Alafair Burke
Author of I've Got You Under My Skin
About the Author
Alafair Burke graduated from Reed College and Stanford Law School. After graduating, she became a Deputy District Attorney in Portland, Oregon where she worked as a trial lawyer prosecuting domestic violence offenses and as a liaison to the police department. After five years of working at the show more District Attorney's Office, she decided to start writing. Her first novel, Judgment Calls, was published in 2003. Her other works include Long Gone, If You Were Here, The Ex, A Samantha Kincaid Mystery series, the Ellie Hatcher series, and the Under Suspicion series written with Mary Higgins Clark. She currently teaches criminal law and procedure at Hofstra Law School. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Series
Works by Alafair Burke
Burke Alafair 1 copy
Associated Works
Neptune Noir: Unauthorized Investigations into Veronica Mars (2007) — Contributor — 231 copies, 3 reviews
The Blue Religion: New Stories about Cops, Criminals and the Chase (2008) — Contributor — 170 copies, 7 reviews
Crimespree Magazine #50 — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1969-10
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Stanford University (Law ∙ 1994)
Reed College (BA ∙ Psychology ∙ 1991) - Occupations
- academic
legal commentator
author - Organizations
- Hofstra University
- Relationships
- Burke, James Lee (father)
Michel, Delauné (second cousin)
Dubus, Elizabeth Nell (cousin) - Short biography
- Alafair S. Burke is an American author, professor of law and legal commentator, born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She is the author of two series of crime novels, one featuring NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher, the other featuring Portland prosecutor Samantha Kincaid. She received her B.A. in psychology from Reed College, completing the senior thesis "Emotion's effects on memory: spatial narrowing of attention". Burke is a graduate of Stanford Law School, served as a deputy district attorney in Portland, Oregon and is now teaching law at Hofstra Law School. She is the daughter of fellow mystery novelist James Lee Burke.
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
- Places of residence
- New York, New York, USA
Portland, Oregon, USA - Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Discussions
Long gone by Alafair Burke: an excellent thriller in Reviews of Early Reviewers Books (August 2011)
Reviews
I thoroughly enjoyed It Had to Be You, the eighth book in the Under Suspicion series featuring television producer Laurie Moran. The Under Suspicion series is a favorite, & I’ve enjoyed following Laurie through the ups & downs of life while solving clever whodunits. This book marks the final mystery collaboration of beloved author Mary Higgins Clark who sadly passed away & wraps up this series with a beautiful bow.
In this latest mystery, identical twin brothers are accused of murdering show more their parents, but were never proven guilty. Now years later, their younger sister is determined to prove her brothers’ innocence & find the real killer. But, will the tv show bring up unwanted publicity from the past & unearth secrets best left buried?
Laurie Moran’s one of my favorite mystery heroines. Because she’s weathered so much in her own life, she makes a compassionate yet tough investigator. After her husband’s murder several years ago, Laurie’s dedicated to solving cold cases & featuring them on her tv show Under Suspicion. She’s finally moved on with her life, but is feeling pressure from a coworker who seems to be out for her job. She’s hoping that taking on the high profile case of the twin brothers will show her boss that her show’s still relevant.
I thoroughly enjoyed this series finale! The mystery had several twists & turns leading up to a riveting ending. I also loved seeing Laurie & her family get a happily ever after ending. This has been such an enjoyable series & I’m sad to see it come to an end. But, so grateful we got one last mystery from the queen of cozy mysteries herself.
Though this book could be read as a standalone, it’s better if you’ve read the previous books in the series. I received an advanced copy from the publisher with no expectation of a review. All opinions are completely my own & provided voluntarily. 4.5-5 stars! show less
In this latest mystery, identical twin brothers are accused of murdering show more their parents, but were never proven guilty. Now years later, their younger sister is determined to prove her brothers’ innocence & find the real killer. But, will the tv show bring up unwanted publicity from the past & unearth secrets best left buried?
Laurie Moran’s one of my favorite mystery heroines. Because she’s weathered so much in her own life, she makes a compassionate yet tough investigator. After her husband’s murder several years ago, Laurie’s dedicated to solving cold cases & featuring them on her tv show Under Suspicion. She’s finally moved on with her life, but is feeling pressure from a coworker who seems to be out for her job. She’s hoping that taking on the high profile case of the twin brothers will show her boss that her show’s still relevant.
I thoroughly enjoyed this series finale! The mystery had several twists & turns leading up to a riveting ending. I also loved seeing Laurie & her family get a happily ever after ending. This has been such an enjoyable series & I’m sad to see it come to an end. But, so grateful we got one last mystery from the queen of cozy mysteries herself.
