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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 connection with her computer genius niece, Lucy.
At a glance there is no sign of what killed Gail Shipton, but she’s covered with a fine dust that under ultraviolet light fluoresces brilliantly in three vivid colors, what Scarpetta calls a mineral fingerprint. Clearly the body has been posed with chilling premeditation that is symbolic and meant to shock, and Scarpetta has reason to worry that the person responsible is the Capital Murderer, whose most recent sexual homicides have terrorized Washington, D.C. Stunningly, Scarpetta will discover that her FBI profiler husband, Benton Wesley, is convinced that certain people in the government, including his boss, don’t want the killer caught.Ìý
InÌýDust, Scarpetta and her colleagues are up against a force far more sinister than a sexual predator who fits the criminal classification of a "spectacle killer." The murder of Gail Shipton soon leads deep into the dark world of designer drugs, drone technology, organized crime, and shocking corruption at the highest levels.
With unparalleled high-tension suspense and the latest in forensic technology, Patricia Cornwell once again proves her exceptional ability to surprise—and to thrill.
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 connection with her computer genius niece, Lucy.
At a glance there is no sign of what killed Gail Shipton, but she’s covered with a fine dust that under ultraviolet light fluoresces brilliantly in three vivid colors, what Scarpetta calls a mineral fingerprint. Clearly the body has been posed with chilling premeditation that is symbolic and meant to shock, and Scarpetta has reason to worry that the person responsible is the Capital Murderer, whose most recent sexual homicides have terrorized Washington, D.C. Stunningly, Scarpetta will discover that her FBI profiler husband, Benton Wesley, is convinced that certain people in the government, including his boss, don’t want the killer caught.Ìý
InÌýDust, Scarpetta and her colleagues are up against a force far more sinister than a sexual predator who fits the criminal classification of a "spectacle killer." The murder of Gail Shipton soon leads deep into the dark world of designer drugs, drone technology, organized crime, and shocking corruption at the highest levels.
With unparalleled high-tension suspense and the latest in forensic technology, Patricia Cornwell once again proves her exceptional ability to surprise—and to thrill.
512 pages, Hardcover
First published November 12, 2013
2,854 people are currently reading
13.2k people want to read
About the author
Patricia Cornwell
309Ìýbooks18.8kÌýfollowersPatricia Cornwell sold her first novel, Postmortem, in 1990 while working as a computer analyst at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia. Postmortem, was the first bona fide forensic thriller. It paved the way for an explosion of entertainment featuring in all things forensic across film, television and literature.
Postmortem would go on to win the Edgar, Creasey, Anthony, and Macavity awards as well as the French Prix du Roman d’Aventure prize � the first book ever to claim all these distinctions in a single year. To date, Cornwell’s books have sold some 100 million copies in thirty-six languages in over 120 countries. She’s authored twenty-nine New York Times bestsellers.
Patricia’s novels center primarily on medical examiner Kay Scarpetta along with her tech-savvy niece Lucy and fellow investigator Pete Marino. Celebrating 25 years, these characters have grown into an international phenomenon, winning Cornwell the Sherlock Award for best detective created by an American author, the Gold Dagger Award, the RBA Thriller Award, and the Medal of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters for her contributions to literary and artistic development.
Fox 2000 bought the rights to Kay Scarpetta. Working with producer Liz Friedman, Marvel’s Jessica Jones and fellow Marvel EP and Twilight Saga scribe Melissa Rosenberg to develop the film and find Scarpetta a home on the big screen.
After earning her degree in English from Davidson College in 1979, she began working at the Charlotte Observer.
Cornwell received widespread attention and praise for her series of articles on prostitution and crime in downtown Charlotte. From the Charlotte Observer, Cornwell moved to a job with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia � a post she would later bestow upon the fictional Kay Scarpetta.
When not writing from her Boston home, Patricia tirelessly researches cutting-edge forensic technologies to include in her work. Her interests span outside the literary: Patricia co-founded of the Conservation Scientist Chair at the Harvard University Art Museums. She appears as a forensic consultant on CNN and serves as a member of Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital’s National Council, where she advocates for psychiatric research. She’s helped fund the ICU at Cornell’s Animal Hospital, the scientific study of a Confederate submarine, the archaeological excavation of Jamestown, and a variety of law enforcement charities. Patricia is also committed to
funding scholarships and literacy programs. Her advice to aspiring authors: “Start writing. And don’t take no for an answer.�
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Other areas of expertise & interests
Forensics | Forensic Technologies | Ballistics | Weapons | Explosives | Pathology & Autopsies | Crime | Historical and Unsolved Criminal Cases | Jack The Ripper | Helicopter Piloting | Suba Diving | Archaeological Excavation Experience |
Postmortem would go on to win the Edgar, Creasey, Anthony, and Macavity awards as well as the French Prix du Roman d’Aventure prize � the first book ever to claim all these distinctions in a single year. To date, Cornwell’s books have sold some 100 million copies in thirty-six languages in over 120 countries. She’s authored twenty-nine New York Times bestsellers.
Patricia’s novels center primarily on medical examiner Kay Scarpetta along with her tech-savvy niece Lucy and fellow investigator Pete Marino. Celebrating 25 years, these characters have grown into an international phenomenon, winning Cornwell the Sherlock Award for best detective created by an American author, the Gold Dagger Award, the RBA Thriller Award, and the Medal of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters for her contributions to literary and artistic development.
Fox 2000 bought the rights to Kay Scarpetta. Working with producer Liz Friedman, Marvel’s Jessica Jones and fellow Marvel EP and Twilight Saga scribe Melissa Rosenberg to develop the film and find Scarpetta a home on the big screen.
After earning her degree in English from Davidson College in 1979, she began working at the Charlotte Observer.
Cornwell received widespread attention and praise for her series of articles on prostitution and crime in downtown Charlotte. From the Charlotte Observer, Cornwell moved to a job with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia � a post she would later bestow upon the fictional Kay Scarpetta.
When not writing from her Boston home, Patricia tirelessly researches cutting-edge forensic technologies to include in her work. Her interests span outside the literary: Patricia co-founded of the Conservation Scientist Chair at the Harvard University Art Museums. She appears as a forensic consultant on CNN and serves as a member of Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital’s National Council, where she advocates for psychiatric research. She’s helped fund the ICU at Cornell’s Animal Hospital, the scientific study of a Confederate submarine, the archaeological excavation of Jamestown, and a variety of law enforcement charities. Patricia is also committed to
funding scholarships and literacy programs. Her advice to aspiring authors: “Start writing. And don’t take no for an answer.�
Social and Digital Outlets
Other areas of expertise & interests
Forensics | Forensic Technologies | Ballistics | Weapons | Explosives | Pathology & Autopsies | Crime | Historical and Unsolved Criminal Cases | Jack The Ripper | Helicopter Piloting | Suba Diving | Archaeological Excavation Experience |
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,891 reviews
November 18, 2013
Why do I keep doing this to myself? The last 10 books have been exactly the same. Every man "wants" the beautiful and smart Scarpetta. The bizarre killings/crimes are always committed to impress or taunt Scarpetta, Benton or Lucy. Scarpetta is always hungry but never has time to eat. Lucy has a new toy that she invented. Scarpetta, Lucy and Benton continue to feel superior to everyone and talk crap about Marino. Marino is jealous of Benton. Scarpetta uses a thousand acronyms. Lucy has a new car. Scarpetta bores us with long explanations of her vast knowledge of (fill in the blank). Did I leave anything out?
