northern Manhatten, strapped to a ladder. Her connections to the flashy art world add plenty of glitz and suspects for Alex, Mike Chapman, and Mercer Wallace to investigate before the killer strikes again.
I used to read alot of Patricia Cornwell and I had to stop because I realized I was reading the same novel over and over again. Now, you can say that of pretty much any mystery author, I realize. Most of them do a really good job of masking it though. I am hoping that Fairstein is able to do the same. Cornwell's character Kay Scarpetta is not likeable and always is attacked by the vicious killer. Fairstein's Cooper is likeable, but the reader sorta has to work at it and she is always attacked by the vicious killer. Authors need to realize that readers catch on to these sort of canned plots. We're not stupid, dearest authors, really we're not.
I did find the plot of "Cold Hit" to be a bit tedious. Fairstein can be overly wordy sometimes. 50 pages could easily be shaved off of each of her books and they wouldn't be any different.
Cold Hit....A Hit With Me.......2004-07-21
This was the first in the Alexandra Cooper series I read and I really enjoyed it so I will be adding the rest of the series to my TBR pile. The characters are appealing, the story extremely well written and Linda Fairstein really knows her stuff! The story involved the art word and the Gardener Museum heist and being an Art History major I found it all exceedingly fascinating. A joy to read and it really should be in your must read pile!
Alex Cooper keeps going like the Energizer Bunny.......2004-03-08
This lady goes from strength to strength. Once again we see Alexandra Cooper, the Assistant District Attorney for the Sex Crimes Unit of Manhattan. Only this time she finds herself with a body being pulled out of the river, but the woman is expensively dressed and tied to a ladder, with no identification.
It is not the easiest of cases, we find all kinds of skullduggery in the genteel art world, with forgery and faked provenance and Alex gets a bit too close to the murderer in this one, only narrowly escaping being shot, although unfortunately Mercer Wallace is hit, which is all rather too real.
I never imagined Art Galleries to inspire the kind of passions that abound in this book, I know that money will drive people to extremes and this is well illustrated here, but this really is the ugly side to beautiful artworks.
Nevertheless, as a subject for murder, it is a gripping plot. I know that sidekicks are not as immune as central characters, but Mercer and Mike are too central to be the victim of homicidal lunatics, but here we see that they can have a little scare, just to remind us that it is a terrible place for the good guys.
Amazon.com
Bakersfield, California, has earned a reputation for being tough on crime. District Attorney Ed Jagels took much of the credit for the incredible conviction rates in Bakersfield courtrooms, from high-profile child molestation ring busts to cases like that of Pat Dunn, a retired high school principal who was found guilty of murdering his wife--despite a disturbing lack of evidence linking him to the crime. Mean Justice tells Dunn's story compellingly, from his childhood in Bakersfield to the trial that would put him away for life. It chronicles his solid belief in justice and authority and his gradual disenfranchisement with the system that railroaded him for reasons that could only be political.
Humes's exhaustive account also covers prosecuting attorney Ed Jagels's rise to political power and influence and the juggernaut of prosecutorial misconduct that caught many others, along with Dunn, in its fury. But it is at its core the horrifying story of an innocent man who had faith in a system that would eventually destroy him. It's not an easy story to digest, and it is apparently not an isolated incident: Humes brings up case after case where seemingly innocent people were arrested, prosecuted, ostracized, and jailed for crimes that may or may not have even occurred. Mean Justice is a gripping and fascinating book that deserves to be read on many counts. --Lisa Higgins
Book Description
Deep in the heartland of California lies a city on the cutting edge of the nation's war on crime. Besieged by spectacular crimes in which pillars of the community were accused of murder, rape and the most vile conspiracies, Bakersfield found its saviors in a band of bold and savvy prosecutors. They descended on the courthouse like avenging angels, winning their cases, forging sweeping new laws and creating one of the toughest towns on crime in America -- a model for the rest of the country.
There is only one problem: The people who were arrested, tried and imprisoned in those landmark cases were innocent.
In Mean Justice, award-winning author and journalist Edward Humes embarks on a chilling journey to the dark side of the justice system -- the powerful true story of one man's battle to prove his innocence. It is a story both deeply personal and sweeping in scope, for Humes shows how the individual injustice done to one man is part of a disturbing national trend, in which innocence becomes the unintended casualty of the war on crime, and the immense new powers of prosecutors -- from Main Street to Wall Street to Pennsylvania Avenue -- are dangerously unchecked.
