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    Hell Gate
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    Hell Gate
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    Hell Gate
    Audiobook11 hours

    Hell Gate

    Written by Linda Fairstein

    Narrated by Barbara Rosenblat

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Head of the Sex Crimes Unit of the district attorney's office in Manhattan for decades, Linda Fairstein is America's most visible legal expert on sexual assault and domestic violence -- which is why she writes some of the most compelling crime thrillers of our time and why her Alexandra Cooper series has been topping bestseller list for more than a decade. Fans turn to Fairstein for ripped-from-the-headline crimes, cutting-edge investigations, and vindication for victims. Linda Fairstein brings readers inside a world of which they can't get enough, but one they hope to never see in real life.

    And for her twelfth novel, Fairstein takes Alexandra Cooper inside a world she'd rather not see.

    New York City politics have always been filled with intrigue and behind-the-scenes deals. In Hell Gate, Alex finds her attention torn between investigating a shipwreck that has contraband cargo-human cargo-and the political sex scandal of a promising New York congressman now fallen from grace.

    When Alex discovers that a woman from the wreck and the congressman's lover have the same rose tattoo -- the brand of a "snakehead", a master of a human trafficking operation -- it dawns on her that these cases aren't as unrelated as they seem and that the entire political landscape of New York City could hang in the balance of her investigation.

    As Alex looks on at the nameless victims in the morgue, she realizes she's looking at the present-day face of New York's long, dark tradition of human trafficking -- a tradition that began hundreds of years ago with slave trade from Africa, now a multimillion-dollar industry that will stop at no cost, even if that cost is Alex's life.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateMar 9, 2010
    ISBN9781101154687
    Unavailable
    Hell Gate
    Author

    Linda Fairstein

    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 international bestsellers and have been translated into more than a dozen languages. She lives in Manhattan and on Martha's Vineyard.

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    Reviews for Hell Gate

    3.5/5

    121 ratings16 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I really enjoy Linda Fairstein and her protagonist Alexandra "Alex" Cooper.

      Alex is a no-nonsense, hard working, justice driven, caring sex-crimes prosecutor for the NY City DA. Alex works closely with two long time friends: Mercer an older, seasoned & calm Detective & Mike Chapman a hardcore, smart-mouthed, oft times rude Homicide Detective.

      This book opens with a ship (the Golden Voyage) of "human" cargo running aground off shore N.Y. City and one of the drowning victims actually being a murder victim of one of the traffickers. Involved are: a the Mayor, a City Council member, the DA, DA's Assistant, a Congressman, the Congressman's "girlfriend", the Mayor's top Aide, & others.

      At first the story was a bit slow going.....but what I found interesting was the tie-in of the crimes to several of New York's Historical Mansions which were built in the late 1700's & early 1800's. The book picked up right about the middle, so I'm glad I didn't give up..... There was a definite clue as to who the bad guy was, but since I don't look for those things very often I missed it.....

