DEVIL'S BRIDGE (2015)

Devil's Bridge by Linda Fairstein
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It's been a little more than a year since I read Linda Fairstein's Terminal City (2014). Before that I had read Dark Angel (2013).  My reaction each time is the same. The best part of her books is New York City and the historical details she works into the story.

In Devil's Bridge, Fairstein continues her winning formula with this 17th entry in the Alexandra Cooper series. This time her focus is the Manhattan waterfront, the Statue of Liberty, the George Washington Bridge, and Jeffrey's Hook Lighthouse.

Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cooper specialized in crimes against women and children. The plot is a disappearance and how it is solved. What's interesting for this outing is the story is told from Detective Mike Chapman's point of view as he scrambles to find Coop. Friends for many years, they have recently settled into a more intimate relationship.

It takes a long time before the historical information starts showing up, which is my favorite part. Unfortunately I don't care for the characters very much and that includes Alexandra Cooper. I have noted before that she is treated like a child and this story perpetuates that notion. Perhaps it's time for me to move on, but rest assured that those who love this series will be anxiously awaiting the next installment.

Bottom Line: If you are not already a fan of this series, you might try one of the earlier books in the series first.

Title: Devil's Bridge
Author: Linda Fairstein
Genre: Police Procedural/Thriller
Publisher: Dutton
ISBN - 10: 0525953892
ISBN - 13: 978-0525953890
No. of Pages: 384 pages
Copyright: August 11, 2015
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Source: NetGalley

DISCLOSURE: Invited by NetGalley to request and receive this title for an honest review.

Linda Fairstein Linda Fairstein was chief of the Sex Crimes Unit of the district attorney's office in Manhattan for more than two decades and is America's foremost legal expert on sexual assault and domestic violence. Her Alexandra Cooper novels are international bestsellers and have been translated into more than a dozen languages. She lives in Manhattan and on Martha's Vineyard. (Amazon)

BROKEN PROMISE (2015)

It took me long enough to get around to reading one of my favorite thriller writers! I won a copy from the Good Reads First Reads Contest back in May. Where did May and June go? It's a long story. I am now working to get back to the business of reading and writing reviews.

Once I actually was able to start reading Linwood Barclay's Broken Promise, I devoured the book in my usual way. Two days tops.

We're back in Promise Falls, New York, where  previous stories have taken place. Those of us who have read Barclay's books will recognize David Harwood and his son from Never Look Away (2010).

THE STORY: With a demanding job at the Boston Globe, single parent David Harwood cannot find enough time to spend with his son. The solution he chooses is to go back home and work for the local paper in Promise Falls. Things start going wrong immediately.

By the end of the story it was obvious that not all the mysteries raised in this book were going to be addressed. When I did a little research, I discovered that this is the first book in what will be a three books series the second and final installments being released at nine month intervals.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Reading one of Barclay's thrillers, there is always the relief that one's own life is safe from the cascade of bad things that are happening to these good people. That seems to be his formula. The author creates impossible scenarios for the protagonist so the reader will wonder how in the world the story threads can possibly be untangled.

With a nod to modern culture and characters enduring the same life problems, it's easy to relate and wonder 'what would I do' in this circumstance.

FIRST SENTENCE: "A couple of hours before all hell broke loose, I was in bed, awake since five, pondering the circumstances that had returned me, at the age of forty-one, to my childhood home."

BOTTOM LINE: If you don't intend to read the other two books, you will find the ending unsatisfactory. Otherwise it's a quick and engrossing read. RECOMMENDED.

DISCLAIMER: I won an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of this book from the Good Reads First Reads project.

Title: Broken Promise

Author: Linwood Barclay

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: NAL

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

No. of Pages: 512

Copyright: July 28, 2015

ISBN-10:  0451472675

ISBN-13: 978-0451472670

"Linwood Barclay is an American-born Canadian author, noted as a novelist, humourist, and columnist. His popular detective novels are bestsellers in Canada and internationally, beginning with No Time for Goodbye in 2007." Wikipedia