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Despite the number of books in the Alexandra Cooper series (this is the eleventh), LETHAL LEGACY is a fresh, fascinating thriller that does what any great mystery should: provides a stirring plot along with insight into a fascinating new field of interest. In this case, author Linda Fairstein opens up the world of rare books and maps for her readers, centering this mystery amidst the world of the collectors and those who leave their collections to the New York Public Library. The mystery begins when a young librarian (a conservator of rare books and maps) is assaulted in her New York City apartment. When Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cooper and her detective partners arrive, Tina Barr (the librarian) has locked herself in the apartment and refuses to aid police by providing any information. Finally convinced by ADA Alexandra Cooper to seek medical help, Barr again disappears from the ambulance while waiting for a bed in the hospital ER. Frustrated by Barr's lack of cooperation, the detectives are forced to return to the scene of the crime later, when higher-ups in the NYPD demand more information. When they do go back to the apartment, what they find is a missing Tina Barr and a dead body, dressed in the clothes of a New York socialite and hiding a rare book that belongs to the New York Public Library. With this prelude, readers are immersed into the world of rare book and map collecting, the inner workings of the Board of the New York Public Library, the business of conservation of rare works, forgery, collectors and their passions, and what some collectors are willing to risk (murder) to obtain a one-of-a-kind prized antiquity. Not only does author Linda Fairstein create a page-turning thriller of first rate, she opens up the world of collecting for her readers, sharing the secrets and history of the New York Public Library as well. It's a fascinating book on every level. Fairstein has created memorable characters (at one point, even poking fun at her own creation of strange circumstances and eccentric personalities). She knows how to drive an interesting plot forward, educating readers in the world of rare books and maps along the way. She uses New York locations and cultural history as effective settings and background for her story without ever bogging the storyline down. LETHAL LEGACY is a solid mystery with an endless appeal, making bibliophiles everywhere certain to enjoy this new thriller and anxiously await her next.
Reviewed by Christine Zibas, November 2008
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