Though this book could be read as a standalone, it’s better if you’ve read the previous books in the series. I received an advanced copy from the publisher with no expectation of a review. All opinions are completely my own & provided voluntarily. 4.5-5 stars! show less
Confession: After reading the first chapter or two, I read the ending. Don't hate me. I knew this was one of those novels that I would find instructive in my own writing. To better understand how Burke wove in clues and red herrings, I needed to know the big plot twists. And, wow, there were some doozies. If I was too intent on finding out what REALLY happened, then I would miss important hints.
That's my justification, and I'm sticking to it.
What didn't work for me:
This is unusual for me, show more but I can't think of much that didn't work for me. Maybe Spenser sounds a little too mature for his age? But he's supposed to be a bit quirky: his mother tells us that he didn't speak until he was three and needed "special" kindergarten to prepare him for (what she wasn't supposed to call) "normal" kindergarten.
What worked for me:
1. Great plot twists. Maybe certain ones are easier to guess than others, especially if you read a lot in the "unreliable female narrator" psychological suspense genre or the "dead girl" mystery genre. I won't spoil the twists by discussing them.
2. The strong and all-too-relevant premise.
Rich white man is accused of sexual harassment, then rape, by females. Is he guilty or not? Is his wife lying for him? What really happened in his office and in that hotel room? Was it consensual or not? Should the police investigators automatically believe the alleged victims' accusations? The public thinks so.
In light of the #MeToo movement and all the horrible stories that have come to light, it seems likely that Jason Powell is guilty. But Burke doesn't make it easy for us to decide who is telling the truth, or if anyone is. Everyone in the story has their own agenda. Everyone has something to gain by achieving it, including the alleged victims. And in a he-said, she-said case, who should be believed? Is it victim-blaming or victim-shaming to doubt their story, even if doing so is necessary to prove the story is true and get a conviction?
Angela's media personality friend Susanna gives her a monologue that sums up part of the problem:
3.Burke's knowledge of the legal system.
She is a former prosecutor and now teaches law. It's obvious that she knows how the system works, how slow and tedious the process of bringing a case to court is, and when it might be futile to even try. These are things that I don't think the general public knows. (I've met college-educated people who cannot differentiate between a "not-guilty" verdict and actual innocence. I've met people who can't understand the concepts of due process, beyond a reasonable doubt, statute of limitations, etc.)
4. Strong characterizations.
The criminal defense attorney Olivia Randall and the police investigator Corrine Duncan especially stood out to me. They are on opposite sides, yet I found both sympathetic to a certain extent. They have to work within the constraints of the legal system and deal with people who may or may not be telling them the entire truth.
Overall, this was a strong, enjoyable, and thought-provoking novel. 5 stars. show less
That's my justification, and I'm sticking to it.
What didn't work for me:
This is unusual for me, show more but I can't think of much that didn't work for me. Maybe Spenser sounds a little too mature for his age? But he's supposed to be a bit quirky: his mother tells us that he didn't speak until he was three and needed "special" kindergarten to prepare him for (what she wasn't supposed to call) "normal" kindergarten.
What worked for me:
1. Great plot twists. Maybe certain ones are easier to guess than others, especially if you read a lot in the "unreliable female narrator" psychological suspense genre or the "dead girl" mystery genre. I won't spoil the twists by discussing them.
2. The strong and all-too-relevant premise.
Rich white man is accused of sexual harassment, then rape, by females. Is he guilty or not? Is his wife lying for him? What really happened in his office and in that hotel room? Was it consensual or not? Should the police investigators automatically believe the alleged victims' accusations? The public thinks so.
In light of the #MeToo movement and all the horrible stories that have come to light, it seems likely that Jason Powell is guilty. But Burke doesn't make it easy for us to decide who is telling the truth, or if anyone is. Everyone in the story has their own agenda. Everyone has something to gain by achieving it, including the alleged victims. And in a he-said, she-said case, who should be believed? Is it victim-blaming or victim-shaming to doubt their story, even if doing so is necessary to prove the story is true and get a conviction?
Angela's media personality friend Susanna gives her a monologue that sums up part of the problem:
"I'm always the one saying that when it's he-said, she-said, I'll pick the woman every time. Because ninety-nine percent of the time, women are telling the truth, and a hundred percent of the time, it's grueling to come forward. Women are blamed, stigmatized, scrutinized, doubted. (. . . )
The public's first instinct is to disbelieve the woman, because we don't want to admit these horrible things actually happen. So to counter that instinct, we good feminists take the position that we believe every single woman, every single time. And then the Rolling Stone article about the University of Virginia happens, and it hurts us all. So I don't know what this woman's angle is, Angela, but I have to think there is one. Because Jason didn't do whatever she's accusing him of. For once, I'm glad these cases are harder to prove than people think. (. . .) it's going to boil down to his word against hers, and the prosecution needs proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Even if they have DNA evidence, the DA has to prove it wasn't consensual."pgs.127-128
3.Burke's knowledge of the legal system.