Combining the investigative reporting skills that earned him a Pulitzer Prize with the gifted storytelling honored by a PEN literary award, Humes tells how retired high-school principal Pat Dunn was prosecuted for killing his wife to inherit her millions. As taut and exciting as a suspense novel, Mean Justice reveals how Dunn's case was tainted by hidden witnesses, concealed evidence and behind-the-scenes lobbying by powerful politicians. More horrifying still, there were many such cases in this All-American town, where a well-meaning desire for public safety led to something dark and terrible and unjust. Finally, Humes asks whether the mean justice dispensed in Bakersfield, California, may be fast becoming the norm for the rest of the country, where, in our zeal for order, we are increasingly forgiving prosecutorial misconduct. American cities are enjoying their lowest crime rates in decades. But at what price? Mean Justice provides an answer both compelling and frightening.
Customer Reviews:
Humes an advocate as much as a journalist.......2005-01-15
There are early parts of this book that can seem comically one-sided. By the end, the reader is persuaded by the overwhelming evidence that Dunn cannot possibly be guilty. But in the opening pages, Dunn's behavior is so bizarre, so eccentric, so plain weird, that it seems perfectly understandable that the police consider him a suspect. And when Humes tries to explain away Dunn's behavior as ordinary and natural, it diminishes his credibility throughout the rest of the book.
However, I'm a great admirer of Humes. His writing is amazing and his books are smart and readable. Like 'Mississippi Mud,' this one cries for an update. Check his Web site if you want to read more.
This is also a good jumping-off point for reading further about some of the shameful Bakersfield scandals of the '80s and '90s.
Power gone awry.......2004-04-25
I've been interested in issues of criminal justice, particularly those of the witch hunts of the last several years. You know, there was the McMartin trial, a joke of astronomical proportions. Then there were "recovered memory" cases, and those of the alleged Satanic conspiracies. It seems the Prince of Darkness has emissaries here on earth abducting our kids, eating those he's forced us to abort, and on and on and on. Trouble is, as even senior FBI investigators have admitted, there's no evidence to suggest that these atrocities ever took place. No bodies, no dark rooms, no blood. Hmm. Makes a guy wonder.
Then I talked with an acquaintance who's interested in some of the same subject matter. After our discussion, I looked at Amazon.com and found this volume.
First, allow me to confess that I nearly gave the book four stars. I did so only because there is so much detail as to be almost overwhelming. But then I had to give it five (or more, if it were possible!) The detail is more than necessary for reasons which follow.
The text is ostensibly about the trial of Pat Dunn. He was a former high school principal whose wife died under mysterious circumstances. The prosecutors in Kern County, California, were so zealous that they performed what was the TRUE subject of the book: prosecutorial misconduct. That is, indeed, where the subject digressed from merely Pat Dunn. It seems the law enforcement apparatus of that county has a reputation for being "tough on crime." So tough, alas, that there were countless people going to jail. First that was the massive--yes, Satanic Conspiracy trial. Hundreds were sent to jail for a long, long time. The prosecution used dubious questioning tactics of children, social workers who should have been in the local home for the bewildered--again, on and on. Then a young black athlete was convicted under equally dubious circumstances. Then others. I could get tired of putting, "on and on" here so assume it's a phrase I'd use more if I even had to.
By the way, most of those convictions had been overturned; all, so far, except Pat Dunn's, despite the lack of any evidence to convince a sane court of his guilt.
Then there's the issue(s) of the convicted criminals whom the prosecutors made deals with to convict the accused--while the prosecutors kept details of such deals out of views of the defense and the juries. (I add something the book barely mentioned: if there are obviously innocent people in prison because of prosecutors more intent on winning then on finding the truth, then there are the guilty who are still among us! That alone is a criminal offense for which the prosecutors should be prosecuted!)
Among the conclusions of the book is that such misconduct seems to be happening all over the US. Indeed, the accused are losing their right to appeal; in G.W. Bush's Texas, the state with the greatest number of executions, exculpatory evidence was not permitted after a limited time so that evidence enough to free a convicted murderer could no longer be presented as evidence. So an obviously innocent men was put to death.
There's so much in the book I'm not even sure where to go with it. The text certainly affirms my acquaintance's observation that probably 15 percent in prison haven't done anything. (That proportion is suggested by the book too to apply to the death penalty. Many on death row have been freed over the last few years due to the misconduct of the prosecutors and the courts. And that doesn't even include the many whom the state has put to death who were not guilty.)
