Linda Fairstein

When the burnt, headless body of a young woman is found on the steps of a Baptist Church in Harlem, Assistant DA Alexandra Cooper is quickly on the shocking scene. With NYPD cop Mike Chapman, Alex investigates, but soon another woman is slaughtered and found on the steps of a Catholic Church in Little Italy: her throat slashed and her tongue cut out. The killings look like serial hate crimes, but the apparent differences in the victims' beliefs seem to eliminate a religious motive. Convinced that another young woman's life is at risk, Alex uncovers a terrible truth that takes her beyond the scope of her investigation and leads her directly into the path of terrible danger.

"New York Times bestselling author Linda Fairstein returns with a ripped-from-the-headlines thriller that takes Alexandra Cooper into the dark underside of New York City's most storied restaurants and a murder case spanning continents. In her thirteen bestsellers, Linda Fairstein has taken millions of fans inside sinister worlds that most of us can't even imagine. Thanks to her extensive experience as a New York City prosecutor, she creates situations that are stunning for both their compulsive readability and their authenticity. Taking Alexandra Cooper into the fascinating world of New York City's most beloved and storied restaurants, Night Watch continues her tradition of breathtaking suspense storytelling. Forty-eight hours after Alexandra Cooper arrives in France to visit her boyfriend and famed restaurateur, Luc Rouget, her vacation in paradise is cut short when a young woman from the village is found murdered. The only evidence discovered on the body is one of Luc's matchboxes promoting his new restaurant in New York. But before the investigation begins, Alex is summoned back to New York to handle a high profile case. Mohammed Gil-Darsin, the distinguished and wealthy Head of the World Economic Bureau, has been arrested and accused of attacking a maid in his hotel. As the world watches in fascination to see how the scandal will unfold, Alex finds her attention torn between preparing the alleged victim to testify and a murder case with ties too close to home. A second body is found with Luc's matchbox--this time in Brooklyn--and Alex begins to fear that the two cases may not be as unrelated as she thought, and that uncovering the sordid secrets of the city's most wealthy and powerful could cost her and her loved ones everything they hold dear"--

Thieves, liars, killers, and conspirators—it's a criminal world out there, and someone has got to write about it. An eclectic collection of the year's best reportage, The Best American Crime Reporting 2007 brings together the murderers and muscle men, the masterminds, and the mysteries and missteps that make for brilliant stories, told by the aces of the true crime genre. This latest addition to the highly acclaimed series features guest editor Linda Fairstein, the bestselling crime novelist and former chief prosecutor of the Manhattan District Attorney's Office's pioneering Special Victims' Unit.

When the body of a young woman is discovered in Central Park, the clock begins ticking for Assistant DA Alex Cooper and Detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace to find the killer who has breached this haven in the middle of New York City. Is the body found in the lake, under the unseeing gaze of the Bethesda angel, the first victim of a deranged psychopath, or is the case connected to other missing girls and women in years past whose remains have never been found? Just as the trio gets their first lead, the investigation is almost derailed when Mike and Alex become embroiled in a scandal. As Alex attempts to fight the accusations leveled against her and Mike, she follows clues that range from the park's most buried -- literally -- secrets all the way to the majestic Dakota, which has experienced its own share of tragedies. When another young woman is attacked in the park, a new question arises: is this enormous urban park a sanctuary -- as it seems to the thousands of New Yorkers and tourists who fill it every day -- or is it a hunting ground for a killer with a twisted mind?

Its August in New York, and the only thing thats hotter than the pavement is Manhattan D.A. Alex Coopers professional and personal life. Just as shes claiming an especially gratifying victory in a rape case, she gets the call: the body of a young woman has been found in an abandoned building. The brutality of the murder is disturbing enough, but when a second body, beaten and disposed of in exactly same manner, is found off the Belt Parkway, the citys top brass want the killer found fast, before the tabloids can start churning out ghoulish serial killer headlines. Between dodging the bullets of the gang members who are infuriated by Alexs most recent courtroom victory and keeping a rendezvous with a charming restaurateur, a serial killer on the loose is the last thing she needs on her plate right now. Then a third victim is found, and it becomes clear to Alex and her team that time is not on their side.