Hell Gate

Library Journal Assistant D.A. Alexandra Cooper and colleagues Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace are called to a disaster scene: the shipwreck of a cargo ship transporting more than 300 Ukrainian immigrants. The task force works to identify the dead, secure translators, and make sense of the tragedy. Their investigation uncovers human trafficking/prostitution with possible ties to New York. Alex and her associates are then pulled away to check into scandalous allegations regarding a popular New York congressman. When unearthed clues link the two cases, things get dangerous. Does Alex know too much? Is this the case that leads to her demise? VERDICT The 12th entry in Fairstein's Alexandra Cooper series grabs readers at page one and doesn't let go until the breathtaking climax. Fairstein mixes intrigue, political corruption, and international exploitation with just the right amount of New York history: a perfect recipe for a winning thriller. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 11/1/09.]?Mary Todd Chesnut, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights