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Alexandra Cooper #5
The Bone Vault
The New York Times bestselling author and renowned former Manhattan prosecutor follows her Nero Award-winning The Deadhouse with a mesmerizing new Alexandra Cooper novel set at the crossroads of big money, high culture, and murder...
The Bone Vault begins in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's glorious Temple of Dendur, where wealthy donors have gathered to celebrate a controversial new exhibit.
An uneasy mix of scholarship, showbiz, and aggressive marketing, "A Modern Bestiary" will be a joint venture of the Met and the American Museum of Natural History. With its IMAX time trips and Rembrandt refrigerator magnets, the "Bestiary" has raised fierce opposition from some of New York's museum elite.
Assistant DA Alexandra Cooper, off duty for the evening, observes the developing tensions with bemused interest until Met director Pierre Thibodaux pulls her aside. He needs her advice. There's an urgent problem out at a loading dock on a New Jersey pier.
A Twelfth Dynasty mummified princess, enclosed for eternity in a huge stone sarcophagus, is about to take a long voyage to Cairo as part of a routine museum exchange. But Cleopatra is missing, and in her place is the not-so-mummified body of a woman many centuries younger than her royal predecessor.
Who is this woman with the small physique, the dark hair, and the shiny barrette? What is her connection, if any, to the rarefied world of priceless art and objects? And how and when did she become entombed in the sarcophagus?
Teaming with cops Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace, Alex must explore behind the scenes at the elegant but severe Metropolitan, travel uptown to the remote setting of the Cloisters and its medieval trove of funerary art, and on to the massive array of beasts and bones at the Museum of Natural History. Somewhere deep within the bowels of one of these great cultural centers, a killer may wait.
Atmospheric, chilling, and rich with the kind of procedural authenticity that only Linda Fairstein can provide, The Bone Vault is a page-turning tour de force from one of crime writing's brightest stars.
The Bone Vault begins in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's glorious Temple of Dendur, where wealthy donors have gathered to celebrate a controversial new exhibit.
An uneasy mix of scholarship, showbiz, and aggressive marketing, "A Modern Bestiary" will be a joint venture of the Met and the American Museum of Natural History. With its IMAX time trips and Rembrandt refrigerator magnets, the "Bestiary" has raised fierce opposition from some of New York's museum elite.
Assistant DA Alexandra Cooper, off duty for the evening, observes the developing tensions with bemused interest until Met director Pierre Thibodaux pulls her aside. He needs her advice. There's an urgent problem out at a loading dock on a New Jersey pier.
A Twelfth Dynasty mummified princess, enclosed for eternity in a huge stone sarcophagus, is about to take a long voyage to Cairo as part of a routine museum exchange. But Cleopatra is missing, and in her place is the not-so-mummified body of a woman many centuries younger than her royal predecessor.
Who is this woman with the small physique, the dark hair, and the shiny barrette? What is her connection, if any, to the rarefied world of priceless art and objects? And how and when did she become entombed in the sarcophagus?
Teaming with cops Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace, Alex must explore behind the scenes at the elegant but severe Metropolitan, travel uptown to the remote setting of the Cloisters and its medieval trove of funerary art, and on to the massive array of beasts and bones at the Museum of Natural History. Somewhere deep within the bowels of one of these great cultural centers, a killer may wait.
Atmospheric, chilling, and rich with the kind of procedural authenticity that only Linda Fairstein can provide, The Bone Vault is a page-turning tour de force from one of crime writing's brightest stars.
400 pages, ebook
First published January 21, 2003
133 people are currently reading
1690 people want to read
About the author
Linda Fairstein
100 books1,605 followersLinda Fairstein (born 1947) is one of America's foremost legal experts on crimes of violence against women and children. She served as head of the sex crimes unit of the Manhattan District Attorney's office from 1976 until 2002 and is the author of a series of novels featuring Manhattan prosecutor Alexandra Cooper.
Like Fairstein, Alex ('Coop') Cooper is in charge of the Special Victims Unit of the Office. She works closely with NYPD detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace. The 17th book in her best-selling series - DEVIL'S BRIDGE - launches in paperback in June, 2016. The 18th novel - KILLER LOOK - debuts on July 26th.
This year, Fairstein will debut a new series for Middle Grade readers - 8-12 years old. Her kid sleuth, Devlin Quick, appears in INTO THE LION'S DEN in November, 2016. The series is an homage to Nancy Drew, whose books inspired Linda's two careers - in crime fiction and in the law.
