Terminal City

Written by Linda Fairstein

Narrated by Barbara Rosenblat

With her newest Alexandra Cooper novel, Terminal City, New York Times best-selling author Linda Fairstein delivers another breakneck thriller that captures the essence of New York City - its glamour, its possibilities, and its endless capacity for darkness.

Linda Fairstein is well-known for illuminating the dark histories in many of New York's forgotten corners - and sometimes in the city's most popular landmarks. In Terminal City, Fairstein turns her attention to one of New York's most iconic structures - Grand Central Terminal.

Grand Central Terminal is the very center of the city. It's also the sixth-most-visited tourist attraction in the world. From the world's largest Tiffany clock decorating the 42nd Street entrance to its use of electric trains since the early 1900s, Grand Central has been a symbol of beauty and innovation in New York City for more than 100 years. But "the world's loveliest station" is hiding more than just an underground train system, and in Terminal City Alex Cooper and Mike Chapman must contend with Grand Central's dark secrets as well as their own changing relationship.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio
• Release date: Jun 17, 2014
• ISBN: 9780698153578

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.

Reviews for Terminal City

[sleahey_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Alex is on the trail of a serial rapist/murderer, and the action comes to a head in the bowels and heavens of New York's Grand Central Terminal. The building itself is a fascinating character, and the suspense makes for a rapid fire page-turner. In the background is Alex's relationship with Mike, whose actions in the past month have been suspicious and deceitful.

[literaryfeline · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Linda Fairstein's Alexandra (Alex) Cooper series is one of the few I am nearly on top of (I could swear I had read last year's release, but evidently I haven't--must this soon!). Terminal City is the sixteenth book in the series. What I love most about Fairstein's books is the history of the landmarks in which her crimes often take place, and Terminal City has history in spades. It is what I loved about the book, but also what pulled it down, I think. It was a little too much, at times overpowering the murder investigation itself.

For those unfamiliar with the series, Alexandra Cooper is an Assistant District Attorney in charge of the sex crimes unit. She is often paired up with her two good friends, Detective Mercer Wallace and Detective Mike Chapman. Mercer plays less of a role in this novel than he has in the past, whereas Mike takes his usual seat, with the usual teasing and joking manner.

While each book in this series can be read as a stand alone, there is definite back story which would make series purists more likely to want to start at the beginning. One of the features I like best about this series is how Alex doesn't start out as a fresh "character" with each novel. The wear and tear and horrors she faces with each book build on her. The relationships she has with her colleagues has also evolved over the course of the series. In many ways, this book had threads of both, which I don't feel would hinder one's enjoyment of the book, but may make the reader feel a little behind.

I appreciated the tension between Alex and Mike as they sort through their feelings about their changing relationship. Their history and their professions are challenges they both will have to continue to work through if they want to make a go of it.

I enjoyed reading about the more minor side cases that Alex or her team are working on in each of Fairstein's novels. They rarely take center stage in the books, but I find them interesting, nonetheless. In Terminal City, Alex is up against a police officer accused of intending harm to his family and other women. It causes quite a stir given the circumstances of the case. When does fantasy cross the line into becoming a crime? This fictional case in Fairstein's novel is based on a real life case (which, of course, I had to research).

As for the main story line in Terminal City, Alex is called in late one night after a body is discovered in a hotel room. When another body is found on the streets with a similar calling card, the authorities believe there must be a connection between the two murders. It seems impossible they'll ever be able to get to the bottom of the murders the more they uncover--and discover what they do not know. The case took a couple interesting twists in the novel, and I found myself wishing there had been more focus on it and less on the history of Grand Central Station, as interesting as it was. There was, of course, the classic climatic scene in which Alex's life is in danger, a regular staple in a Fairstein novel. At least this time it wasn't because Alex decided to take on the killer alone. She really wasn't trying to get in the way this time.

