It's almost impossible to believe that this wonderful little gem of a book is a first novel by a young writer. The characters are vibrant, alive, and the reader cares about them; the story is ever-changing and holds the interest; and all's well that ends well, as they say! As a retired editor (and having once been engaged to a Serb) I could find no fault, except that it is too short! Quickly, where is the next one, Marc?

Fairstein's words are experienced rather than read. The sights, sounds, smells, feelings, even the tastes are all there to make the reader part of Alex Cooper's life. In this episode an extremely brutal rapist-killer is followed to places in and around New York City that the average person is seldom aware of and would not normally visit, a situation that might change after New Yorkers read this one. As is normal in the real world, several police and court cases are part of the plot, each pulling the reader in to the harried and often thankless lives of the people involved. Their shared experiences create for them a world and a family that is separate from the "real" world, and the reader will be involved in both. Read this one!

The opening chapters are overlong and overwritten, with unnecessary explanations and descriptions. It is not until Chapter 12 that the unsavory premise is identified, one that might be considered inflammatory given today's Moslem/Christian conflicts. Female circumcision in primitive societies is not unknown; however, the unbelievably cruel methods described are, in the literature, rare. Normal physical functions would be almost impossible were this extreme "surgery" performed, and repeated opening and closing the resulting wounds would soon lead to death through blood loss or suicide. Judicious editing (as well as some copy editing) might improve readability
as well as reduce the crudeness of some of the descriptive passages.