Ms. Fairstein is an honors graduate of Vassar College (1969) and the University of Virginia School of Law (1972). She joined the Manhattan District Attorney's office in 1972 as an Assistant District Attorney. She was promoted to the head of the sex crimes unit in 1976. During her tenure, she prosecuted several highly publicized cases, including the "Preppy Murder" case against Robert Chambers in 1986.
Linda Fairstein left the District Attorney's office in 2002, and has continued to consult, write, lecture and serve as a sex crimes expert for a wide variety of print and television media outlets, including the major networks, CNN, MSNBC among others. Ms. Fairstein is often called to provide her opinion on high profile prosecutions including: Michael Jackson's molestation charges in 2004, Kobe Bryant's sexual assault charges, and Scott Peterson's trial. She is also a frequent speaker on issues surrounding domestic abuse.
Ms. Fairstein lives in Manhattan and on Martha's Vineyard with her husband, Michael Goldberg. Her novels draw on Ms. Fairstein's legal expertise as well as her knowledge of and affection for the rich history of the city of New York.
Series:
* Alexandra Cooper Mystery
Like Fairstein, Alex ('Coop') Cooper is in charge of the Special Victims Unit of the Office. She works closely with NYPD detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace. The 17th book in her best-selling series - DEVIL'S BRIDGE - launches in paperback in June, 2016. The 18th novel - KILLER LOOK - debuts on July 26th.
This year, Fairstein will debut a new series for Middle Grade readers - 8-12 years old. Her kid sleuth, Devlin Quick, appears in INTO THE LION'S DEN in November, 2016. The series is an homage to Nancy Drew, whose books inspired Linda's two careers - in crime fiction and in the law.
Ms. Fairstein is an honors graduate of Vassar College (1969) and the University of Virginia School of Law (1972). She joined the Manhattan District Attorney's office in 1972 as an Assistant District Attorney. She was promoted to the head of the sex crimes unit in 1976. During her tenure, she prosecuted several highly publicized cases, including the "Preppy Murder" case against Robert Chambers in 1986.
Linda Fairstein left the District Attorney's office in 2002, and has continued to consult, write, lecture and serve as a sex crimes expert for a wide variety of print and television media outlets, including the major networks, CNN, MSNBC among others. Ms. Fairstein is often called to provide her opinion on high profile prosecutions including: Michael Jackson's molestation charges in 2004, Kobe Bryant's sexual assault charges, and Scott Peterson's trial. She is also a frequent speaker on issues surrounding domestic abuse.
Ms. Fairstein lives in Manhattan and on Martha's Vineyard with her husband, Michael Goldberg. Her novels draw on Ms. Fairstein's legal expertise as well as her knowledge of and affection for the rich history of the city of New York.
Series:
* Alexandra Cooper Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 286 reviews
March 16, 2024
The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History, two of the most extraordinary museums in the world
With Preston and Child’s classic horror thriller RELIC standing as a brilliant example of what can be done in the setting of Manhattan’s world class, sprawling museums, you’d think that a writer with Linda Fairstein’s proven abilities would have no problem penning something in the Alexandra Cooper series and blasting it right out of the park! The grisly discovery of a perfectly preserved woman’s body (raped before her murder, no less!) with forensic signs of arsenic poisoning inside a sarcophagus awaiting shipment to parts unknown set the table for a sex crimes thriller that I could hardly start to read quickly enough.
But my enthusiasm waned as Fairstein’s mystery quickly devolved into a Agatha Christie style “Poirot”-esque character driven tale that was cluttered, muddled, tortuous and byzantine to a fault. Jealousy and possible motives for murder were scattered like dandelion seeds in a spring breeze and became impossible to understand. The investigation unraveled into a knot as twisted, as sprawling, and as endless as the exhibits in the museums, in their basements, and in their countless storerooms.
Indeed, it became slow enough and uninteresting enough that I toyed more than once with the idea of setting the novel aside as one of my few DNFs. But I’ll admit to being fascinated by Fairstein’s asides on the larcenous history of artifact accumulation by western white society and the unthinking white privilege politics of cultural anthropology. It’s too bad that I had to put up with such a lack-lustre mystery while I was learning so much about the museums.
