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vtb's review
3.0
She took too long to introduce murder into the story. Too busy with other story lines and it muddied the murder mystery,
kategci's review against another edition
3.0
This is the 15th book in Linda Fairstein's Alex Cooper series. Each mystery is set in a different part of Manhattan and this time the murder happened in Central Park. As a native New Yorker, I enjoyed the story with its detailed descriptions of the many different area in the park. I figured out who the killer was prior to the end, but what really decreased my enjoyment was the "personal" part of Alex Cooper's life. She is the senior sex crimes prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney's office. She and Mike Chapman have been dancing around each other for the better part of these 15 books and they have a "moment" in the middle of the story. For the rest of the story, she seems to be acting like a love struck teenager instead of a strong prosecutor. All said, can't wait for number 16.
marcies_8's review against another edition
3.0
I love the Alexandra Cooper series but this one lacked. Bad guys not developed properly, nothing but a blip of romance between Mike & Alex, a whole lot of Central Park but no real substance.
foiltheplot's review against another edition
5.0
Full Review at Foil the Plot
My dad and I have been listening to this audio series for years and we love it. It's like Law & Order: SVU meets CSI. Her books combine crime, drama, mystery and intrigue and SMARTLY written characters all in one deliciously intense game of cat and mouse. Oh yeah. I'm a sucker for that stuff. Plus, I adore narrator, Barbara Rosenblat. She's consistent with her voices, each one distinctive and wholly appropriate and I love listening to her.
To date, Death Angel is my favourite book in this series. The grizzly murders and cold-case kidnappings, all set in the backdrop of New York City's Central Park, was the perfect combination. And while it might seem like there's a lot going on---rape, the murders and a kidnapping---it's never too much. Fairstein knows exactly when to bring on the intensity, making the cases bizarre but still believable. She's got a killer eye for detail and protocol, which is simply fascinating.
As a dedicated fan, I love watching the relationships between the characters grow, but as a new reader, I have no doubt they'll reel you in. Plus, I've been waiting a long time for this Mike and Alex thing to come to fruition (which it finally does!), so there's definitely a swoon factor too. Death Angel is fast-paced, action driven and full of twists and turns. Every time I thought I knew who the killer was, she'd throw me off kilter, so predictability was never a problem. And here's the bonus: while there are a few references to events in prior books, you don't need to read them in order to follow.
My dad and I have been listening to this audio series for years and we love it. It's like Law & Order: SVU meets CSI. Her books combine crime, drama, mystery and intrigue and SMARTLY written characters all in one deliciously intense game of cat and mouse. Oh yeah. I'm a sucker for that stuff. Plus, I adore narrator, Barbara Rosenblat. She's consistent with her voices, each one distinctive and wholly appropriate and I love listening to her.
To date, Death Angel is my favourite book in this series. The grizzly murders and cold-case kidnappings, all set in the backdrop of New York City's Central Park, was the perfect combination. And while it might seem like there's a lot going on---rape, the murders and a kidnapping---it's never too much. Fairstein knows exactly when to bring on the intensity, making the cases bizarre but still believable. She's got a killer eye for detail and protocol, which is simply fascinating.
As a dedicated fan, I love watching the relationships between the characters grow, but as a new reader, I have no doubt they'll reel you in. Plus, I've been waiting a long time for this Mike and Alex thing to come to fruition (which it finally does!), so there's definitely a swoon factor too. Death Angel is fast-paced, action driven and full of twists and turns. Every time I thought I knew who the killer was, she'd throw me off kilter, so predictability was never a problem. And here's the bonus: while there are a few references to events in prior books, you don't need to read them in order to follow.
tiffany_wilhelm's review against another edition
4.0
Reading a Fairstein novel, especially the 15th in the Alexandra Cooper series, is a lot like slipping into a nice cozy sweater. It's worn around the edges, and maybe it has a few holes in it, but you know you're going to find comfort in wearing it. At the 15th book in the series, there's not much that surprised me in this novel. There's a current case that ties to something that happened in the past, and Alex along with Mike and Mercer work at finding the culprit. Some danger ensues, some wisecracking from Mike, and some red tape from those higher up the food chain.
