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Kay Scarpetta #24
Chaos
#1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Cornwell returns with the remarkable twenty-fourth thriller in her popular high-stakes series starring medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta.
In the quiet of twilight, on an early autumn day, twenty-six-year-old Elisa Vandersteel is killed while riding her bicycle along the Charles River. It appears she was struck by lightning—except the weather is perfectly clear with not a cloud in sight. Dr. Kay Scarpetta, the Cambridge Forensic Center’s director and chief, decides at the scene that this is no accidental Act of God.
Her investigation becomes complicated when she begins receiving a flurry of bizarre poems from an anonymous cyberbully who calls himself Tailend Charlie. Though subsequent lab results support Scarpetta’s conclusions, the threatening messages don’t stop. When the tenth poem arrives exactly twenty-four hours after Elisa’s death, Scarpetta begins to suspect the harasser is involved, and sounds the alarm to her investigative partner Pete Marino and her husband, FBI analyst Benton Wesley.
She also enlists the help of her niece, Lucy. But to Scarpetta’s surprise, tracking the slippery Tailend Charlie is nearly impossible, even for someone as brilliant as her niece. Also, Lucy can’t explain how this anonymous nemesis could have access to private information. To make matters worse, a venomous media is whipping the public into a frenzy, questioning the seasoned forensics chief’s judgment and "a quack cause of death on a par with spontaneous combustion."
In the quiet of twilight, on an early autumn day, twenty-six-year-old Elisa Vandersteel is killed while riding her bicycle along the Charles River. It appears she was struck by lightning—except the weather is perfectly clear with not a cloud in sight. Dr. Kay Scarpetta, the Cambridge Forensic Center’s director and chief, decides at the scene that this is no accidental Act of God.
Her investigation becomes complicated when she begins receiving a flurry of bizarre poems from an anonymous cyberbully who calls himself Tailend Charlie. Though subsequent lab results support Scarpetta’s conclusions, the threatening messages don’t stop. When the tenth poem arrives exactly twenty-four hours after Elisa’s death, Scarpetta begins to suspect the harasser is involved, and sounds the alarm to her investigative partner Pete Marino and her husband, FBI analyst Benton Wesley.
She also enlists the help of her niece, Lucy. But to Scarpetta’s surprise, tracking the slippery Tailend Charlie is nearly impossible, even for someone as brilliant as her niece. Also, Lucy can’t explain how this anonymous nemesis could have access to private information. To make matters worse, a venomous media is whipping the public into a frenzy, questioning the seasoned forensics chief’s judgment and "a quack cause of death on a par with spontaneous combustion."
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First published October 20, 2016
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About the author
Patricia Cornwell
325Ìýbooks18.8kÌýfollowersPatricia 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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October 20, 2016Ok I've marked it as read but I've only read about 15% not even quite that. I don't know what this is but its nothing like a story. Garbled nonsense. It took me ages to work out what was actually HAPPENING in the first bit. Scarpetta walking to a thing, Marino yelling at her on the phone about a thing, or something. I'm still not clear on where she was walking TOO even though there was some rubbish about a lecture. I just don't get it. Then frankly I skipped forward a bit and still garbled there is no flow to it. I can't cope. Especially since there isnt even a case yet as far as I can see. Unless you count the lecture subject (Challenger) which seems to just be an excuse for people to be "after" Scarpetta again.
I keep getting dragged back in hopeful of some clarity from this once terrific author. I maybe should have stuck with it a bit more but frankly life is too short.
I keep getting dragged back in hopeful of some clarity from this once terrific author. I maybe should have stuck with it a bit more but frankly life is too short.
December 3, 2016
I do not understand the folks who say this is fast-paced, suspenseful, engrossing...Argh. Seriously I may not even be able to finish it. Chapters and chapters of filler, of back story, of internal monologue...I don't need to hear about Benton's rich family, wonder if he was driving the Porsche or the Audi, and have his and Kay's relationship explained to me over and over. I'm really getting tired of the Kay-is-so-well-known-everyone-is-out-to-get-her crap. She's a medical examiner, for crissakes. People don't fixate on MEs; hell, unless it's a case like OJ Simpson we don't even know who they are. I'm tired of chapter breaks that fall in the middle of a conversation for no good reason whatsoever. I'm about 15 chapters in - and I haven't even seen the body yet. Faugh. Please, Patricia, either shape up or kill Kay off and put us out of our misery.
Update - after 2 weeks of struggling with this thing...I can't do it. I just can't. Seriously, I think Kay has dementia or Alzheimer's or something because she is just all over the place. Confused, rambling, paranoid...More than 200 pages and no one's touched the body. And we're blathering about Carrie Grethen. I am sick to death of Carrie Grethen. I'm done with this.
Update - after 2 weeks of struggling with this thing...I can't do it. I just can't. Seriously, I think Kay has dementia or Alzheimer's or something because she is just all over the place. Confused, rambling, paranoid...More than 200 pages and no one's touched the body. And we're blathering about Carrie Grethen. I am sick to death of Carrie Grethen. I'm done with this.
December 10, 2016
Call it a strong 3.5 stars!
