Book Review: The Kills

Reviewed By: Luke Croll - RAM

The Kills     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon UK PB Amazon UK HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Linda Fairstein
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Police Procedural   Hard Boiled
Series: Alexandra Cooper # 6
2004, Little, Brown & Company, 345 pages, £10.99 (British pounds)

In Linda Fairstein’s newest Alexander Cooper novel, New York’s Assistant District Attorney has an interesting case. Paige Vallis has accused ex-CIA agent Andrew Tripping of rape, but his defence is that of consensual sex. Alex finds her witnesses disappearing and the court is rocked by a murder. Is there more to this case than a simple rape?

Once again, Linda Fairstein has produced a successful novel. She succeeds in linking multiple plots in a credible manner, making for a suspenseful mystery. The publishers’ blurb says that the book ‘will leave the reader gasping for breath’. Whilst this is certainly an example of their hyperbole, ‘The Kills’ will undoubtedly cause the ‘oh, just one more page before I go to bed’ syndrome. When we reach the denouement, which may be slightly rushed, the intricacies of the story become clear and the mix of history and modern-day thriller is enjoyable.

As usual, Alex Cooper is a strong, interesting character and bad things seem to happen to her, rather than her searching them out, a la Kathy Reichs’ heroine, Tempe Brennan. In addition, the repartee with her cop friends, Mercer and Chapman, adds to the atmosphere of the book, whose authenticity is greatly increased due to the Fairstein’s extensive experience as a former sex crimes prosecutor.

It seems that the Alex Cooper series is going from strength to strength and it seems certain that Fairstein has enough material to be able to continue for some time to come. If every novel could be as good as this, I hope it lasts for a long time. Other legal thriller writers should take note of the quality and skill inherent to Fairstein’s writing. Recommended.

Luke Croll - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Luke Croll - RAM

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