Overall, I enjoyed Terminal City, even with its flaws. Maybe it is my attachment to the characters and their fates and my interest in history. Like with every series, some books are bound to be stronger than others.

[skinglist · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Despite meeting Fairstein at a signing when this book was released, this book took me forever to get into and I really only did once I traveled through Grand Central last week.GCT as a possible terrorist target was an interesting plot but I felt that their were too many sub plots that weren't adequately resolved in this book and the ending too abrupt. I like the timing of it as only a short time after the prior title and I hope that continues in the next book.

[susan0316 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the 16th book in the Alex Cooper series by Linda Fairstein. As with the rest of her books, its a great police procedural that is full of suspense and spends a lot of time on the relationship between Alex, Mike, Mercer and the rest of the characters we have come to know from this series. As with previous books. the author teaches us a lot about a famous NY site - in this case Grand Central Station. Even though I have never seen it, I thought that the history of it was very interesting. To me, the negative of the book was that Alex seemed so wrapped up in thinking about Mike and their possible affair, she acted like a silly school girl instead of the strong woman that she is. Its time for the situation with Alex and Mike to either move ahead or end - no more books where she acts like a teenager, please! Overall, it was another great read and shouldn't be missed if you have enjoyed this series in the past.

[booksgaloreca · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I always love it when I get given a free book by an author I read and love in exchange for a review. This novel is one of those and it did not disappoint! It is #16 in the Alexandra Cooper series. She is an assistant district attorney who works with the sexual crimes unit and assists the police in those investigations.The book has a great storyline that keeps you engrossed as well as ongoing drama between the serial characters. All in all a great read and I am looking forward to the next one.

[cyderry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Grand Central Station is where a maze of tunnels and tracks that surround New York City connect with other underground features as well as above ground areas and that is how this massive terminal is wound into the story of a serial killer that threatens the visit of the POTUS.Alexandra Cooper, ADA for NYC, is called in when a mutilated body of a young woman is found in one of the fanciest suites of the Waldorff Astoria. After identifying the body the investigation into this gruesome murder is compounded when 2 additional bodies are discovered which lead to security issues that may prevent the visit of the President.racking down the murder and throughout Grand Central leads to interesting revelations of the history and development of the Terminal.I think that this is one of the best in the series, they seemed to just be getting better!

[nomadreader_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The backstory: Terminal City is the sixteenth mystery in Linda Fairstein's Alexandra Cooper series. Cooper runs the Manhattan D.A.'s Special Victims Unit, a unit Fairstein herself ran for many years.The basics: A woman is found raped and murdered at the illustrious Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Soon thereafter, another body appears outside Grand Central Terminal, and Alex, along with good friends and detectives Mercer and Mike, is drawn into the self-functioning city of people who call the ground underneath Grand Central home as they try to solve these murders.This review will contain minor spoilers from previous Fairstein novels, particularly Death Angel.My thoughts: I, like many long-time readers, celebrated a certain development in Alex's personal life that appeared frustratingly close to the end of Death Angel. As excited as I always am for a new Fairstein novel, this year I was most excited to see what was happening in Alex's love life. The events in Terminal City pick up shortly after the events of Death Angel, so not much has changed. The first murder brings Alex and Mike, just back from suspension and an Ireland vacation, together professionally before they've spoken personally, and the case continues to dominate their time. As a reader, I found the all-consuming nature of this case frustrating, but it is realistic.Soon, however, I was more wrapped up in the intrigue of the case and the rich history of Grand Central. Like Alex, I put her love life out of my mind. I read this mystery compulsively, but I savored the fascinating details of New York's history as much as the developing clues in the whodunit. As is typical of Fairstein, the history is not merely a backdrop--it feeds clues to the mystery itself, which make her books entertaining and informative.The verdict: Terminal City will delight longtime fans of the series. It has all the hallmarks of a great mystery, plus Fairstein's signature in-depth look at an icon of New York City. While you could easily enjoy this mystery if you haven't read others in the series, the personal storylines likely won't be nearly as satisfying to new readers. While the mystery at the center of this one struck me as dark by Fairstein's standards, the warmth of a certain storyline in Alex's personal life compensates and left me once again eagerly awaiting Fairstein's next mystery.