Having reached the impressive milestone of twenty-four Kay Scarpetta novels, Cornwell takes readers on another journey into the fast-paced life of this popular medical examiner. While attending a seminar in Cambridge, Scarpetta is told of a complaint called into the police for disturbing the peace, apparently involving an argument she had with her assistant. Detailed information knowable only to someone who was close at hand, Scarpetta is baffled as to who might be lurking in the shadows and what the rationale could be for such a false report. She is left to think back on the odd messages received from one 'Tailend Charlie', a cyber bully that has both her and her techie niece, Lucy, completely baffled. While dining with her husband, FBI Agent Benton Wesley, both receive calls that pull them away from their date and to handle leads in their respective jobs; Wesley a heightened terror alert for the Boston area and Scarpetta to attend the scene of a potential homicide. Scarpetta is met by longtime friend and colleague, Pete Marino outside the restaurant, where they begin piecing together the narrative. After receiving an odd call from INTERPOL, Marino is told of the homicide of Elisa Vandersteel, who works in England. What does not make sense is the fact that INTERPOL was tipped off and took an active interest before the local police have investigated and liaised. Marino and Scarpetta head to the scene, where twin girls apparently found Vandersteel, though they are less than clear in their statements. Racing against the clock, Scarpetta is still hoping to welcome her sister who is flying in from Florida, but has had to pass that along to Lucy. Tailend Charlie continues to send messages, some in Italian, offering shreds of information from Scarpetta's past that only one or two people could know. During the examination of Elisa's body, there appears to be signs of an electrical shock that knocked her from riding and Scarpetta realises that she met the young woman earlier in the day. Trying to synthesise what might be going, Scarpetta deduces there might have been a shock from a lightning strike, though the night was free of any cloud cover. With no firm leads, Scarpetta receives a call that her mentor has died after a freak accident, which derails her already fractured concentration. Things continue to take many twisted turns, leaving Scarpetta to have strong memories of her long-time nemesis, Carrie Grethen. How does all this fit together and could someone else be targeting Scarpetta in an attempt to impress Grethen with a degree of psychopathic tendencies? All builds up to a grand finale, where Scarpetta and Wesley come to terms with the series of events that have plagued them, only to leave readers with a stunning revelation that will change the scope of the Scarpetta series for the foreseeable future. An interesting instalment to the series that might leave regulars scratching their heads or tossing the novel down in frustration.
In a twist of fate, I have read and reviewed a number of series whose length opens the discussion about the usefulness of character longevity. While Kay Scarpetta is a character whose day to day activity is not physically taxing to the point of running her body ragged, series followers will have seen her go through many transformations, both in personal life and the workplace. A character that goes through so much change is sure to become somewhat stagnant without an author at the helm who can rejuvenate the backstory and keep things moving forward. Cornwell has done well with Scarpetta and has kept her from becoming too aged or even losing the lustre of her abilities. However, the writing in his novel showed that the case at hand played second fiddle to an ongoing flashback narrative and one that forced regular readers to pound their heads into the wall. I have always found that if a reader chooses to parachute into the middle of a series, they should leave confused and without a strong connection to the protagonist. However, Cornwell spent so much time rehashing the entire backstory of Dr.Kay Scarpetta and how each character tied to her, back to the early days, that I was left to ask, 'when will be focus on the case?'. The case was present, though took closer to 70% of the novel to have the esteemed doctor arrive on the scene. Then, in an interesting spin, the entire case, investigation and determination of what happened flowed down like an information avalanche in order to tie things off. Fearing I might offer too much, I must also say that while the key characters were as strong and present as always, the constant reappearance of Carrie Grethen makes me feel as if Scarpetta wanted to tie every case she works to Grethen and all over evildoers must, in some way, be pawns in her game of chess. It gets tiresome and led me to beg Cornwell to have someone cut Grethen's throat once and for all, watching her bleed out before dropping her in a vat of acid. Kill her once and for all... let's find new case and new villains with no ties to anyone else. Let Lucy focus her attention elsewhere, have Scarpetta not look over her shoulder... and let the bodies be tied to actual cases that attract the reader's attention, not something tech-based that pushes the parameters of reality. While Kay Scarpetta does not track down terrorists or have her life threatened as she is beaten up and captured in some Uzbek cave, her time as an effective character might have come to an end at twenty-four novels. Ok, I'll push the soapbox away and hush now, or at least until the next annual release of Cornwell's Scarpetta.