I think I'm finally done. The arrogance of Scarpetta is too much. Patricia Cornwell, who I believe feels a real connection with Scarpetta, needs to take it down a notch. I find myself constantly rolling my eyes. I think Cornwell continues to write these books so she can travel and do research on whatever new topic she wants to write about. Perhaps she should switch to non fiction because the Scarpetta books are boring and lack the suspense and excitement of the first few.
I think I'm finally done. The arrogance of Scarpetta is too much. Patricia Cornwell, who I believe feels a real connection with Scarpetta, needs to take it down a notch. I find myself constantly rolling my eyes. I think Cornwell continues to write these books so she can travel and do research on whatever new topic she wants to write about. Perhaps she should switch to non fiction because the Scarpetta books are boring and lack the suspense and excitement of the first few.
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December 5, 2013Interminable. Horrendous. Boring. Annoying. This series is nothing like the old Scarpettas, where she would actually talk more about the crazed killer and spend time tracking him or her down. These new books are full of internal monologues where Kay wonders what Lucy is doing, what Benson is dealing with, why Marino is the way he is, and lots of dialog where everyone speaks disingenuously and never shares their deepest thoughts.
Lucy trusted someone and was let down again. Benson is having trouble with his job. Kay is conflicted and can't share her thoughts. Marino is a caricature of his former self. Bryce is an annoying chatterbox that I'm having trouble believing works for Scarpetta. She would never suffer a fool like that gladly.
I'm sure there was an actual plot, but it took forever to get to amongst all the bloviation. I can't even give this book a single star, because I felt like I got nothing out of it. The characters should be familiar but they are not...and the only bright thing is that I didn't spend a penny for this book. I borrowed it. Perhaps Cornwell should take some time off and try to focus herself better. I suggest she re read her first 4 novels and try to re create that magic, because it's not evident at all any more.
Lucy trusted someone and was let down again. Benson is having trouble with his job. Kay is conflicted and can't share her thoughts. Marino is a caricature of his former self. Bryce is an annoying chatterbox that I'm having trouble believing works for Scarpetta. She would never suffer a fool like that gladly.
I'm sure there was an actual plot, but it took forever to get to amongst all the bloviation. I can't even give this book a single star, because I felt like I got nothing out of it. The characters should be familiar but they are not...and the only bright thing is that I didn't spend a penny for this book. I borrowed it. Perhaps Cornwell should take some time off and try to focus herself better. I suggest she re read her first 4 novels and try to re create that magic, because it's not evident at all any more.
January 29, 2025
In this 21st book in the 'Kay Scarpetta' series, the medical examiner is on the trail of a sadistic murderer. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the series is a bonus.
Medical examiner Kay Scarpetta has an abundance of troubles: she's traumatized after the Newtown, Connecticut school shootings; she's recovering from a bad flu; and her head investigator Pete Marino has bailed on her.
Kay's FBI profiler husband - Benton Wesley - is on the outs with his boss;
And a serial killer seems to be at work in Cambridge, Massachusetts where she lives.
As usual in Patricia Cornwell's series, Kay and Benton are in the cross-hairs of self-serving or demented bad guys - and have to contend with them while concurrently chasing criminals. Pete Marino is also true to form, resentful that Kay never fell in love with him and determined to make her life difficult by behaving in a childish, crude, and unpleasant manner. Personally, I've had about enough of Pete Marino and wish that Kay would cut him loose so he'd disappear from future books.
Kay's genius niece Lucy is also on hand - and in this book she's behaving a little better than usual -refraining from getting involved with psychopaths and using her IT skills to help the investigation.
Lucy, however, is a hard to believe "over-the-top" character: she drives around town in an armored SUV worthy of the Russian mob, flies helicopters, hacks into any computer anywhere, and so on.
I liked Lucy much better when she was a youngster in the early Scarpetta books.
The plot of the book is fairly straightforward. Kay is determined to help capture a sadistic murderer who apparently killed several people in Washington, D.C. before heading for Massachusetts. Kay is thwarted, however, because the head of the FBI seems to be tampering with the evidence and a large, wealthy, corrupt corporation is also obstructing the investigation. Kay carries on trying to catch the perp, however, and does numerous forensic examinations that are described in great detail. Readers interested in this type of thing will probably like this book.
Though this book is a little better than the last couple of books in the Scarpetta series it isn't as good as the early books. I'd mildly recommend it to mystery fans, a little more if they're huge Scarpetta fans.
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January 20, 2019
Dust by Patricia Cornwell is the twenty-first book in the Kay Scarpetta series consisting of about twenty-five (and still counting) novels in the medical and FBI thriller mystery sub-genre. I began reading the novels nearly two decades ago but stopped for a while when I ventured into other genres. I recently picked them up again and want to get current before the next one releases in late 2019 (from what I can tell thus far). They focus on a medical examiner who's worked for the states of Virginia and Massachusetts but now runs an even larger firm where she employs security, investigative and technical staff. Her husband, Benton, is an FBI profiler. Her niece, Lucy, is a tech whiz. And her best friend, Marino, is now a cop again. All in all, I don't particular like any of them as people; however, as characters they're strong, complex, and challenging... hence why I keep reading these books.
In Dust, the body of a young tech whiz who was suing a company for losing some of her money, is found dead on campus. A weird dust covers parts of her body and she's wearing underwear that don't belong to her. Scarpetta realizes the girl has ties to a serial killer several states away, but she shouldn't know this because Benton let a few things slip about his case. Unfortunately, his boss is out to get him, which makes the case and any next steps quite difficult. Benton comes home for a surprise weekend and helps Kay connect the dots on the cases, which leads to an all-out investigation. What is Benton's boss hiding? How is a dead person's DNA still showing up on new murder victims? What does this have to do with a case Kay oversaw years ago where she thought the victim was murdered but her deputy filed it as a suicide? And how connected is Lucy to this new victim since they were both working on the same tech inventions? Phone records show many people were connected in secret.
Overall, the plot is intense and complex. It's the best part of the book. The story unfolds with a great deal of medical and technical details; some is over the top, but much of it is easy to follow. The conclusion has a nice surprise twist and made the book feel quite strong. That said, I had a few concerns which I can't help but wonder how they slipped through in the final editing process. The reason the first victim was killed is still unclear. Unless that's the plot of a future story, that's a problem for me. The who/what/when/where/how of why the killer is connected to someone else in the story isn't explored enough. It's just dropped as a suspenseful cliffhanger mid-book, then shares a one-page explanation near the end where we're supposed to connect the dots on our own of how it all began. It needed more development in those areas to tie things together more closely.
There were a few other incidents like this which prevent me from giving it a 5-star rating. I end up with 3.5 star rounded higher on the book sites, but I really hope the next one is cleaner. I'm ordering it this week and will buddy read with my friend, Medhat, in the near future.
In Dust, the body of a young tech whiz who was suing a company for losing some of her money, is found dead on campus. A weird dust covers parts of her body and she's wearing underwear that don't belong to her. Scarpetta realizes the girl has ties to a serial killer several states away, but she shouldn't know this because Benton let a few things slip about his case. Unfortunately, his boss is out to get him, which makes the case and any next steps quite difficult. Benton comes home for a surprise weekend and helps Kay connect the dots on the cases, which leads to an all-out investigation. What is Benton's boss hiding? How is a dead person's DNA still showing up on new murder victims? What does this have to do with a case Kay oversaw years ago where she thought the victim was murdered but her deputy filed it as a suicide? And how connected is Lucy to this new victim since they were both working on the same tech inventions? Phone records show many people were connected in secret.
