Killer Heat

This Linda Fairstein procedural moves quickly and logically. The detectives don't have any brainstorms from completely out of the blue, but do the work. They also seem to enjoy being with one other and value one another's strengths. The plot was stimulating and moved rapidly. This one will keep your interest.

Purchase item was in condition promised and received sooner than expected. Would order again from this seller.

Having taken the ferry and staying at the Super 8 Motel on Governors Island on several occasions the novel brought back many memories. Being familiar with the area I found the story not only authentic but thoroughly entertaining.

At the sight of a badly decomposed body in which the stench is so overwhelming, it will psychologically linger for weeks, NYPD Detective Mike Chapman lights up a Cohiba; he hands the cigar to Manhattan ADA Alex Cooper to take a "few hits" in order to give the brain a different olfactory memory. The tortured dead woman is the first homicide of a serial killer. Six more females with apparent military connections will soon die while Mike, Alex and others hunt the predator. At the same time, Cooper argues with defense attorney Gene Grassley in front of Judge Lamont over the retrial of sixty-one years old Floyd Warren; accused of rape three decades ago, but the jury was hung and he skipped town before the second trial. Grassley says his client is too old to commit a violent crime while Cooper points out that does not matter as he should do the time even though he will probably die behind bars. Cooper contends he became a serial rapist while Greeley insists he was never arrested. Adding to the circus of the Judge having to apply the ridiculous 1973 statute is cronies of violent convicted rapist Pablo Pasano sit in the courtroom to harass Cooper, who put him behind bars. The serial killer investigation is a terrific subplot that would normally carry a novel; however, it is the legal issues involving the Warren trial complicated by the Pasano presence that makes the latest Cooper thriller one of the best sub-genre entries of the year so far. The story line is action-packed from the cigar onset and never slows down as the audience feels they are traipsing around the Big Apple during a sever heat wave. Harriet Klausner

Killer Heat, prosecutor-turned-author Fairstein's 10th book, is by far her best. All of her mysteries feature little-known NYC locales (Poe's house, underground water tunnels) or a behind-the-scenes look at famous institutions (Natural History Museum, Metropolitan Opera House). This one doesn't disappoint, taking the reader from an abandoned ferry terminal downtown to a thrilling conclusion on Governor's Island. Fairstein deftly weaves courtroom drama, real-life cases and thrilling action into a seamless tapestry. Fabulous!! A perfect "10".