There was the added twist of Alex and Mike at long last locking lips, but even that was short lived, due in large part to the drama surrounding his short-lived fling with the judge that's off her rocker, Jessica Pell.
I will say that overall I enjoyed this book. The history that Fairstein injects into the story always manages to tell me something I didn't know about New York, this time particularly Central Park. While I felt the ending with Eddie Welks and the unfolding of that particular reveal was somewhat rushed, I still enjoyed the book overall. If you're looking for a mystery to curl up to this summer, this series won't disappoint.
There was the added twist of Alex and Mike at long last locking lips, but even that was short lived, due in large part to the drama surrounding his short-lived fling with the judge that's off her rocker, Jessica Pell.
I will say that overall I enjoyed this book. The history that Fairstein injects into the story always manages to tell me something I didn't know about New York, this time particularly Central Park. While I felt the ending with Eddie Welks and the unfolding of that particular reveal was somewhat rushed, I still enjoyed the book overall. If you're looking for a mystery to curl up to this summer, this series won't disappoint.
ilsesuzanne's review against another edition
3.0
This book really read as if it was an episode of Bones. An intruiging mystery, a small romantic connection between the main characters, and a (slightly) predictable plot. It was however still entertaining and gave me a lot of new insights into Central Park, which is also worth a lot!
weaselweader's review
3.0
Did you forget that Alex Cooper is a lawyer?
If one were a serial rapist or a pervert inclined to sexual assault, there’s no question that night-time Central Park would be prime hunting territory. So Linda Fairstein’s DEATH ANGEL, #15 in her extraordinarily long-running and immensely successful Alexandra Cooper series, starts off like the proverbial house on fire, when a young woman is found dead in a secluded lake located in a particularly densely wooded section of the park. But that spark fails to ignite the novel into the expected inferno because of a number of problems.
First and foremost is that the plot is not particularly unique or interesting. After all, serial rapists and murderers in New York City?? Ho hum! Been there, done that! The second problem is that what should have been a barn-burning legal thriller simply wasn’t. And, by that, I mean it wasn’t even a legal thriller. Ms Fairstein seems to have completely forgotten that her protagonist, Alexandra Cooper, is not a police detective. She’s a lawyer, for goodness’ sake. As a prosecutor, an assistant district attorney and the head honcho in New York’s sex crimes unit, you’d think that every once in a while she ought to get involved with legal issues and the inside of a court room. Third, Ms Fairstein has chosen to clutter the plot line with problems of professional misbehavior related to who police, judges and lawyers are allowed to sleep with. Uninteresting, Ms Fairstein … just uninteresting.
On the plus side, DEATH ANGEL presents an absolutely fascinating history of Central Park and uptown Manhattan, in particular, the Dakota apartments on the upper west side and the little known community of free blacks known as Seneca Village. Although I’ve been admittedly critical of the story in DEATH ANGEL, I have to give full marks to Linda Fairstein for her ability to present an absolute ton of historical tidbits and information without disrupting the flow of the story … such as it is!
I’ve still got a couple of Alex Cooper entries on my unread bookshelf and I’ll certainly read them but I hope that my next choice returns to the legal stomping ground that I was hoping for.
Paul Weiss
If one were a serial rapist or a pervert inclined to sexual assault, there’s no question that night-time Central Park would be prime hunting territory. So Linda Fairstein’s DEATH ANGEL, #15 in her extraordinarily long-running and immensely successful Alexandra Cooper series, starts off like the proverbial house on fire, when a young woman is found dead in a secluded lake located in a particularly densely wooded section of the park. But that spark fails to ignite the novel into the expected inferno because of a number of problems.
