Introduction

Head of the Sex Crimes Unit of the district attorney's office in Manhattan for decades, Linda Fairstein is America's most visible legal expert on sexual assault and domestic violence-which is why she writes some of the most compelling crime thrillers of our time and why her Alexandra Cooper series has been topping bestseller list for more than a decade. Fans turn to Fairstein for ripped-from-the-headline crimes, cutting-edge investigations, and vindication for victims. Linda Fairstein brings readers inside a world of which they can't get enough, but one they hope to never see in real life.

And for her twelfth novel, Fairstein takes Alexandra Cooper inside a world she'd rather not see.

New York City politics have always been filled with intrigue and behind-the-scenes deals. In Hell Gate, Alex finds her attention torn between investigating a shipwreck that has contraband cargo-human cargo-and the political sex scandal of a promising New York congressman now fallen from grace. When Alex discovers that a woman from the wreck and the congressman's lover have the same rose tattoo-the brand of a "snakehead", a master of a human trafficking operation-it dawns on her that these cases aren't as unrelated as they seem and that the entire political landscape of New York City could hang in the balance of her investigation. As Alex looks on at the nameless victims in the morgue, she realizes she's looking at the present-day face of New York's long, dark tradition of human trafficking-a tradition that began hundreds of years ago with slave trade from Africa, now a multimillion-dollar industry that will stop at no cost, even if that cost is Alex's life.

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Excerpt

One

“How many bodies?”

“Six, Ms. Cooper. So far we got six dead. But there’s a mean rip and a swift current out there. Anybody’s guess what’s going to wash up by the end of the day.”

I was walking toward the ocean behind a cop sent to escort me from my car, following him on the path that had been formed in the dunes by the first responders who had tracked across it two hours earlier, at daybreak. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

From the author:

1. What makes this an ideal case for Alex, Mike, and Mercer? How do their special skills
help them to navigate the world of the Hunts? What makes the Hunt family different from
any other suspects they have encountered?
2. How did you interpret Tina Barr’s cryptic description of her work? If you were in her
position, would you have gone to the police after the first attack?
3. How did your impressions of Minerva Hunt change throughout the novel? Did you trust
Karla? What was your theory about why she was found with the jewel-encrusted copy of
the Bay Psalm Book?
4. Discuss the different motivations of the collectors portrayed in Lethal Legacy, from
Jonah Krauss to Alger Herrick. What makes them covet particular objects?
5. Why is it important to preserve early volumes such as the Bay Psalm Book? In a
digital age, why do printed books matter? What did you learn about the history of book
printing and mapmaking by reading Lethal Legacy?
6. Though Lethal Legacy is entirely a work of fiction, in 2006 a real-life map thief
admitted to stealing dozens of valuable specimens, targeting institutions ranging from the
New York Public Library to Yale’s Beinecke Library. In your opinion, what (and who) drives
the high market value of centuries-old maps? What value, besides a financial one, do
these artifacts have in Lethal Legacy?
7. Most of Linda Fairstein’s fans know that she worked in the Manhattan District Attorney’s
Office for more than twenty years. But not many fans know that she collects rare books.
How does it affect your reading to know that Fairstein is a rare-book lover herself?
8. What was the legacy of the Jasper Hunts, in emotional terms? Was Jasper Hunt Junior
mad or brilliant? Or both? Is he solely responsible for the feuds between the Hunt
siblings?
9. Does Jane Eliot appreciate rare books in a way that is different from the other
characters? How was her childhood enhanced by life in the New York Public Library?
10. Jonah Krauss describes how his life changed after he bought an early edition of The
Great Gatsby. If you could pay any price, which rare book would you most want to own?
11. In chapter five, Alex fights for access to California’s DNA database, trying to clinch her
case against Jamal Griggs. DNA evidence also affects the Hunt family tree. Should America
adopt Britain’s Police and Justice Act, which allows police to collect and retain DNA from
anyone who is arrested?
12. Alex has a harrowing cab ride on her way to meet Luc for dinner. How does that
evening capture the two sides of her life: the gritty, constant threat of retaliation and an
evening with a man who loves to surround her with luxury? What makes Luc the perfect
antidote to her stressful job?
13. How did Travis Forbes become powerful? How is his power different from the Hunt
family’s?
14. Discuss the New York Public Library’s role as a character in the novel. What did you
discover about its unique history? What has helped this landmark endure into the twentyfirst
century?
15. Alex has encountered many criminal minds since her debut in Final Jeopardy. Do all
perps, including the ones in Lethal Legacy, share a common weakness?

Weblinks

»	Linda Fairstein's web site
»	Publisher's Book Info

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