Kudos, Madam Cornwell for another interesting addition to the Scarpetta series. I hope others will see some of what I do and this helps shape your approach to future publications.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
Having reached the impressive milestone of twenty-four Kay Scarpetta novels, Cornwell takes readers on another journey into the fast-paced life of this popular medical examiner. While attending a seminar in Cambridge, Scarpetta is told of a complaint called into the police for disturbing the peace, apparently involving an argument she had with her assistant. Detailed information knowable only to someone who was close at hand, Scarpetta is baffled as to who might be lurking in the shadows and what the rationale could be for such a false report. She is left to think back on the odd messages received from one 'Tailend Charlie', a cyber bully that has both her and her techie niece, Lucy, completely baffled. While dining with her husband, FBI Agent Benton Wesley, both receive calls that pull them away from their date and to handle leads in their respective jobs; Wesley a heightened terror alert for the Boston area and Scarpetta to attend the scene of a potential homicide. Scarpetta is met by longtime friend and colleague, Pete Marino outside the restaurant, where they begin piecing together the narrative. After receiving an odd call from INTERPOL, Marino is told of the homicide of Elisa Vandersteel, who works in England. What does not make sense is the fact that INTERPOL was tipped off and took an active interest before the local police have investigated and liaised. Marino and Scarpetta head to the scene, where twin girls apparently found Vandersteel, though they are less than clear in their statements. Racing against the clock, Scarpetta is still hoping to welcome her sister who is flying in from Florida, but has had to pass that along to Lucy. Tailend Charlie continues to send messages, some in Italian, offering shreds of information from Scarpetta's past that only one or two people could know. During the examination of Elisa's body, there appears to be signs of an electrical shock that knocked her from riding and Scarpetta realises that she met the young woman earlier in the day. Trying to synthesise what might be going, Scarpetta deduces there might have been a shock from a lightning strike, though the night was free of any cloud cover. With no firm leads, Scarpetta receives a call that her mentor has died after a freak accident, which derails her already fractured concentration. Things continue to take many twisted turns, leaving Scarpetta to have strong memories of her long-time nemesis, Carrie Grethen. How does all this fit together and could someone else be targeting Scarpetta in an attempt to impress Grethen with a degree of psychopathic tendencies? All builds up to a grand finale, where Scarpetta and Wesley come to terms with the series of events that have plagued them, only to leave readers with a stunning revelation that will change the scope of the Scarpetta series for the foreseeable future. An interesting instalment to the series that might leave regulars scratching their heads or tossing the novel down in frustration.
In a twist of fate, I have read and reviewed a number of series whose length opens the discussion about the usefulness of character longevity. While Kay Scarpetta is a character whose day to day activity is not physically taxing to the point of running her body ragged, series followers will have seen her go through many transformations, both in personal life and the workplace. A character that goes through so much change is sure to become somewhat stagnant without an author at the helm who can rejuvenate the backstory and keep things moving forward. Cornwell has done well with Scarpetta and has kept her from becoming too aged or even losing the lustre of her abilities. However, the writing in his novel showed that the case at hand played second fiddle to an ongoing flashback narrative and one that forced regular readers to pound their heads into the wall. I have always found that if a reader chooses to parachute into the middle of a series, they should leave confused and without a strong connection to the protagonist. However, Cornwell spent so much time rehashing the entire backstory of Dr.Kay Scarpetta and how each character tied to her, back to the early days, that I was left to ask, 'when will be focus on the case?'. The case was present, though took closer to 70% of the novel to have the esteemed doctor arrive on the scene. Then, in an interesting spin, the entire case, investigation and determination of what happened flowed down like an information avalanche in order to tie things off. Fearing I might offer too much, I must also say that while the key characters were as strong and present as always, the constant reappearance of Carrie Grethen makes me feel as if Scarpetta wanted to tie every case she works to Grethen and all over evildoers must, in some way, be pawns in her game of chess. It gets tiresome and led me to beg Cornwell to have someone cut Grethen's throat once and for all, watching her bleed out before dropping her in a vat of acid. Kill her once and for all... let's find new case and new villains with no ties to anyone else. Let Lucy focus her attention elsewhere, have Scarpetta not look over her shoulder... and let the bodies be tied to actual cases that attract the reader's attention, not something tech-based that pushes the parameters of reality. While Kay Scarpetta does not track down terrorists or have her life threatened as she is beaten up and captured in some Uzbek cave, her time as an effective character might have come to an end at twenty-four novels. Ok, I'll push the soapbox away and hush now, or at least until the next annual release of Cornwell's Scarpetta.
Kudos, Madam Cornwell for another interesting addition to the Scarpetta series. I hope others will see some of what I do and this helps shape your approach to future publications.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
October 8, 2016
This is chaotic, indeed, and needs some serious work to turn it into anything near an exciting read. There’s very little plot and lots of rambling so that we don’t have a dead body till 20% through the book, Scarpetta and Marino don’t arrive at the site of the body till 30% and the forensic examination is only at 60% - in between we have massive padding, lots of rehashing of past storylines and just pointless meandering.
I haven’t read a Scarpetta book for years and my heart sank to find that the series is still wallowing in the insane psychopath Carrie Grethen who has been dead then resurrected, imprisoned then escaped, and still out to get Scarpetta and her extended family. The plot is particularly ludicrous here
A sad decline from a once great crime writer. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.
I haven’t read a Scarpetta book for years and my heart sank to find that the series is still wallowing in the insane psychopath Carrie Grethen who has been dead then resurrected, imprisoned then escaped, and still out to get Scarpetta and her extended family. The plot is particularly ludicrous here
A sad decline from a once great crime writer. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.
January 17, 2020
Chaos is the 24th book in the 'Kay Scarpetta' thriller and suspense series focusing on a medical examiner's investigations. It is currently the last book Patricia Cornwell has written in this series as of 2016 as well as serves as the third issue in an arc about serial killer Carrie Grethen.
