tiffany_wilhelm's review against another edition
4.0
Reading a Fairstein novel, especially the 15th in the Alexandra Cooper series, is a lot like slipping into a nice cozy sweater. It's worn around the edges, and maybe it has a few holes in it, but you know you're going to find comfort in wearing it. At the 15th book in the series, there's not much that surprised me in this novel. There's a current case that ties to something that happened in the past, and Alex along with Mike and Mercer work at finding the culprit. Some danger ensues, some wisecracking from Mike, and some red tape from those higher up the food chain.
There was the added twist of Alex and Mike at long last locking lips, but even that was short lived, due in large part to the drama surrounding his short-lived fling with the judge that's off her rocker, Jessica Pell.
I will say that overall I enjoyed this book. The history that Fairstein injects into the story always manages to tell me something I didn't know about New York, this time particularly Central Park. While I felt the ending with Eddie Welks and the unfolding of that particular reveal was somewhat rushed, I still enjoyed the book overall. If you're looking for a mystery to curl up to this summer, this series won't disappoint.
There was the added twist of Alex and Mike at long last locking lips, but even that was short lived, due in large part to the drama surrounding his short-lived fling with the judge that's off her rocker, Jessica Pell.
I will say that overall I enjoyed this book. The history that Fairstein injects into the story always manages to tell me something I didn't know about New York, this time particularly Central Park. While I felt the ending with Eddie Welks and the unfolding of that particular reveal was somewhat rushed, I still enjoyed the book overall. If you're looking for a mystery to curl up to this summer, this series won't disappoint.
ilsesuzanne's review against another edition
3.0
This book really read as if it was an episode of Bones. An intruiging mystery, a small romantic connection between the main characters, and a (slightly) predictable plot. It was however still entertaining and gave me a lot of new insights into Central Park, which is also worth a lot!
susanatwestofmars's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Fairstein has a writing style that worked in the beginning but now just kind of makes me nuts. We have a paragraph or two, maybe three, of scene and then we stop everything for an info dump. And it's interesting info, but it's still an info dump.
A lot of readers really like her stuff (well, pre-controversy, anyway, but that's another thing and I have been reading her for too long and am too aware that the situation is more nuanced than the pitchfork wielders would have us think) because you learn so much about New York City.
I don't. Learn much about New York City, that is. Info dumps make me NUTS, and I tend not to retain a bit of what I'm reading. Integrate it into the story and I'm there.
Anyway, this was the last book of Fairstein's that I'd collected years ago, and I'm not overly interested in continuing with the series. Not because of the controversy, but in part because I'm just a different sort of reader at this stage in my life.
A lot of readers really like her stuff (well, pre-controversy, anyway, but that's another thing and I have been reading her for too long and am too aware that the situation is more nuanced than the pitchfork wielders would have us think) because you learn so much about New York City.
I don't. Learn much about New York City, that is. Info dumps make me NUTS, and I tend not to retain a bit of what I'm reading. Integrate it into the story and I'm there.
Anyway, this was the last book of Fairstein's that I'd collected years ago, and I'm not overly interested in continuing with the series. Not because of the controversy, but in part because I'm just a different sort of reader at this stage in my life.
weaselweader's review
3.0
Did you forget that Alex Cooper is a lawyer?
If one were a serial rapist or a pervert inclined to sexual assault, there’s no question that night-time Central Park would be prime hunting territory. So Linda Fairstein’s DEATH ANGEL, #15 in her extraordinarily long-running and immensely successful Alexandra Cooper series, starts off like the proverbial house on fire, when a young woman is found dead in a secluded lake located in a particularly densely wooded section of the park. But that spark fails to ignite the novel into the expected inferno because of a number of problems.
First and foremost is that the plot is not particularly unique or interesting. After all, serial rapists and murderers in New York City?? Ho hum! Been there, done that! The second problem is that what should have been a barn-burning legal thriller simply wasn’t. And, by that, I mean it wasn’t even a legal thriller. Ms Fairstein seems to have completely forgotten that her protagonist, Alexandra Cooper, is not a police detective. She’s a lawyer, for goodness’ sake. As a prosecutor, an assistant district attorney and the head honcho in New York’s sex crimes unit, you’d think that every once in a while she ought to get involved with legal issues and the inside of a court room. Third, Ms Fairstein has chosen to clutter the plot line with problems of professional misbehavior related to who police, judges and lawyers are allowed to sleep with. Uninteresting, Ms Fairstein … just uninteresting.
