book review: Deadfall by Linda Fairstein

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The backstory: Deadfall is the 19th mystery featuring Alexandra Cooper. I've read them all and reviewed a lot of them.

 The basics: Killer Look ended with quite a cliffhanger, and Deadfall picks up right where it left off, so spoilers of Killer Look abound in this review.

 My thoughts: Over the years I've criticized Linda Fairstein a bit for how little things change in this series. There's comfort in that, sure, but as someone who has been reading this series for fourteen years, I would love to see more time pass in Alex's life. Fairstein upped the ante with the ending of Killer Look--the murder of Manhattan District Attorney Paul Battaglia. Battaglia's demise had been coming for a few books, but the surprise at the end of Killer Look was a great one. Deadfall seeks to solve his murder.

As always, one New York City landmark serves as the focus of the book. In Deadfall, it's the Bronx Zoo. Fairstein infuses current issues about illegal animal trade and big game hunting in unexpected and delightful ways. The history of New York City, and its two zoos, is richly detailed and flows with the plot beautifully. I continue to enjoy seeing Alex and Mike together

 Favorite passage: "Superstition, I thought. All of these species--and so many others--killed because of human ignorance, for beliefs in magical fixes and supernatural protections."

 The verdict: Deadfall was a fun, fascinating mystery. I hope Alex will be emotionally healed and back in the courtroom in Fairstein's next book. I'm really curious where Fairstein will take this series after Battaglia's death.

 Rating: 4 out of 5
Length: 397 pages
Publication date: July 25, 2017
Source: publisher

 Convinced? Treat yourself! Buy Deadfall from Amazon (Kindle edition.) But you really should start with the first book, Final Jeopardy (Kindle edition.)

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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