The novel is a slower read than usual. We spend a lot of time in Kay's head worrying about things that we don't know a lot about yet. For the most part, the book takes place in just a few days. Several odd deaths occur, and little by little, Kay, Marino, Benton, and Lucy connect them together with the help of various staff. It seems like Carrie Grethen has found another accomplice, and she's sought revenge on Kay. Unfortunately, someone close to Kay pays the price in this installment. We also end the books with an incredibly concerning secret reveal about a new character who was introduced a couple of books ago. What drama!
As a three-book arc, it was definitely interesting to see the progression of the serial killer's mind. I almost wish we had chapters from Carrie's perspective, so that we fully appreciated her psychotic need to get revenge. That's my biggest concern in this series right now... if an author wants to build up a huge nut as the crazy killer, we need to know why not just through other people's views, but through the killer's mind, too. We get that only if they provide messages in writing, make phone calls, or interact in scenes with dialog. That hasn't much happened in this arc, so I struggled to really understand 'why' it was so important to hurt Kay.
As a standalone book, other than being a little too slow of a read, it was fascinating to learn all about the technology and weapons being used. It's probably one or two levels above my knowledge base and capability of understanding the detail, but not so much I felt removed. It clicked, but I found myself skimming on occasion when we got into paragraphs about exactly how it came to be in the hands of the serial killer. The best aspects were seeing Kay's connections with Marino and her staff. She shines with them. Not with Benton. He's a bit too boring for her. And Lucy has been too far removed for a boatload of books, so I've kinda lost any interest in her. The new girlfriend and son angle is interesting, but I wish we'd met them sooner.
That said, it's a fine ending for the arc. I'm left wondering where the books go next... she's due for one this year, but I can't find anything about it. I'll get it when it comes out... this installment was a 3.5 for me.
The novel is a slower read than usual. We spend a lot of time in Kay's head worrying about things that we don't know a lot about yet. For the most part, the book takes place in just a few days. Several odd deaths occur, and little by little, Kay, Marino, Benton, and Lucy connect them together with the help of various staff. It seems like Carrie Grethen has found another accomplice, and she's sought revenge on Kay. Unfortunately, someone close to Kay pays the price in this installment. We also end the books with an incredibly concerning secret reveal about a new character who was introduced a couple of books ago. What drama!
As a three-book arc, it was definitely interesting to see the progression of the serial killer's mind. I almost wish we had chapters from Carrie's perspective, so that we fully appreciated her psychotic need to get revenge. That's my biggest concern in this series right now... if an author wants to build up a huge nut as the crazy killer, we need to know why not just through other people's views, but through the killer's mind, too. We get that only if they provide messages in writing, make phone calls, or interact in scenes with dialog. That hasn't much happened in this arc, so I struggled to really understand 'why' it was so important to hurt Kay.
As a standalone book, other than being a little too slow of a read, it was fascinating to learn all about the technology and weapons being used. It's probably one or two levels above my knowledge base and capability of understanding the detail, but not so much I felt removed. It clicked, but I found myself skimming on occasion when we got into paragraphs about exactly how it came to be in the hands of the serial killer. The best aspects were seeing Kay's connections with Marino and her staff. She shines with them. Not with Benton. He's a bit too boring for her. And Lucy has been too far removed for a boatload of books, so I've kinda lost any interest in her. The new girlfriend and son angle is interesting, but I wish we'd met them sooner.
That said, it's a fine ending for the arc. I'm left wondering where the books go next... she's due for one this year, but I can't find anything about it. I'll get it when it comes out... this installment was a 3.5 for me.
February 15, 2022
Chaos
by Patricia Cornwell is a medical mystery set in Cambridge, Massachusetts and featuring medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta. This is the twenty-fourth book in the series and it helps to read this series in order. Kay and Detective Pete Marino respond to a call about a dead bicyclist. But before Kay’s headquarters, the Cambridge Forensic Center, is even officially notified about the case, both Marino and Kay’s FBI agent husband, Benton Wesley, receive suspicious calls about the case, purportedly from Interpol. Add to this a cyber-bully sending messages to Kay, a false call to the police regarding Kay, a friend’s death, an aggravating sister coming to visit, and a heat wave, and readers get plenty of suspense and atmosphere.
By this book in the series, the main and secondary characters are well-developed with all their strengths and flaws and there are only a few other characters that show up in this one.
While the atmosphere and world-building in this novel were great, the pace was much too slow for me during most of the story. There was a lot of set-up for a small amount of action and forensics. Besides the case itself, there is a lot of focus on relationships in this book.
Overall, this was a dark and somewhat slow-paced story.
Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
By this book in the series, the main and secondary characters are well-developed with all their strengths and flaws and there are only a few other characters that show up in this one.
While the atmosphere and world-building in this novel were great, the pace was much too slow for me during most of the story. There was a lot of set-up for a small amount of action and forensics. Besides the case itself, there is a lot of focus on relationships in this book.
Overall, this was a dark and somewhat slow-paced story.
Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
December 18, 2016
This is the most disappointing, tedious, nothing-happening book I have ever read by a seasoned mystery author. If I could give it zero stars, I would.