Overall, the plot is intense and complex. It's the best part of the book. The story unfolds with a great deal of medical and technical details; some is over the top, but much of it is easy to follow. The conclusion has a nice surprise twist and made the book feel quite strong. That said, I had a few concerns which I can't help but wonder how they slipped through in the final editing process. The reason the first victim was killed is still unclear. Unless that's the plot of a future story, that's a problem for me. The who/what/when/where/how of why the killer is connected to someone else in the story isn't explored enough. It's just dropped as a suspenseful cliffhanger mid-book, then shares a one-page explanation near the end where we're supposed to connect the dots on our own of how it all began. It needed more development in those areas to tie things together more closely.
There were a few other incidents like this which prevent me from giving it a 5-star rating. I end up with 3.5 star rounded higher on the book sites, but I really hope the next one is cleaner. I'm ordering it this week and will buddy read with my friend, Medhat, in the near future.
November 24, 2013
I am really concerned that I read a totally different book than the other reviewers.... Where to start? What Dust needs is an editor and a plot. This book was absolutely everything I can't stand about what the Kay Scarpetta series has become in one 500 page novel. Implausible timing, totally no character development, and a storyline that takes less than 50 pages to wrap up with a neat, tidy bow. If this was a book by any other author, I would have stopped, but as a Scarpetta series fan I felt I owed it to the good doctor to finish.
Also, I found it incredibly distasteful that Cornwell uses a recent tragic event and inserts Scarpetta into it.
Huge disappointment for a big Scarpetta fan.
Also, I found it incredibly distasteful that Cornwell uses a recent tragic event and inserts Scarpetta into it.
Huge disappointment for a big Scarpetta fan.
November 18, 2013
Did someone hit Patricia Cornwell in the head while she was writing this? I've never been a big fan of her harsh, unpleasant world filled with unusually disturbed killers, but this book isn't even well written. I can't resist quoting:
"Lucy does her best not to show what she feels. Anger, embarrassment, picked on, and hurt..." Should that not be "Angry, embarrassed..."
"I worry about reporters calling him and he blurts out to them what he did to me." Just "huh"??? I know what she is trying to say, which is that the man can't keep a secret, but there are surely ways of expressing it more clearly.
"It's a masculine space lacking warmth or creativity and at least four thousand square feet, I estimate." Lacking at least four thousand square feet? How could she possibly know that? In fact she means that the space itself IS four thousand square feet. Again, clarity is all! That and not stopping her readers in their tracks to try to figure out what she means.
Where was her editor? Did they just run the manuscript through spell check and call it a day?
I loathe Cornwell's mean little characters, always picking on each other and keeping secrets to their own detriment, but I have not previously had a problem with her writing. However, this book annoys me on so many levels that the terrible writing, although it remains in the forefront, has some stiff competition. For instance, if you are going to have your heroine rise from her sick bed (flu, three days) and FEED HER DOG before she goes to a crime scene, give her the intelligence to pick up a slice of bread, a piece of fruit, ANYTHING for herself. Don't make me listen to her keen about her hunger pangs and low blood sugar for fully half of the novel!
Stay away!
"Lucy does her best not to show what she feels. Anger, embarrassment, picked on, and hurt..." Should that not be "Angry, embarrassed..."
"I worry about reporters calling him and he blurts out to them what he did to me." Just "huh"??? I know what she is trying to say, which is that the man can't keep a secret, but there are surely ways of expressing it more clearly.
"It's a masculine space lacking warmth or creativity and at least four thousand square feet, I estimate." Lacking at least four thousand square feet? How could she possibly know that? In fact she means that the space itself IS four thousand square feet. Again, clarity is all! That and not stopping her readers in their tracks to try to figure out what she means.
Where was her editor? Did they just run the manuscript through spell check and call it a day?
I loathe Cornwell's mean little characters, always picking on each other and keeping secrets to their own detriment, but I have not previously had a problem with her writing. However, this book annoys me on so many levels that the terrible writing, although it remains in the forefront, has some stiff competition. For instance, if you are going to have your heroine rise from her sick bed (flu, three days) and FEED HER DOG before she goes to a crime scene, give her the intelligence to pick up a slice of bread, a piece of fruit, ANYTHING for herself. Don't make me listen to her keen about her hunger pangs and low blood sugar for fully half of the novel!
Stay away!
November 28, 2013
According to the book description, this is the 21st Scarpetta book I've read, and most likely my last. I've been annoyed at the direction the series is going for the past 2-3 books, but always said I'll give it "one more book."
Clocking in at 495 pages, at least 100 of them back story, it was a labor to read. The mainstay characters have become 2D paper doll cut-outs of the ones I've loved over the years in earlier books. They have no chemistry and their interaction is stilted and painful to read. The murders seemed incidental to the story instead of the center of it, and the denouement seemed like an afterthought & neatly wrapped up in a few pages.
The good news is if you're an insomniac, this is the cure. It put me to sleep 4 nights in a row.
Clocking in at 495 pages, at least 100 of them back story, it was a labor to read. The mainstay characters have become 2D paper doll cut-outs of the ones I've loved over the years in earlier books. They have no chemistry and their interaction is stilted and painful to read. The murders seemed incidental to the story instead of the center of it, and the denouement seemed like an afterthought & neatly wrapped up in a few pages.
The good news is if you're an insomniac, this is the cure. It put me to sleep 4 nights in a row.
May 9, 2024
Re Read May 2024
story 3.75 stars**
Narrator Kate Reading
story 3.75 stars**
Narrator Kate Reading
February 9, 2014
This is Patricia Cornwell at her possible worst, if you don't count her immediate, post Jack the Ripper book. This is what most of you want to read, so I have edited my post accordingly. Whatever I have written below this is irrelevant. The books a bomb. It is a terrible read. No one should read this book, according to the majority if you, so obviously, I have no reading comprehension as well as no idea what a good book should be.
Despite that I have read all of Pat Cornwell's books, and that I do agree that she went on a downside. I do not agree with the majority of you that think that Dust is a terrible book. She has written much worse than this book. She has shown bad judgement in her plot choices and has, at times, turned her characters into caricatures of themselves.
But why not write your own review of the book, rather than coming in here and attacking what I have written? You don't agree: fine. How do you think it feels to have this many people denigrating what you've written?
At least I wrote something, not just a ditto of what someone else posted.
We see more insight into how Kay Scarpetta thinks about herself and those around her than we ever have before. A very tight story, filled with all of the expected state of the art forensics that we all have come to expect. I read "Dust" in just one day. It was impossible to put down. Having just returned home from one of the worst mass murders in U.S. history, while just recovering from the flu, Scarpetta receives a phone call in the early hours of the morning: a body has been found on the grounds of M.I.T. Kay sees no obvious cause of death. The woman's body has been draped and posed in a way that is similar to the Capitol Murderer case that her husband, Benton, is working on? And what is the dust that covers the victim's body, that fluoresces in three vivid colours? Could she be Gail Shipman, reported missing earlier from a trendy bar that Scarpetta's niece, Lucy frequents? Is there a connection to Lucy or the multi-million dollar lawsuit that Gail Shipman was to go to court with in a few weeks against her former money manager.
Despite that I have read all of Pat Cornwell's books, and that I do agree that she went on a downside. I do not agree with the majority of you that think that Dust is a terrible book. She has written much worse than this book. She has shown bad judgement in her plot choices and has, at times, turned her characters into caricatures of themselves.