Paul Weiss
With Preston and Child’s classic horror thriller RELIC standing as a brilliant example of what can be done in the setting of Manhattan’s world class, sprawling museums, you’d think that a writer with Linda Fairstein’s proven abilities would have no problem penning something in the Alexandra Cooper series and blasting it right out of the park! The grisly discovery of a perfectly preserved woman’s body (raped before her murder, no less!) with forensic signs of arsenic poisoning inside a sarcophagus awaiting shipment to parts unknown set the table for a sex crimes thriller that I could hardly start to read quickly enough.
But my enthusiasm waned as Fairstein’s mystery quickly devolved into a Agatha Christie style “Poirot”-esque character driven tale that was cluttered, muddled, tortuous and byzantine to a fault. Jealousy and possible motives for murder were scattered like dandelion seeds in a spring breeze and became impossible to understand. The investigation unraveled into a knot as twisted, as sprawling, and as endless as the exhibits in the museums, in their basements, and in their countless storerooms.
Indeed, it became slow enough and uninteresting enough that I toyed more than once with the idea of setting the novel aside as one of my few DNFs. But I’ll admit to being fascinated by Fairstein’s asides on the larcenous history of artifact accumulation by western white society and the unthinking white privilege politics of cultural anthropology. It’s too bad that I had to put up with such a lack-lustre mystery while I was learning so much about the museums.
Paul Weiss
June 4, 2019
#whentheyseeus
December 6, 2017
Onvan : The Bone Vault (Alexandra Cooper, #5) - Nevisande : Linda Fairstein - ISBN : 743436679 - ISBN13 : 9780743436670 - Dar 528 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 2003
July 23, 2010
Better than Deadhouse, but still a chore to get through...
We've read all five of Fairstein's novels featuring Alex Cooper, her fictional Asst. DA for sex crimes of the NYC DA's office, the same job our author held for 25 years until her recent retirement. While the first three novels were pretty good, her fourth, "Deadhouse", disappointed all but her most ardent fans -- too much of a history lesson about an obscure NYC island, and too much silly action by our leading lady detracted from what text was left to move along the mystery and its solution.
"Vault" is an improvement in that its focus is a murder of a young researcher associated with two famous NYC institutions: the Metropolitan Museum and the Museum of Natural History. When the woman's body is found inside an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus, Cooper and her cop buddies Chapman, who again in this book gets some amorous attention from "Blondie", and Mercer, go into action, spending most of their time searching for clues through the vast collection of rooms and cubbyholes in these two giant edifices.
So much time is spent describing this architectural geography, and the contents thereof, that considerable portions of the book drag and bore, unless one happens to be personally interested in this particular subject matter. It also became clear that Fairstein was using the story as a bit of a forum to discuss the inappropriateness of much of the human bone holdings (hence the book's title) of both organizations, and to sympathetically describe modern efforts to restore the skeletons to their origins for proper and respectful burial. Like Grisham sometimes proselytizes on a subject close to heart, Fairstein soon tires us with the political correctness of this cause, whether righteous or not.
Lastly, a first-hand description of the September 11th attack on the twin towers, while quite emotional and interesting, was hardly part of the story; so while it made cogent reading, it was a bit of an interruption of the story flow. Similarly, an "all-girls" weekend outing to Martha's Vineyard (where our author has taken up retirement in real life), was shades of the "Ya Ya Sisterhood" -- again, not entirely relevant to the plot.
So take out all the extraneous stuff, plus the longish prowls around the museums, and what remains is little more than a short story for a magazine. We think Fairstein can do better, and hopefully now that she's forsaken her "day job", she can concentrate more on story and characters and less on stuff that weakens our resolve to turn pages.
We've read all five of Fairstein's novels featuring Alex Cooper, her fictional Asst. DA for sex crimes of the NYC DA's office, the same job our author held for 25 years until her recent retirement. While the first three novels were pretty good, her fourth, "Deadhouse", disappointed all but her most ardent fans -- too much of a history lesson about an obscure NYC island, and too much silly action by our leading lady detracted from what text was left to move along the mystery and its solution.
"Vault" is an improvement in that its focus is a murder of a young researcher associated with two famous NYC institutions: the Metropolitan Museum and the Museum of Natural History. When the woman's body is found inside an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus, Cooper and her cop buddies Chapman, who again in this book gets some amorous attention from "Blondie", and Mercer, go into action, spending most of their time searching for clues through the vast collection of rooms and cubbyholes in these two giant edifices.
So much time is spent describing this architectural geography, and the contents thereof, that considerable portions of the book drag and bore, unless one happens to be personally interested in this particular subject matter. It also became clear that Fairstein was using the story as a bit of a forum to discuss the inappropriateness of much of the human bone holdings (hence the book's title) of both organizations, and to sympathetically describe modern efforts to restore the skeletons to their origins for proper and respectful burial. Like Grisham sometimes proselytizes on a subject close to heart, Fairstein soon tires us with the political correctness of this cause, whether righteous or not.
Lastly, a first-hand description of the September 11th attack on the twin towers, while quite emotional and interesting, was hardly part of the story; so while it made cogent reading, it was a bit of an interruption of the story flow. Similarly, an "all-girls" weekend outing to Martha's Vineyard (where our author has taken up retirement in real life), was shades of the "Ya Ya Sisterhood" -- again, not entirely relevant to the plot.
So take out all the extraneous stuff, plus the longish prowls around the museums, and what remains is little more than a short story for a magazine. We think Fairstein can do better, and hopefully now that she's forsaken her "day job", she can concentrate more on story and characters and less on stuff that weakens our resolve to turn pages.
February 6, 2017
'You'll really enjoy the background settings of Fairstein's stories', said my enthusiastic friend. And I did, very much - the labyrinthine buildings and politics of two great New York museums; ethics of the ways in which past and present collections were/ are assembled; collection storage and display; and a cleverly selected cast of characters.
I was more interested in the interactions with museum staff than in the interactions between the investigators, which seemed more formulaic, perhaps because more familiar - the tough talking cops, the turf wars.
I'll read more Fairsteins when I need light distraction.
Three and a half stars.
I was more interested in the interactions with museum staff than in the interactions between the investigators, which seemed more formulaic, perhaps because more familiar - the tough talking cops, the turf wars.
I'll read more Fairsteins when I need light distraction.
Three and a half stars.
July 2, 2009
I really like Linda Fairstein's books because she adds some of New York's history. In this book, I found out about the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Natural History Museum and the Cloisters. I have visited those museums and it was interesting to learn some history. Having read several of her books, I really like the characters and how they interact. I like that they play 'Final Jeopardy'. I learn something when I read these books and I am engaged throughout trying to guess "who done it".
April 15, 2023
Wieder ein Fall für Mike, Mercer und natürlich Alex. Wieder gut geschrieben und spannend. Diesmal bewegen wir uns hauptsächlich in zwei der größten Museen New Yorks. Teilweise driftet das Buch gefühlt wieder sehr ab, bei der Suche nach Gewölben und Knochen, aber es bleibt immr spannend und irgendwie wird doch öfter mal der Bogen zur Toten geschlagen. Am Ende löst sich alles sehr schnell auf, aber es war doch nachvollziehbar. Freue mich schon auf den nächsten Teil!
December 13, 2017
I enjoyed the Museum and the history of the bones and all of the going on in the museum, but I had a hard time figuring out who was speaking in this novel. At times I thought it was Alex and it was Mike and vice versa. Very hard to keep track of the conversation. I have not read one of her books in a long time and this must have been the reason.
I am giving this 3 out of 5 stars. Just wasn't that interesting to me.
I am giving this 3 out of 5 stars. Just wasn't that interesting to me.
June 5, 2025
3.5 stars
February 10, 2017
I absolutely loved the mystery to be solved in this book. The museums and history about the museums are totally worth the read. It was a truly fascinating part of the book and very well done by the author. The setting and mystery really is what encouraged me to give this book a 4 star rating.
The relationships between Alexandra, Mike and Mercer continue to be very well developed and still appreciate the interactions between the three characters. There were some great supporting characters in this museum. The author brought all the different personalities of museum staff to life like Zim and Clementine. I also really like this Justin Feldman character and think this is the type of man Alex needs.
The trip to Martha’s vineyard seemed out of place and said a lot about how uninvested we as readers are supposed to be with Mike/Alex’s loves and how invested we are supposed to be in their developing relationship. I really hope the author doesn’t go there because I’m not sure it would be good for the book series or how the three main characters continue to interact.
I normally feel like Alex’s love life completely eats up any side plots to books but another good note for this entry in the series is that I felt Alexandra’s love life side story took more of a backseat even though there are plenty of hints of this relationship with Jake not working out. I mean she almost immediately believed he was the story leak instead of trusting him. I also thought Nina opening up about Jake not being right for her was very prophetic.