Who is criminal given those stats?
The second of the book's appendices consists of several pages of convictions obtained through the prosecutorial misconduct that is the real subject of the book. That itself is an eye-opener. (The first appendix, incidentally, is a list of the convictions and how many are still in prison after retrials or the cases having been thrown out in Kern County itself--many after the accused have spent incredible times in prison after bogus convictions. That information alone should cause the impeachment or resignation, and conviction of those parties to the courts of that county!)
The author concludes that the system is rigged to sustain itself. Try to find courts who've overturned convictions even when the prosecutor was exposed as a fraud who should have been jailed for his/her performance in the trial. They exist but they're few and far between.
To me the point of the book is that there MUST be a price to pay for the prosecutors and even judges for the sort of misconduct the book so amply demonstrates. I mean, these people are supposed to be public servants. Instead, they're public menaces, making a sham out of anything remotely "just." (Ironically, the Kern County DA, who claims to be a Republican, is more akin to a Soviet bureaucrat than most in positions such as his!) I think, in fact, that the most severe punishments should be reserved for those who abuse their authority like those described by the book.
Read this important book and make your own decisions as to how to punish these criminals, who are more a "lead" in the book than Pat Dunn. But be prepared to have your assumptions of American criminal "justice" challenged.
It's about time.......2002-06-30
Ed Jagels is a crooked person. It is about time someone told what he is like.
Spin, spin and more spin.......2002-04-16
I couldn't wait to read this book. I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Humes' earlier work, "No Matter How Loud I Shout." I found NMHLIS to be balanced and thoughtful. Interested in reading more from this engaging author, and as a Southern California transplant originally from Bakersfield, I was immediately drawn to this book. Unfortunately, in "Mean Justice" Mr. Humes appears to have lost the reasoned approach that provided NMHLIS a ring of credibility.
"Mean Justice" presents an overtly biased perspective of the Kern County Sheriff's Dept/D.A.'s office. The tendency of the author to portray evidence indicative of Dunn's guilt as "unfortunate setbacks" to the defense case is hypocritical; especially since any minor inconsistency between prosecution witnesses' accounts are depicted as some blatant attempt to railroad an innocent man.
What a disappointment this book proved to be! There was a great deal of repetition as Humes attempts to bully the reader into accepting his flawed perspective of things. I think the truth is probably somewhere between the two extremes represented in "Mean Justice," but we will never know the truth from this book. Humes zealously advocates for his version of the "truth" in this biased presentation of "evidence".
Mr. Humes is a gifted storyteller, and I found the book engaging as pure entertainment; however, Mr. Humes' trustworthiness as a reporter of the facts was delivered a fatal blow by "Mean Justice."
Enjoy the story, but read this book with a critical eye for its inherent bias.
A Must Read........2001-11-15
It's been a while since I've read the book, but I wanted to share some of the general impressions that I had of this book when I read it. By showing the example of inadequate police work in one community, the author is able to raise many questions about the legal system in America. Plenty of evidence is given in this book which shows that a person was convicted for murder and likely sits in prison unjustly. Anyone who believes that justice is always served in our court systems should read this book to learn how various factors can come together to work against possibly innocent persons. This book is important, intriguing, and difficult to put down.
Average customer rating:
- Thank goodness it's not just me!
- Counterplay
- NYC reader
- Abysmally bad
- "A brilliant and intricate story..." - Cyril Wecht, MD, JD
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Counterplay
Robert K. Tanenbaum
Manufacturer: Atria
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ASIN: 0743271130 |
Book Description
Tanenbaum's last novel, Fury, ended with a breathtaking cliff-hanger. Now readers can enjoy the exciting conclusion -- bursting with more suspenseful twists -- in his latest, Counterplay.
When betrayal results in the cold-blooded murder of a busload of schoolchildren to accomplish the escape from custody of vicious sociopath Andrew Kane, New York District Attorney Butch Karp finds himself embroiled in a raging quest for vengeance that could cost him, his family, and thousands of others their lives. With an intensive manhunt ongoing for the fugitive Kane, Karp and long-time colleague Ray Guma open a cold case and pursue murder charges against wealthy Manhattan power broker/banker Emil Stavros, whose socialite wife disappeared nearly fifteen years earlier.
Meanwhile, Karp's wife, Marlene Ciampi, has let her fascination with her husband's lesser-known family comprised of Russian gangsters pull her into a dangerous world of Islamic terrorists, Chechen rebels, and Russian agents engaged in nefarious events straight out of today's real-world headlines.