First and foremost is that the plot is not particularly unique or interesting. After all, serial rapists and murderers in New York City?? Ho hum! Been there, done that! The second problem is that what should have been a barn-burning legal thriller simply wasn’t. And, by that, I mean it wasn’t even a legal thriller. Ms Fairstein seems to have completely forgotten that her protagonist, Alexandra Cooper, is not a police detective. She’s a lawyer, for goodness’ sake. As a prosecutor, an assistant district attorney and the head honcho in New York’s sex crimes unit, you’d think that every once in a while she ought to get involved with legal issues and the inside of a court room. Third, Ms Fairstein has chosen to clutter the plot line with problems of professional misbehavior related to who police, judges and lawyers are allowed to sleep with. Uninteresting, Ms Fairstein … just uninteresting.
On the plus side, DEATH ANGEL presents an absolutely fascinating history of Central Park and uptown Manhattan, in particular, the Dakota apartments on the upper west side and the little known community of free blacks known as Seneca Village. Although I’ve been admittedly critical of the story in DEATH ANGEL, I have to give full marks to Linda Fairstein for her ability to present an absolute ton of historical tidbits and information without disrupting the flow of the story … such as it is!
I’ve still got a couple of Alex Cooper entries on my unread bookshelf and I’ll certainly read them but I hope that my next choice returns to the legal stomping ground that I was hoping for.
Paul Weiss
cj_mo_2222's review
4.0
The latest installment of Linda Fairstein’s long-running Alexandra Cooper series is as rich in plot and New York City history as readers have come to expect from this excellent series. I enjoyed reading about Central Park and the Dakota and was surprised to learn many of the facts the author shares. Both locations, but especially Central Park, play a huge role in the plot, so the history imparted throughout the book isn’t just filler but is integral to the story. Facts about the large number of homeless youths in New York are heartbreaking and also are important to the plot. Fairstein is very skilled at taking the history and weaving it into a modern story. The book is very well-written and the plot about young women gone missing in Central Park is suspenseful, which makes this a book that is hard to put down.
I recommend this book to those who enjoy a well-written mystery with a touch of history. The book is accessible to readers unfamiliar with the series. New readers will enjoy the mystery, but may not appreciate some of the developments in Alex’s personal life as much as long-time readers. I usually adore Alex, but Mercer and his wife are my favorite characters in this installment. They are the intelligent, mature voices of reason in both their professional and personal lives. I have always enjoyed Alex’s friendship with Mike Chapman and there are some high points in this book, but they both act childish throughout much of this book. Alex becomes somewhat irritating with her need to always be right, even though she usually is! The mystery itself is excellent and the highlights of the personal stories are worth reading. The set up for a future book is there and leaves the reader eager to find out what happens next for Alex.
I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Penguin Group/Dutton publishing. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
I recommend this book to those who enjoy a well-written mystery with a touch of history. The book is accessible to readers unfamiliar with the series. New readers will enjoy the mystery, but may not appreciate some of the developments in Alex’s personal life as much as long-time readers. I usually adore Alex, but Mercer and his wife are my favorite characters in this installment. They are the intelligent, mature voices of reason in both their professional and personal lives. I have always enjoyed Alex’s friendship with Mike Chapman and there are some high points in this book, but they both act childish throughout much of this book. Alex becomes somewhat irritating with her need to always be right, even though she usually is! The mystery itself is excellent and the highlights of the personal stories are worth reading. The set up for a future book is there and leaves the reader eager to find out what happens next for Alex.
I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Penguin Group/Dutton publishing. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
12140holmes's review
4.0
Some authors bore you to death in their overly verbose descriptions of places the characters go to. This author gives you a very good and informative description of locales without being superfluous.
I enjoyed this book as much as all of her previous books and hope that Mike and Alex, well ...
I enjoyed this book as much as all of her previous books and hope that Mike and Alex, well ...