Overall, a most engaging mystery and very well done.
The relationships between Alexandra, Mike and Mercer continue to be very well developed and still appreciate the interactions between the three characters. There were some great supporting characters in this museum. The author brought all the different personalities of museum staff to life like Zim and Clementine. I also really like this Justin Feldman character and think this is the type of man Alex needs.
The trip to Martha’s vineyard seemed out of place and said a lot about how uninvested we as readers are supposed to be with Mike/Alex’s loves and how invested we are supposed to be in their developing relationship. I really hope the author doesn’t go there because I’m not sure it would be good for the book series or how the three main characters continue to interact.
I normally feel like Alex’s love life completely eats up any side plots to books but another good note for this entry in the series is that I felt Alexandra’s love life side story took more of a backseat even though there are plenty of hints of this relationship with Jake not working out. I mean she almost immediately believed he was the story leak instead of trusting him. I also thought Nina opening up about Jake not being right for her was very prophetic.
Overall, a most engaging mystery and very well done.
October 25, 2011
I found all the museum bits quite interesting and the side cases but as for the rest I thought it was fairly tedious. Also the murderers motive was extremely sketchy to the point where I had my incredulous face on. It just didn't really make sense and felt like it had been tacked on as an afterthought. It wasn't unreadable, and perhaps I'd have benefited from reading the others in the series first but it just wasn't that good. It's a packed genre anyway and mediocre really does shine out in the field I'm afraid.
March 7, 2018
Read this about ten years ago. It is one of the series about Alexandra Cooper, head of the NYC DA’s Sex Crimes Unit. This story involves the Metropolitan Museum of Art (which I used to love to visit) and the Museum of Natural History. I noted back then that I thought it was well done. She is a good main character, smart, no silly moves. I had rated it 8+. Not sure if I read any more books in this series.
August 3, 2020
I always enjoy a murder mystery/thriller. When, it takes place in NYC, it makes it even better! Another Alexandra Cooper mystery. It takes place in Metropolitan Museum of Art and Natural History Museums, two gems of the city. A young Museum worker is murdered and found in a sarcophagus. It’s up to Alex, the prosecutor and her NYPD colleagues, Mike and Mercer, to find the killer. Part of the excitement and intrigue involves all the treasures housed in museum. Very enjoyable.
January 4, 2019
A nice mystery with some good characters. On the down side, Linda Fairstein adds to many details and descriptions that aren't necessary to the plot and those make some parts of the story slow down too much.
June 6, 2022
DNF at page 127. Too technical and too boring to continue on.
July 9, 2020
Love her books because of her descriptions of NYC landmarks. In addition she is a good crime writer
August 26, 2021
Fun story, exploring the ethics of museums like the natural history in ny, and the cloisters.. Alex Cooper is a good character
March 21, 2022
Seemed too get a bit lost what the main investigation was at time so dragged.
dnf
May 18, 2024Legal thrillers and police procedurals are just not for me. I think I made it 50 pages and I just couldn't push through to the actual mystery that had to do with the MET.
May 7, 2008
In this book, we are taken behind the scenes of New York’s most magnificent and mysterious recesses of both the Metropolitan Museum of Arts and The American Museum of Natural History. A large and controversial new exhibit is set to combine the resources of both organizations, but has raised fierce opposition from some of the museum's elite. Assistant DA Alex Cooper is off duty for the evening, until the director of the Met informs her of the body of a young researcher that has been found in an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus. Teaming up with officers Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace, they set out to investigate. Somewhere, in one of these great cultural centers, a killer may wait.
I completely enjoyed this procedural mystery, as I have each installment of this series. This is her fifth novel, but only my fourth read in this series. I don’t know why I wait so long between them – having read “Cold Hit” in May of 2003 – because I’ve found each book to be very atmospheric in its real-world detail, and the characters are fabulously fleshed-out and empathetic (I am completely taken with Mike and his NY-style, snarky wit). I do know that I’m glad I took the opportunity to reaquaint myself with Alex Cooper and her world, and I won’t wait so long before I join her again
I completely enjoyed this procedural mystery, as I have each installment of this series. This is her fifth novel, but only my fourth read in this series. I don’t know why I wait so long between them – having read “Cold Hit” in May of 2003 – because I’ve found each book to be very atmospheric in its real-world detail, and the characters are fabulously fleshed-out and empathetic (I am completely taken with Mike and his NY-style, snarky wit). I do know that I’m glad I took the opportunity to reaquaint myself with Alex Cooper and her world, and I won’t wait so long before I join her again
April 26, 2008
Enjoyed this for a second time, and courtesy of my goldfish memory of books, it was all a nice mystery once more. I hunted it down, remembering the opening was set in the Temple of Dendur in the Met Museum, having just been there. Visual memory applied to books is a wonderful thing - brings it really alive. Always love Linda Fairstein, and forever wondering if/when Coop and Chapman are going to realise they are meant to be together. Not for another many books, anyway!!!