      All in all I really liked this book and now I am researching some of the Historical Mansions in NYC.
    • 2/5
      Some of this seems to have been written directly from research notes on early New York history. Human trafficking/slave trade parallels initially seem too obvious and then turn out to be something of a red herring for the ultimate resolution. Found the book in the apartment building's laundry room and back it will go.
    • 3/5
      Old houses, politicians and scandals. These are the themes of Hell Gate. That's fine, but in a whole lot of the book it seems like that is all the book is about.It's not the whole thing of course, just parts, but except for here and there the book just seems like it has absolutely no soul to it.I mean, I get that the author wants the book to be grounded in reality, and I guess she sorta does that by throwing hundreds of facts at the reader about all the various houses or museums or wherever else the murders, etc. take place. And, the author has done the same exact thing in previous books. And so, I'm not sure what she's doing in recent books that is different from what she did in the first books, but, it just doesn't seem to work for me anymore.There's also the jokes from Mike and Alex. I get what they're supposed to be. They're supposed to be funny jabs at each other about personal grooming and other personal stuff between friends. But, in Hell Gate they just seem like they were being mean to each other. Not one of the 'jokes' in Hell Gate seemed funny to me, the two characters just seemed to be flinging mean at each other.All in all, an okay book, but I think she's written better ones.
    • 4/5
      As always I learned some interesting NYC history and enjoyed a good story. Fairstein does not disappoint.
    • 4/5
      I have been a Fairstein fan for many years and follow Alexandra Cooper and her capers as well as her relationships. Just a good story.
    • 4/5
      Alex Cooper finds her attention torn between investigating a shipwreck and the political sex scandal of a New York congressman now fallen from grace. When Alex discovers that a woman from the wreck and the congressman's lover have the same rose tattoo (the brand of a 'snakehead', a master of a human trafficking operation), it dawns on her that these cases aren't as unrelated as they seem and that the entire political landscape of New York City could hang in the balance of her investigation.
    • 3/5
      The 12th in the Alexandra Cooper series tells the tale of the shipwreck filled with a human cargo from the Ukraine. The secondary story is of political corruption in the Mayor's office related to the trusts of the historical buildings such as the Hamilton Grange and Gracie Mansion in New York City. How the two stories intertwine and lead to a surprising conclusion, just shows the continued talent of Ms. Fairstein.The characters continue to be like old friends that the reader wants to invite home and help with their personal problems. Seeing the personal side of this terrific trio (Alexandra, Mike, and Mercer) only intensifies the horror of those unfortunate creatures caught in the web of the Sex trafficking trade. This was not the best of the series but was definitely worth the time to read. The history lessons, related to the Historical buildings in this case, are always well researched and detailed.
    • 4/5
      One of my recent favorites of Fairstein's books. She balanced the case with the (never-ending) tension between Alex and Mike. Nice to see a taste of Mercer's personal side without Alex's love life interfering until the end. While she and her boys always end up in some life threatening scenario I had the benefit of knowing there was another book out and she'd therefore live. Nice to see more of the city characters besides she, Mercer, Mike, Loo and Battaglia. The Rowdy twist was an interesting one - and it was nice to see where her city hall fall took the story. A little creepy with so much of it set within spitting distance of where I was reading. A great read.
    • 2/5
      Not the best effort by Ms. Fairstein, although I do enjoy the way she tries to weave a bit of New York history into all of her books. This one really misses the mark. It feels rushed, the plotting is poor, much of the action is too contemporaneous with names that are current now, but won't be in a year or so. The starting premise is good, but quickly gets bogged down in cutesy banter between Alex and Mike and all the aforementioned names.I like these books, but I hope the next one is better. I will admit, however, that I'm truly bored with the relationship between Alex and Mike. Neither one of them is very appealing in this book and that needs to change to keep Ms. Fairstein's readers coming back for more.
    • 4/5
      Another great NYC mystery by Fairstein. This one features the classic old mansions of the city, including Gracie Mansion.
    • 4/5
      Really liked this latest book by Linda Fairstein. Set in New York City, the plot revolves around human trafficking with tentacles that touch some influential players in the city.Loved the history of NY interwoven throughout the story and enjoyed the interplay between the characters.Good book.
    • 4/5
      Another good entry in Fairstein's Alex Cooper series. Alex is an assistant DA in charge of the sex crimes unit, the job author Fairstein used to have in real life. In this book, a boat bringing in illegals from Eastern Europe almost intercepted and in their panic a number of the illegals jumped ship and drowned. One of the female corpses, however, was stabbed to death. Another body is found in a well on the property of Gracie Mansion, the mayor's residence. Gracie is one of three Federal style mansions left in the city, and the plot involves all three them at some point. Is someone in the mayor's administration involved n the murder of the woman in the well? Are the two cases tied together?Recommended reading.
    • 4/5
      Another excellent story from Fairstein - I love the details, love the characters - I just wish Alex and Mike would get their act together!
    • 4/5
      Ms Cooper is drawn into a boat of illegals that has run aground. Bodies was up with strange tattoos that she recognizes as marking from prostitution rings. These women are from Russia. At the same time a political big wig is arrested for DUI and 911 calls from his mistress. Great insight into mansions in the New York area and history behind them. Jumel House, Gracie Mansion and Hamilton Grange.
    • 4/5
      Linda Fairstein is firmly on my list of must read authors. She has a fantastic series featuring Alex Cooper of the New York P.D. Sex Crimes Unit and two homicide detectives - Mike and Mercer. Hell Gate is the 12th book in the series.Alex, Mike and Mercer are called out to a shipwreck. Not usually their type of case - until the cargo is discovered to be human. Among the dead is a woman with connections to a prominent politician. The deeper the three dig, the more the past collides with the present. Human trafficking happened in New York City hundreds of years ago - but it looks like it's still happening.....The plotting is believable, combining political intrigue with crimes ripped from today's headlines. What I always find fascinating in Fairstein's novels is the level of historical detail used. New York City is always the background, but I would wager that even native New Yorkers would not be aware of the history behind many of the settings.The camaraderie of 'Coop', Mike and Mercer is a major part of the success of this series. The banter between Alex and Mike is a source of amusement and the attraction between the two grows stronger with every book. (Linda - you're making me crazy - will they or won't they?!) Mercer provides the calm voice of reason.Fairstein knows what she writes. She herself was chief of the sex crimes unit in Manhattan for over 25 years and is a noted expert on sexual assault and domestic violence. Her novels have the unmistakable ring of truth and authenticity to them.Hell Gate is a fantastic read on it's own - but I'm sure you'll be hunting down the rest of the series!
    • 4/5
      Linda Fairstein's twelfth novel featuring ADA Alexandra Cooper, is another ode to the history and architecture of New York City and a fascinating mystery. Fairstein has a knack for weaving multiple storylines and cases without muddling the narrative. As we all know, only ADAs on television have the luxury of having one case at a time.If you're a fan of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, you should really read Linda Fairstein. She ran the SVU at the Manhattan District Attorney's office for decades, and now she writes wonderful novels. Thankfully, she manages to write one each year, but I find I even enjoy rereading them, which is rare for mystery novels. She is one of my favorite authors.The usual cast of characters is back in Hell Gate. The novel opens with the wreck of a human cargo ship and a promising New York politician crashing his car after fighting with his mistress. Sex scandals abound, yet Fairstein keeps the story from becoming salacious. As always, New York City itself is a character in the story, and the reader learns so much about the city's rich history. Some of it's tied to crimes, but much of it is there because it's fascinating. Hell Gate borrows a few characters from the headlines. Bloomberg isn't mayor here, but he was. Paterson is the governor of New York, and Spitzer did fall from grace. There's a currency to this book that I really enjoyed. If you follow New York City and state politics, you'll enjoy quite a few snarky jabs at familiar faces, names and characters. Normally, I recommend starting with Fairstein's first novel (Final Jeopardy), but I think the political storylines in this novel might entice fans of political thrillers, and these storylines have some amount of currency to them. Yes, some of the characters may be unfamiliar to new readers, but the focus is really on the mystery and politics in this novel; there are mentions to the social lives of our favorite detectives, but even new readers will be able to follow the story. The novel does begin with a lot of characters. I've read all of Fairstein's novels, and there were a few faces popping up I could not remember. I wasn't sure if they were knew to this book or not, but Fairstein provides enough background that it doesn't really matter if you remember the characters or not. Either way, it worked for me.