On the plus side, DEATH ANGEL presents an absolutely fascinating history of Central Park and uptown Manhattan, in particular, the Dakota apartments on the upper west side and the little known community of free blacks known as Seneca Village. Although I’ve been admittedly critical of the story in DEATH ANGEL, I have to give full marks to Linda Fairstein for her ability to present an absolute ton of historical tidbits and information without disrupting the flow of the story … such as it is!
I’ve still got a couple of Alex Cooper entries on my unread bookshelf and I’ll certainly read them but I hope that my next choice returns to the legal stomping ground that I was hoping for.
Paul Weiss
If one were a serial rapist or a pervert inclined to sexual assault, there’s no question that night-time Central Park would be prime hunting territory. So Linda Fairstein’s DEATH ANGEL, #15 in her extraordinarily long-running and immensely successful Alexandra Cooper series, starts off like the proverbial house on fire, when a young woman is found dead in a secluded lake located in a particularly densely wooded section of the park. But that spark fails to ignite the novel into the expected inferno because of a number of problems.
First and foremost is that the plot is not particularly unique or interesting. After all, serial rapists and murderers in New York City?? Ho hum! Been there, done that! The second problem is that what should have been a barn-burning legal thriller simply wasn’t. And, by that, I mean it wasn’t even a legal thriller. Ms Fairstein seems to have completely forgotten that her protagonist, Alexandra Cooper, is not a police detective. She’s a lawyer, for goodness’ sake. As a prosecutor, an assistant district attorney and the head honcho in New York’s sex crimes unit, you’d think that every once in a while she ought to get involved with legal issues and the inside of a court room. Third, Ms Fairstein has chosen to clutter the plot line with problems of professional misbehavior related to who police, judges and lawyers are allowed to sleep with. Uninteresting, Ms Fairstein … just uninteresting.
On the plus side, DEATH ANGEL presents an absolutely fascinating history of Central Park and uptown Manhattan, in particular, the Dakota apartments on the upper west side and the little known community of free blacks known as Seneca Village. Although I’ve been admittedly critical of the story in DEATH ANGEL, I have to give full marks to Linda Fairstein for her ability to present an absolute ton of historical tidbits and information without disrupting the flow of the story … such as it is!
I’ve still got a couple of Alex Cooper entries on my unread bookshelf and I’ll certainly read them but I hope that my next choice returns to the legal stomping ground that I was hoping for.
Paul Weiss
cj_mo_2222's review
4.0
The latest installment of Linda Fairstein’s long-running Alexandra Cooper series is as rich in plot and New York City history as readers have come to expect from this excellent series. I enjoyed reading about Central Park and the Dakota and was surprised to learn many of the facts the author shares. Both locations, but especially Central Park, play a huge role in the plot, so the history imparted throughout the book isn’t just filler but is integral to the story. Facts about the large number of homeless youths in New York are heartbreaking and also are important to the plot. Fairstein is very skilled at taking the history and weaving it into a modern story. The book is very well-written and the plot about young women gone missing in Central Park is suspenseful, which makes this a book that is hard to put down.
I recommend this book to those who enjoy a well-written mystery with a touch of history. The book is accessible to readers unfamiliar with the series. New readers will enjoy the mystery, but may not appreciate some of the developments in Alex’s personal life as much as long-time readers. I usually adore Alex, but Mercer and his wife are my favorite characters in this installment. They are the intelligent, mature voices of reason in both their professional and personal lives. I have always enjoyed Alex’s friendship with Mike Chapman and there are some high points in this book, but they both act childish throughout much of this book. Alex becomes somewhat irritating with her need to always be right, even though she usually is! The mystery itself is excellent and the highlights of the personal stories are worth reading. The set up for a future book is there and leaves the reader eager to find out what happens next for Alex.
I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Penguin Group/Dutton publishing. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
I recommend this book to those who enjoy a well-written mystery with a touch of history. The book is accessible to readers unfamiliar with the series. New readers will enjoy the mystery, but may not appreciate some of the developments in Alex’s personal life as much as long-time readers. I usually adore Alex, but Mercer and his wife are my favorite characters in this installment. They are the intelligent, mature voices of reason in both their professional and personal lives. I have always enjoyed Alex’s friendship with Mike Chapman and there are some high points in this book, but they both act childish throughout much of this book. Alex becomes somewhat irritating with her need to always be right, even though she usually is! The mystery itself is excellent and the highlights of the personal stories are worth reading. The set up for a future book is there and leaves the reader eager to find out what happens next for Alex.
