Rating: 
Summary: not her best
Review: I normally do not review books that I do not think deserve 5 stars, you know, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.My sister and brother-in-law think I should review other books, not just ones I love. They say,"that's why people look at the reviews, I could be helping someone else." So...okay, here goes. This is not Ms. Fairstein's best work. I am an avid fan, and I rush out to buy her books as soon as they hit the shelves. This one I could have waited for the paper. I felt like she was telling two or three stories at once wihout doing justice to any of them. Although the information on New York history was interesting, I never connected with the story, didn't know or care about the victims and had the culprit picked out after Alex's (the main character), first interview with him or her.(Even though I didn't like it, I don't want to give it away to someone else!!!!) Anyway, sorry Ms. Fairstein, not my favorite of yours, although I will still run out and buy your next one I'm sure. I have never had will power in a book store, especially for a favorite author.
Rating: 
Summary: Would read it again!!
Review: I stumbled upon this book, and the title itself was eye catching. The novel had me reading every time I had a break. It is a great mystery book, full of surprises!!!! I recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries!!!!
Rating:
Summary: The Dead House is definetely alive
Review: I thought that this book was extremely well written. The author, Linda Fairstein had great, in-depth characters as well as a good thought-out plot. It was suspenseful in a sense that you did not know what was going to happen next with the murder investigation. It is full of twists and turns and just when you think you know who did it, why they did it, and just what did happen... Another twists comes into play and you get lost again. I'd say this is a must read for suspense lovers!
Rating: 
Summary: Endless and Unfocused
Review: I'm a Fairstein fan, having loved her first and third books (and having found the second not quite up to par), but "The Deadhouse" is pretty much D.O.A. Extremely convoluted and even confusing at times, it rambles on and on...and gets nowhere. Huge clues (like shoe boxes full of cash) are dropped into the story and then ignored by our heroine Alexandra Cooper and her wise-cracking sidekick, Det. Chapman. The plot twist that propels this tired tale to its conclusion doesn't pop up until page 300 of the paperback addition, and by that time you probably won't give a hoot whodunit or why. (Besides, it's patently absurd.) I did find the historical information on Blackwell's Island fascinating (hence the two stars), but again, Fairstein has no idea what to do with it. And isn't it strange that in four books, we've never met anyone in Alex's family? The poor woman seems to spend every holiday alone! Worst of all, the "thing" that the murderer is killing everyone to get his/her hands on is never even found. Whatever happened to a writer wrapping up her plotlines? Fairstein is capable of terse, linear story telling, but she's just not a good enough writer to handle the red-herring laden plot she's devised for herself.
Rating: 
Summary: Another compelling novel in the Alex Cooper series
Review: I've liked all of Linda Fairstein's novels so far. FINAL JEOPARDY, LIKELY TO DIE and COLD HIT. THE DEADHOUSE is no exception. I like the main character, Alexandra Cooper, who has the same occupation as Linda--in charge of the Sex Crimes Unit of the District Attorney's office in Manhattan. Alex is smart and savvy, a strong but feminine woman with plenty of attitude, which she's not afraid to use when it's needed. I also like NYPD detective Mike Chapman, who assists Alex in her sleuthing, teases her constantly but affectionately, and shares with her a certain amount of chemistry.The Deadhouse is a contemporary story with fascinating historical details of a part of New York I didn't know existed. It begins with the apparent death by murder of political science professor, Lola Dakota, which later becomes an actual death by murder. (You'll have to read the book to understand what that means.) Number one suspect is Lola's abusive husband Ivan Kravolic, but Lola had also made enemies at King's College where she taught. Lola was evidently not an easy person to like and there are enough other suspects to keep Alex and the reader guessing. A slip of paper in the pocket of Lola's sweater leads Alex to The Deadhouse on Roosevelt Island where people were confined for various reasons in the nineteenth century. The plot is a complex one that kept me in suspense all the way to the exciting climax. The movie of Final Jeopardy was a good one, and a successful one. I hope the rest of the books, including The Deadhouse, will be made into movies too. The Deadhouse certainly has enough action and suspense to qualify. As always, Linda Fairstein's own work experience blesses the story with authenticity, but that would not be enough to make a great novel without her excellent writing, vivid characterization and a plot that sizzles. My attention was held completely all the way through.
Rating:
Summary: Alex and Mike investigate the death of a college professor.
