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The murders occur at the very beginning of the book and both are so gruesome and so unusual that the natural assumption was that the way in which the women died must be significant in some way. When no satisfactory explanation is forthcoming it appears that the intention must have been simply to create a sensational opening. Clearly, however, there must be some religious/ecclesiastical connection, both murders having occurred close to a church. This is the cue for Mike Chapman, the investigating officer, to demonstrate a knowledge of religious history and denominational practice sufficient to earn him a degree in theology. Clearly the author has carried out a considerable amount of research into the history of New York churches but to put all this, with his education at a Catholic school as the only explanation, into the mouth of a NYPD cop is not very convincing. Chapman goes on to dominate the book whilst Alex herself takes a back seat. As for the third part of the normal investigative team, Mercer Wallace, he is restricted to what is very much a walk-on part. At one point in the book Alex reflects that the life of a real Assistant DA is very different from the way it is shown in fiction. It is never possible, she says, to follow a case without being distracted by other cases. Whether Fairstein wishes to portray that real life or not, the fact is that she introduces what are essentially two digressions, one of which is quite lengthy. First, she interrupts the initial investigation with scenes in a courtroom that appear to have no bearing on the search for the murderer. Then she spends a large amount of time dealing with another ongoing but entirely separate case involving a teenage girl. If this is intended to introduce verisimilitude it fails and has the added disadvantage of slowing down the main story. These interruptions would be more disconcerting if the main story itself were interesting or plausible but it is neither. It is obvious, of course, that a serial killer is at work but, in spite of all that Chapman has to tell us, nothing resembling a believable motivation is given for the murders, nor for the horrific way in which they were carried out. The pair are eventually led to an identification of the murderer during a train journey, the events of which are entirely unconvincing. They are not, however, quite as unconvincing as the final scenes where Alex, has to outwit, outrun and outfight a murderer who we are frequently told must be very athletic. The ending might have been a little more credible if the contest had been between Chapman and the murderer, but perhaps the author realized that Alex had not been pulling her weight in the narrative. This is the thirteenth novel involving Alexandra Cooper and there is a sense of tiredness about it. The plot is melodramatic and whilst the dialogue in general is well written, the conversations between her and Chapman, which are supposed to be witty, fall rather flat. § Arnold Taylor is a retired Examinations Board Officer, amateur writer and even more amateur bridge player.
Reviewed by Arnold Taylor, December 2011
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