Lethal Legacy

Alex Cooper and her sidekicks Mike and Mercer are back, and they're always welcome. Though I'll avoid plot spoilers, it will come as no surprise that we're in the midst of murder, and the quest for a solution. Mrs. Fairstein is a former New York prosecutor, and knows whereof she speaks. And she speaks quite well, indeed. Now here's the main reason Mrs. Fairstein will always (barring an unforseen bad day) get five stars from me: the New York City history and geography lessons are more than worth full price. This time we visit the venerable New York Public Library and the world of rare books (which I can't afford to inhabit, no matter how much I would want to). In past offerings we have met Edgar Allan Poe's New York legacy ("Entoombed"), military history back to The Revolution and beyond (the character of Mike Chapman takes us there), and other topics. I love New York. Period. And I love it when Mrs. Fairstein is my guide. Authors are at their best when speaking of that which they know. Obviously! Lisa Scottoline guides us thru Philly, Sheldon Siegel tours us around San Fran, but Mrs. Fairstein is fortunate enough to have the greatest city on earth for her backdrop. She is well versed in both the legal system and her town, and we owe her a big "Thank you" for sharing with us.

This is my first Linda Fairstein novel, but it will not be my last. The plot involves murders at the New York Public Library and the mystery surrounding priceless maps and books that are bequeathed to the New York Public Library from its many wealthy trustees. There is alot of history in the story as well about New York City that is really enjoyable, including alot of the history about what is under New York in the city's subterranean layers. I found this book totally enthralling in all ways including the murder mystery, the search for great works of art, books and maps and the history that the author presents. The story kept my interest on all levels. I recommend it highly.

I liked this book for the same reason some other reviewers disliked it! I found the history of the New York Public Library and antique books and maps fascinating! And, of course, Alexandra Cooper and crew were as great as always. The descriptions of "the rich" who expect their donations to the library to get special treatment above all others was amusing, also. Even better, the audiobook is narrated by Barbara Rosenblat again, after the last book had a different reader - that change was very jarring after 9 books!

Tina Barr, a former New York Public Library librarian and freelance curator, is attacked in her apartment but refuses medical treatment and won't talk to Assistant District Attorney Alex "Coop" Cooper or Homicide Detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace about the incident. Then, days later another woman is found dead in Tina's apartment, the housekeeper of the landlady, and there is no trace of Tina. Coop, Mike, and Mercer soon learn that the owner of the apartment, Minerva Hunt, is the daughter of the eccentric Jasper Hunt III, who donated a large collection of rare maps and books to the NYPL. The detectives are questioning why the housekeeper was dressed in a business suit and clutching a rare edition book. Did the killer mistake the housekeeper for Minerva? And more importantly, what is Minerva hiding? The case becomes even more disturbing when the librarian's body turns up with a slashed throat in Bryant Park, just minutes away from the Library. The hunt for the killer takes Coop and her team into the underground tunnels and hidden collections of the New York Public Library. It is there that they discover that the murders have something to do with the world's rarest and most valuable map, which happens to be divided into 12 panels, 11 that are missing. What is it about rare map collection that has become so deadly? Librarians, bibliophiles, and history buffs will relish each and every detail about the history and rare collections of the NYPL, and anyone looking for a good page-turner will definitely something to like here. Be sure to check out the Fairstein's behind the scenes tour of the New York Public Library, where she talks about her research for the book, on the author's website at http://www.lindafairstein.com/.

Manhattan's Sex Crimes Prosecution Unit Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cooper convinces librarian Tina Barr to go to the hospital after a thief masquerading as a firefighter assaults the woman in her East Side apartment. Soon after Tina disappears without medical treatment; a female corpse appears in her abruptly abandoned apartment. The dead body resembles Tina's affluent landlady Minerva Hunt, but she discovered the corpse of her Romanian housekeeper Karla Vastasi. Alex and her NYPD Police Detective partner Mike Chapman investigate the Hunt family and Barr learning that the latter used to work for Minerva's father Jasper, a rare book bibliophile and ardent collector of priceless maps. The inquiry leads to the rare book and map collection of the New York Public Library, who has had valuable items stolen and vanishing into private collections, but Mike and Coop know to stay focused though the thefts are more fascinating. The New York Public Library depth brings freshness to the latest Coop legal investigative thriller. The story line is fast-paced from the onset and never slows down as the heroine who some insist "walk on bottled water" and her cohort follow the clues into the library. Readers will appreciate this strong entry which also sets up a cold case as number twelve for the intrepid Alex to investigate. Harriet Klausner