Yet again, Robert K. Tanenbaum writes a masterful thriller involving the most memorable -- and "un-put-downable" -- stories of corruption and courtroom confrontations. Counterplay, the latest book in the bestselling Butch Karp/Marlene Ciampi series, proves to be another full-bodied, riveting page-turner with yet another cliff-hanger not soon to be forgotten.
Customer Reviews:
Thank goodness it's not just me!.......2007-09-30
I read this book and immediately had to check the reviews to make sure that I wasn't crazy.
I am a long time fan of Butch and Marlene and was like, "WHAT THE ..." with the last two books. I was sure that I had missed the boat or something.
I always thought his writing was similar to Stephen King. While you certainly don't read these books to learn something (that would be the self-improvement section) ocassionally, there would be this great insight - like Marlene discussing the sacrifices women make without being noticed in "Reckless Endangerment" or the author's writing about how a subordinate should approach a supervisor with a problem "Immortal Certainty" (I think). These nuggets of wisdom would pop up and you were like, WOW - HOW COOL. This is totally entertaining, but with some depth.
Lately, I've felt like I'm reading a superhero comic book in longhand with no pictures. Still somewhat entertaining, but no depth whatsoever. And the fight scenes almost make me wish I was reading a comic book. I'm NOT a visual person. I can't picture them in my head. I try to skim past them and figure out who made it and who didn't.
Actually, these last books are so bad, I've started to critique things that I previously just accepted. I've always loved Marlene - she's my idol. This is the first time I've actually questioned how Marlene could be so violent and no one noticed (at the end when she shoots someone, I actually thought "She shot more people in this series than any actual police officer and she's just a citizen!") Not that I'm into gratuitous violence, but previously it was "just Marlene." Now that the book has gone so far over-the-top, I'm wonder if the whole series was stupid and I'm just now noticing. Hopefully it's just the last three books.
Thanks to everyone who wrote a comment that let me know that I wasn't crazy and that the books had seriously declined. Also, this was the first I'd heard of Michael Gruber ghost-writing. If this is true, then I just want to say...
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE COME BACK MICHAEL!!!!!
Counterplay.......2007-09-20
Well, I was warned and got this book anyway. Calling this another in the Karp/Chiampi series is very misleading. The characters have the same names but thay are not the same characters. In fact this book has such flat characters I almost see it as characterless. It is clear that when Michael Gruber left the farm, so did the characters and writing we all loved. Whatever Mr. Tanenbaum did that caused Michael Gruber to move on - he should apologize and get him back, or end the series. I feel a little like the victim of a fraud by having had this book passed off to me as another "in the series". I'm going to buy Michael Grubers's books from now on.
NYC reader.......2007-08-19
This is the first and last book I have read by the author. Perhaps his body was taken over by aliens and this book is atypically atrocious -- I cannot help but wonder how it got published? I am more annoyed at myself for buying the book. The characters are almost so cartoonish that I am expecting a Saturday morning animated show -- Marlene, the one eyed crime fighter -- Lucy, the twenty something year old who has visions from a saint and speaks 60 languages -- but from what she says in the book it appears that eloquent english is not one of them. I actually forced myself to finish the book because I thought it could not decline further as the chapters progressed. Alas, I was so horriby mistaken. Anyone want my copy of this book?
Abysmally bad.......2007-06-30
As others, I loved the series. As others, I have been disappointed in recent books. I read the reviews and determined not to buy this book. But my readerly affection for the Karp family - generated, I realize, mostly by Michael Gruber's tight and witty writing in the early part of the series - drew me in. What a mess. Stop, already, Mr. Tanenbaum - its over. In fact, it was over 2 or 3 books ago. This sloppy, boring mess of a novel was my last from you - I'm just sorry my friends Butch and Marlene and their extended family had to get caught up in it. Fini. Prospective readers, listen to the other reviewers: don't waste your time or your money! Let's not encourage Mr. Tanenbaum any further.
"A brilliant and intricate story..." - Cyril Wecht, MD, JD.......2007-06-24
Tanenbaum's last novel, Fury, ended with a breathtaking cliff-hanger. Now readers can enjoy the exciting conclusion -- bursting with more suspenseful twists -- in his latest, Counterplay.
