BoundbyWords: BLOG TOUR: All Day and a Night by Alafair Burke

Title: All Day and a Night

Author: Alafair Burke
Genre: Adult Crime/Thriller Fiction
Publisher: Harper

Release Date: June 10/2014

Acquired: Print ARC provided by publisher

Goodreads: ADD

Purchase: Amazon/Indigo/Book Depository

A murder case with ties to a convicted serial killer leads a young defense lawyer and an NYPD homicide detective into parallel investigations with explosive and deadly results in this superb mystery.

The latest story dominating the tabloids - the murder of psychotherapist Helen Brunswick-couldn't be further from Carrie Blank's world handling federal appeals at an elite Manhattan law firm. But then a hard-charging celebrity trial lawyer calls Carrie with an offer she can't refuse: Anthony Amaro, the serial killer police blamed for the murder of Carrie's older sister, Donna, has new evidence related to Brunswick's murder that he believes can exonerate him. Determined to force the government to catch Donna's real killer, Carrie takes on Amaro's wrongful conviction claim.

On the other side of Amaro's case is NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher, who, along with her partner, JJ Rogan, is tapped as the "fresh look" team to reassess the investigation that led to Amaro's conviction. The case is personal for them, too: Ellie wonders whether they got the assignment because of her relationship with the lead prosecutor, and Rogan has his own reasons to distrust Amaro's defense team.

As the NYPD and Amaro's lawyers search for certainty among 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, it becomes clear that the young attorney got too close to the truth.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*slow applause*..crime fiction people, I'm telling you, that's where it's at. HOW have I strayed aware from this genre for as long as I have? It's like becoming reacquainted with that old caffeine habit I thought I kicked, but..why in the hell did I kick it in the first place!? I didn't want to kick this book, not one bit. All Day and a Night is the fifth in a series of books featuring detective homicide Ellie Hatcher, and the very first book I've read by author Alafair Burke. I was more than happy to continue my crime fiction reading spree, but this book could very well have been the one to jump-started it. An informative, edgy, and suspenseful read, All Day and a Night wasn't action-packed, but the pacing was on point for story that emphasized build-up, and pulled out a BAM!! for an ending.

Told from two sides of the coin, Ellie Hatcher is working to keep an accused serial killer behind bars, while Caroline Blank is looking to clear his name, and find out who ACTUALLY killed her sister. It was an interesting dynamic, and one that I haven't come across in many law/crime novels. Alafair Burke was generous with the details, and built a back story for her characters that was easy to fall into step with-I would have never guessed that this book took it's place among four others, I felt so informed. The voices were fresh, and distinctive, and the story line grew steadily in strength, until I was frantically flipping pages to find out the big reveal. The banter between characters felt like one that came from years of familiarity, and it was only then that I wished I had read the previous books, if only to have bared witness to the moments that created those bonds. There were scenes that had me cringing, but that's what clinches the deal when it comes to this genre: you can't produce good crime fiction without making your readers at least a little uncomfortable.

There was, however, much that flew way over my head in the way of terminology, and law/criminal prosecution practices. Personally, I find this qualm exists in books by authors who have an actual background in the field-their descriptions become too steeped in technicalities, and they seem to forget that the majority of their readers have no prior knowledge in areas that they are all too familiar with.

In all, All Day and a Night was an endlessly entertaining read. I have every intention of going back and checking out the other books featuring Ellie Hatcher.

Recommended for fans of: Linwood Barclay, Harlan Coben, Michael Connelly, Third Rail by Rory Flynn, Crime Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense.

Challenges: Goodreads 100 Book Goal

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.