In a voice as dry as her protagonist's, Fairstein offers a gritty view of New York stage life. The stop and go action would have been more interesting had the author provided juicier transitions. Detailed event sequences-such as a point by point telling of how Alex went up to her apartment, turned on the lights, took a bath, etc-allow the energy of the story to leech away, until the reader is jolted awake by a sudden action. A good novel has scenes that allow readers to catch their breath, but they should not be put to sleep.

A series of minor problems plagued the plot, as well. The tension between Alex and Mike had unrealized potential, which may or may not be explored in future installments of Alex Cooper stories. Furthermore, two other cases Alex worked on throughout the novel barely related to the major investigation in the book. Some readers will notice other, smaller sticking points in the plot.

As the protagonist, Alex was weakened by her perpetual fly-on-the-wall status. Her lack of action in response to a judge's blatant sexism, other than to get her case before another judge, made her look whiny and ineffectual. Reinforcing the image are the many scenes during the investigation where Alex does little more than observe, while the detectives do most of the talking.

One redeeming factor is Fairstein's in-depth look at life on New York stages, and her knowledge of architectural history. The other redeeming factor is that, in the end, the reader has most of their questions answered.

If you enjoyed Fairstein's previous work, it's worth a read. Otherwise, you may prefer another title.

-C.W.

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