Entombed is the latest in the excellent series featuring Assistant DA Alex Cooper and her two colleagues Chapman and Mercer. Not only do they have to cope with the return of the killer known as the “silk stocking rapist” whom the police failed to catch four years ago, but they also find themselves delving in the life of a dead female whose corpse has been found in the bricked-up wall of an historical house. But what is the connection with the legendary author Edgar Allan Poe and is it significant that Poe wrote one of his superb novels on passion and retribution in that same house? Who is the dead woman and why does it appear that the silk stocking rapist has re-appeared after being out of the limelight for so long?
While they are trying to solve both cases, Chapman finds himself dealing with another issue that will have long-lasting repercussions for all concerned.
It cannot be surprising that Ms Fairstein has a legion of fans with this series. We are lovingly drawn into the life of the master of the macabre and see the effect that he had on all those who came into contact with him, even long after his death. The information on Poe is conveyed with such a deft hand that Linda Fairstein cannot be accused of overloading the reader with too much explanation on the topic. In fact it is the contrary; the singularly expert way in which she has imparted her knowledge of Poe whets the readers appetite for more. It is no wonder that Poe still remains a fascinating and intriguing topic to this day.
The interaction between the characters in Entombed is no less important than the crime that is being investigated. There is a magnificent and significant twist that even I did not see coming and which certainly left me reeling. With Entombed, Linda Fairstein has certainly put the series on a higher level and faithful readers to the series will see not only the novel but also the author in a totally new light. The unsavoury truth behind both cases teases the reader as we watch Cooper et al struggle to crack both cases while dealing with their own personal issues.
Entombed is not only intricately plotted, beautifully structured and written, but it is also a page-turner of the highest order. It is also about friendship and its many guises and the fact that friendship is not only there when you need it the most but it is unobtrusive and strong.
Long time fans of this series are already aware of the strength of Linda Fairstein’s
writing and her characterisation. Entombed re-enforces this and I look forward
to the next book with relish.
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Ayo Onatade
Earlier books in the series are Final Jeopardy, Likely to Die, The Deadhouse,
The Bone Vault and The Kills