A different perspective in this 17th book of the Alexandra Cooper series.

After one of her cases blows up in court, Alexandra Cooper goes missing. She had left her friends at a local bar and restaurant and then vanished before she could get into the Uber she'd called. The NYPD and the DA's office all get involved in the search with Mike Chapman nearly going of the rails with concern and worry. What has happened and who has taken their beloved friend and colleague? The entire cohort is stymied, and every criminal connected to Alex is a possible suspect. There are a lot of possibilities.

This was my least favorite of all the books I've read in this series. I did not care for the main voice in this story to be that of Mike Chapman with Alex putting in only a cursory appearance at the beginning. I missed all the legal and courtroom drama -- one of the main reasons I read these novels. The plot got really bogged down with a lot of historical detail that was basically irrelevant, especially when it got to the Irish criminal aspects and the connection to Chapman. The whole scenario and reason for Alex's disappearance was just not very compelling. I actually don't care that much for Mike Chapman despite the fact that now he and Alex are in a romantic relationship. It just doesn't seem like a match made in heaven to me. Regardless, I thought the whole last half of the book was actually rather boring.

One thing I did enjoy was the audio version due to the skills of the narrator. The male/female voices and the accents were really well done making each character stand out clearly.

I will likely read future installments hopeful that the story lines will return to the typical legal thrillers they were in the past.

Devil’s Bridge (An Alexandra Cooper Novel, Book 1by Linda Fairstein

384 Pages
Publisher: Penguin Group Dutton, Dutton
Release Date: August 11, 2015

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Legal, Police Procedural

Alexandra Cooper is an assistant District Attorney. Her current case is upended when a young woman working in the DA’s office goes to sit behind the defendant. His attorney informs Alexandra that the woman is the defendant’s wife. Things get frantic as it turns out the woman was a plant to get information about his case and to place incriminating information in Alexandra’s files. Now on one knows who she is or where she went.

Alexandra goes out for drinks with the group from the office. She has another appointment so she calls an Uber and leaves. She is expecting a sedan but a black Cadillac Escalade pulls up and the driver is waving to her to get in. Just as she is about to get in the vehicle, she sees the sedan pull up to the restaurant, but it is too late. She is grabbed and pulled into the Escalade.

Mike Chapman is a homicide detective. He and Alexandra, or Coop as he calls her, have had a long relationship as friends. Now they are dipping their toes into a romantic one. Mike gets concerned when he texts her and calls but gets no answer. When Alexandra’s office calls him looking for her, he is more than worried. He knows she would not just vanish. She was taken.

The story has a fast pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the first person point of view from different perspectives. I This is seventeenth book in the series. I did not read the others and I was able to follow along just fine. f you like legal thrillers like the ones by Marcia Clark, you will enjoy reading this one.

Fairstein is an experienced, talented writer, and this work will surely appeal to diehard fans. But those seeking an edge-of-your-seat suspense novel and a charismatic protagonist may be disappointed. For those unfamiliar with her titles, DEVIL'S BRIDGE is #17 of her Alexandra Cooper series and the least favorite of mine thus far.