Death Dance: A Novel (Alexandra Cooper Mysteries) by Linda Fairstein Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Death Dance: A Novel (Alexandra Cooper Mysteries)
Book Review: It's Kind of Scary How Good Linda Fairstein is
Summary: 5 Stars
NYPD cops Chapman and Mercer come to New York Assistant DA Alexandra (Alex) Cooper, wanting her help in the investigation of the disappearance of ballet dancer Natalya Galinova, who went missing during a Lincoln Center performance. The cops, long time associates of Alex's, believe she can help because not only is she a dancer too, but because she's been to too many performances at the Center to count. They want her inside take on the ballet scene, plus she knows the Lincoln Center inside out, so her aide on the case would be invaluable.
The case of the missing ballerina is no locked room mystery. The Lincoln Center is a huge place, with zillions of performers, craftsmen, artisans and various other employees as possible suspects. Plus, there is the audience to consider. Alex and her cop pals really have their job cut out for them.
But the vanishing dancer isn't the only crime on Alex's plate, because as usual crime never stops in the City. Two girls, grad students, from Canada believe they might have been molested by a man (a doctor) who let them use his apartment while they were in New York. On their last night in town he made them a drink and the next day neither of them can remember what happened. Alex is in her element when she is on the trail of a sexual predator and she's pretty sure she can nail this guy.
How Alex gets from point A to point B and the subsequent letters in the alphabet when she works on a case is why readers come to Linda Fairstein in the first place. She really knows her stuff, knows her characters, knows how to put the reader right in the story. If you're into cop talk, cop procedure or just want to see how it's really done, well this book is for you. Not only is it a first rate novel, but you'll get a bit of an education here. It's kind of scary how good Fairstein is. Check out this book, you'll see.
Book Review: Finally a female author...
Summary: 4 Stars
who isn't just out to bash men. Refreshing change, don't you think? A female prosecutor helps her to male police detective friends solve a murder on Broadway. Decent story, some of the dialogue is repeative, but it isn't bad. Book Review: Suspenseful!
Summary: 5 Stars
I will admit that the cover of the book was slightly off-putting and since I have never heard of Linda Fairstein, I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this book, especially with a title of Death Dance. However, I was in a mood for a new book by a new author and I picked this up ~~ and couldn't put it down! Like the old saying, you can't judge a book by its cover ~~ this fits for this one!!
This book is well-written. It is intriguing. It is NOT predictable. It is suspenseful and the characters are wonderfully developed. It makes me want to go back and find more of her books and read them. Alex Cooper is a wonderful DA and I love the relationship between her and Mike and Mercer. In spite of thinking it's something like Law & Order (my favorite series, btw) ~~ I wasn't able to put the characters in the L&O roles as Fairstein refused to allow me to do that. They are characters in their own right and wonderful ones too!
If I had a bookclub ~~ this would be one book I'd present to them! It does provoke thoughts in a discussion, especially the history of the theater districts in NYC. In fact, because of her intricate detail to their histories, I would like to visit NYC and see the performances there and look at all these buildings.
It is one of the best suspense novels I have read in ages! She never is predictable and I wasn't able to really figure it out till the end.
5/4/06
Book Review: Plot drags
Summary: 4 Stars
The trio of Alexandra Cooper,Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace return in a murder mystery set in New York's theater district. Lots of interesting trivia about New York theater and history of the Shriners. The plot drags on and doesn't quite gell. As someone else remarked, the ending is prolonged and not quite believable. Not as good as Fairstein's "Entombed."Book Review: Learning and Entertainment All in One
Summary: 4 Stars
I have read all of Linda Fairstein's Alexandra Cooper series. She is a master at description and character and I enjoyed reading Death Dance, with its vivid insights into the New York theatre district.