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Book Summary and Reviews of Killer Heat by Linda Fairstein

Killer Heat by Linda Fairstein

Killer Heat

by Linda Fairstein

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  • Mar 2008, 384 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

Linda Fairstein, America's foremost prosecutor of crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence, returns with her 10th Alex Cooper thriller; an excellent choice for both those who've enjoyed the Alex Cooper novels in the past and for readers discovering the intrepid prosecutor for the first time.

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-edge legal issues and 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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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Fairstein...manages to both entertain and educate, as Cooper struggles with the evidentiary challenges of the Warren rape case and with tracking a vicious serial killer." - Publishers Weekly.

"Both [cases] are atmospheric and absorbing enough to keep you turning pages until the nail-biting climax on Governors Island." - Kirkus Reviews.

"Readers will not want to put down this red-hot thriller until they've turned the final page. It's essential for all public libraries." - Library Journal.

"Fascinating reading in a mystery which stretches far beyond New York." - Sunday Times (UK).

"Handled with the assurance we expect - distinctive and biting." - Daily Express (UK).

This information about Killer Heat was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

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Mary

Kept me completely immersed
Once again, Linda Fairstein has kept me completely immersed in her newest book, Killer Heat, featuring Alex Cooper and her “partners” Mike and Mercer. This time they are on the trail of a sadistic rapist/torturer/murderer who uses the islands of New York as his dumping ground.

For me, a “good” book has to be engaging, has to make me think, and will teach me something. This book is no exception. In addition to the wonderful ensemble cast, this book gives a history of the islands of New York: Bannerman Island with its Scottish-style castle and Bannerman’s catalogue of military equipment and supplies, Ruffle Bar Island which was once a resort with fifty homes and a luxury hotel, and Governor’s Island with its rich history of being used as a military port from the Revolutionary War, complete with homes, a church and a hospital built for the officers and their families, to its final use as a military induction center in World War II.

There is also a good deal of psychiatry/psychology involved in determining who the “bad guy” is and why he does what he does. There are some very tense moments when Alex confronts Troy and the hurricane-force winds are whipping about. This book is a great read, moving very quickly and very hard to put down. I highly recommend it!

Lynn

Another Kill!
Fairstein's sophisticated writing and plot line land this one in the super good category. She is not only tremendously knowledgeable about trials and DA stuff, but in this book brings in some fascinating history (mid-1800's) and geography on Rosevelt and other islands around NYC. If you have read her other books, this is a must, as Alex plays her role out in the streets. If you have not read Fairstein, this would be a good start.

Selene

Who Loves a Mystery?
I do - And you will too. Although I am an avid reader of the mystery genre, this was my first Alex Cooper novel. This was a fast-paced thriller and the ending is great. If you are looking for a new series to read, this is it.

Robin

Manhattan Murder Mystery
This harrowing story of a serial rapist/murderer on the loose definitely succeeded in capturing my attention. Not normally a mystery reader, this book was multi-layered and interposed so many different themes (such as some history of the Manhattan islands, the legal side of an ongoing investigation, and police procedure) that it instantly bewitched me. It was a very quick read, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone in the mood for an all-consuming, think-about-nothing-else afternoon!

Shirley

Killer Heat by Linda Fairstein
Although Linda Fairstein has written a whole series about the New York District Attorney, Alexandra Cooper, this is the first one I have read. Ms Fairstein uses the experiences she had for more than 20 years in the Sex Crimes Unit of the District Attorney’s office in Manhattan. This novel is a page turner as Ms. Cooper goes about solving the brutal murders that appear to point to a deliberate method used for all three victims. It is a fast-paced and exciting read. I will definitely read her previous books featuring Alexandra Cooper.

Barbara L.

A FRESH Lady Review
This is the first book I have read by Linda Fairstein, but I will be looking for more. Killer Heat was a real page turner. The plots of the first two murders were interwoven from the start. The reader was given just enough clues to think they had the solution only to find the contradictions along the way. As a murder mystery it was first rate.

That was what kept the pages turning, but there was far more to enjoy about this novel. Fairstein exhibited great sympathy for the victims and gave important lessons to all women as the lawyer, Alexandra Cooper, faced the prospect of torture herself. Given Fairstein's professional background, you were assured that she knew the scenarios that she was portraying. An added extra were all the history lessons given out along the way. I am now anxious to see Governor's Island and the other islands visited in the investigation.

...25 more reader reviews

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Author Information

Linda Fairstein Author Biography

Author photograph by Sigrid Estrada

Linda Fairstein, America's foremost legal expert on crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence, led the Sex Crimes Unit of the District Attorney's Office in Manhattan for twenty-five years. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, she is a graduate of Vassar College and the University of Virginia School of Law. Her first novel, Final Jeopardy, introduced the critically acclaimed character of Alexandra Cooper and was made into an ABC Movie of the Week starring Dana Delaney. The celebrated series has gone on to include the New York Times bestsellers Likely to Die, Cold Hit, The Deadhouse (winner of the Nero Wolfe Award for Best Crime Novel of 2001, and chosen as a "Best Book of 2001" by both The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times), The Bone ...

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