When betrayal results in the cold-blooded murder of a busload of schoolchildren to accomplish the escape from custody of vicious sociopath Andrew Kane, New York District Attorney Butch Karp finds himself embroiled in a raging quest for vengeance that could cost him, his family, and thousands of others their lives. With an intensive manhunt ongoing for the fugitive Kane, Karp and long-time colleague Ray Guma open a cold case and pursue murder charges against wealthy Manhattan power broker/banker Emil Stavros, whose socialite wife disappeared nearly fifteen years earlier.
Meanwhile, Karp's wife, Marlene Ciampi, has let her fascination with her husband's lesser-known family comprised of Russian gangsters pull her into a dangerous world of Islamic terrorists, Chechen rebels, and Russian agents engaged in nefarious events straight out of today's real-world headlines.
Yet again, Robert K. Tanenbaum writes a masterful thriller involving the most memorable -- and "un-put-downable" -- stories of corruption and courtroom confrontations. Counterplay, the latest book in the bestselling Butch Karp/Marlene Ciampi series, proves to be another full-bodied, riveting page-turner with yet another cliff-hanger not soon to be forgotten.
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"A brilliant and intricate story involving international terrorism and incomprehensible personal evil. Robert K. Tanenbaum once again demonstrates his masterful ability to weave his cast of fantastic and formidable relatives and extended 'family' into an intriguing plot. You will never encounter a more motley and utterly charming group of heroes."
-- Cyril H. Wecht , M.D., J.D.
Book Description
Ten years ago, Sarah Mason's six-year-old daughter vanished during an outing at a local park in Beaufort, South Carolina. Despite a furious search, little Lexie was never found, and Sarah was left to pick up the pieces of her shattered life and go on as best she could.
Then, on one hot July night, she returns home from work to hear the phone ringing. When she picks it up, a child's terrified voice whispers, "Mommy, help, come and get me . . ." The call is cut off, but not before Sarah's heart goes into overdrive: the voice belongs to Lexie. Six-year-old Lexie. Though ten years have passed, she sounds exactly the same.
Frantic, Sarah turns to the police, the FBI, family, and friends, none of whom can help. Out of desperation, she approaches Jake Hogan, once a detective assigned to Lexie's case. Jake is now a P.I., and though he is skeptical, the attraction he feels for Sarah pushes him to help her. Ben is convinced someone is deliberately tormenting the grief-stricken mother, and the continued tension of sketchy and unpredictable clues forces them to rely only on each other. Together they're caught in a nightmare search for Lexie, who might just still be alive-if only Jake and Sarah can hang on.
Customer Reviews:
Incredibly Dull.......2007-06-27
This book was the dullest read I've ever had the misfortune to read. It was a complete waste of money and time. The first chapter started of semi-ok and then detioriated. For a romantic suspense. . .there was very little suspense or romance. 10 chapters into the book. . .nothing happened. There had been maybe 5 pages spent on the mystery of her daughter and about 5 pages on the so called romance. There was a lot of monotonous dialogue. Also, Ms. Robards needs to research her knowledge of the law a lot better. There was one scene where she said "dismissed without prejudice" could not be retried. The reason that it is without prejudice is so that it can be retried.All of the characters were one dimensional and stereotypical. It didn't help that neither of the main characters were particularly likable. The hero was a 39 year old man who liked to date young blonde bimbos. The heroine was an anorexic whinger. Then there was a bunch of boring cases that preposterously tied together at the end. ****spoiler**** The convenience store robbery was also part of the twist. That was ridiculous! What two young thugs just waited until the heroine made a late night run to a convenience store so that they could make it seem like a "bungled robbery." That was asinine! Ms. Robards should go back to writing Historical Romances because her suspense books are terrible.
Not up to her usual standards.......2007-06-13
This was a good story, with good suspense and much of the typical Robards' humor sprinkled throughout, mostly thanks to Sweetie Pie, but it's not her best. It almost reads like the story was too short so she (or her editor) went back and added a bunch of unnecessary details to fill it out. One example - when Sarah wakes up in the hospital after being shot, I counted at least 9 references to the fact that frowning hurt her head. That's a little ridiculous. And much later, the part where she realized Jake must have put the towel in the hamper because he went into the bathroom with it and came out empty handed. Was all of that information really necessary? Robards could have achieved the same result by simply saying Jake went into the bathroom to dump the towel, or something similar. I also agree with others that the ending was unrealistic. I hope her next book is much better than this, or, like many other favorite authors who have gone downhill, I'll have to relegate Robards to library-only reading instead of wasting any more money.
