Rating:  Summary: Not a bad read Review: It took me over two years to get around to reading this. It read easily and kept my interest and thus it rates as a good summer read. Be sure to read the first one before plunging into this one.
Rating:  Summary: Likely to Keep You Up All Night! Review: Linda Fairstein's second foray into the world of New York Assistant DA Alex Cooper is even better than the first. Before you start it, though, lock yourself into a padded room, turn off the phones, the computer, the TV et al., send the kids off to grandma, and your significant other off to Zanzibar. Because, and yes it's been said before, you will NOT be able to put this one down.The fast-paced story begins with the bloody murder of a brilliant neurosurgeon at a prestigious New York hospital. One of the few women in her field, Gemma Dogan has been a superstar all of her professional life. Her murder, occurring as it has within hospital walls and without apparent motive, becomes front-page news faster than you can say "perpetrator." And who IS the perp? Alex has been called into the case because the victim was found in a state suggesting sexual assault, and Alex heads the sex-crimes unit. She and her sidekick, homicide cop Mike Chapman, along with their good bud Mercer (also a homicide cop) are stumped. The more clues they gather, the more clueless they become--nothing adds up. The reader is in the same boat. Unlike the majority of crime novels, "Likely to Die" does not give the reader a single possibility of who the murderer might be. This is absolutely NOT an "aha!" type of book! When at last, through much detective work and personal danger, our team figures it all out, one of them is already in the hands of the murderer. And about to die. I can say no more. But I can assure you that, unlike the tabloid press in the book, which suddenly bulges with witnesses who "knew it all along," the reader is in the dark from start to finish. This is one heck of a good novel. If you are looking for an intelligent, nonstop, well-written, spine-tingling mystery, give this one a try. it is well worth the eyestrain you'll get from reading all night long!
Rating:  Summary: Could not put this down.... Review: Mainly because I was afraid that someone else might pick it up and start to read it. I don't think that anyone deserves that sort of punishment. The characters are uninspired, the plot boring, the writing, inane at best and the standing on soapboxes sickening. Someone should point out to the author that Britain has a much smaller gun violence problem because they have some sort of gun control, not because the criminals haven't figured out how great guns are. Avoid, avoid, avoid. Stick to law, lady.
Rating:  Summary: You've got to be kidding me! Review: Someone actually published this novel?! If you love murder mystries, with a strong emphasis on law enfocement/district attorney involvement, you may want to read the first 20 pages. However, this novel quickly takes a turn for the worse! I understand the author's desire for character devolopment, but should we, the reader, suffer for her needs? If you want to know how long it takes Alex Cooper (our heroine) to microwave a lean cuisine (yes, it's in there), read this book! If you want to know how fabulous her social circle is, and read pages on characters who have NOTHING to do with the plot, read this book! If, however, you are like me, and have to know who the killer is, before you can put down the book, do not, I repeat, do not pick it up. Essentially, the book delves into the sanctimonious lifesyle of Alex Cooper. Yes, there is a murder, and yes, the killer is caught, but it seems these are little tidbits, and the author spends too much time on what Cooper eats, drinks (and she drinks a lot), what she listens too, and how great all her friends are. If you really like murder mysteries, you can do better, try Tami Hoag, or Michael Palmer. In short, we like to like our heroines, but we read for the murder, not the lifestyle. If that's what you want, pick up a Better Homes and Gardens magazine.
Rating:  Summary: I was hooked and then let down at the end Review: This book had all the hopes of a great one. Feinstein is awesome at holding interest with all of the excellent behind the scenes action of the life of an assisstant DA. That is what I loved about the book. I thought Alex's stint in London was a bit too long and really didn't have much to do with the plot. But the ending is what got me. There was no surprise and not all of the loose ends were resolved. The book went from a 5 to a 3 in about 10 pages. I spent one whole morning reading the last 100 pages, couldn't put it down and then kicked myself for wasting all that time.
Hopefully, Feinstein has improved her endings in the series, otherwise I'm going to have to give her up.
Rating:  Summary: Started out good, then took a downturn. Review: This book had much stronger possibilities than the previous book in this series. However, I think too much emphasis is put on Alex's tight-knit circle of friends and all of the various little tidbits of her life. Although she makes a good living herself, she comes from money and has the tastes to prove it--from her uptown apartment to her designer suits and shoes. Too much time and emphasis is spent on pointing out her favorite designers, etc. The part of the book that actually deals with the murder is good, though. Dr. Dogen is a self-sufficent person who keeps to herself. It is up to Alex and the police to ferret out fact from fiction in order to find her killer. Despite the surprise ending, it was also something of a letdown, but it was still a worthwhile read.
Rating:  Summary: An excellent book that you don't want to put down! Review: This book was an excellent thriller. It keeps you guessing who the murderer was until the last chapter.
Rating:  Summary: Drags on.... Review: This is an excellent mystery book!!! It all starts with a murder of a brain surgeon and professor, and digs into the poor security of the hospital and university organizations - this one will keep you up at night, especially if you are in the hospital!!! The twists are believable and unpredictable! Great, great mystery!!! This is the first book I read from the author, however, I will surely look into her other books. A great read!
Rating:  Summary: I absolutely loved it!!! Review: This is an excellent mystery book!!! It all starts with a murder of a brain surgeon and professor, and digs into the poor security of the hospital and university organizations - this one will keep you up at night, especially if you are in the hospital!!! The twists are believable and unpredictable! Great, great mystery!!! This is the first book I read from the author, however, I will surely look into her other books. A great read!
Rating:  Summary: Enjoyed the authentic detail Review: This is one talented author, basing her stories on the work of an Assist DA, working on sex crimes in NYC, which, coincidentally, is her real life job, as well, she would be someone that I would love to meet and talk to, her enthusiasm for her work and the way that she communicates are wonderful, and I think that she has a great future writing books with Alexandra Cooper, her character. Linda does it all so well, this story is tight, Alexandra is likeable, and there are added bits which make her a more rounded human being, she works horrendous hours, but she may have more than one case in her life at any one time, without which there can seem to be a one-sided-ness about the characters. I really enjoyed the authentic detail, and I would imagine that those little anecdotes that creep into the stories are probably some of the more tame day to day details that Ms F has had to deal with in her working life, but even so, they add to the feelings that you get about the job that she does, and that has got to be good for the books.
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