From the world’s number-one bestselling crime writer comes the extraordinary new Kay Scarpetta novel. Massachusetts Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta has just returned from working one of the worst mass murders in U.S. history when she’s awakened at an early hour by Detective Pete Marino. A body, oddly draped in an unusual cloth, has just been discovered inside the sheltered gates of MIT and it’s suspected the identity is that of missing computer engineer Gail Shipton, last seen the night before at a trendy Cambridge bar. It appears she’s been murdered, mere weeks before the trial of her $100 million lawsuit against her former financial managers, and Scarpetta doubts it’s a coincidence. She also fears the case may have a...
This Women Sleuths give to us some advantages, like this :
1. Is it me?
I've read every Scarpetta novel, even during the "lost years" before Cornwell got her groove back. But as I read the first 9 chapters of this one, I was thinking it was time for Kay to retire. First of all, I was flabbergasted at how disingenuously Cornwell inserted Scarpetta onto the scene in Newtown. No doubt this was Cornwell's way of dealing with the tragedy, but to me it just seemed self-absorbed and completely unnecessary to this story. I was actually offended. Then interspersed with that we get more feverish poor-me-what-to-do-about-Marino crap. Self-absorbed much, Kay? And again, yet another unbelievable conspiracy against Scarpetta and everyone associated with her. .
This book is at its best when it goes back to basics -- Marino being a detective, Scarpetta doing forensics, Benton profiling, and Lucy doing her tech thing. That's what I loved about this series back when it was strong, and that's what continues to carry it. But so much time is wasted with...
2. Back to Basics
Patricia Cornwell's 21st novel Dust is a return to all the things that made the Scarpetta series great.
As with past books Cornwell subtly and smoothly incorporates current technology into the storyline. The reader is given a taste of this in Dust when a droid cell phone mixes into the crime scene and when Scarpetta uses cutting edge technology to autopsy the victim - technologies that may seem far-fetched to readers but that are actually currently being used in real life.
The plot is an intricate web of Scarpetta, Benton, Lucy and Marino working to solve the crime as FBI hands of corruption reach out and try to stop the wheels of justice. This brings Benton into the foreground and we get a glimpse into his world as he struggles to work against the FBI and solve the case at hand.
Nothing is left out in Dust and character relationships are again at the forefront of this book. Marino's new position has shifted the dynamics between him and other...
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Please go back to the old days of writing!
This may be the last book from this author that I buy ( although I've said this before). Her writing style has become too rambling and wordy with description. I find myself skipping sentences just to get to the storyline. For goodness sake, it takes chapters just to get to her plots (such as they are anymore). The later books are almost retrospectives with very little plot value.
I have read and own every book she has written and faithfully read and look forward to a new book coming out. Not so much anymore.
Having said that, she was my favorite author for many years - not so now. I feel sad for the loss of the old Kay Scarpetta.
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