Vanished.......2007-01-08
Sarah Mason witnesses a robbery and she barely escapes alive. She fled the scene dragging a little girl to safety who had been hiding under a table in the store. After being shot at, Sarah is taken to the hospital but the little girl has disappeared.
Jake Hogan is a private investigator and Sarah's best friend. He is concerned about Sarah's safety and becomes her bodyguard while he investigates what happened the night of the robbery. Jake has been attracted to Sarah for a long time but Sarah relies on him as a friend and he won't let his lust destroy the bond they share. She needs him to much. Jake is all the family Sarah has left since her daughter Lexi vanished seven years ago.
Sarah is an Assistant District Attorney. Prosecuting a police officer in a recent case has made her some enemies in the precinct so when someone starts using Lexi to play mind games with her, Sarah wonders if she is going crazy or is someone doing this to her on purpose.
As the mysterious and unnerving events unfold, Sarah is caught up in a deadly and perverse game that may provide her the answers she has been searching for since Lexi's disappearance. Jake's constant support keeps Sarah on her feet. With his help, Sarah hopes to find the closure she so desperate seeks. What she discovers is worse than anything she had imagined.
Vanished is a powerfully emotional story. It is gripping and intense. I could feel Sarah's angst and sadness throughout the story. I was mildly disappointed by Sarah's initial regrets with Jake because she is not one to take her emotions lightly so her rejection is uncharacteristic. The events that unfold are very dark and disturbing in Vanished. It is every parents nightmare. Although it is upsetting to read at times, Vanished is also poignant, moving, and very well written.
Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
Good ride, predictable ending........2006-10-08
Sarah Mason may have become a workaholic since the disappearance of her five year old seven years ago but she still has a dog to feed. That late night run down to the local shop for dog food places the assistant district attorney smack in the middle of a hold up. As the tacky little drama plays itself out, Sarah is stricken by the sight of a young girl hiding out underneath a table, unseen to the robbers. In her efforts to save the girl from being shot along with the cashier, Sarah takes a bullet herself.
When Sarah comes to in the safe arms of paramedics it's chilling to find out that the girl has gone and no one knows who it is she is talking about. It becomes Sarah's mission to find this little girl, once again taking on local authorities and with the help of her best friend, private investigator Jake Hogan, re-visiting some very dark places. When the call comes from her presumed dead little daughter in the middle of the night, Sarah goes from determined to full out panic in a heartbeat.
If romantic suspense is your bag, you've already heard of Karen Robards. A good balance of the mystery and the romantic relationship that will occur somewhere in her novels is employed successfully once again. It's predictable, but the romantic inclusion is just enough and not too distracting as to the reason why our heroine is in jeopardy in the first place.
With the mix of plot types it is somewhat of a tightrope effort from authors in this genre to get it right without sacrificing too much to either camp. Too much of the slush and we're annoyed with the heroine; too much action, the romantics feel they aren't getting to know their characters well enough.
Remember the endings with romantic novels? They're pretty much all the same. With crime and mystery you don't always need the happies and this is where VANISHED falls down in its efforts not to horrify its readers too much at the conclusion of the read. Ms Robards offers a very good story here and there's more than one giant tug at your heartstrings with the thought of your child going missing in any way close as to what happens with daughter in this novel.
This genre took its successful spin away from mainstream romantic fiction (paperback) novels a long time ago and Ms Robards with her latest novel, VANISHED, is doing very nicely right along with it.
Loved it........2006-10-06
I read the other reviews and I was surprised that not everyone loved the book. I don't get hung up on dates as one reviewer did, as far as I'm concerned if the storyline is good, WHO CARES. Anyway, this is the story of a woman whose child Lexie was kidnapped and 7 years later she starts receiving messages from 'the child' and odd things related to Lexie start to happen. She has a best friend Jake who is secretly in love with her but because she is so devasted about the loss of her child, she can't see it. I am giving nothing away here, all above is realized very early in the book. I think it had plenty of action and I don't really think it had as much sex as one reviewer put it. Anyhow, I did enjoy it and while it took me 5 weeks to finish it, it was only because I read slowly because I didn't want it to end. Towards the end my heart beat so fast I could hardly contain it and at the very end, I very nearly cried. Loved it. Ten stars!!!
