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cj_mo_2222's review against another edition
4.0
I used to read these books all the time but it was before Goodreads, so I don't have them rated. I know I read this book years ago, but just finished rereading it. The main character of the book and the series, Alexandra Cooper, is the District Attorney who works with the New York City Special Victims Unit, so she reminds me of Alexandra Cabot, the ADA on the tv show Law and Order: SVU. The books in this series are authentic and it's easy to become wrapped up in the complex plots. Now that I've read this one again, I plan to look up some of the later books in the series that I've missed.
ncrabb's review against another edition
3.0
This is the third book in a long-running series about New York attorney Alexandra Cooper, part of the city’s sex crimes investigations unit. I wasn’t big on the plot of this book; in fact, the reason I’m recommending it to you is the snappy dialogue that absolutely sizzles and bubbles until you may feel a noticeable increase in heat emanating from the book. Ok, probably not quite like that, but the dialogue is so snappy and well written, it’s worth reading, especially if you’re a writer wanna-be who struggles with crafting good dialogue in your work.
So this book focuses on the murder of a hot and raucous art gallery owner and theft of art properties that may be connected to her death. Being shockingly unconcerned about paintings and their value, I found my mind wandering big-time during the reading of this, but it’s the dialogue between Cooper and her investigator assistant Mike Chapman that kept me reading—and laughing my way to the end of this. The plot seemed a bit contrived to me—the author tries to weave in information about a famous heist from a Boston museum and the mysterious disappearance of an amber room believed to be spirited away by the Nazis in World War II. This isn’t the first book to be written about either incident, and it likely won’t be the last, alas.
The plot moves well enough, and you’ll love the dialogue. My problem with the book is that it’s so filled with shady shadowy characters that I almost didn’t care who did it as long as someone did. Of course, before this ends, it’s not just the flashy art gallery girl who dies. Murder is in abundance here, and there’s a romantic subplot between Cooper and a news anchor.
So this book focuses on the murder of a hot and raucous art gallery owner and theft of art properties that may be connected to her death. Being shockingly unconcerned about paintings and their value, I found my mind wandering big-time during the reading of this, but it’s the dialogue between Cooper and her investigator assistant Mike Chapman that kept me reading—and laughing my way to the end of this. The plot seemed a bit contrived to me—the author tries to weave in information about a famous heist from a Boston museum and the mysterious disappearance of an amber room believed to be spirited away by the Nazis in World War II. This isn’t the first book to be written about either incident, and it likely won’t be the last, alas.
The plot moves well enough, and you’ll love the dialogue. My problem with the book is that it’s so filled with shady shadowy characters that I almost didn’t care who did it as long as someone did. Of course, before this ends, it’s not just the flashy art gallery girl who dies. Murder is in abundance here, and there’s a romantic subplot between Cooper and a news anchor.
vaderbird's review against another edition
3.0
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
christythelibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
I’d read the first book of the Alexandra Cooper crime novels – this is the third. I like that Fairstein’s background as a prosecutor lends an authenticity and specificity to her protagonist’s work life. For example, while there is the central murder case, Cooper still has to contend with her other cases, work politics, her social life, and a boyfriend. And as the murder victim is part of the art dealer world, Fairstein provides a fascinating inside look there as well. That said, this book ran a little long, tended to info-dump at times, and I really dislike the character of one of Cooper’s cop buddies, Mike Chapman. Not sure if I’ll pick up another from this series.
sleepseeker's review against another edition
3.0
This is the third book in the series and I just didn't find it as good as the first two books.
dontmissythesereads's review against another edition
3.0
Book #1 read in 2005
This book dragged quite a bit. It takes place in the art world -- which I am not familiar with or interested in, so I don't know if that contributed. I have others in the series and will continue reading. I just hope they aren't all as disappointing as this one was.
This book dragged quite a bit. It takes place in the art world -- which I am not familiar with or interested in, so I don't know if that contributed. I have others in the series and will continue reading. I just hope they aren't all as disappointing as this one was.
sariggs's review against another edition
1.0
I originally gave this four stars for its nyc setting and nyc history background and the main female character, but I took all my stars back because I cannot separate the artist from the art, and this author defended Harvey Weinstein and is largely held responsible for prosecuting and convicting the children known at the Central Park Five for a rape they didn’t commit.
pjdoolittle's review against another edition
1.0
I really shouldn't say I've read this, because I couldn't struggle through it long enough to finish it. The author's annoying habit of adding extraneous detail detracts so much from the story that it's impossible to focus on the story. I honestly don't care how many floors the character has to walk up to her office, what she's wearing, when her building was constructed, how many banks of elevators there are, or any unnecessary details about the history of the New York City judicial system!! Just tell the story, for crying out loud!!
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