Night Watch [Kindle Edition]

Linda Fairstein (Author)

Book Description

New York Times bestselling author Linda Fairstein returns with a ripped-from-the-headlines thriller that takes Alexandra Cooper into the dark underside of New York City’s most storied restaurants and a murder case spanning continents.

While Alexandra Cooper is in France visiting her famed restaurateur boyfriend, Luc Rouget, one of his matchboxes promoting his new restaurant is found on the body of a murdered young woman. But before the investigation begins, Alex is summoned back to New York.

The distinguished and wealthy Head of the World Economic Bureau has been arrested and accused of attacking a maid in his hotel. Alex prepares the alleged victim to testify, but when a second body is found with Luc’s matchbox, she begins to fear that the two cases may not be as unrelated as she thought, and that uncovering the sordid secrets of the city’s most wealthy and powerful could cost her and her loved ones everything they hold dear. 

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Queen of Intelligent Suspense."

— Lee Child

“[Linda Fairstein] delivers another compelling story with her latest book, Night Watch. Fairstein, a former prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney's office, knows her stuff. Her insider knowledge brings a realistic feel to the proceedings…Fans of "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" will enjoy the behind-the-scenes perspective.”

— Associated Press

"Alex Cooper is a fascinating heroine...based on the equally fascinating life of her creator." 

— O, The Oprah Magazine

“Fairstein’s extensive prosecutorial experience adds authenticity to this thrilling procedural, a tasty soufflé of escargot, Beaujolais, cocaine, and murder that will entice the author’s many fans.”

— Library Journal

“With Night Watch, both devotees and new readers alike will delight at the return of Alex Cooper and her professional partners and close friends Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace”

— Vineyard Gazette

"Long before sex crimes became everyday fictional fare on America's favorite cop shows, Linda Fairstein was in court and on the streets working ripped-from-the-headlines cases."

— USA Today

“A real winner from a legal-thriller master…Fairstein is on a roll with her Alexander Cooper series—and it’s likely to continue here.”

— Booklist (starred review)

"Fairstein is superbly attuned to the sinister vibes of the famous, as well as forgotten, New York City locales."

— Maureen Corrigan, NPR.org

"Fans will be hungry for this; look for the eight- to ten-city tour."

— Library Journal

"Linda Fairstein is one of my favorite writers....her stories never fail to thrill."

— Karin Slaughter

“The historical facts sprinkled with the compelling crimes and characters create a worthwhile read that fans of the Law and Order TV series will savor. After finishing Silent Mercy, readers will eagerly seek out her other novels.”
— Associated Press on Silent Mercy

About the Author

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.

Product Details

• File Size: 737 KB
• Print Length: 415 pages
• Publisher: Signet; Reissue edition (July 10, 2012)
• Sold by: Penguin Publishing
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0072NWK38
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,690 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 60 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not one of Coop's best July 10, 2012

By Luanne Ollivier TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

3.5/5

Linda Fairstein's latest release, Night Watch, marks the fourteenth book in her highly successful Alex Cooper series.

This has been one of my favourite crime series over the years. Alex works in the New York P.D. Sex Crimes Unit. Fairstein herself Linda Fairstein was chief of the Sex Crimes Unit of the district attorney's office in Manhattan for more than two decades and is a legal expert on sexual assault and domestic violence. This gives her novels that unmistakable ring of truth and attention to detail - only one of the things that has kept me coming back to read the newest novel.

In Night Watch, Alex has headed over to France to visit with her latest love - Luc, a Michelin three star restaurant owner. When a young woman is found murdered in the idyllic French village, the local constabulary suspects Luc - there are connections he has neglected to mention that look suspicious. Also suspicious are the old skulls and bones left on his home's doorstep. Alex has plans to stay in France for two weeks, but a desperate plea from her partners Mike and Mercer and a distinct order from her boss have her heading back to New York. A high level diplomatic and world figure is being accused of rape by a hotel maid. (yep, lots of similarities to recent headlines)

Mike and Mercer are another one of the reasons I love this series. Fairstein has created a wonderful group of protagonists - each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Mike is brash, bold and fearless. Mercer is quieter, thoughtful and thinks before he acts or speaks. But the three of them together make for a team that gets results. The camaraderie between these three has grown and solidified over the course of many years. Of the two supporting characters, I prefer Mercer and would like to see him more of a larger storyline.

Luc is also planning to open a high end restaurant in New York. Cleared to travel, he heads to oversee his new enterprise.....but a second body is found.....again, with ties to Luc. Is Luc really the man Alex thought he was? Is he telling the truth or is someone railroading him? Between those worries and the fact that the witness in the high stakes rape case keeps changing her tune, Alex is spreading herself awfully thin. And it shows.

In Night Watch, Alex doesn't seem to have the same forceful personality I've come to love. yes, she is still on top of her legal game. But, her relationship with Luc seems to have her making excuses and behaving out of character. Maybe part of it is that I really don't like Luc at all. He makes numerous misogynist and racist comments in the first few opening chapters. They're quite offensive and I can`t believe Coop doesn't take umbrage with them. Her mooning about their relationship and Mike's willingness to feed that neediness just plain rubbed me the wrong way.