October 9, 2013
Fairstein seems to have a great ability to educate and inform with her stories. This one was a long education about the whole subject of museums and their operation. The examples being the Met and Natural History museums in New York. The three main characters were active again, but Mike was less aggressive in his comments about Alex and there was less "love" for Alex in the story. I think they continue to be good reads
June 10, 2009
I am enjoying these books so much. I love the bond between the three main characters, Mercer, Mike, and Alex. I like the behind-the-scenes glimpse that we get at the two museums that are prominent in NYC. I think the plots are realistic because there is an ongoing case but also other political, personal, and professional complications. A fun thing is that we learn cop slang.
April 1, 2016
Just when I go on a rant about this author's tired plotting, she pulls a book like this out of her bag: total museum fetish deliciousness. The ending made no sense at all at all at all, and the subplot was just in there because... editor called and reminded her? No idea. But hello MUSEUM PORN.
Four-star book with a three-star ending.
Four-star book with a three-star ending.
December 12, 2018
Book 5 picks right up where #4 left off and the intrepid trio (corrected 12Dec2018) Cooper, Chapman, and Wallace investigate the death of a young museum curator whose body was found in an Egyptian Sarcophagus. The action takes readers behind the scenes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cloisters, the American Museum of Natural History.
A convoluted mystery to delight mystery lovers.
A convoluted mystery to delight mystery lovers.
March 26, 2012
Decent read. LOVED all the museum info and intrigue. The behind the scenes in big museums has always fascinated me. But the motive didnt do it for me
October 1, 2014
Pretty good mystery but story was bogged down in details so slow going.
January 29, 2024
At a glittering reception hosted by Pierre Thibodaux, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art to announce a cooperative exhibition with the American Museum of Natural History, the discovery of a perfectly preserved corpse in an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus sets DA Alex Cooper and NYPD’s Mike Chapman on a bizarre investigation at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. For the body is identified as that of Karina Grooten, a young, shy, studious researcher from South Africa. Although preserved, evidence suggests that the victim has been dead for some months and the method of the killing appears to be arsenic poising.
With a staff of more than 3000 at the gallery, Mike Chapman is keen to trace the movement of the sarcophagus, but this proves to me a momentous task, as Pierre Thibodaux explains. Objects are constantly on the move and the gallery has more than three million objects and works of art, of which at any given time the most that is ever on display is less than 10%of that number.
The descriptions of the mechanics of the gallery are enthralling, and as Alex and Mike delve into the workings of it they uncover several skeletons, such as the existence of private vaults which no one owns to know about. Not even how many exist, or their exact locations in the vast area the gallery covers. Discussions with Katrina’s immediate colleagues Erik Poste and Anna Fredrichs reveal that arsenic is used in their work. Interspersed with the main investigation are the ongoing cases that Alex is handling, and as in her earlier books provide fascinating reading.
There are also interesting shifts in the relationship between Alex and Mike which now spans an eight year period. During that time, they have developed a deep friendship and come to respect and rely on each other, but both have had relationships with other people. Could they be viewing each other differently now?
On every level this is a stunning book, and one I heartily recommend.
------
Reviewer: Lizzie Hayes
With a staff of more than 3000 at the gallery, Mike Chapman is keen to trace the movement of the sarcophagus, but this proves to me a momentous task, as Pierre Thibodaux explains. Objects are constantly on the move and the gallery has more than three million objects and works of art, of which at any given time the most that is ever on display is less than 10%of that number.
The descriptions of the mechanics of the gallery are enthralling, and as Alex and Mike delve into the workings of it they uncover several skeletons, such as the existence of private vaults which no one owns to know about. Not even how many exist, or their exact locations in the vast area the gallery covers. Discussions with Katrina’s immediate colleagues Erik Poste and Anna Fredrichs reveal that arsenic is used in their work. Interspersed with the main investigation are the ongoing cases that Alex is handling, and as in her earlier books provide fascinating reading.