I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Penguin Group/Dutton publishing. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
12140holmes's review
4.0
Some authors bore you to death in their overly verbose descriptions of places the characters go to. This author gives you a very good and informative description of locales without being superfluous.
I enjoyed this book as much as all of her previous books and hope that Mike and Alex, well ...
I enjoyed this book as much as all of her previous books and hope that Mike and Alex, well ...
nomadreader's review
4.0
The backstory: Death Angel is the fifteenth (!) mystery in Linda Fairstein's Alexandra Cooper series. I've read (and loved) them all. (A series note: while you could enjoy this mystery if you haven't read others in the series, the personal storylines likely won't be nearly as satisfying to new readers.)
The basics: When the body of a young homeless girl is found in Central Park, detectives Mercer Wallace and Mike Chapman, along with prosecutor Alexandra Cooper, work quickly to identify her and figure out if there's a connection to a series of cold cases in New York City's lowest crime area.
My thoughts: Fairstein's mysteries all feature a deep history of one aspect of New York. In Death Angel, it's Central Park, something most readers think they're familiar with. When Fairstein is at her best, which she certainly is in Death Angel, the New York history is as riveting as the mystery (or in this case mysteries) itself.
I discovered this series in the spring of 2003 (when several books had already been published), and I've been reading the for ten years. It's challenging to strike the right balance between the comfort of the familiar and feeling new. Death Angel is the perfect combination of the two. There are the classics of a Fairstein novel: Alex takes a trip to her Martha's Vineyard home, New York history, sexual/romantic tension between Alex and Mike, Jeopardy!, and work tensions in the DA's office. Here, they feel fresh and comforting. While the pace of Alex's personal life is sometimes slower than I'd like, as I read Death Angel, I was shocked to realize Alex is now only a few years older than I am. So little time has passed in this series because each mystery covers only a few days or weeks. Over the years, these novels have taken place in different seasons and at different times of years, but in reality, only a few years have passed.
The verdict: Death Angel is Linda Fairstein at her very best. The mystery is compelling and surprising, the history and detail of Central Park is fascinating, and the developments in Alex's personal life make this long-term reader and dreamer very happy. Most importantly, all three fit together beautifully in this well-crafted, entertaining and spellbinding mystery.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
The basics: When the body of a young homeless girl is found in Central Park, detectives Mercer Wallace and Mike Chapman, along with prosecutor Alexandra Cooper, work quickly to identify her and figure out if there's a connection to a series of cold cases in New York City's lowest crime area.
My thoughts: Fairstein's mysteries all feature a deep history of one aspect of New York. In Death Angel, it's Central Park, something most readers think they're familiar with. When Fairstein is at her best, which she certainly is in Death Angel, the New York history is as riveting as the mystery (or in this case mysteries) itself.
I discovered this series in the spring of 2003 (when several books had already been published), and I've been reading the for ten years. It's challenging to strike the right balance between the comfort of the familiar and feeling new. Death Angel is the perfect combination of the two. There are the classics of a Fairstein novel: Alex takes a trip to her Martha's Vineyard home, New York history, sexual/romantic tension between Alex and Mike, Jeopardy!, and work tensions in the DA's office. Here, they feel fresh and comforting. While the pace of Alex's personal life is sometimes slower than I'd like, as I read Death Angel, I was shocked to realize Alex is now only a few years older than I am. So little time has passed in this series because each mystery covers only a few days or weeks. Over the years, these novels have taken place in different seasons and at different times of years, but in reality, only a few years have passed.
The verdict: Death Angel is Linda Fairstein at her very best. The mystery is compelling and surprising, the history and detail of Central Park is fascinating, and the developments in Alex's personal life make this long-term reader and dreamer very happy. Most importantly, all three fit together beautifully in this well-crafted, entertaining and spellbinding mystery.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
valeehill's review
5.0
Death Angel (Alexandra Cooper Mystery #15) by Linda Fairstein As much as I love reading romance I still need my occasional mystery fix. I make a point to keep up with several mystery series, and the Alexandra Cooper Series is one of them. I've read books four through fifteen, and always find the history at the crux of each mystery compelling...
You may find my entire review for Death Angel here: http://www.valeehill.net/2013/08/book-review-death-angel-by-linda.html
You may find my entire review for Death Angel here: http://www.valeehill.net/2013/08/book-review-death-angel-by-linda.html
stephms's review
4.0
For some reason, the dialogue always sounds a bit stilted to me in these novels, but the stories keep me coming back. I learned some fascinating things about Central Park in this outing. It's actually really surprising that none of the other books involved the park extensively.