212

February 8, 2010
Burke’s third white-knuckle thriller finds NYPD Det. Ellie Hatcher (after Angel’s Tip
) and her partner, J.J. Rogan, investigating the murder of NYU student Megan Gunther, who’s the target of threatening posts on a college gossip Web site. The death of bodyguard Robert “Robo” Mancini, whose bullet-ridden corpse turns up in a swanky new building, the 212, built by Sam Sparks, the high-powered Manhattan real-estate developer Robo worked for, ups the ante. When Sam makes it clear that the police won’t have access to any company records, Ellie’s interest is piqued. As she and J.J. try to piece together Megan’s life, they discover a link between the student and a recently murdered real estate agent. With her usual tenacity, Ellie pursues leads that put both her career and her life at risk. Burke expertly weaves real-life headlines into her plot—particularly the Craig’s List Killer and the slew of recent political scandals—without ever sacrificing originality.

With clear, sharp brushstrokes, Alafair Burke creates victims, suspects, and detectives, each as well drawn as series leading lady Ellie Hatcher, of the NYPD. "212" is New York City's area code and the address of the penthouse where a bullet-riddled body is found. Hatcher and her partner, J.J. Rogan, begin an investigation that leads to entrepreneur Sam Sparks and a view of the lifestyles of the super-rich; a murdered NYU student and the chilling potential for invasive computer technology; and an exclusive escort service for uptown clientele. Eliza Foss offers a low-key performance that works well--Rogan's "cop-speak" is especially realistic. The third in Burke's Ellie Hatcher series offers a contemporary moral puzzle, and Foss makes listening easy. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine