Final Jeopardy

I've seen Fairstein's stuff on bookstore shelves for years, and for some reason brushed her off as one of those popular crime novelists I don't have time for (as opposed to the large stable of popular crime novelists I DO have time for). So a couple weeks ago, I saw a CBS Sunday Morning segment featuring her, and was intrigued enough to search out her first Alexandra Cooper novel from the library, and now I have to read THIS series. Cooper, like the author herself, is a Manhattan Assistant District Attorney (well, Fairstein "retired" to write full time a good many years ago, now) working in the Sex Crimes Unit. This may be what put me off in the first place---not wanting to immerse myself in the ugly world of sexual violence. But there show more was really very little of that in this one, as we follow the investigation into a murder of a woman initially thought to be Cooper. Was she actually the intended victim, or was the actress borrowing her car and her getaway cottage really the target of the shooter? I clicked with Fairstein's style, the character of Cooper (she's a very believeable combination of tough broad and damsel in distress), and the camaraderie between Cooper and her long-time friend Mike Chapman, who is an NYPD detective assigned to her office (they challenge each other with wagers on the Final Jeopardy clue on a regular basis). Besides Chapman, Cooper has several good friends; she isn't a loner, and her support system is solid. I really like the set-up here. So if Fairstein can avoid a few pitfalls (like putting her fictional self in true jeopardy too often, or going for the sensational when the substantial is what I want), I'll follow her adventures.
Reviewed in 2017 show less

(Review from rereading)

Final Jeopardy is a delight. It's a good mystery; it's so good I didn't even remember the twist until I was in the revealing scene. Many writers create good mysteries, but Linda Fairstein manages to combine a good mystery with an education about New York City, history, literature and the arts. I always learn things in her books, and the treasure trove of knowledge led me to reread her novels more than the mysteries themselves. Final Jeopardy is intense, thrilling and smart. Alexandra Cooper remains one of my favorite fictional characters. I appreciate Fairstein's insight into the actual caseload of an ADA; it's not Law & Order, where the lawyers try one case at a time. Cooper's days and nights are filled with many show more intriguing cases. Still, at the end of the day, Alexandra Cooper is someone I want to meet for dinner and a bottle of wine. I care about what books she's read. Perhaps what surprised me most in this rereading of an old favorite was how familiar Alexandra was from the beginning. Now, eleven books in, she's been a companion through the years, but she was relatable instantly.

Everytime I finish a Linda Fairstein novel, I encourage others to start from the beginning of the series. It's refreshing to reaffirm my own advice. show less

After seeing Linda Fairstein at a local author event, I decided that I really needed to read one of her mysteries. I began with the very first book, and I'll be reading more.

Fairstein describes Martha's Vineyard beautifully, and really gives readers a wonderful feel for the daily life of a high-powered assistant district attorney. She also does an excellent job of showing how laws governing sex crimes have changed over the years-- something she should be capable of since she was the head of the Manhattan Sex Crimes Unit for over two decades.

I really enjoyed the book. It's fast-paced, and the non-cooking Alex Cooper is a strong, fascinating character who has a strong circle of friends. However, Final Jeopardy does have a couple of show more first-timer hiccups. The dialogue is often a bit stiff and stilted, and when a bad guy is about to be exposed a few pages down the road, Fairstein shines a beacon on the clue she planted. But guess what? I don't care. Those things are easily fixed. The characters, story, and setting are first-rate. I'm looking forward to more Alex Cooper! show less

Linda Fairstein mined her own experience as a top prosecutor in New York’s Sex Crimes Unit for this debut thriller, starring NYC prosecutor Alexandra Cooper. The book opens with Alex reading her own obituary – a case of mistaken identity when she loaned her vacation home to a Hollywood star.

This is definitely what I look for in this genre. It’s a fast-paced mystery with plenty of suspects, interesting plot twists, a likeable main character, and some complicated relationships. I was kept guessing right along with Alex and the detectives. In the meantime, I became invested in Alex’s personal life and public work. She’s a complex woman, and I like that she doesn’t wait around to be rescued but figures out a way out of her own show more dilemmas.

I definitely want to read more of this series. show less

FINAL JEOPARDY was an entertaining thriller which introduces Alexandra Cooper who is a Assistant District Attorney in New York City. Her specialty is sex crimes. She spends a lot of her day dealing with women who have been raped. She has a fast-paced job. When she awakens one morning to news headings that announce that she'd been murdered at her summer home on Martha's Vineyard, things get even more chaotic.

Alex has leant the house to an acquaintance named Isabella Lascar. Isabella is a Hollywood star who had told Alex that she needed to get away from a stalker and wanted a quiet place to rest up and read scripts. However, investigation shows that she wasn't alone and sets the hunt for the mysterious lover.

Meanwhile, Alex's own lover show more is proving a disappointment to her. He was away conducting business in France when the murder occurs and Alex really wishes that he would drop everything and come to offer her emotional support.

Alex is being guarded by some of the cops who are her investigators because it isn't known at first if she or Isabella were the intended victim. I liked her friendship with her main guardian and liked that she wanted to take part in the investigation despite her boss's desires that she let cops investigate and she concentrate on her own work.

This was an entertaining story. I liked her relationship with her police partner. I liked that she had a strong circle of friends. I liked her dedication to her job. show less

Alexandra Cooper is the New York Assistant District Attorney in charge of prosecuting sex crimes. When the story opens we discover her reading her own obituary. Since she knows she's not dead she soon realizes that Isabella Lascar, an actress and friend staying at her home on Martha's Vineyard, has been killed and mistaken for Alex. She doesn't think she was the target but anything is possible in her line of work. She's put away a lot of terrible people over the years.

I've been reading this series for a number of years and recently found a copy of the very first one, Final Jeopardy. I couldn't remember a thing about it but I did enjoy reading it again. I also like her two closest friends, Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace, who provide a show more lot of humorous banter. The author has a personal background in sex crimes prosecution and she is able to weave a page turning story. I think the series has improved over the years but this was still enjoyable. I might see if I can find the series in audio and revisit it again that way. show less

I first became acquainted with Alexandra Cooper in the book Entombed (book 7) and I found her to be an intriguing character and I loved the story of the book. So, naturally, did I want to get to know her from the start.

In Final Jeopardy is Alex mistaken for a murdered woman. But, the actual victim was Isabella Lascar, a Hollywood film star that was staying at Alex's place at Martha's Vineyard. The question is, was Isabella the target or was she just there at the wrong place and the wrong time and it was Alex that was the real target?

There are several things that appeal to me when it comes to this series, first I like that Alex is a sex crimes prosecutor. I'm so used to reading about cops that a series around a prosecutor is a welcome show more break. Second, the stories are interesting with fascinating tidbits about New York's history. Fairstein gives the reader the background story of Martha's Vineyard in this book and I love books that manage to add historical tidbits to the story.

The case was interesting, was Alex the real target and is she still in danger? Or was Isabella the killer's target from the beginning? Alex has to with some close police friends try to find pout the truth and I have to say that it was an interesting book to read and the revelation towards the end of the book was, well fascinating.

Final Jeopardy is a good solid book and a great start to the Alexandra Cooper series. I have read three books so far and I quite enjoy them and I'm looking forward to reading more. show less