I will not belabor this review with a plot summary, as there is practically no plot to speak of, and others have recapped well what little there is. Suffice it to say that an inordinate amount of attention is given to Kay Scarpetta's incessant heatwave discomforts and unhappy, often smug mental musings. These are given full play during the endless hours of waiting she must endure, due to absurd investigative setup delays, before she can examine the main murder victim "in situ." Through all of this and beyond, the book drags along at snail's pace until Ms. Cornwell decides to wrap it all up with a disconcerting quickness.
Partway into this snoozer we are "treated" to the advent of an old nemesis who, as other reviewers note, should have been eliminated a long time ago, and who coulda/shoulda but unfortunately wasn't in this book either, merely incapacitated (again) and in a most ridiculous way. Readers obviously are going to be subjected to another resurrection of this tiresome character. Even the one "surprise" that came to light at the end was too long in coming and could not make up for the tediousness of the rest of the book.
Either refresh this series, Ms. Cornwell, or do us all a favor--retire it altogether and move on.
I will not belabor this review with a plot summary, as there is practically no plot to speak of, and others have recapped well what little there is. Suffice it to say that an inordinate amount of attention is given to Kay Scarpetta's incessant heatwave discomforts and unhappy, often smug mental musings. These are given full play during the endless hours of waiting she must endure, due to absurd investigative setup delays, before she can examine the main murder victim "in situ." Through all of this and beyond, the book drags along at snail's pace until Ms. Cornwell decides to wrap it all up with a disconcerting quickness.
Partway into this snoozer we are "treated" to the advent of an old nemesis who, as other reviewers note, should have been eliminated a long time ago, and who coulda/shoulda but unfortunately wasn't in this book either, merely incapacitated (again) and in a most ridiculous way. Readers obviously are going to be subjected to another resurrection of this tiresome character. Even the one "surprise" that came to light at the end was too long in coming and could not make up for the tediousness of the rest of the book.
Either refresh this series, Ms. Cornwell, or do us all a favor--retire it altogether and move on.
December 31, 2016
I think it's time for Patricia Cornwell to hang up her pen. This story is excruciatingly slow and the title describes the author's mindset while she was writing it. Cornwell has always loved describing things but in this book, she's outdone herself. If she describes once how her bare feet in fancy shoes feel slimy, she tells us half a dozen times. She describes her husband's clothes almost down to the colour of his socks. She describes his cars while wondering which one of his many rich man's toys he'll be driving this time. *gag* That's another thing she loves to describe - how rich they are and what expensive wines they love and the chef type food she loves to cook "in her spare time".
We're halfway through the darned book before she ever gets near the body because her two very experienced guys can't figure out how to put up the tent! That was perhaps the stupidest, most unbelievable part of this book and there were many parts like that. Another contender for stupidest was when she allows herself to become dehydrated and almost pass out in the heat when there's no need of it. She's a DOCTOR for heaven's sake! And why is she still putting up with all of Marino's shit after all these years? She does nothing but complain about him and yet she still doesn't remove his thumbprint access to her personal office?!?
Cornwell seems to be really grasping for ideas and falling very short in this book. She runs over too many back stories in too much detail and brings back people and things better left where they were. I used to love getting a new Scarpetta book but after reading this one, I don't think I'll be looking for another one. I was going to give it one star but I did finish it, painful as that was at times.
We're halfway through the darned book before she ever gets near the body because her two very experienced guys can't figure out how to put up the tent! That was perhaps the stupidest, most unbelievable part of this book and there were many parts like that. Another contender for stupidest was when she allows herself to become dehydrated and almost pass out in the heat when there's no need of it. She's a DOCTOR for heaven's sake! And why is she still putting up with all of Marino's shit after all these years? She does nothing but complain about him and yet she still doesn't remove his thumbprint access to her personal office?!?
Cornwell seems to be really grasping for ideas and falling very short in this book. She runs over too many back stories in too much detail and brings back people and things better left where they were. I used to love getting a new Scarpetta book but after reading this one, I don't think I'll be looking for another one. I was going to give it one star but I did finish it, painful as that was at times.
February 6, 2017
Patricia Cornwell's entire Kay Scarpetta oeuvre deserves reading, including this book. No one else writes with such verve and authority about the tales the dead tell in the autopsy suite.
That said, this book started very slowly and with an annoyingly constrained style. Too much repetition of "I can't say this, she/he can't tell me that," and much too long a scene at the Harvard Faculty Club. (yes, really)
The pace picks up once Scarpetta is on the scene of an odd electrocution and then rockets to the end, with the usual soupcon of medical examiner's insight and authority, forensic details, technical innovation, deadlines, and plain old thriller high stakes.
Well worth a read, but I wish Cornwell's editor (or whomever it is) would stop pushing to include romantic scenes in these books.
That said, this book started very slowly and with an annoyingly constrained style. Too much repetition of "I can't say this, she/he can't tell me that," and much too long a scene at the Harvard Faculty Club. (yes, really)
The pace picks up once Scarpetta is on the scene of an odd electrocution and then rockets to the end, with the usual soupcon of medical examiner's insight and authority, forensic details, technical innovation, deadlines, and plain old thriller high stakes.
Well worth a read, but I wish Cornwell's editor (or whomever it is) would stop pushing to include romantic scenes in these books.