[cygnet81 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Better than the last one but Alex is still acting awfully girly!

[kathy89_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a favorite series of mine. Another Alex, Mike and Mercer book. The story is about a body that is found in the Waldorf Astoria and their investigation takes them to the underground tracks under the hotel and to Grand Central Station. There’s a colony of homeless who live in abandoned underground tracks and lots of hiding places. Their investigation is hampered by a scheduled visit from the President. My gripe with this book is Alex’s spoiled petulant attitude toward her developing romantic relationship seemed immature for a woman of independence and achievement.

[dplyle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Terminal City by Linda FairsteinDutton AdultJune 17, 2014ISBN-10: 0525953884ISBN-13: 978-0525953883384 pagesA wickedly intelligent thrillerInternational bestseller Linda Fairstein’s newest novel, starring Assistant DA Alexandra Cooper, is a winner on every level. A wickedly intelligent thriller that crawls through the underbelly of NYC as well as the courts and law enforcement agencies of the Big Apple. Alexandra is a wonderful series character that reflects Fairstein’s own career as Chief of the Sex Crimes Unit for the Manhattan DA’s Office. She knows of what she writes. This story begins with a carved-up corpse in a high-dollar suite at New York’s posh Waldorff Astoria Hotel. And from there it only gets worse. A thrill ride that is not to be missed.DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Samantha Cody and Dub Walker thriller series

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This fast-paced thriller is mostly set underground; beneath Grand Central Terminal is another city of a sort not frequented by tourists or city dwellers. It is filled with the homeless and the dregs of society, looking for a safe place where they can be themselves and answer to no one. It is vast array of tunnels and rooms, a great place to hide and an even better place for a murderer to secret himself. Alex and Mike are racing the clock to seek out the bad guy before the US president comes to town. Looking for clues and motive, they put themselves in harm’s way. A quick read, the end is pretty predictable but still enjoyable. There is much history between the characters, and if you don’t know the backstories, this novel will lose some of its punch.

[grumpydan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Linda Fairstein always injects New York’s history in her novels. This one is all about Grand Central Station. First, one girl is found murdered in a hotel room, then a homeless guy, third another girl; all getting closer to Grand Central Terminal where the president is expecting to enter when he visits the city. But by the time Alex Copper discovers who is the murderer, they have already locked doen the terminal and those involved visit areas that were hidden as the city progressed.I enjoy the historical aspect as much as I enjoy the thrilling storyline. I learn so much while also reading suspenseful stories from an author I appreciate.

[marsap_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In the latest Alex Cooper novel Linda Fairstein turns her attention to another New York City landmark—Grand Central Terminal. Alexandra Cooper is investigating a gruesome rape and murder of a woman in the Waldorf Astoria. What makes this case so pressing is that the President will soon be visiting the same hotel. When a second body shows up—near the hotel and Grand Central-attention turns to that structure and its secret—including the city below the terminal, the extensive tunnel system and the people who live in the tunnels. Interwoven in the mystery is the developing relationship between Alex and Mike Chapman (continued from the previous book). My favorite part of this book is learning the history of Grand Central Terminal—a place I plan to go to the next time in NY. From the world’s largest Tiffany clock decorating the Forty-Second Street entrance, the heavens mosaic ceiling, the underground tunnels (and the history of their use and their current inhabitants) it was fascinating to learn about this structure. What I didn’t like about the book is the relationship between Alex and Mike. At times it feels forced (really after all this time they are finally getting together) and other times it feels abusive and that these characters really don’t care or respect each other. I love the history of NYC presented in this series but I am somewhat reluctant to read another if the relationship between these two characters doesn’t improve. 2 ½ out of 5 stars.