I have read most of Linda Fairstein's other "Alex Cooper" novels and think that Bad Blood rates amongst her best. Alex is a prosecutor who is presenting what is quite a weak case against a man who, it is believed, hired a hitman to kill his wife. Without knowing the identity of the hitman, it will be a difficult case to win. In an apparently unrelated incident, there is an explosion in one of the tunnels being built under New York city to replace the old water supply pipes. I enjoyed finding out more about what lies below the streets of New York, and about the "sandhogs" the men who work below the ground. (Women below ground are considered bad luck). The story is intricate with a range of characters from the sandhog community, a dramatic court room scene, some interesting insight into how DNA is used and an exciting culmination to the tortuous plot. For light relief and to provide the hint of a romantic interest for Alex, (and not really central to the plot) a wedding at Martha's Vineyard. For those familiar with the series, Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace, members of NYPD with whom Alex often works, are here, wisecracking as usual, and playing the last question of Jeopardy. I would certainly recommend this if you've enjoyed other Linda Fairstein novels and if you haven't, I don't think you need necessarily to have read the earlier novels first.