September 8, 2024
Bizarre messages from a cyberstalker that are meant to confuse and create fear…Phone calls purportedly from Interpol…a body found in a Cambridge, Massachusetts, park that appears to have been struck by lightning � on a storm-free night. These are just some of the peculiar occurrences in Patricia Cornwell’s .
The book begins strangely, with Pete Marino, long-time police associate and friend of medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta pulling up to her near the Harvard campus to insist on discussing an incident that was called into 9-1-1. From there, things only get more and more puzzling. Kay and her husband FBI profiler Benton Wesley have just ordered dinner when each gets a separate phone call pulling them away in different directions. Scarpetta meets up with Marino; the two of them wind up at the scene of what could be a bicycle accident � except that not everything adds up.
The pacing is extremely slow, which isn’t necessarily all bad. I do like a story where weather is a factor in the plot, and more than one character makes a point of emphasizing that Boston’s 100-degree heat and excessive humidity is making things difficult. There are actually a few amusing moments included, but at times, the reminders about the temperature became a bit much. It gets redundant after a while and could use some editing. Adding to the deliberate tempo is the backtracking that Scarpetta does while she waits for the technicians to prepare the scene for her to do her initial examination. I also didn’t mind this � after all, this is the twenty-fourth installment of the Kay Scarpetta series, and it’s difficult to keep track of some of the characters and events of past books. Unfortunately, the author has been on a sort of treadmill with Scarpetta and niece Lucy’s arch-nemesis Carrie Grethen, and whenever high-tech bullying and freakish deaths occur, this is where Kay and Benton’s thoughts immediately go. I hoped they might be wrong this time, as this story line is becoming tedious, in my opinion. Never mind. There was enough intrigue that I managed to stay interested.
Yes, Benton and Kay still can’t discuss their cases. He’s FBI. She’s not. Dr. Scarpetta seems to have a loyal crew working with her, so I suppose that says something about her character. Marino and Benton still can’t stand one another. Yes, Marino is still Marino, but believe it or not, he’s cleaned up his act � a little. There’s a reason for that, but you have to read the book. Lucy is mostly behind the scenes, which is fine with me. I used to really like Lucy, back when she was young. Now, I think I like Marino better.
If you’re looking for a fast moving, action-packed, tension-filled page-turner, you might want to look elsewhere. Chaos is not without its puzzles and a sense of foreboding. Is it worth the wait? Yes, I think so. Late in the novel, there is a section that really grabbed my attention! There is enough mystery throughout the bulk of the plot that kept me reading. Who is Tailend Charlie? What killed the young woman on the bike? Is her death somehow related to another that comes a bit later? Is the diabolical Carrie Grethen really behind all of this? If she is, will there be a showdown, or will she escape once more? What of Marino, Lucy and Janet and their young son? Kay, Benton, and Kay’s sister Dorothy? Do they make it through unscathed? Some may find the answers to be far-fetched or even dreary. I’ll admit that once again, this one didn’t measure up to the early Scarpetta books, but I did find it good enough to get through in just over a day.
3.5 stars
The book begins strangely, with Pete Marino, long-time police associate and friend of medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta pulling up to her near the Harvard campus to insist on discussing an incident that was called into 9-1-1. From there, things only get more and more puzzling. Kay and her husband FBI profiler Benton Wesley have just ordered dinner when each gets a separate phone call pulling them away in different directions. Scarpetta meets up with Marino; the two of them wind up at the scene of what could be a bicycle accident � except that not everything adds up.
The pacing is extremely slow, which isn’t necessarily all bad. I do like a story where weather is a factor in the plot, and more than one character makes a point of emphasizing that Boston’s 100-degree heat and excessive humidity is making things difficult. There are actually a few amusing moments included, but at times, the reminders about the temperature became a bit much. It gets redundant after a while and could use some editing. Adding to the deliberate tempo is the backtracking that Scarpetta does while she waits for the technicians to prepare the scene for her to do her initial examination. I also didn’t mind this � after all, this is the twenty-fourth installment of the Kay Scarpetta series, and it’s difficult to keep track of some of the characters and events of past books. Unfortunately, the author has been on a sort of treadmill with Scarpetta and niece Lucy’s arch-nemesis Carrie Grethen, and whenever high-tech bullying and freakish deaths occur, this is where Kay and Benton’s thoughts immediately go. I hoped they might be wrong this time, as this story line is becoming tedious, in my opinion. Never mind. There was enough intrigue that I managed to stay interested.
Yes, Benton and Kay still can’t discuss their cases. He’s FBI. She’s not. Dr. Scarpetta seems to have a loyal crew working with her, so I suppose that says something about her character. Marino and Benton still can’t stand one another. Yes, Marino is still Marino, but believe it or not, he’s cleaned up his act � a little. There’s a reason for that, but you have to read the book. Lucy is mostly behind the scenes, which is fine with me. I used to really like Lucy, back when she was young. Now, I think I like Marino better.
