Review ~ Devil's Bridge by Linda Fairstein...

Little Brown Books
2015

Before I start my review, it's only fair to say that even though this is book #17 in the Alexandra Cooper series, this is my first foray into the world of this New York Assistant District Attorney, so my overall opinion of the story may very well differ from a fan who has followed the series from its conception in 1996.

In this novel Alexandra Cooper has gone missing after a night out with her colleagues and it is left to NYPD detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace to do their best to find her before it is too late. Obviously, the hunt for Cooper, who has over the years made a myriad of enemies, leads the investigators into dark and dangerous territory which is made all the more complicated by the fact that Chapman and Cooper are lovers.

Initially, I found the story difficult to feel comfortable with, which is largely my own fault, due to coming so late to the series, and because the unfamiliarity of the established characters made it difficult to understand why they reacted as they did. However, once I got used to their modus operandi and settled more into the story, I felt that it worked reasonably well. It is obvious that the author uses her considerable knowledge of the US justice system and writes with conviction. The tension throughout the novel is developed well and the dramatic nature of the story line has enough content to keep you guessing. I liked the New York setting and thought that this area and its criminal underworld really comes alive. 

So overall, Devil's Bridge is a good read with some sharp bursts of criminal observation which I enjoyed, but perhaps, the finer nuances of the series as a whole, without reading from the beginning, are going to be a little bit lost on me.

I'm sure that fans of the series will find much to enjoy in Devil's Bridge, which is told largely from Mark Chapman's point of view, which I think is different from previous stories.



Best read with... Coop's favourite orrechiette con broccoli rabe and a cool glass of Pinot Grigio...


About the Author

Linda Fairstein was the Assistant DA of Manhattan's sex crimes unit before taking early retirement in 2002 to concentrate on her writing. She divides her time between New York and Martha's Vineyard.

Amazon UK

My thanks to Sophie at Edpr public relations and the publishers, Sphere,  for the chance to read and review this novel.

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