She is a former prosecutor and now teaches law. It's obvious that she knows how the system works, how slow and tedious the process of bringing a case to court is, and when it might be futile to even try. These are things that I don't think the general public knows. (I've met college-educated people who cannot differentiate between a "not-guilty" verdict and actual innocence. I've met people who can't understand the concepts of due process, beyond a reasonable doubt, statute of limitations, etc.)
4. Strong characterizations.
The criminal defense attorney Olivia Randall and the police investigator Corrine Duncan especially stood out to me. They are on opposite sides, yet I found both sympathetic to a certain extent. They have to work within the constraints of the legal system and deal with people who may or may not be telling them the entire truth.
Overall, this was a strong, enjoyable, and thought-provoking novel. 5 stars. show less
The basics: When high-profile reporter Percy Crenshaw is murdered, the cops immediately identify a suspect and secure a somewhat suspicious confession. ADA Samantha Kincaid must try the case with the evidence given, even as she searches for alternate theories about the crime.
My thoughts: I'm a huge fan of this series, and I both adore the character of Samantha Kincaid (and the well-developed characters of her family, friends and colleagues) and the fascinating mysteries she solves. Burke show more does a phenomenal job of teaching the reader about the law and about Portland, Oregon:
"But in our hot spots, our most frequent calls aren't for robbery or rape. They're for stuff like loitering, graffiti, and street-level drug crimes. That's the kind of stuff that makes a neighborhood feel unsafe. And once it feels unsafe, the good guys start hiding inside and the bad guys take over. All the warm, fuzzy talk about community policing aside, our whole philosophy right now is to get our guys out there, talking to these kids on the corners, and stopping and searching them when necessary."
There are numerous elements at play in this mystery, and the city of Portland, its crime, and its racial make-up are a huge part of this novel. Burke tackles social issues as flawlessly as she does the crime, and both are improved by the strength of the other.
The verdict: Close Case is a superb installment in the Samantha Kincaid series: it's the best novel in an excellent series. The combination of current events and mystery was intriguing, thought-provoking and suspenseful. I hope Alafair Burke will return to this series and continue Samantha Kincaid's journey. show less
My thoughts: I'm a huge fan of this series, and I both adore the character of Samantha Kincaid (and the well-developed characters of her family, friends and colleagues) and the fascinating mysteries she solves. Burke show more does a phenomenal job of teaching the reader about the law and about Portland, Oregon:
"But in our hot spots, our most frequent calls aren't for robbery or rape. They're for stuff like loitering, graffiti, and street-level drug crimes. That's the kind of stuff that makes a neighborhood feel unsafe. And once it feels unsafe, the good guys start hiding inside and the bad guys take over. All the warm, fuzzy talk about community policing aside, our whole philosophy right now is to get our guys out there, talking to these kids on the corners, and stopping and searching them when necessary."
There are numerous elements at play in this mystery, and the city of Portland, its crime, and its racial make-up are a huge part of this novel. Burke tackles social issues as flawlessly as she does the crime, and both are improved by the strength of the other.
The verdict: Close Case is a superb installment in the Samantha Kincaid series: it's the best novel in an excellent series. The combination of current events and mystery was intriguing, thought-provoking and suspenseful. I hope Alafair Burke will return to this series and continue Samantha Kincaid's journey. show less
Rating: 4* of five
The Publisher Says: A vacation in the Hamptons goes terribly wrong for three friends with a complicated history.
It was meant to be a harmless prank.
Growing up, May Hanover was a good girl, always. Well-behaved, top of her class, a compulsive rule-follower. Raised by a first-generation Chinese single mother with high expectations, May didn’t have room to slip up, let alone fail. Her friends didn’t call her the Little Sheriff for nothing.
But even good girls have secrets. show more And regrets. When it comes to her friendship with Lauren and Kelsey, she's had her fair share of both. Their bond—forged when May was just twelve years old—has withstood a tragic accident, individual scandals, heartbreak and loss. Now the three friends have reunited for the first time in years for a few days of sun and fun in the Hamptons. But a chance encounter with a pair of strangers leads to a drunken prank that goes horribly awry.
When she finds herself at the center of an urgent police investigation, May begins to wonder whether Lauren and Kelsey are keeping secrets from her, testing the limits of her loyalty to lifelong friends.
What had they gone and done?
The Note is a page-turner of the highest order from one of our greatest contemporary suspense writers.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Every single person in this book is supremely, unpleasantly toxic. This is by design, not incompetence on the author's part; she's imbibed storycraft with her every breath, being James Lee Burke's child. As a choice, then, I can only call it questionable because most of us...even thriller readers...prefer to see someone in the cast we can at least believe will end up in a better place than they have started. It doesn't help that May, our more central character, gets a lot of carping criticism at every turn from Lauren and Kelsey (her lifelong "friends"). Which, to be scrupulously honest, she returns with interest. Not one of them seems to realize every finger they're pointing at the others has four times as many pointing right back at them.
So the cast didn't elicit my readerly sympathy. I was more interested in their barbs, their curious blindness to their own flaws, as they went away for a girls' escape weekend to the Hamptons after they've each suffered a more or less public shaming. Reconnecting amid the hustle of adulthood can work wonders and revive a relationship or crash and burn. I was sure it would be the latter as May seemed to me to be a bit too tunnel-visiony, Kelsey too unconcerned about her shaming, and Lauren too smug for Author Burke to be setting anything else up.
What kept me going wasn't suspense, exactly, since who did the awful thing that's done was not hard to guess, but the way Author Burke unfolded it. It's an episode of Real Housewives of {Awful-Place Name Here} meets Knives Out. There's slap-and-tickle levels of sex; the women are plainly out for the thrill but we're not taken along for the consummation. The violence of death isn't in your face, either, which can be the case in thrillers versus series mysteries. It isn't ever going to be my steady diet but as a menu of tapas it was fun enough and fine in the craft sense. I was surprised at enjoying the ending as much as I did.
May's Chinese heritage plays a role in the proceedings that I was mildly over-aware of but I decided early on it was me not the story. I get twitchy when "race" (loathsome inaccurate term) rears its deformed deforming skull. Her trajectory is pretty predictable. Kelsey's slightly older place and Lauren's ultra-privileged position don't make for shocking reveals. They're who they appear to be from giddy-up to whoa. It's a good afternoon's reading, it will definitely keep the holiday bustle at bay, the investment of time and treasure is modest...a winning proposition. show less
The Publisher Says: A vacation in the Hamptons goes terribly wrong for three friends with a complicated history.
It was meant to be a harmless prank.
Growing up, May Hanover was a good girl, always. Well-behaved, top of her class, a compulsive rule-follower. Raised by a first-generation Chinese single mother with high expectations, May didn’t have room to slip up, let alone fail. Her friends didn’t call her the Little Sheriff for nothing.
But even good girls have secrets. show more And regrets. When it comes to her friendship with Lauren and Kelsey, she's had her fair share of both. Their bond—forged when May was just twelve years old—has withstood a tragic accident, individual scandals, heartbreak and loss. Now the three friends have reunited for the first time in years for a few days of sun and fun in the Hamptons. But a chance encounter with a pair of strangers leads to a drunken prank that goes horribly awry.
When she finds herself at the center of an urgent police investigation, May begins to wonder whether Lauren and Kelsey are keeping secrets from her, testing the limits of her loyalty to lifelong friends.
What had they gone and done?
The Note is a page-turner of the highest order from one of our greatest contemporary suspense writers.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Every single person in this book is supremely, unpleasantly toxic. This is by design, not incompetence on the author's part; she's imbibed storycraft with her every breath, being James Lee Burke's child. As a choice, then, I can only call it questionable because most of us...even thriller readers...prefer to see someone in the cast we can at least believe will end up in a better place than they have started. It doesn't help that May, our more central character, gets a lot of carping criticism at every turn from Lauren and Kelsey (her lifelong "friends"). Which, to be scrupulously honest, she returns with interest. Not one of them seems to realize every finger they're pointing at the others has four times as many pointing right back at them.
So the cast didn't elicit my readerly sympathy. I was more interested in their barbs, their curious blindness to their own flaws, as they went away for a girls' escape weekend to the Hamptons after they've each suffered a more or less public shaming. Reconnecting amid the hustle of adulthood can work wonders and revive a relationship or crash and burn. I was sure it would be the latter as May seemed to me to be a bit too tunnel-visiony, Kelsey too unconcerned about her shaming, and Lauren too smug for Author Burke to be setting anything else up.
What kept me going wasn't suspense, exactly, since who did the awful thing that's done was not hard to guess, but the way Author Burke unfolded it. It's an episode of Real Housewives of {Awful-Place Name Here} meets Knives Out. There's slap-and-tickle levels of sex; the women are plainly out for the thrill but we're not taken along for the consummation. The violence of death isn't in your face, either, which can be the case in thrillers versus series mysteries. It isn't ever going to be my steady diet but as a menu of tapas it was fun enough and fine in the craft sense. I was surprised at enjoying the ending as much as I did.
May's Chinese heritage plays a role in the proceedings that I was mildly over-aware of but I decided early on it was me not the story. I get twitchy when "race" (loathsome inaccurate term) rears its deformed deforming skull. Her trajectory is pretty predictable. Kelsey's slightly older place and Lauren's ultra-privileged position don't make for shocking reveals. They're who they appear to be from giddy-up to whoa. It's a good afternoon's reading, it will definitely keep the holiday bustle at bay, the investment of time and treasure is modest...a winning proposition. show less
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