If you’re looking for a fast moving, action-packed, tension-filled page-turner, you might want to look elsewhere. Chaos is not without its puzzles and a sense of foreboding. Is it worth the wait? Yes, I think so. Late in the novel, there is a section that really grabbed my attention! There is enough mystery throughout the bulk of the plot that kept me reading. Who is Tailend Charlie? What killed the young woman on the bike? Is her death somehow related to another that comes a bit later? Is the diabolical Carrie Grethen really behind all of this? If she is, will there be a showdown, or will she escape once more? What of Marino, Lucy and Janet and their young son? Kay, Benton, and Kay’s sister Dorothy? Do they make it through unscathed? Some may find the answers to be far-fetched or even dreary. I’ll admit that once again, this one didn’t measure up to the early Scarpetta books, but I did find it good enough to get through in just over a day.
3.5 stars
February 7, 2025
I’ve always been a fan of Patricia Cornwell and Scarpetta but I had a break for a few years. I came across Chaos and started reading it and I was hooked again. There hasn’t been any changes, the family are still intact and I loved it. It’s an absolute riveting read.
December 4, 2016
I keep asking myself why do I bother to continue to read this series. Cornwell has gotten into a typical pattern and the ending is easy to figure out. On the other hand, the forensic detail is most interesting and new developments in the fields are also included in the story.
Kay Scarpetta is head of the Cambridge Forensic Center in Massachusetts. Kay is called to a scene after a 23-year-old cyclist, Elisa Vandersteel, is found dead. Also on scene is detective Pet Marino. On the personal side, Kay has been receiving prank calls from someone called “Tail-end Charlie�; all the calls are in Italian. Kay’s sister, Dorothy, is coming for a visit. Carrie Grethen, the psychopath serial killer, returns. When will Cornwell put this character to rest? She has killed her off only to have her come back. I, for one, am sick and tired of Carrie. My favorite character is Lucy, but she played only a minor role in this story.
The book dragged and is in need of serious work by an editor. Cornwell spent more than half the book on back story. It is as if she had to summarize all the prior 23 books into this story. Also, the book had a lot of meaningless internal monologue. There has been a significant decline in writing skills, unless there was a mistake and the publisher accidently published the first draft instead of the final one.
The series has had many different narrators over the 24 editions. This book and the last one, book 23, have had the same narrator, Susan Erickson. Erickson did her usual good job narrating the book. Erickson is an actress and multi-award winning audiobook narrator.
Kay Scarpetta is head of the Cambridge Forensic Center in Massachusetts. Kay is called to a scene after a 23-year-old cyclist, Elisa Vandersteel, is found dead. Also on scene is detective Pet Marino. On the personal side, Kay has been receiving prank calls from someone called “Tail-end Charlie�; all the calls are in Italian. Kay’s sister, Dorothy, is coming for a visit. Carrie Grethen, the psychopath serial killer, returns. When will Cornwell put this character to rest? She has killed her off only to have her come back. I, for one, am sick and tired of Carrie. My favorite character is Lucy, but she played only a minor role in this story.
The book dragged and is in need of serious work by an editor. Cornwell spent more than half the book on back story. It is as if she had to summarize all the prior 23 books into this story. Also, the book had a lot of meaningless internal monologue. There has been a significant decline in writing skills, unless there was a mistake and the publisher accidently published the first draft instead of the final one.
The series has had many different narrators over the 24 editions. This book and the last one, book 23, have had the same narrator, Susan Erickson. Erickson did her usual good job narrating the book. Erickson is an actress and multi-award winning audiobook narrator.
November 23, 2016
There is too much time in Scarpetta's head and none of it good. When did Marino get hot? I feel like he's a whole new character from where he started and that's not a compliment. I feel like the author has lost a hold of the characters she created. And I also learned I don't like Kay all that much. Once with Benton shame on her. But to find out about Briggs, whom I thought was a father figure to her. Now we learn... gross. And she thought about other men and how good looking they were or weren't throughout the book. To think she almost cheated before with Luke I think his name is. And she made it seem like Benton might cheat with live in dog sitter. And who has a nanny for the dog??? This book really didn't get to the case until 10-20% towards the end. The rest was all in her head. Maybe this series has reached its end point. I'll read the next one probably. But I don't know that I'll jump to read it. Then again, a year from now I might have forgotten how I feel.
October 30, 2021
This one was just as disappointing as the last couple of books featuring Kay Scarpetta. It takes a long time for anything significant to really happen, and by then, you just don't really give a crap. We have more of Scarpetta's inner ramblings to herself, everyone being so secretive...it's really getting old.
At least in this one, we get to know more about her sister, Dorothy- now she's a piece of work. Otherwise, the plot is weak and there were no real surprises.
Can't say I really recommend this one. I used to love this character, but sadly, I might have to let her go.
At least in this one, we get to know more about her sister, Dorothy- now she's a piece of work. Otherwise, the plot is weak and there were no real surprises.
Can't say I really recommend this one. I used to love this character, but sadly, I might have to let her go.
June 3, 2024
Re Read June 2024
Story 4 stars**
Audio 4.25 stars**
Narrator Susan Ericksen
Story 4 stars**
Audio 4.25 stars**
Narrator Susan Ericksen
April 20, 2017
I keep hanging in with this series because the first 6 or so books were nothing short of AMAZING. Like, 5 star amazing. The longer the series goes on, however, the more I believe Kay Scarpetta has seen her best days and maybe it's time to put her to sleep, literally.