There are also interesting shifts in the relationship between Alex and Mike which now spans an eight year period. During that time, they have developed a deep friendship and come to respect and rely on each other, but both have had relationships with other people. Could they be viewing each other differently now?
On every level this is a stunning book, and one I heartily recommend.
------
Reviewer: Lizzie Hayes
May 10, 2018
The Bone Vault sees ADA Alexandra Cooper of the New York Sex Crimes Division in another case with her side kick detective Mike Chapman and, his becoming more remote partner, Mercer Wallace.
On a trip over to New Jersey at the request of a party host Cooper discovers a body in a sarcophagus which was being transferred between museums for a joint show. Whilst that is totally expected the body is usually a Mummy but this was a fresh body of a young woman.
The investigations, often hindered by the aloof museum hierarchy, gets under way as Coop and her side kicks try to get their killer.
It's the usual stuff from Ms Fairstein, whose books I quite like, which includes the usual niggles; namely that the police can't do a thing without Cooper getting involved, particularly suspect interviews, deciding on lines of investigations and Chapman's awful character. However Chapman, who Fairstein obviously thinks is funny BUT ISN'T, was actually noy annoying thins time and his little song about Clem the Eskimo WAS funny.
I like Mercer Wallace better but he taken to a more and more withdrawn role, which is disappointing, so much so that he and Chapman hardly seem to work together anymore.
There's Copper's usual trip to her holiday home on Martha's Vineyard as well as her long distance love life with Jake the TV Reporter. However we all know that one day her and Chapman will end up as an item if she gets her way.
Certainly worth a read and it's a decent series that I intend to keep reading.
On a trip over to New Jersey at the request of a party host Cooper discovers a body in a sarcophagus which was being transferred between museums for a joint show. Whilst that is totally expected the body is usually a Mummy but this was a fresh body of a young woman.
The investigations, often hindered by the aloof museum hierarchy, gets under way as Coop and her side kicks try to get their killer.
It's the usual stuff from Ms Fairstein, whose books I quite like, which includes the usual niggles; namely that the police can't do a thing without Cooper getting involved, particularly suspect interviews, deciding on lines of investigations and Chapman's awful character. However Chapman, who Fairstein obviously thinks is funny BUT ISN'T, was actually noy annoying thins time and his little song about Clem the Eskimo WAS funny.
I like Mercer Wallace better but he taken to a more and more withdrawn role, which is disappointing, so much so that he and Chapman hardly seem to work together anymore.
There's Copper's usual trip to her holiday home on Martha's Vineyard as well as her long distance love life with Jake the TV Reporter. However we all know that one day her and Chapman will end up as an item if she gets her way.
Certainly worth a read and it's a decent series that I intend to keep reading.
June 12, 2020
I love the main characters in the Alexandra Cooper series and this story is another good one. It's set in the Metropolitan and the Natural History Museums in NY City. Heard about them but never have been in either. They are now on my bucket list.
The story starts when the police find a woman's body in a sarcophagus wrapped like a mummy. She is one of the interns working at the Met and she had been saying she was going home to be with her sick father in South Africa, so when she doesn't show up after a break at Christmas everyone thinks she's gone home. Alex and Mike know it's murder and won't let go of the case till they follow the clues and get to the real killer - of course. The person who "did it" is so warped by their life as a child and then being disappointed at work that they are willing to do anything to protect their "treasure".
I have read this series a little out of order because some of the books weren't available, now I'm going back and reading the ones I missed. This one has the beginnings of the love between Alex and Mike. And I need to read #6 to see how their love progresses.
The story starts when the police find a woman's body in a sarcophagus wrapped like a mummy. She is one of the interns working at the Met and she had been saying she was going home to be with her sick father in South Africa, so when she doesn't show up after a break at Christmas everyone thinks she's gone home. Alex and Mike know it's murder and won't let go of the case till they follow the clues and get to the real killer - of course. The person who "did it" is so warped by their life as a child and then being disappointed at work that they are willing to do anything to protect their "treasure".
I have read this series a little out of order because some of the books weren't available, now I'm going back and reading the ones I missed. This one has the beginnings of the love between Alex and Mike. And I need to read #6 to see how their love progresses.
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