Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Review: All Day and a Night: A Novel of Suspense (Ellie Hatcher #5) by Alafair Burke








  • Print Length: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Harper (June 10, 2014)
  • Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B00FJ32ZZQ





Book Description


A new murder case with ties to a convicted serial killer leads Detective Ellie Hatcher into a twisting investigation with explosive and deadly results in this superb mystery from the “terrific web spinner” (Entertainment Weekly) Alafair Burke.

When pyschotherapist Helen Brunswick is murdered in her Park Slope office, the entire city suspects her estranged husband—until the District Attorney’s office receives an anonymous letter. The letter’s author knows a chilling detail that police have kept secret: the victim’s bones were broken after she was killed. Her injuries were eerily similar to the signature used twenty years earlier by Anthony Amaro, a serial killer serving a life sentence for his crimes. Now, Amaro is asking to be released from prison, arguing that he was wrongly convicted, and that the true killer is still on the loose.

NYPD Detectives Ellie Hatcher and JJ Rogan are tapped as the “fresh look” team to reassess the original investigation that led to Amaro’s conviction. The case pits them against both their fellow officers and a hard-charging celebrity defense lawyer with a young associate named Carrie Blank, whose older sister was one of Amaro’s victims. As both the NYPD and Amaro’s legal team search for certainty in years of conflicting evidence, their investigations take them back to Carrie’s hometown and secrets left behind there. And when Carrie falls victim to a brutal attack, Hatcher knows that the young attorney got too close to the truth.

"Spring loaded and razor sharp, All Day and a Night is a surprising and compelling thriller. But Alafair Burke has given us something more gripping than just a crime novel. Her story is about women, their drive, their compassion, and their public and private battles for success and acceptance."-- Ivy Pochoda, author of Visitation Street

"I've been a fan of Alafair Burke from the very beginning and, ten books in, she just keeps surprising me."
-- Michael Connelly

"A masterfully plotted, psychologically complex thriller, Alafair Burke's All Day and a Night raises larger questions about the choices we make, the mistakes we can't undo. Whip-smart and emotionally deft, it delivers all the way through its final pages." -- Megan Abbott, author of Dare Me


About the Author

Alafair Burke is the author of "two power house series" (Sun-Sentinel) that have earned her a reputation for creating strong, believable, and eminently likable female characters, such as NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher and Portland Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid. Alafair's novels grow out of her experience as a prosecutor in America's police precincts and criminal courtrooms, and have been featured by The Today Show, People Magazine, The New York Times, MSNBC, The Washington Post, USA Today, and The Chicago Sun-Times. According to Entertainment Weekly, Alafair "is a terrific web spinner" who "knows when and how to drop clues to keep readers at her mercy."

A graduate of Stanford Law School and a former Deputy District Attorney in Portland, Oregon, Alafair is now a Professor of Law at Hofstra Law School, where she teaches criminal law and procedure. Her books have been translated into 12 languages.

Alafair's latest thriller, Long Gone, has been praised by some of the world's most respected crime writers: Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Karin Slaughter, Lisa Scottoline, Lisa Unger, and Nelson DeMille.

Learn more about Alafair at www.alafairburke.com


My Review

As a huge fan of Alafair Burke's stand-alone novels, I looked forward to diving into her Ellie Hatcher series and I was not disappointed. 

All Day and a Night is a well-written police procedural and legal thriller. The novel revolves around two stories...one a recent case of a murdered therapist and a two decades old case where new evidence has been made available. The story is told alternately by Ellie who is a police detective and Carrie a lawyer. Carrie is the half sister of one of the women murdered in the older case.

There are lots of twists and turns to keep the reader in suspense. It is very well written and Burke is very knowledgeable in the legal arena. I did not need to have read the earlier books to be able to enjoy this one.

All Day and a Night is available on June 10th.

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