The third thing I love about Fairstein's novel is the New York history she always weaves into her novels. This time it's about the Prohibition era and the various ways that the ban was circumvented. I found the piece on 21 restaurant fascinating and went crawling the web to read more.

I'm still a big fan of this series and will happily pick up the next book. While I enjoyed Night Watch, it just fell a little flat for this reader. All the right pieces were there - all that was missing was the Alex I know. My advice - dump Luc.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Uneven. July 22, 2012

By MED TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Fairstein brings back Alex Cooper, a New York sex crimes prosecutor and her good friends - Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace. The three have an intense, complicated friendship that underscores the long running series.

Alexandra travels to the south of France to visit her French boyfriend, Luc Rouget. He is a restauranteur, following in his father's footsteps. He has a three star Michelan resturant in a small village. But her visit is immediately sidetracked by the discovery of a body in the village pond the night after a party given by Luc.

At the same time an African diplomat and French national is arrested in New York for assaulting a maid in his hotel. (Ripped from current events?) Cooper is called home to handle the high profile crime investigation and represent the prosecutor's office.

The two crimes - the sexual assault and the murder in France come front and center for the three friends. Complications, connections and misdirection are everywhere. Luc's character has never been one of my favorites and this installment does not help his likeability.

Fairstein always adds history and New York style to her work - and she doesn't disappoint here. It just isn't enough to lift the book out of ordinary status.

Long running fans of the series will not want to miss this installment - but it is not Fairstein's best effort. Just okay.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fairstein works her magic July 16, 2012

By Bookreporter

Format:Hardcover

New York City ADA Alexandra Cooper is just settling in for some much needed R&R in the south of France with her lover, Frenchman Luc Rouget, owner of a three-star Michelin restaurant near the Côte d'Azur. Alex has barely unpacked her bags when a woman's body is discovered in a nearby pond, shattering the tranquility of the sleepy little village where Luc makes his home.

Her investigative radar goes off like a fire alarm when local officials declare the drowning accidental or a suicide. On-scene evidence, rapidly being trampled by the local gendarme and curiosity seekers, points to possible murder. This is the first hint of the gulf between American and French police work and public attitudes. When a matchbox advertising Luc's soon-to-be opened new restaurant in Manhattan is found in the dead woman's pocket, and further investigation reveals that she once worked for Luc, Alex finds herself entangled in a crime that may involve the man she loves.

Meanwhile, an international scandal is unfolding in New York, where the multi-millionaire head of a world-wide banking consortium has been accused of raping a hotel maid. Alex tries to ignore the frantic calls from her office, but soon learns that the DA's office has tracked her down and she has been called back to New York to take over the botched investigation. Her deposition of the victim falters as the maid's lawyer calls a press conference to announce the filing of a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against her famous assailant.

As Alex tries to put out the fires in the incendiary charges and counter charges in the rape case, another suspicious murder is reported in New York. This time the victim is male, but a matchbox advertising Luc's New York restaurant, identical to the one found on the woman in France, is discovered. When it is revealed that this victim, a French maitre d', recently accepted an important position in Luc's new restaurant project, Alex is caught between disillusionment and fear for the safety of her lover. Is he involved in criminal activities, or is he being framed?

Alex's relationship with Luc is further tested when his French laissez-faire attitude toward victims of sexual abuse collides with Alex's long-time crusade for victims' rights. While evidence builds against him and his financial backers in a potential drug-smuggling scheme, Alex is torn between believing in Luc, who may be an unknowing partner with dangerous criminals, and her growing disenchantment with his social attitudes.

If the ape case involving a prominent banking CEO president and a hotel maid sounds familiar, it is because a similar situation arose in the U.S. in May of 1911. The unfolding drama in the novel in no way resembles the real-life facts, but it underscores the press's love affair with sexually titillating events and the differences between American and European methods for dealing with high-profile cases. Author Linda Fairstein often features headline-grabbing crimes in her novels by dipping into her 27 years of experience as a prosecuting attorney in the New York Sex Crimes division.

Fairstein is also renowned for her vast historical knowledge of famous New York landmarks. This time, the reader is treated not only to a behind-the-scenes tour of some of America's finest haute cuisine restaurants, but also to the fascinating lore dating back to the Prohibition Era of the elaborate means used to keep the liquor flowing from their camouflaged cellars.

We are given a peek at Alex's complicated relationship with the current men in her life. There has long been an arm's-length affection between her and Mike, the wise-cracking police detective partner who always has her back but makes sure she doesn't let her success go to her head. Her long-distance and romantic affair with Luc has been a subtle undertone in the last few novels, but it comes front and center in NIGHT WATCH. Forced to more closely examine her feelings and a possible permanent future with the intriguing Monsieur Rouget, Alex is confronted with a major conflict as Mike's barbs become annoying and hurtful, and Luc's urbane cultural differences surface in unsettling ways.

Meanwhile, we turn the pages from the first paragraph to the last as Fairstein works her magic.

Reviewed by Roz Shea

More About the Author

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.