But why not write your own review of the book, rather than coming in here and attacking what I have written? You don't agree: fine. How do you think it feels to have this many people denigrating what you've written?
At least I wrote something, not just a ditto of what someone else posted.
We see more insight into how Kay Scarpetta thinks about herself and those around her than we ever have before. A very tight story, filled with all of the expected state of the art forensics that we all have come to expect. I read "Dust" in just one day. It was impossible to put down. Having just returned home from one of the worst mass murders in U.S. history, while just recovering from the flu, Scarpetta receives a phone call in the early hours of the morning: a body has been found on the grounds of M.I.T. Kay sees no obvious cause of death. The woman's body has been draped and posed in a way that is similar to the Capitol Murderer case that her husband, Benton, is working on? And what is the dust that covers the victim's body, that fluoresces in three vivid colours? Could she be Gail Shipman, reported missing earlier from a trendy bar that Scarpetta's niece, Lucy frequents? Is there a connection to Lucy or the multi-million dollar lawsuit that Gail Shipman was to go to court with in a few weeks against her former money manager.
November 26, 2013
*Sigh* I really want to like the Kay Scarpetta series again. I had a really hard time getting into this one, but I kept finding myself drifting off, realizing I had "read" several pages and had no idea what I read. 512 pages that takes place over 24 hours. 512 pages of rambling on about nothing.
The characters are flat. At least she stopped writing Marino as a cop turned bad biker. There is no chemistry between Kay, Marino or Benton. And no character development of any other characters. I often times had no idea who was who and how they were connected or why I should care. Very poor story development. No explanation of why the bad guy has a grudge against Kay.
Then Cornwell tosses in a backstory that Kay was called to the Sandy Hook shooting....and she keeps mentioning it but never gets into it. It's just so out of place.
I still think Cornwell stopped actually writing this series years ago and has someone else writing.
The characters are flat. At least she stopped writing Marino as a cop turned bad biker. There is no chemistry between Kay, Marino or Benton. And no character development of any other characters. I often times had no idea who was who and how they were connected or why I should care. Very poor story development. No explanation of why the bad guy has a grudge against Kay.
Then Cornwell tosses in a backstory that Kay was called to the Sandy Hook shooting....and she keeps mentioning it but never gets into it. It's just so out of place.
I still think Cornwell stopped actually writing this series years ago and has someone else writing.
August 22, 2015
I had written a full review for one of the previous Scarpetta books explaining why, after so many years of loving them I had finally, reluctantly decided to give up so I won't go into all that again. I was persuaded back into Dust by someone who told me the series had picked up and was looking more like itself.
To be clear the rating I have given this one is based on the first quarter of the book only - at which point I just lost the will to live and (reluctantly again) put it aside.
The star is for the idea of the plot which could have been brilliant. The trouble is the prose - repetitive, rambling and just for gods sake get to the point. And seriously the Marino/Scarpetta thing is beyond ridiculous now. The characters are all caricature, Scarpetta is a shadow of her former self and no longer has any redeeming qualities for me as a reader. Frankly I just want to slap her.
Never again.
To be clear the rating I have given this one is based on the first quarter of the book only - at which point I just lost the will to live and (reluctantly again) put it aside.
The star is for the idea of the plot which could have been brilliant. The trouble is the prose - repetitive, rambling and just for gods sake get to the point. And seriously the Marino/Scarpetta thing is beyond ridiculous now. The characters are all caricature, Scarpetta is a shadow of her former self and no longer has any redeeming qualities for me as a reader. Frankly I just want to slap her.
Never again.
December 8, 2013
Verbose, wordy; reading this Scarpetta novel was like wading through mud. The plot, as always, was good, hence the single star. But, why use three paragraphs to say what another writer could just as intrestingly say in a couple of sentences ... or even one? And, enough beating up on Merino for being Merino. He is what he is and he is a good investigator. In addition to making him sound like a man-ape, in this read Cornwell makes him sound like he is incompetent as a detective. The first three chapters were so convoluted and confusing - consisting of literary vomitus - I wanted to set the book down and walk away. The only reason I read on was becasue I'm one of those people who has to finish what they started. I'm angry that the reading of this latest novel stole these hours from my life.
I will never buy another Patricia Cornwell book, and that is sad because I have enjoyed her books in the past; I even slogged through those crazy werewolf books ... hoping for better in the future. It's not happening. I know, from her earlier works, that she is capable of so much better and am disheartened that she is selling this drivel based upon her name and past accomplishments alone. I would like to ask her for my money back. I feel cheated.
I will never buy another Patricia Cornwell book, and that is sad because I have enjoyed her books in the past; I even slogged through those crazy werewolf books ... hoping for better in the future. It's not happening. I know, from her earlier works, that she is capable of so much better and am disheartened that she is selling this drivel based upon her name and past accomplishments alone. I would like to ask her for my money back. I feel cheated.
December 4, 2013
Three-minus.
Good points: As a writer, Cornwell has never been better. It's the writing that kept me reading, not the plot (which is a mess), or the characters.
Irritations: At least 100 extra pages of repetitious blah-blah about the past, Scarpetta's perspectives on various characters, unnecessary, adds-nothing technological details. And on and on. Just because you can write well doesn't mean you shouldn't edit. A leaner story would have made this a good Cornwell book.
What's more--I thought the inclusion of the real tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut was a cheap lure, and Cornwell really had to stretch credulity to suggest there was a connection between her fictional case and the real story in the headlines.
Cornwell writes books like this once in a while--they have a "phoned-in" air about them where she seems to be casting about for the next big plot hook to sustain interest in Scarpetta and her cast of characters. You can only kill people off--then bring them back--or suggest they're traitors, or make them go crazy so many times. Perhaps the story arc has run its course and Scarpetta should be put out to pasture.
Good points: As a writer, Cornwell has never been better. It's the writing that kept me reading, not the plot (which is a mess), or the characters.
Irritations: At least 100 extra pages of repetitious blah-blah about the past, Scarpetta's perspectives on various characters, unnecessary, adds-nothing technological details. And on and on. Just because you can write well doesn't mean you shouldn't edit. A leaner story would have made this a good Cornwell book.
What's more--I thought the inclusion of the real tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut was a cheap lure, and Cornwell really had to stretch credulity to suggest there was a connection between her fictional case and the real story in the headlines.
Cornwell writes books like this once in a while--they have a "phoned-in" air about them where she seems to be casting about for the next big plot hook to sustain interest in Scarpetta and her cast of characters. You can only kill people off--then bring them back--or suggest they're traitors, or make them go crazy so many times. Perhaps the story arc has run its course and Scarpetta should be put out to pasture.
December 1, 2013
I think it is time for Kay Scarpetta and I to say goodbye. I did not really enjoy this book at all, in fact for the first 100 pages I hated it! However then the story started and that almost redeemed it. I felt that the author could have written an excellent book if she had left out all the self indulgent waffle about food and restaurants and dogs and places she has been to in the past. I have also grown to really dislike her characters. All of them. I don't think she likes them very much any more either. Oh well - it was a good friendship while it lasted. Bye bye Kay!
February 14, 2016
Dust is the twenty-first book in the Kay Scarpetta series by American author, Patricia Cornwell. A few days before Christmas, Kay is woken at 4am by Pete Marino, no longer in her employ but back with the Police Force of Cambridge. A body, posed, wrapped in a white sheet, on the playing fields at nearby MIT. From the photos Marino sends her, Kay immediately sees features common to several victims of a serial killer, cases in Washington DC being investigated by the FBI, about which she has learned from Benton. Social media are already buzzing with speculation, and then Benton is dropped in by Lucy’s helicopter, a surprise return from DC.
