Nightwatch (Alexandra Cooper #14)
(Goodreads, Amazon-Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook, Audible Edition)
by Linda Fairstein
Published July 2012 by Dutton
Thanks to TLC Book Touring and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
New York Times bestselling author Linda Fairstein returns with a ripped-from-the-headlines thriller that takes Alexandra Cooper into the dark underside of New York City’s most storied restaurants and a murder case spanning continents.
In her thirteen bestsellers, Linda Fairstein has taken millions of fans inside sinister worlds that most of us can’t even imagine. Thanks to her extensive experience as a New York City prosecutor, she creates situations that are stunning for both their compulsive readability and their authenticity. Taking Alexandra Cooper into the fascinating world of New York City’s most beloved and storied restaurants, Night Watch continues her tradition of breathtaking suspense storytelling.
Forty-eight hours after Alexandra Cooper arrives in France to visit her boyfriend and famed restaurateur, Luc Rouget, her vacation in paradise is cut short when a young woman from the village is found murdered. The only evidence discovered on the body is one of Luc’s matchboxes promoting his new restaurant in New York. But before the investigation begins, Alex is summoned back to New York to handle a high profile case.
Mohammed Gil-Darsin, the distinguished and wealthy Head of the World Economic Bureau, has been arrested and accused of attacking a maid in his hotel. As the world watches in fascination to see how the scandal will unfold, Alex finds her attention torn between preparing the alleged victim to testify and a murder case with ties too close to home. A second body is found with Luc’s matchbox—this time in Brooklyn—and Alex begins to fear that the two cases may not be as unrelated as she thought, and that uncovering the sordid secrets of the city’s most wealthy and powerful could cost her and her loved ones everything they hold dear.
My Thoughts:
This is my first foray into the world of Alexandra Cooper, and I quite enjoyed the time I walked in a world where her professional and personal life seemed to intertwine too precariously. Just a few days into her vacation in France with her boyfriend Luc, one of his ex-employee’s is found dead in a pond not far from his restaurant. While suspicion is turned Luc’s way, Alex is called back to New York City to deal with the ripped from the headlines rape scandal of a hotel maid by a bureaucrat. When another person with ties to Luc’s restaurant businesses turns up dead, this time in New York, Alex is left wondering if he’s the person she thinks he is.
Since this was the first time I’ve read this series, I felt the author did a great job of revealing just the right amount of back story for each of the main players so I knew who was who and what their deal was. And you can imagine after thirteen books, there is a ton of history between prosecutor Alex and the detectives she routinely works with, Mercer and Chapman. The rapport between the characters was interesting and flowed well, making me want to go back and read the other books to see how their story has developed over the course of this series.
The pieces of the main mystery of this book slowly came together and weren’t too predictable. The secondary rape story was twisted so it was very different from the real case that had happened a few years ago, and it was interesting how that was revealed with the victim and attorneys. Since the author was an attorney for many years, it’s nice to read a book that is authentic when it comes to all of the law and procedures.
I give this one a four out of five. With some New York history and restaurant insider information mixed in to make it even more interesting, it was a highly enjoyable mystery that wasn’t too predictable. The pacing was a little slow in a few places, but it picked up steam and thundered throught to the end.
And Now for the Giveaway: Just enter using the Rafflecopter widget below for your chance to win your very own copy of Nightwatch! Open to US/Canadian residents only.
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Awesome review Heather. I love suspenseful mysteries like this and delighted to hear the author does a good job of making theses books stanalones too. So glad you enjoyed the twists and overall plot.
kimbacaffeinaye recently posted..Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
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I was really glad that I wasn’t lost when I read this. That was a big fear I had when I saw that this book was #14! Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Heather recently posted..Review and Giveaway Tour Stop — Night Watch by Linda Fairstein
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I haven’t heard of this book before but it does sound interesting! I’m glad to hear it wasn’t too predictable. I do enjoy mysteries so I’ll have to check this out. Great review!
Sam @ Realm of Fiction recently posted..Review: Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian
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Definitely check this out, Sam. It was a fun read. Thanks for stopping by.
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I like mysteries and this sounds like a good one
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This was a good mystery–many pieces to fit together.
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I follow BwitchedBkworms on Twitter and Follow @hmmille on Twitter but I get the message that something is broken. I follow as Carolee888 for both of them on Twitter.
CarolNWong@aol.com
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I’ll add your entries in, Carol.
Heather recently posted..Pushing The Limits Read-A-long -Intro Post – Link up for Participation!
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I like how you do your ratings. That’s a creative image!
Kailana recently posted..As Always, Jack by Emma Sweeney
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Thanks, Kailana!
Heather recently posted..Pushing The Limits Read-A-long -Intro Post – Link up for Participation!
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Thank you !!!!
Carol
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I’m glad you’re interested in checking out the rest of the series! Thanks for being on the tour.
Heather J. @ TLC Book Tours recently posted..Clifford Garstang, author of What the Zhang Boys Know, on tour October 2012
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