Deadfall by Linda Fairstein

Deadfall by Linda Fairstein

• ISBN-10: 110198404X Hardcover $
• Publisher: Dutton (July 25, 2017), 400 pages.
• Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley.

The Blurb:
A wild heart beats within New York City. Amid concrete and skyscrapers, the Wildlife Conservation Society works to preserve and protect the animal kingdom both within and beyond the borders of the five boroughs. But dangerous creatures don't always have claws and fangs, as Assistant DA Alexandra Cooper and NYPD detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace know all too well. Predators lurk close to home, and in the aftermath of the shocking assassination of an iconic public figure—someone Alex has worked with for years—the trio must unravel the motive behind the shooting to discover who is the bigger snake: the killer or the victim.
 
The murder investigation provides more questions than answers, as a tangled mess of secrets slowly comes to light. From street gangs to secret societies, from big-game hunting to the illegal animal trade, from New York City zoos to the highest offices in city government, Alex has her work cut out for her—especially since the task force handling the investigation, led by the US Attorney, seems to be more against her than with her. As tensions rise between Alex and the feds, she must determine just how far she is willing to go to uncover the truth—and uphold the integrity of the office she has so proudly served.

Review:
I thoroughly enjoy Linda Fairstein's Alex Cooper series and eagerly devour her novels as they come out every year.

This year's Deadfall opens with Alex Cooper witnessing and being interrogated for a high profile murder.  She's off the case and possibly at risk herself. It's uncertain whether she might have been a target or has become a target because of what she discovers as she continues an unauthorized investigation.  

There's plenty of politics -- dealing with a grandstanding, incompetent mayor (who is much like the current mayor of NYC), with the head prosecutor, the FBI and her own allies in the NYPD.  Alex is still recovering from the trauma of having been kidnapped and the added uncertainty threatens to take her over the brink.

In Deadfall, Linda Fairstein delivers another satisfying NYC thriller.

About the Author:
Linda Fairstein was chief of the Sex Crimes Unit of the district attorney's office in Manhattan for more than two decades and is America's foremost legal expert on sexual assault and domestic violence. Her Alexandra Cooper novels are international bestsellers and have been translated into more than a dozen languages. She lives in Manhattan and on Martha's Vineyard. www.lindafairstein.com