book review: Killer Look by Linda Fairstein

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The backstory: Killer Look is the eighteenth mystery in Linda Fairstein's Alexandra Cooper series. I've read them all and reviewed a lot them.

 The basics: Each Alexandra Cooper novel offers some piece of New York to serve as a backdrop. In Killer Look, it's New York Fashion Week. The hook is the apparent suicide (and possible murder) of a very high profile fashion designer.

 My thoughts: Fairstein has been ending the most recent novels with wonderful (or terrible, given we have to wait a year for the next installment!) cliffhangers, and as with novels past, Killer Look opens very soon after the events of the last novel, Devil's Bridge. Alex is not yet back at work, which is a big difference from the rest of the series. Naturally, she still finds a way to help Mike and Mercer with this case.

I won't say I necessarily missed the courtroom element of this case, but I did miss seeing Alex in her element. Given the events of the last book (vague spoilers), she has a lot to recover from, and given the timing of this book, she is nowhere near done recovering. I appreciated Fairstein's dedication to the realities of surviving, but it was sometimes slightly boring or annoying to see Alex so weak. The case itself was quite interesting, even if there were few suspects. The clues were good ones, and, as always, I enjoyed the glimpse behind the scenes in New York City. Perhaps the biggest enjoyment in this novel was seeing Mike and Alexandra moving towards some kind of new normal.

 The verdict: Killer Look isn't Fairstein's best outing, but it is quite good. Reading an Alexandra Cooper novel is always a joy, as it feels like spending time old friends. These characters have been in my life for fifteen years now, and it was wonderful to spend time with them. The last scene packs a big surprise, and, once again, made me wish the next installment would come more quickly.

 Rating: 4 out of 5
Length: 392 pages
Publication date: July 26, 2016 
Source: publisher

 Convinced? Treat yourself! Buy Killer Look from Amazon (Kindle edition.) Better yet: start from the beginning with Final Jeopardy (Kindle edition--only $6.99.) 

As an affiliate, I receive a small commission when you make a purchase through any of the above links. Thank you for helping to support my book habits that bring more content to this blog!

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