For readers who have not yet, after twenty instalments, abandoned Kay Scarpetta, it’s more of the same: Pete Marino continues to be his same, obnoxious self; Lucy, lawless Lucy, still exempting herself from laws the rest of America has to obey, and ignoring any person’s right to privacy; Benton, silent, enigmatic and deep, when he chooses to share at all; and Kay, superior as always, persists with her self-righteous whining at every opportunity.
There is actually a decent murder mystery in there somewhere, and, if only it were not excessively diluted by the minutiae of everyday life, this could have been an enjoyable read. There is plenty of politics, paranoia and corruption, and some interesting information on trace evidence and autopsy, but the endless repetition blunts the effect. Why Cornwell chooses to pad out her stories with all this mundane detail (Kay: I remember to take off my coat and I place it in my lap) is perhaps more of a mystery than the identity of the serial killer.
The banter between the characters, which might be fun if they were still somewhat appealing (they no longer are), sounds wooden. Seriously, who would actually say “I’ll get the evidence to the labs expeditiously�? Cornwell takes almost five hundred pages to painstakingly (some would say painfully) detail about twenty hours of Kay Scarpetta’s life. No doubt there are still die-hard fans who pay full retail for each hardback as it appears, but by this time many readers will be refusing even charity store prices or library copies, and saving their precious reading time for something better.
For readers who have not yet, after twenty instalments, abandoned Kay Scarpetta, it’s more of the same: Pete Marino continues to be his same, obnoxious self; Lucy, lawless Lucy, still exempting herself from laws the rest of America has to obey, and ignoring any person’s right to privacy; Benton, silent, enigmatic and deep, when he chooses to share at all; and Kay, superior as always, persists with her self-righteous whining at every opportunity.
There is actually a decent murder mystery in there somewhere, and, if only it were not excessively diluted by the minutiae of everyday life, this could have been an enjoyable read. There is plenty of politics, paranoia and corruption, and some interesting information on trace evidence and autopsy, but the endless repetition blunts the effect. Why Cornwell chooses to pad out her stories with all this mundane detail (Kay: I remember to take off my coat and I place it in my lap) is perhaps more of a mystery than the identity of the serial killer.
The banter between the characters, which might be fun if they were still somewhat appealing (they no longer are), sounds wooden. Seriously, who would actually say “I’ll get the evidence to the labs expeditiously�? Cornwell takes almost five hundred pages to painstakingly (some would say painfully) detail about twenty hours of Kay Scarpetta’s life. No doubt there are still die-hard fans who pay full retail for each hardback as it appears, but by this time many readers will be refusing even charity store prices or library copies, and saving their precious reading time for something better.
January 7, 2014
I have always been a big fan of Patricia Cornwell and have read every Scarpetta book to date. And needless to say, this book did not disappoint. I loved the references to previous books and events within Scarpetta, Marino, Lucy and Benton's life. But you don't have to have read the other books necessarily to follow the story. FBI corruption, Marino taking on a new, but old role, murder, intrigue, you name it...classic Patricia Cornwell. I feel like writing about every little thing within the book as I felt the characters upset, anguish and surprises every step of the way...but then there would be no point and reading the book.
Any Scarpetta fans out there, this is a must read and for those of you new to Patricia Cornwell, once you've read one...you will want to read them all.
Enjoy
Any Scarpetta fans out there, this is a must read and for those of you new to Patricia Cornwell, once you've read one...you will want to read them all.
Enjoy
September 9, 2016
I should say, in the interest of full disclosure, that I grew up with the Kay Scarpetta series. I started reading it in my early teens and stayed with it through good times and bad, several awful books and many spectacular ones, deaths, disasters, epidemics, and many, many tears. To say that I’m a bit biased is an understatement; after 21 installment, these characters are practically family, their hurts are mine and their successes something I celebrate with a smile and a full heart.
Admittedly, the series went through a very rough patch just recently. Several books were written in third person POV, for no apparent reason other than Cornwell experimenting, and it was in that time that she lost a great number of her readers. I myself came very close to abandoning her, too. But the second she went back to first person narrative and Kay Scarpetta’s sharp and intelligent voice, those of us who are most faithful to her didn’t hesitate for a second.
In Dust, we find Scarpetta in a very bad place. She just survived a horrible ordeal and she’s down with the flu. With Benton away in Washington DC, she is alone in their huge house, with no one but their rescued dog for company. When a case comes her way, a murder Kay knows is more than it seems, she has to get up and work with Pete Marino, regardless of their strained relationship.
The case itself is extremely sensitive and complicated. With her husband Benton Wesley ostracized by his FBI peers and her niece Lucy Farinelli somehow involved, Kay must walk around on eggshells, careful of her every word. It’s not just the case that’s at risk, but all their careers and Lucy’s freedom as well. With Marino kept in the dark and acting more like an enemy than an ally, our dr. Scarpetta has a very difficult task ahead.
Just like the series itself, Kay and Benton’s marriage went through a pretty rough patch, but we see a significant change in Dust. As I was growing up, Benton was always my idea of a perfect man: highly intelligent, polished, graceful and strong, radiating confidence and competence both. Dust reads a little like a love letter to him, which I didn’t mind one bit. It’s been a long time since we’ve really seen him through Kay’s eyes � him, and not accumulated resentment and hurt. Even close to retirement, in his late fifties (or so I assume), Benton is marvelous.
Kate Reading did an excellent job with Scarpetta’s voice, making it sound calm and measured, extremely educated and intelligent, but never cold. Scarpetta’s feelings may be well hidden from everyone, sometimes including Benton, but they’re never hidden from us, not when we’re privy to her thoughts.
I am thrilled to see this series finally back on track, and after 14 hours with Kay, Lucy, Marino and Benton, I’m looking forward to many, many more.
Admittedly, the series went through a very rough patch just recently. Several books were written in third person POV, for no apparent reason other than Cornwell experimenting, and it was in that time that she lost a great number of her readers. I myself came very close to abandoning her, too. But the second she went back to first person narrative and Kay Scarpetta’s sharp and intelligent voice, those of us who are most faithful to her didn’t hesitate for a second.
In Dust, we find Scarpetta in a very bad place. She just survived a horrible ordeal and she’s down with the flu. With Benton away in Washington DC, she is alone in their huge house, with no one but their rescued dog for company. When a case comes her way, a murder Kay knows is more than it seems, she has to get up and work with Pete Marino, regardless of their strained relationship.
The case itself is extremely sensitive and complicated. With her husband Benton Wesley ostracized by his FBI peers and her niece Lucy Farinelli somehow involved, Kay must walk around on eggshells, careful of her every word. It’s not just the case that’s at risk, but all their careers and Lucy’s freedom as well. With Marino kept in the dark and acting more like an enemy than an ally, our dr. Scarpetta has a very difficult task ahead.
Just like the series itself, Kay and Benton’s marriage went through a pretty rough patch, but we see a significant change in Dust. As I was growing up, Benton was always my idea of a perfect man: highly intelligent, polished, graceful and strong, radiating confidence and competence both. Dust reads a little like a love letter to him, which I didn’t mind one bit. It’s been a long time since we’ve really seen him through Kay’s eyes � him, and not accumulated resentment and hurt. Even close to retirement, in his late fifties (or so I assume), Benton is marvelous.
