KILLER HEAT

Blair Brown, who has read several in Fairstein's Alex Cooper series, comfortably adopts the persona of Alex, a take-charge assistant D.A., who finds herself in the center of another New York-set mystery. This one involves a killer with a penchant for females in uniform. As the city bakes, Alex feels the heat professionally and personally. Brown is adept at switching from feisty, aggressive Alex on the job to the romantic Alex, who has a new French lover. He is distinctively voiced as are the villain and others. The abridgment makes sense and, fortunately, includes some New York City history, a trademark of this exciting series. J.B.G. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2008]