The Hard Way: A Rachel Alexander Mystery - Hardcover

Benjamin, Carol Lea

3.84

193 ratings by Goodreads

9780060539030: The Hard Way: A Rachel Alexander Mystery

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060539038 ISBN 13: 9780060539030

Publisher: William Morrow, 2006

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A lifelong New Yorker, Rachel Alexander has seen her city change shape through the years. But while New York has never been cleaner and crime is rapidly in decline, a vestige of grittier days remains. When wealthy business owner Eleanor Redstone approaches Rachel to ask if she can investigate her father's murder—a brutal slaying that occurred when he was pushed onto the subway tracks—Rachel takes the case, plunging herself into parts of the city only its poorest residents have ever known. Because to solve Gardner Redstone's murder, Rachel must disguise herself as a homeless woman and live on the streets, searching for the dispossessed man witnesses say made the fatal push. In one of the coldest winters New York City has seen in years, Rachel is helped by a homeless Iraq War veteran, a man whose sad circumstances leave Rachel pondering her own fortunate life. This is a once-in-a-lifetime case that, before it's over, will engulf Rachel in a dangerous new world and change the way that she sees her city forever.

As her fans have come to expect, Carol Lea Benjamin once again uses deft plotting, an intimate knowledge of New York, and a considerable skill for creating believable and compelling characters to bring this captivating story to life.

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About the Author:

Carol Lea Benjamin is a noted author about, and trainer of, dogs. Her award-winning books on dog behavior and training include Mother Knows Best: The Natural Way to Train Your Dog, Second-Hand Dog, and Dog Training in Ten Minutes. A former detective, Benjamin blends her knowledge of dogs with her real-life experiences to create the Rachel Alexander mystery series. Recently honored by the International Association of Canine Professionals with election to their Hall of Fame, she lives in Greenwich Village with her husband and three dogs, Dexter, Flash, and Peep.

From Publishers Weekly:

When a retired businessman is pushed to his death on Manhattan's subway tracks, his daughter retains the services of PI Rachel Alexander in Benjamin's well-plotted, thoughtful ninth episode (after 2005's Without a Word) in her series starring the former dog trainer and her trusty pit bull, Dashiell. The police believe a homeless man killed the victim, Gardner Redstone, so Rachel—escorted by her canine companion—goes undercover as a homeless woman to track down the perpetrator. Numerous interviews give her cause to believe that malice rather than madness motivated the crime, and Rachel cleans up to pose as an employee at Redstone's upscale leather goods store, now run by his daughter, Eleanor. Rachel's sleuthing efforts finally pay off, but not before she experiences firsthand the painful gap between New York City's fabulously wealthy and abject poor. Benjamin brings a strong sense of place and social conscience to her latest outing. (Oct.)
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