Book Description
Sarena Straus was a prosecutor in the Office of the Bronx District Attorney's office, one of approximately 400 Assistant District Attorneys working in the midst of an area of America with the highest crime and poverty rates. This book is about her experie
Customer Reviews:
spine tingling.......2007-05-05
This book took me thru every emotion possible, I was exhauseted after each chapter. I have given this to my daughter to read and have recommended it to everyone I know. I feel it is important to know what is out there and the good people who fight against this everyday. It is truly an important book. Thank you Sarena, I look forward to hearing from you in the future.
A bit Vain.......2007-03-04
As a prosecutor, I was very interested in reading this book. I had seen an interview with the author and read several customer reviews. I am disappointed. I understand that the author apparently lived a fairly priveleged life prior to working as an Assistant D.A., and says as much early in the book. I would assume, however, that her $100,000 education would have helped develop a more grammatically correct writing style. The errors in grammar and spelling were distracting at times and made for a less than smooth read. Additionally, though I do not prosecute in the Bronx, and am sure there is a steep learning curve, five years as an Assistant D.A. hardly creates an expertise in any area. The "cop speak" throughout the book, and the drama with which the stories are told suggest a motive more in line with personal promotion than delivery of insight. This may explain the numerous T.V. appearances, etc. The author may be a good lawyer and may have been a good Assistant D.A., but the book does not convey that. Finally, the stories told are important ones to tell, and all should have some exposure to what man is willing to do to one another, especially the most vulnerable. I just wish the book's focus was more on them and less on the author's gallant fight for those unable to fight for themselves, at least for five years.
Tough, Intense.......2007-01-18
If you're a CSI die-hard or a fan of other pulled-from-the-headlines shows, you still will not be prepared for the real-life drama that occurs in the Bronx. Sarena Straus has captured the life of a prosecutor and tells vivid stories that capture and haunt. I couldn't put the book down. My only question is: when's the next book?
Modern Day Joan of Arc.......2006-10-26
Don't laugh. That's exactly what Sarena Straus embodies in her unvarneshed war against the "mean streets" of the Bronx, one of the most crime-laden urban battlegrounds in this increasingly violent country of ours. We're "flys on the wall" witnessing the lives of battered women and children as Ms. Straus weaves through her complicated world as an assistant D.A. From gruesome homicides to child molesters and serial rapists. The stories are first-hand accounts, always real, never exagerated. And what does one come away with? The light at the end of the tunnel, reminding us there is always hope when people care. This graphic yet compassionate account is a must read for anyone who wants an insiders view of how violent crimes affect victims and, ultimately, how dealing with the victims transformed prosecutor, Sarena Straus, forever.
Tackles the overall struggle against violence.......2006-09-07
This true crime memoir of author Sarena Straus, a young assistant D.A. working in the Bronx, isn't just another collection of vignettes but tackles the overall struggle against violence, considering the experiences of those living with violence on the streets and those who work against it fellow attorneys, physicians, social workers and others. From homicides to police actions and her own disturbing caseload of rapists, murderers, and batterers, Straus manages to find the human element and hope in each case, ultimately surveying the camaraderie and connections which arise from struggle and adversity.
Average customer rating:
- Great way to spend a rainy Sunday!
- Went in to work bleary eyed on a Monday
- One of Iles' Best
- Really liked this one....Iles is awesome....
- One Of The Best
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The Quiet Game
Greg Iles
Manufacturer: Dutton Adult
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0525937935 |
Amazon.com
Is there space in the overcrowded courtroom for one more writer of sharp, very suspenseful legal thrillers? Yes--if that writer is Greg Iles, who has proven in such varied efforts as Black Cross, Mortal Fear, and Spandau Phoenix that he knows how to squeeze the last drop of suspense out of all sorts of situations.
Iles immediately makes us feel both sympathy and empathy for his glossy hero, Penn Cage--a former ace Texas prosecutor turned suspense novelist whose sales are up there in the John Grisham Himalayan range.
Trying to cope with the recent death of his wife, Cage takes his 5-year-old daughter to Florida's Disney World, where the child sadly sees visions of her mother everywhere in the fantasy-filled environment. Wouldn't a trip to his parents' stately home in Natchez be more soothing for all concerned? Wrong, as it turns out--and before Cage can catch his breath, he's deeply involved in several dangerous matters. His father, a dedicated doctor, is being blackmailed for a past mistake in judgment, and a powerful judge (who just happens to be the father of Penn's high school sweetheart) has a nasty personal agenda of his own. Then there's the unsolved 1968 murder case of a black man, which Cage insists on reopening with the help of an attractive, ambitious newspaper publisher.
