Blood Oath: A Novel

Linda Fairstein

Mar 2019 · Penguin

About this ebook

New York Times bestselling author Linda Fairstein explores the depths of Manhattan's secretive Rockefeller University in this timely, captivating thriller about the deep--and often deadly--reverberations of past sins.

Assistant DA Alexandra Cooper of the Manhattan Sex Crimes Unit is finally back at work following a leave of absence, and not a moment too soon. With more women feeling empowered to name their abusers, Alex is eager to return to the courtroom to do what she does best. But even she can't anticipate the complexity of her first case when she meets Lucy, a young woman who testified years earlier at a landmark federal trial . . . and now reveals that she was sexually assaulted by a prominent official during that time.

Yet Lucy's isn't the only secret Alex must uncover, with rumors swirling about one colleague's abusive conduct behind closed doors and another's violent, mysterious collapse. As the seemingly disparate cases of her client, adversary, and friend start to intertwine, Alex, along with NYPD detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace, finds herself in uncharted territory within Manhattan's Rockefeller University, a premier research institute, hospital, and cornerstone of higher learning. But not even the greatest minds in the city can help her when unearthed secrets begin to collide in dangerous ways . . . and unless she can uncover the truth, the life-saving facility just may become her grave.

Ratings and reviews

This is one of my favorite authors and one of my favorite series. I've been following her and reading her since 1996 with the arrival of the very first Alexandra Cooper sighting. Alexandra is back after taking off several months following the murder of her boss. First day back and she's thrown right in the middle of a case that I could see as headline news today. A young woman has come forward to claim she was assaulted 10 years ago ... when she was just 14 years old. The name of her attacker comes as a huge surprise to Alex ... and it's going to take some maneuvering to get this case to court. She's also dealing with one of the court judges .. who has warned Alex that he is divorcing his wife. Alex wants no part of this as she doesn't even like the judge. But a different story is presented when the judge's wife calls Alex with details. And then there the death of Frannie Fain .. a colleague who sits on the other side of the courtroom, but is a good friend nevertheless. She is found outside on the street, convulsing. There's lot of secrecy involving the way she was killed. And when these cases collide, Alexandra, along with her lover. NYPD Detectives Mike Chapman, and Mercer Wallace, one of her best friends, find themselves embroiled in secrets and lies .. some of which somebody will kill to keep them from seeing the light of day. There is so much about this book ...and this series ... that I really enjoy. History trivia is present and accounted for. The three of them love to play JEOPARDY and generally stop wherever they are to watch on TV and make their own wagers. I really like how Alex and Mike's relationship has evolved over the years. I thought they'd never get to this point! Although 20th in this series it can be read as a stand alone .. but this is one series that would be so worthwhile starting at the very beginning. Many thanks to the author / PENGUIN GROUP Dutton / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

garbage

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 New York Times and international bestsellers which have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and she is also the author of the Devlin Quick Mysteries for middle grade readers. Fairstein lives in Manhattan and on Martha’s Vineyard.