Kate Reading did an excellent job with Scarpetta’s voice, making it sound calm and measured, extremely educated and intelligent, but never cold. Scarpetta’s feelings may be well hidden from everyone, sometimes including Benton, but they’re never hidden from us, not when we’re privy to her thoughts.
I am thrilled to see this series finally back on track, and after 14 hours with Kay, Lucy, Marino and Benton, I’m looking forward to many, many more.
June 17, 2014
Disappointing. This book doesn't come close to any of her earlier Scarpetta novels. Benton's preaching was a bore. I won't be reading any more of this series.
December 29, 2023
Written way before the TV series, Bones the parallels are striking. Both females are forensic scientists and their husbands are FBI. All of them solve grisly murders. Throw in some corrupt arrogant FBI boss, a serial killer who is taking strong mind-altering drugs & some seriously expensive paintings & you have an entertaining novel.
August 13, 2021
First Patricia Cornwell book in a long time. Had a couple quibbles about the setup and finish, but definitely kept my attention.
January 15, 2014
If you like Patricia Cornwell's many books, and I do, you should read this one.
From another author, this would be a five-star book. However, I've chosen to rate DUST against a much higher and narrower standard--that of the rest of Cornwell's oeuvre.
Cornwell's writing is excellent, as always. And I appreciate that this book is free of the distracting political agendas that mar recent books by her and other authors.
My only concern was that the book started so slowly, and with so much introspection. The last half hums along, especially once Cornwell lets Scarpetta start investigating and we see her back on the trail and in the examining room.
The identity of the killer feels like a loose thread, thrown in at the last minute. Given the structure of the book that's clearly not true, but some pieces are jammed together toward the end.
These are insignificant issues in the context of Cornwell's great writing and always-superb research as she finds fresh depth to her four primary characters.
PS I checked and Cornwell and her editor get it right: the correct, original Shakespearean phrase is "to the manner born," not "to the manor born."
From another author, this would be a five-star book. However, I've chosen to rate DUST against a much higher and narrower standard--that of the rest of Cornwell's oeuvre.
Cornwell's writing is excellent, as always. And I appreciate that this book is free of the distracting political agendas that mar recent books by her and other authors.
My only concern was that the book started so slowly, and with so much introspection. The last half hums along, especially once Cornwell lets Scarpetta start investigating and we see her back on the trail and in the examining room.
The identity of the killer feels like a loose thread, thrown in at the last minute. Given the structure of the book that's clearly not true, but some pieces are jammed together toward the end.
These are insignificant issues in the context of Cornwell's great writing and always-superb research as she finds fresh depth to her four primary characters.
PS I checked and Cornwell and her editor get it right: the correct, original Shakespearean phrase is "to the manner born," not "to the manor born."
December 3, 2013
Just wasn't feeling this one. After the last book I thought Cornwell was back on track and that the series would pick back up again, but she went back to the first person (which for some reason Kay Scarpetta in first person comes off week and whiney to me)and I was disappointed to say the least. A nearly 500 page book could have been shaved by at least a 150 pages due to over-describing of situations, procedures, the sky, a twig. I found my mind wondering, and had to go back and re-read paragraphs to understand/remember who/what/where the heck was being talked about. The sad thing is, it was a good story. The problem I've been having with his series is each new book starts "down the road" but there is never any clear understanding of how much time has passed. Characters' situations have changed, and it's thrown out in a manner that has me wondering is this something I should have remembered from last time or is this new information? And when you start out confused it's hard to get into the actual story. Maybe it's just me, but would a little consistancy hurt?
November 12, 2013
With Dust, Patricia Cornwell returns to the story of Kay Scarpetta in the twenty-first installment of her wildly popular series. Dr Kay Scarpetta is the chief medical examiner and the director of the Cambridge Forensic Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she even coaxes the truth out of dead bodies.
It’s Wednesday, December 19, and at the stroke of 4:02 in the morning Kay Scarpetta sits up in bed her sleep violated by the ringing phone. She was tired, and technically she’s still out sick. She had just returned to Cambridge after working on the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, which left her exhausted and shaken. The call was from detective Pete Marino. A dead body has been discovered out in the mud at one end of the athletic fields, what's called Briggs Field at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Weary but curious, Scarpetta was soon on the scene. The grad student, identified as Gail Shipton, was wrapped in ivory linen cloth, covered in fine dust and posed in a deliberate way that suggests this isn't the killer's first victim. What caught Scarpetta’s attention is the fine dust that fluoresces blood-red, emerald-green and sapphire-blue under ultra-violet light. There is also an uncanny resemblance to the victims of the Capital Murderer on which her FBI profiler husband, Benton Wesley, is working. It later emerges that the victim had recently slapped a $100 million lawsuit against her former financial managers and the trial is set to come up shortly.
It’s a daunting task which keeps Scarpetta thinking. Is it a mere coincidence or a deliberate act? Is the Capital Murderer who until recently terrorizes Washington now stalking prey in other cities? And why was Gail covered with fine dust? Scarpetta faces the toughest challenge of her prolific career as she tries to unravel the mystery. As she delves deeper, she is up against a force that doesn’t want the killer caught, men of power with nefarious designs, insatiable men of money, and merchants of death. Dust is a terrifying Scarpetta novel with lightning-fast plot, and with twists that can only be termed macabre.
What is imperative to point out is the difficulty in dissecting the line between fiction and reality in the portrayal of the character of the financial manager. Patricia Cornwell was recently awarded over $50 million in damages in her lawsuit against her former financial managers. In Dust, the financier is painted as scheming, manipulative and evil. Patricia has shown her contempt and disgust, and utter revile, for the character which reflects in the way it is portrayed.
Dust is much, much bigger than the earlier Scarpetta installments. It is riveting right through to the end, and explodes in vengeful anger as it comes to its bloody finale. It is a Scarpetta novel written from the heart, and fans of Patricia Cornwell will remember this installment for a long time to come.
It’s Wednesday, December 19, and at the stroke of 4:02 in the morning Kay Scarpetta sits up in bed her sleep violated by the ringing phone. She was tired, and technically she’s still out sick. She had just returned to Cambridge after working on the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, which left her exhausted and shaken. The call was from detective Pete Marino. A dead body has been discovered out in the mud at one end of the athletic fields, what's called Briggs Field at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Weary but curious, Scarpetta was soon on the scene. The grad student, identified as Gail Shipton, was wrapped in ivory linen cloth, covered in fine dust and posed in a deliberate way that suggests this isn't the killer's first victim. What caught Scarpetta’s attention is the fine dust that fluoresces blood-red, emerald-green and sapphire-blue under ultra-violet light. There is also an uncanny resemblance to the victims of the Capital Murderer on which her FBI profiler husband, Benton Wesley, is working. It later emerges that the victim had recently slapped a $100 million lawsuit against her former financial managers and the trial is set to come up shortly.
It’s a daunting task which keeps Scarpetta thinking. Is it a mere coincidence or a deliberate act? Is the Capital Murderer who until recently terrorizes Washington now stalking prey in other cities? And why was Gail covered with fine dust? Scarpetta faces the toughest challenge of her prolific career as she tries to unravel the mystery. As she delves deeper, she is up against a force that doesn’t want the killer caught, men of power with nefarious designs, insatiable men of money, and merchants of death. Dust is a terrifying Scarpetta novel with lightning-fast plot, and with twists that can only be termed macabre.
What is imperative to point out is the difficulty in dissecting the line between fiction and reality in the portrayal of the character of the financial manager. Patricia Cornwell was recently awarded over $50 million in damages in her lawsuit against her former financial managers. In Dust, the financier is painted as scheming, manipulative and evil. Patricia has shown her contempt and disgust, and utter revile, for the character which reflects in the way it is portrayed.
