Fresh Kills

Fresh Kills is far and away the best of the Artie Cohen series. I would suggest to those who are not familier with Reggie Nadelson's books to start at the beginning and work their way through. Others have given plot descriptions, so I won't. I will tell you, with absolute certainty, that this series is as good (probably better) that 98% of all the best sellers out there Her next book is due out in July, and I for one can't wait!!

Reggie Nadelson's "Fresh Kills" is an apparently continuing saga starring Russian emigre and now Americanized Russian speaking NYPD police officer Artie Cohen. Cohen recently married to a 9/11 widow Maxine has been left behind as she and her two daughters are vacationing in California. Artie has agreed to chaperone and take responsibility for his nephew Billy Farone who had been released on a two week furlough from a juvenile detention facility in Florida. Billy had been charged in the stabbing murder of a semi retarded soul named Heshey Shank at the tender age of 12. Artie's half sister Genia, Billy's mother wanted no part of her son having split for London with her husband restauranteer Johnny. Artie was convinced of his nephew's rehabilitation trying to find opportunity to entertain him while carrying out his duties for his boss Sonny Lippert, a NYPD bigwig. Lippert was an expert of child related crimes and was currently immersed in a cold case that he was obsessing over. At his direction, Lippert ordered Artie on assignment which found him traipsing through the ethnic Russian neighborhoods of both Brooklyn and Staten Island. Artie and Billy spent their time together meeting a host of colorful characters who were part of Artie's life. He recruited his ex girlfriend Lily, who he still has a thing for and his buddy Russian gangster and ex-rocker Tolya to babysit Billy as he conducted his duties. We learn that many people in the Brooklyn communities don't want Billy back in town. His victim's brother Stanley Shank an ex-cop and now knife wielding thug has threatened Cohen about his nephew's well being. As time passes a confluence of child related cases seems to be related and Cohen begins to think that Billy may somehow be connected. Artie begins to have doubts about Billy as a case involving a baby found dead in an industrial freezer near Artie's loft starts niggling at his consciousness. Author Nadelson composes an incredibly authentic setting for her plot which effectively relates the conflict experienced by her main character, Artie Cohen as he tries to balance the duties of his job with his personal resposibilities.

NYPD detective Russian immigrant Artie Cohen is enjoying his recent marriage to Maxine although she is currently out of town when he is informed that his troubled teenage nephew Billy Farone has been released from juvenile detention. Reluctantly, Artie takes Billy into his Brooklyn home as the lad has no other place to go since his mom refuses to have anything to do with him since he stabbed to death Heshey Shank and besides his parents are in London. Meanwhile the Shank family is outraged that this cold blooded killer is free and making public their disgust with a system that allows a killer to go on with his life while their offspring is dead. Artie's superior Sonny Lippert comes to Brighton Beach to assign him to follow up on a new lead involving a cold case child homicide. The detective tries to balance adjusting to marriage although his wife seems very tolerant, keeping Billy out of trouble although there is evidence that he is failing at this task, and working the murder investigation that begins to look as if a killer may be caught, but not before others will die. The latest Cohen New York City "archipelago" police procedural (see RED HOOK) is a terrific tale that focuses on the difficult balancing of family needs vs. professional requirements. Artie is fabulous as he wants to do what is best for Billy, but is not sure what that is as he knows the kid needs help and support, but he also has a difficult case to work. Readers will enjoy his investigation that leads from Brooklyn to Manhattan and Staten Island, but it is the ending that will stun the audience as Reggie Nadelson provides a deep thriller. Harriet Klausner

I'm a big Reggie Nadelson fan and so I got my hot little hands on her latest Artie Cohen thriller even before its official publication date. I set aside a few hours in my most comfortable chair for an initial dip back into her and his world. And was not disappointed. By remarkable coincidence I worked on Staten Island some years ago but hadn't been back for quite a long time. But Nadelson took my right there, and it felt as if I had never left. She does a remarkable job of getting it right--SI is a place full of contradictions. Tony Soprano, if he hadn't chosen to settle in New Jersey, would have lived contentedly up on one of SI's hills where he would have felt right at home among neighbors in the same business as his; while out in the farther reaches are the city workers--police and firemen, many of whom were among the first responders killed on 9/11. So Staten Island is a place for fresh kills. Thus Nadelson's title--which by the way is a real place right in the middle of the island not far from the world's largest landfill. That's SI too.