Review: In "The Deadhouse," Assistant DA Alexandra Cooper and Detective Mike Chapman once again team up to solve a homicide. Lola Dakota (an unfortunate choice of name) is the victim. Dakota was a distinguished professor of political science and an acknowledged expert on the history and politics of New York City. Someone strangled Lola and pushed her down an elevator shaft in the apartment building where she lived. Who had reason to want Lola dead? Certainly her husband, Ivan Kralovic, is a suspect, since he had been abusing and stalking Lola for years. Lola's colleagues at King's College are suspects, since she had clashed with some of them. Alex and Mike interview many of Lola's friends and acquaintances in an effort to find a motive for murder. Complicating the case is the fact that Lola was working on a historical project, an architectural dig on Roosevelt Island (formerly called Blackwells Island), in Manhattan. It seems that many years ago, the island was used to keep New York's undesirables away from the rest of the city's population. At one time or another, prisoners, people who were destitute and insane, or victims of contagious diseases such as smallpox, were confined to institutions on this island. Lola and her colleagues are using the tools of urban archaeology to uncover some of the island's secrets. Could this work somehow be connected to Lola's death? I like the characters of Alex Cooper and Mike Chapman. Alex is beautiful, smart, sophisticated and dedicated to her job. Mike is irreverent, politically incorrect and a great detective. Although Mike and Alex are seeing other people, it is obvious that they care for one another deeply, and their attraction to one another is a recurring theme in this series. Another positive aspect of this book is the background information about Roosevelt Island that Fairstein provides. Fairstein obviously researched the island's history thoroughly and I found this aspect of the novel fascinating. Unfortunately, the mystery of Lola's murder is handled very badly. The suspects are not compelling characters and the solution to the mystery is incoherent and implausible. The ending of the novel falls flat and is extremely unsatisfying. I am tired of killers who endlessly explain why they committed murder to their captives. This device is used once again here and it detracts from the ending, which is devoid of excitement and suspense. As much as I like the the main characters of Alex and Mike, I give "The Deadhouse" low marks as a mystery and suspense novel.
Rating:
Summary: A great read
Review: In The Deadhouse, Linda Fairstein not only tells a good tale, she unearths a fascinating corner of New York history. I didn't think anything could distract me in this moment of national tragedy, but this book did. Fairstein captures the complexity of one of America's greatest cities from both a modern and historical perspective. Her writing is brisk, her characters appealing, and the story is terrific. I couldn't put it down. Though a mystery fan, I'm new to the Alex Cooper series. I intend to read all of them now.
Rating:
Summary: Lots to Yawn At
Review: In this slow-moving entry in the Alex Cooper series, Linda Fairstein gets badly bogged down in some fairly esoteric New York history as she tries to tell the tale of a murdered college professor named Lola Dakota. It seems that Lola had an all-consuming interest in Blackwell Island, a corollary to Manhattan Island that once housed a horrific set of prisons and hospitals during the historic plague years. Fairstein gives us an exhaustive and confusing history of the place, including its famed smallpox hospital, long gone to ruins. It's not that the history is not interesting, but it bogs the story down time and again until the plot lines often becomea confusing maze. There are many possible suspects in the murder of Lola, whose life was apparently as flamboyant as her name. Alex and Chapman are on the case, examining everyone from Lola's abusive and shady ex-husband, the prime suspect, to Lola's equally shady professorial colleagues at the university. Since the murder has taken place during the Christmas holidays, the investigation--and the story--frequently gets sytmied by a lack of momentum. Never is the book more frustrating than when we get more-than-we-needed glimpses into Alex's private life, this time with new and serious beau Jake, a high-profile TV journalist. As in the first three books, Fairstein's descriptions of Alex's personal life never quite come to life. The scenes between Jake and Alex, from the bedroom to the elegant restaurants they frequent, are embarrassingly stilted and ring untrue. Contrast that with the high-energy relationship between Alex and her cohorts, Chapman and Mercer, and the lesser characters in Alex's world of cops and prosecutors, and it seems even more out of place. In "The Deadhouse," particularly, much more so than the first three novels, this juxtaposition between Alex's intriguing and gritty work life and her sophisticated, wealthy, and--yes, boring--personal life, gets in the way of the story. The first three novels moved along at such a fast and interesting pace that the reader almost welcomed the breaks. But this novel is so slow-moving in every way, that the breaks simply serve to deaden one's interest. By the end of the book, I didn't much care who killed Lola or why, and I found the revelation of the murderer as big a yawn as the story itself. Fairstein is a fine writer, and usually weaves an interesting tale, which made "The Deadhouse" even more disappointing to read. It is worth reading for those who are Alex Cooper addicts, but I certainly would not recommend this as a first taste of Fairstein. She can do much, much better.
Rating:
Summary: A+ AGAIN
Review: LINDA FAIRSTEIN IS GREAT WRITER.
I ENJOY HER STYLE OF WRITING,FAST PACED AND OVERALL WELL DONE.
HAVING WORKED HER DAD(AN ANESTHESIA ATTENDING AT MOUNT VERNON HOSPITAL) IN THE 1960'S HE WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD OF HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
I HAVE READ MOST OF HER BOOKS AND IS A GREAT RESPITE TO READ THIS AUTHOR.
Rating:
Summary: Deadhouse is Dead-On
Review: Linda Fairstein offers a wry insider's view of the criminal justice system in NYC, with the names changed to protect the guilty. "Deadhouse" provides a fascinating glimpse into the macabre history of Blackwell's Island-- that slice of land in the middle of the East River containing the skeletons of hospitals NYC provided for the criminals, the insane,and the immigrant poor. If you've driven the FDR Drive, you've seen them. And the sexual tension between Chapman and Cooper vibrates-- maybe they'll finally get it together in the NEXT book.
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