Dust is much, much bigger than the earlier Scarpetta installments. It is riveting right through to the end, and explodes in vengeful anger as it comes to its bloody finale. It is a Scarpetta novel written from the heart, and fans of Patricia Cornwell will remember this installment for a long time to come.
February 26, 2018
Parte alla grande Kay e INCREDIBILE-MA-VERO non ha tirato via (troppo) il finale! e anche tutto il resto è a un buon livello (o ha trovato un nuovo ghost writer più bravo o ci si dedica con più passione, chissà ).
Granby il cattivo non è granchè cattivo, ma as usual Cornwell i cattivi non li sa, o non li vuole, gestire da vicino ma sempre per interposta persona. Per cui non li mette mai al centro dell’attenzione.
Protagoniste sono sempre loro due, Lucy-il-genio-che-non-sbaglia-mai-se-non-nei-rapporti-umani e Scarpetta-la-donna-che-se-vede-una-goccia-di-sangue-identifica-l’assassino, e PeteMarino-lo-sfigato-ciccione-omofobo-maschilista-che-fuma-rutta-scoreggia-e-ama-Kay.
Cornwell prima ha fatto lo sforzo di costruire una storia credibile con un serial killer con protezioni economiche in alto, poi ha strafatto complicando la storia con n sottostorie: i droni, una finanziaria truffatrice, l’FBI corrotto, una madre molestatrice, uno psicopatico assassino, un assassino messo lì per caso, un cagnetto maltrattato, la droga del secolo e pure la mafia russa di striscio (mancavano solo Berlusca e le Olgettine). In più c’� la nostalgia canaglia da pre-menopausa di Kay, che non si può capire altrimenti tutta quella introspezione e pensieri rivolti al passato e sguardi indulgenti a Pete (io me lo immagino come Rod Steiger in La calda notte dell’ispettore Tibbs).
Granby il cattivo non è granchè cattivo, ma as usual Cornwell i cattivi non li sa, o non li vuole, gestire da vicino ma sempre per interposta persona. Per cui non li mette mai al centro dell’attenzione.
Protagoniste sono sempre loro due, Lucy-il-genio-che-non-sbaglia-mai-se-non-nei-rapporti-umani e Scarpetta-la-donna-che-se-vede-una-goccia-di-sangue-identifica-l’assassino, e PeteMarino-lo-sfigato-ciccione-omofobo-maschilista-che-fuma-rutta-scoreggia-e-ama-Kay.
Cornwell prima ha fatto lo sforzo di costruire una storia credibile con un serial killer con protezioni economiche in alto, poi ha strafatto complicando la storia con n sottostorie: i droni, una finanziaria truffatrice, l’FBI corrotto, una madre molestatrice, uno psicopatico assassino, un assassino messo lì per caso, un cagnetto maltrattato, la droga del secolo e pure la mafia russa di striscio (mancavano solo Berlusca e le Olgettine). In più c’� la nostalgia canaglia da pre-menopausa di Kay, che non si può capire altrimenti tutta quella introspezione e pensieri rivolti al passato e sguardi indulgenti a Pete (io me lo immagino come Rod Steiger in La calda notte dell’ispettore Tibbs).
February 8, 2014
Cornwell's latest Scarpetta mystery fills readers with as much excitement as can be found in many of the early novels in the series. When a body is found on an athletic field outside MIT, Scarpetta and Marino go to investigate. What appears to be a simple murder (as if there is such a thing) takes on a life of its own when some clues that point to the victim knowing Lucy quite well. Meanwhile, Benton tries to cover up the clues, defying his usual 'by the books' personality. He cannot help but leave the comfort of his glacial demeanor and becomes a liability for the FBI, but has he been dismissed before he derails their case? What do they know and how will they silence him? Add to that, a handful of cases that come into the CFC appear unrelated, until more about each story is known. Could these all be the work of a single killer? It's a race to piece together all that those around her know before Scarpetta can reveal who the killer might be, unless she's the next victim herself.
Cornwell's rich narrative and strong dialogue make this book well worth the reader's time. With nuances reminiscent of early Scarpetta, our heroine emerges and takes charge, even while fighting against the powers that be. Decent plot lines keep the story moving and the characters from becoming too stale though (and this may come from having read the entire series at once) some of the story lines seem to resurface over and over, with no known conclusion. Of note, the forensic and technological jargon is tamed enough for the reader to comprehend what is going on, but that does not infer a book without interest, intrigue, or thrill.
The journey is complete (for now)! I have completed the up-to-date journey of listening to the complete Dr. Kay Scrapetta series, which began one snowy afternoon on November 30, 2013. Since then, I have learned so much about Scarpetta and the people with whom she surrounds herself. I have come to see this forensic pathologist in a new light (or many of them) and some of her closest friends come and go over that time. The stories, while not always entirely unique were, for the most part, riveting and the characters equally appealing. There were, as is always the case when a series stretches on, some that have grown on me and others who continue to annoy me. As an aside, the growth of Lucy is surely one that has had its peaks and valleys, and I was curious to discover that Cornwell, herself, embarked on her own realisation of her sexual preference. This may have something to do with the ever-evolving exploration Scarpetta's niece undertook in the series, trying to define herself as a person, both personally and professionally. I have also come to see that Marino, the bumbling cop from Day One, does have some redeeming qualities, though his path took him down some very dark and extremely dicey roads. Benton, the love of Scarpetta's life is also one that I cannot fully comprehend, as he flits from being a caring person to ice cold in the drop of a chapter. How he came full circle will never be fully understood. Lastly, if I may, I thoroughly enjoyed some of the arcing that Cornwell did in her novels, with old serial killers coming back or emerging anew (sometimes continuing on from one book to the next). This is great as it does not compartmentalise the thriller to one book... the terror lives on and we, the readers, can see much more development in the characters affected than 300-500 pages will allow.
Kudos, Madam Cornwell, for a wonderful novel and great series. I know there is another Scarpetta installment on the horizon and I am eager to get to it. That said, I must now wait like your long-time fans!
Cornwell's rich narrative and strong dialogue make this book well worth the reader's time. With nuances reminiscent of early Scarpetta, our heroine emerges and takes charge, even while fighting against the powers that be. Decent plot lines keep the story moving and the characters from becoming too stale though (and this may come from having read the entire series at once) some of the story lines seem to resurface over and over, with no known conclusion. Of note, the forensic and technological jargon is tamed enough for the reader to comprehend what is going on, but that does not infer a book without interest, intrigue, or thrill.
The journey is complete (for now)! I have completed the up-to-date journey of listening to the complete Dr. Kay Scrapetta series, which began one snowy afternoon on November 30, 2013. Since then, I have learned so much about Scarpetta and the people with whom she surrounds herself. I have come to see this forensic pathologist in a new light (or many of them) and some of her closest friends come and go over that time. The stories, while not always entirely unique were, for the most part, riveting and the characters equally appealing. There were, as is always the case when a series stretches on, some that have grown on me and others who continue to annoy me. As an aside, the growth of Lucy is surely one that has had its peaks and valleys, and I was curious to discover that Cornwell, herself, embarked on her own realisation of her sexual preference. This may have something to do with the ever-evolving exploration Scarpetta's niece undertook in the series, trying to define herself as a person, both personally and professionally. I have also come to see that Marino, the bumbling cop from Day One, does have some redeeming qualities, though his path took him down some very dark and extremely dicey roads. Benton, the love of Scarpetta's life is also one that I cannot fully comprehend, as he flits from being a caring person to ice cold in the drop of a chapter. How he came full circle will never be fully understood. Lastly, if I may, I thoroughly enjoyed some of the arcing that Cornwell did in her novels, with old serial killers coming back or emerging anew (sometimes continuing on from one book to the next). This is great as it does not compartmentalise the thriller to one book... the terror lives on and we, the readers, can see much more development in the characters affected than 300-500 pages will allow.