Iles does for Natchez what John Berendt did for Savannah in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, creating a gothic Southern landscape where elegance and depravity walk hand in hand. --Dick Adler
Book Description
The New York Times bestselling author of Spandau Phoenix and Mortal Fear returns with a rich and atmospheric novel of high suspense
When recently widowed Penn Cage leaves Houston with his young daughter and returns to his hometown seeking peace, he finds something very different. Natchez, Mississippi, is the jewel of the antebellum South, a city of old secrets and older money. Upon learning that his father is being blackmailed, Penn finds himself reopening the most highly charged murder case in the town's history, searching for the evidence that could bring down the judge who nearly destroyed his father years ago. As the town closes ranks against him, Penn is joined by Caitlin Masters, a young newspaper publisher, on a deadly quest to find answers to one of the darkest chapters of American history, a quest that pits them against the FBI, a band of brothers still fiercely guarding the tainted legacy of J. Edgar Hoover. But Penn's most dangerous journey must be made alone--into the abiding mystery of his own past, into the mind and heart of a woman he lost twenty years ago, and who still has the power to save or destroy him.
"An ingenious thriller . . . Fascinating."--The New York Times Book Review (on Mortal Fear)
"The talented Iles uses rich first-person narration and clever plotting to tell a sizzler of a thriller with a nail-biting climax."--Publishers Weekly (on Mortal Fear)
"A thriller that really thrills . . . on fire with suspense!"--Stephen King (on Black Cross)
"Start with an irresistible plot, add a heavy dose of historical intrigue, mix a host of shadowy characters, just a dash of terror on every page, a pinch of suspense in each paragraph, bring it to a quick boil, then let simmer for five hundred pages and you have Spandau Phoenix, a scorching read."--John Grisham (on Spandau Phoenix)
Download Description
When recently widowed Penn Cage leaves Houston with his young daughter and returns to his hometown seeking peace, he finds something very different. Natchez, Mississippi, is the jewel of the antebellum South, a city of old secrets and older money. Upon learning that his father is being blackmailed, Penn finds himself reopening the most highly charged murder case in the town's history, searching for the evidence that could bring down the judge who nearly destroyed his father years ago. As the town closes ranks against him, Penn is joined by Caitlin Masters, a young newspaper publisher, on a deadly quest to find answers to one of the darkest chapters of American history, a quest that pits them against the FBI, a band of brothers still fiercely guarding the tainted legacy of J. Edgar Hoover. But Penn's most dangerous journey must be made alone--into the abiding mystery of his own past, into the mind and heart of a woman he lost twenty years ago, and who still has the power to save or destroy him.
Customer Reviews:
Great way to spend a rainy Sunday!.......2007-09-01
This was one that I couldn't put down. I typically go for the SciFi/Fantasy genre, but this book came highly recommended to me by my Father-in-Law. He was right ~ I loved it!! Being familiar with the Natchez/Baton Rouge area, reading this book was so fascinating.
Went in to work bleary eyed on a Monday.......2007-05-08
Started reading on a Sunday morning, and could not stop turning pages till I was done 3AM Monday morning. I don't think I got much done at work that Monday morning. This was my first Iles novel, and I think this is also his best one so far, with Dead Sleep a close second, followed by Black Cross. That's my personal opinion. I won't get into a detailed book review here, since that's been done by 100s of other fans. In my opinion, Iles succeeds by writing incredibly taut stories that leave you wanting more. Putting down the book before it's finished is hard.
One of Iles' Best.......2007-04-27
I recently found Iles and can't put them down. The Quiet Game is one my favorites so far. Very fast paced, nicely developed characters. Puts Grisham to shame.
Really liked this one....Iles is awesome...........2007-03-11
My 5th Greg Iles novel, and I was not disappointed. Fast paced and Fun.
One Of The Best.......2007-02-17
If you are looking for light thriller reading, don't read Greg Iles. If you are looking for stylish, well-written prose with characters so real, at the end of the book you feel like you know them, then read Greg Iles. I am a fan of thriller books. Right now, Greg Iles and Harlan Coben are my favorite authors. The Quiet Game is detailed without getting boring, exciting from beginning to end. There are few books I read where I can actually see scenes in my head as if I am watching a movie. Such is the writing of Greg Iles. Nothing is simple, but you never get lost as you can reading some other authors. The depth and quality of his writing stays consistent from book to book - unusual for any author. Read The Quiet Game if you have high standards for quality of writing and love a good thriller. Be prepared, though, for a marathon. His books are never short, but always satisfying.
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