Deadfall

May 29, 2017
The dramatic opening of bestseller Fairstein’s 19th novel featuring Manhattan prosecutor Alexandra “Coop” Cooper (after 2016’s Killer Look) is sure to jolt series fans: Coop is in the autopsy room of the city morgue, cradling the body of her longtime boss and friend, D.A. Paul Battaglia. Earlier that evening, Coop, who’s been on leave in the aftermath of her traumatic kidnapping, was leaving a charity function at the Metropolitan Museum of Art when Battaglia approached her. But before he could speak, he was shot twice in the head by a drive-by shooter and died in Alex’s arms. To her further horror, the homicide investigators regard her as more than an innocent bystander and discount her claim that she had no idea what the victim wanted to talk to her about. Coop is less than forthcoming about a previous time she saw Battaglia, and launches her own investigation, assisted by her lover, NYPD Det. Mike Chapman. Unfortunately, the plot takes some implausible detours en route to the over-the-top climax at the Bronx Zoo. Agent: Esther Newberg, ICM.

October 2, 2017
The self-confident, in-control attitude Fairstein’s series protagonist, Manhattan prosecutor Alexandra Cooper, usually displays has wavered over the past few entries. Cooper, thanks to the venerable work of voice actor Rosenblat, sounds extra vulnerable at the start of her new adventure, which opens with the kidnapping and murder of her longtime boss and friend, D.A. Paul Battaglia. The trauma of his death leaves Alex uncertain and confused, which Rosenblat conveys in a slightly slurry speech, sometimes dreamy, other times rising in anger. She becomes overly dependent on her friends and her gruff-voiced, extremely attentive paramour, homicide detective Mike Chapman, even as she tries to seek justice for Battaglia’s murder. Fairstein’s New York–centric mysteries always provide a special tour of a local landmark. Here it’s the Bronx Zoo that figures into a plot involving the illegal exotic animal trade, with Chapman doing the lion’s share of the sleuthing. Rosenblat pulls off a variety of accents, including Nigerian and East Indian, some elegant, some street. It’s an entertaining and colorful performance, even if the series protagonist is not on her A-game. A Dutton hardcover.

In a fast-paced story set in the wilderness of Alaska, a young woman is being stalked by a man driven mad with hatred. Reader Mary Peiffer reads with a voice as fresh and natural as the windswept landscape. Her voice makes the listener feel closer to Jessie Arnold; we feel we're hearing Jessie speak directly to us. Her fear and isolation feel real. Other characters, including the stalker, come across with veracity. Author Henry, who lives in Alaska, authentically conveys a sense of place, and Mary Peiffer brings honesty and credibility to the production. D.L.G. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine