Cold Hit

The discovery at Manhattan's northern tip of the body of a woman tied to a ladder leads Assistant District Attorney Alexandra ""Alex"" Cooper, head of the borough's Sex Crimes Unit (as is her creator, Fairstein), and her associates, NYPD Detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace, on a circuitous trek through the rarefied but far from savory New York art world. Denise Caxton--collector, co-owner of a gallery and estranged wife of wealthy connoisseur Lowell Caxton--seemed to want for nothing, but as Alex and her team dig into the victim's background, they uncover contradictions and conflicts in her privileged existence. What part did gallery partner Bryan Daughtrey or antiques expert Frank Wrenley play in the dead woman's life? Her investigation into Denise's shady deals come to endanger Alex, and the lives of those close to her as well. Fairstein (Final Jeopardy; Likely to Die) once again uses her own experience and knowledge of the city to strong advantage in balancing the case at hand with the day-to-day workings of the system. Her thick layerings of the legal background at times slow the action, but they add immeasurably to the reader's understanding and appreciation of what is entailed in making a case. Fairstein's rough-and-tumble courthouse scenes ring true, as do her descriptions of the mundane police work of Mercer and Mike, whose easy wisecracking and addiction to the television show Jeopardy are a cover for their affection for each other and Alex. Alex herself remains a shining protagonist, comfortable in the upper echelons of New York society but eager to roll up her sleeves at work, her heart aching for her staff and the victims they defend. Fans of the assistant D.A.'s previous adventures will be mightily pleased with this one. Mystery Guild main selection; Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club alternate selections; 7-city author tour. (Sept.)