Slightly better than the last four or five novels in the Scarpetta series. At one time, I purchased a Patricia Cornwell book as soon as it hit the shelf, but as you can see, I've put off reading this one for 3 or 4 years because the last few were so disappointing. It was almost as if another author was writing the series. With this one, there was too much psychoanalysis of the characters at the beginning of the book; the mystery seemed to launch then resolve too quickly in the last three or four chapters of the book, but it did feel more like the original Scarpetta books. The title of this book should have been Les Misérables. It was tedious. Not one person found any joy in their life. Kay and Benton who were supposed to be so in love seemed like an old out of sorts married couple with Benton holding on to his misery and grudges while Kay becomes absent-minded. Poor Marino is still lurking around like a dog who has been kicked and Lucy is up to her usual lying and underhanded activities. At times I felt like I was back in Chemistry class as the professor droned on and on focusing on minutia while the big picture was somewhere out the window. When I trudged through 450 pages before the action started and characters came to life, I felt that too much time and too many details preceded that point. If about 200 pages were ripped out of this story, it would actually be good.
2.5 Stars. Not a good sign for that I wanted to finish the rest of the series before the year ends. I started reading Kay Scarpetta when I was single, now my eldest is 18. I truly loved her character with all the intelligence and wit, but I was turned off a bit when Lucy grew up and made constant appearance in the series. I was hoping that I was biased, and hopefully a calmer mind would reconnect me with this series. It's not working. Everything is wrong. I've lost the connection with the characters. I think they and I have all changed. I hope this is not going to be another series/author that I might need to abandon. I don't do goodbyes well and I'm still coping with the loss of Sweets and Dr. Yang. ;)
—pretty
Kay and her husband Benton find themselves the objects of several criminals' attention who want to destroy their reputations and also want them dead. Some of these people are returning from the past to finish what they started years ago. Two seemingly unrelated murders of two young women in New York City involve the couple and their friends. The list of people wanting them destroyed or dead continues to grow as the story unfolds.
—Prei
I enjoyed it...sometimes too wordy but it all came together eventually
—brian
Good to the last drop!!!
—juicylicious
