Death Angel

In bestseller Fairstein’s engrossing 15th novel featuring ADA Alexandra “Coop” Cooper (after 2012’s Night Watch), the Manhattan sex crimes prosecutor digs into the history of Central Park when the murdered body of a teenage girl is found near Bethesda Fountain with its angel statuette. With help from detective pals Mercer Wallace and Mike Chapman, Coop soon connects the crime to the park’s forgotten 19th-century black enclave, Seneca Village, and a railroad tycoon who fashioned extravagant figurines for his daughter. Simmering under the tense investigation is the chemistry between Mike and Coop—which eventually kindles the wrath of Mike’s ex-lover, Judge Jessica Pell. After another female victim turns up, Coop gets on the trail of a rapist will a tell-tale clue—the words “Kill Coop” tattooed on his hand. In the end, Fairstein combines the many disparate strands in fortuitous ways to bring about a surprising finale. 7-city author tour. Agent: Esther Newberg, ICM. (July)