Kudos, Madam Cornwell, for a wonderful novel and great series. I know there is another Scarpetta installment on the horizon and I am eager to get to it. That said, I must now wait like your long-time fans!
August 18, 2019
This is Cornwell's 21st Kay Scarpetta novel.
I get frustrated with Cornwell and this series. The book was nearly 500 pages long and 2/3 of it could have been eliminated. Cornwell meticulously describes meaningless events and items. She goes on for pages about meaningless everyday activities which mean absolutely nothing to the story. It is like she was required to write nearly 500 pages so she attempts to meet this page obligation by describing things in excruciating detail. I was so bored reading 2/3 of the book. Then she rushes the ending attempting to tie up all loose ends which have come up during the tale. Now if her verbose actions were meaningful and had something to do with the plot great, but that wasn't the case here.
A woman is found tied up and murdered in Cambridge in a similar manner to three other woman previously murdered in Washington DC. Benton was involved in the investigations in DC and he thinks his boss doesn't want the murderer found. It turns out that Lucy knows the woman who was murdered in Cambridge and she had a business deal going with her.
Loose ends not tied up include the psychiatrist dying in a car wreck soon after he couldn't stop his patient from killing herself. I sure there are other loose ends but I got so tired of trying to keep track of what appeared to be meaningless stuff that I tried to rush to get through the boredom I was suffering.
Cornwell can write good books. I have enjoyed some of her previous books including some more recent ones such as Red Mist. But this one was hard to fight through. There are too many good books out there and not enough time in life to waste it on books such as this.
Let this one collect Dust on your shelf.
I get frustrated with Cornwell and this series. The book was nearly 500 pages long and 2/3 of it could have been eliminated. Cornwell meticulously describes meaningless events and items. She goes on for pages about meaningless everyday activities which mean absolutely nothing to the story. It is like she was required to write nearly 500 pages so she attempts to meet this page obligation by describing things in excruciating detail. I was so bored reading 2/3 of the book. Then she rushes the ending attempting to tie up all loose ends which have come up during the tale. Now if her verbose actions were meaningful and had something to do with the plot great, but that wasn't the case here.
A woman is found tied up and murdered in Cambridge in a similar manner to three other woman previously murdered in Washington DC. Benton was involved in the investigations in DC and he thinks his boss doesn't want the murderer found. It turns out that Lucy knows the woman who was murdered in Cambridge and she had a business deal going with her.
Loose ends not tied up include the psychiatrist dying in a car wreck soon after he couldn't stop his patient from killing herself. I sure there are other loose ends but I got so tired of trying to keep track of what appeared to be meaningless stuff that I tried to rush to get through the boredom I was suffering.
Cornwell can write good books. I have enjoyed some of her previous books including some more recent ones such as Red Mist. But this one was hard to fight through. There are too many good books out there and not enough time in life to waste it on books such as this.
Let this one collect Dust on your shelf.
November 24, 2013
This Scarpetta Novel is a good mystery, and that is nothing new for fans. I find myself impatient with the backstories and the countless times that Marino's low self-esteem is mentioned, as if we need to be convinced by the repetition of this fact. Scarpetta is superficial in a self-chosen way, and Marino just never even got that far in his development. Scarpetta's personality analyses leave much to be desired. Her crime-site analyses are spot-on, interesting and brilliant. There is much to enjoy as she and Benton complement each other in their chosen fields of expertise. A bad apple in the FBI? Not exactly new news for those cynical enough to have once believed otherwise. All in all, a good mystery...dogs included.
November 28, 2013
I can't resist another Kay Scarpetta story. they are always full of drama & suspence. I enjoyed this book but I do think it drug on in parts of it & that's always daunting when you're reading a book of this size. I don't see how the Newtown tragedy tied into this story at all besides it saying that she was there. .... No relation to the overall story but that's one of the first things it says in the book excerpt. But the gist of the story progressed enough that I wanted to stick with it & see how it ended up. Kay Scarpetta has the worst luck, there's always some kind of a monster after her.
November 21, 2022
It seems possible that the 21st book in the series wasn’t the best place to start from.
This entire book takes place in one day and it’s more than 500 pages. It wasn’t bad I just felt confused by a lot of the plot and writing choices
This entire book takes place in one day and it’s more than 500 pages. It wasn’t bad I just felt confused by a lot of the plot and writing choices
November 20, 2013
Just maybe (I hope, I hope), the good old Patricia Cornwell is back - finally! Frankly, I've grown a bit weary of the trials and travails of Massachusetts Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta of late - she who is put-upon by everyone, long-suffering and overthinks everything from why her FBI profiler husband Benton Wesley's pinkie finger twitched to the right to why her doc Sock refused to do his morning poo in the usual spot.
This one started out in that vein, making me groan out loud, "Please, not again!" But very soon, thankfully, it moved away from the angst to focus on a great plot that held my interest all the way to the end. It begins as Scarpetta is called in to check out a female body that's been wrapped in an unusual cloth and seemingly positioned in an odd way. Turns out she's the plaintiff in a $100 million lawsuit against a big financial management firm that was supposed to begin in a week.
Coincidence? Not likely; but of course, there'd be no story if the motive were that simple. In fact, Scarpetta and her hubby, who is being ostracized openly by his FBI boss, suspect the murder is connected to a series of others done by a person known as the Capital Murderer. As Scarpetta and her team, including Detective Pete Marino (with whom Scarpetta has a long-time but muddled relationship that Marino apparently wishes were more than professional) get down to the nitty gritty of the investigation, they begin to think people in high places don't want them to get the low-down on the case.
All the regulars get in on the act to one degree or another, including Scarpetta's niece Lucy and her partner Janet (though perhaps to a lesser degree than in some of the more recent novels, which isn't necessarily a bad thing). This is one of Cornwell's best, IMHO, and now - for the first time in a few years - I'm really looking forward to the next installment.
This one started out in that vein, making me groan out loud, "Please, not again!" But very soon, thankfully, it moved away from the angst to focus on a great plot that held my interest all the way to the end. It begins as Scarpetta is called in to check out a female body that's been wrapped in an unusual cloth and seemingly positioned in an odd way. Turns out she's the plaintiff in a $100 million lawsuit against a big financial management firm that was supposed to begin in a week.
Coincidence? Not likely; but of course, there'd be no story if the motive were that simple. In fact, Scarpetta and her hubby, who is being ostracized openly by his FBI boss, suspect the murder is connected to a series of others done by a person known as the Capital Murderer. As Scarpetta and her team, including Detective Pete Marino (with whom Scarpetta has a long-time but muddled relationship that Marino apparently wishes were more than professional) get down to the nitty gritty of the investigation, they begin to think people in high places don't want them to get the low-down on the case.
All the regulars get in on the act to one degree or another, including Scarpetta's niece Lucy and her partner Janet (though perhaps to a lesser degree than in some of the more recent novels, which isn't necessarily a bad thing). This is one of Cornwell's best, IMHO, and now - for the first time in a few years - I'm really looking forward to the next installment.
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