There is so much internal monologue and descriptions of EVERY. LITTLE. THING, that Kay didn't even get to the dead body until the 60% mark in the book. Need I remind anyone this is a series about a medical examiner?
And seriously...Carrie Grethen needs to die. She's become a monster of mythical proportion in this series. It's ludicrous. I can't imagine there is a reader out there who still gives a flying f*ck about Carrie Grethen. MOVE ON, ALREADY!
I also didn't appreciate the negative connotations in relation to autism.
Beyond that, 99% of the book led to the "big climatic ending," but less than 1% was devoted to it...it was so rushed, it came across as very amateurish.
At this point, even though I've read every book in the series, I think it might very well be time to move on and read books more worthy of my time.
There is so much internal monologue and descriptions of EVERY. LITTLE. THING, that Kay didn't even get to the dead body until the 60% mark in the book. Need I remind anyone this is a series about a medical examiner?
And seriously...Carrie Grethen needs to die. She's become a monster of mythical proportion in this series. It's ludicrous. I can't imagine there is a reader out there who still gives a flying f*ck about Carrie Grethen. MOVE ON, ALREADY!
I also didn't appreciate the negative connotations in relation to autism.
Beyond that, 99% of the book led to the "big climatic ending," but less than 1% was devoted to it...it was so rushed, it came across as very amateurish.
At this point, even though I've read every book in the series, I think it might very well be time to move on and read books more worthy of my time.
December 15, 2016
What saves this book for me is the forensic investigation and the science. What makes me roll my eyes (yet again) is the on-going conspiracy plots against Scarpetta and her extended family. Tiresome and unconvincing. Who in the world fixates on a forensic scientist and then plots for decades to destroy them. And now, not unsurprising, fans will face the nature vs nurture argument in future installments.
November 21, 2016
Perusing other reviews of this book, the 24th in the author's series featuring medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta, I was a bit surprised to see a few naysayers. Yes, I agree the story moves along slowly (sometimes almost excruciatingly so) until the very end, where I, at least, got a jolt. Yes, the esteemed doctor remains what I'd call paranoid egotistical - everybody's out to get her but since she's so good at what she does, she somehow never quite understands why. But that said, in many ways the writing here is the best I've seen in the past few books. And yes, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!
In the beginning, Kay is prepping for a high-level presentation with a professional colleague. As she and hunky FBI profiler husband Benton Wesley stroll toward dinner in an exclusive Harvard University club, she discusses the upcoming unexpected visit from her not-so-beloved sister Dorothy - and, in typical fashion, tries to discern her motive for coming. Dorothy, for those who don't know, is the mother of Kay's technologically gifted niece Lucy - the one Kay pretty much raised as her own. Lucy and her partner, Janet, have settled down to take over the care and nurturing of Janet's late sister's son, Desi. While they play a key role in the book, Lucy is noticeably absent for most of it (not a problem for me since she's probably my least favorite recurring character, but other readers might miss her).
Just as Kay and Benton are about to sip their first glasses of fine wine, though, they both get calls that mean dinner will go on the back burner. A mid-20s woman, it seems, has been killed under rather mysterious circumstances as she rode her bicycle along the Charles River. At first, it appears she was struck by lightning; but no bad weather anywhere near the area coupled with other suspicious goings-on prompt Kay to conclude the death is no accident.
Meantime, Kay has been getting strange threatening messages from an anonymous source dubbed Tailend Charlie - someone who seems to have inside information about Kay's life that aren't public knowledge. When she gets another not long after the young woman's death, Kay begins to suspect there may be a connection - a suspicion she shares with her husband and longtime friend, investigator Pete Marino (who got a questionable phone call of his own). Evidence from the murder and the messages begins to converge, leading to the horrifying conclusion that long-time psychopathic nemesis Carrie Grethen may be the instigator, if not the killer.
Most of the story takes place over a couple of days, and many chapters are spent on processing the murder scene before the murdered bicyclist is even taken back to Kay's lab at the Cambridge Forensic Center (much less positively identified). As usual, there's tension between Kay and Benton, who necessarily must keep certain details of their cases to themselves even when those cases overlap. And in the end, the killer's modus operandi does turn out to be something a little far-fetched, but it's grounded enough within the realm of possibility that I found it both intriguing and a bit unsettling.
In the beginning, Kay is prepping for a high-level presentation with a professional colleague. As she and hunky FBI profiler husband Benton Wesley stroll toward dinner in an exclusive Harvard University club, she discusses the upcoming unexpected visit from her not-so-beloved sister Dorothy - and, in typical fashion, tries to discern her motive for coming. Dorothy, for those who don't know, is the mother of Kay's technologically gifted niece Lucy - the one Kay pretty much raised as her own. Lucy and her partner, Janet, have settled down to take over the care and nurturing of Janet's late sister's son, Desi. While they play a key role in the book, Lucy is noticeably absent for most of it (not a problem for me since she's probably my least favorite recurring character, but other readers might miss her).
Just as Kay and Benton are about to sip their first glasses of fine wine, though, they both get calls that mean dinner will go on the back burner. A mid-20s woman, it seems, has been killed under rather mysterious circumstances as she rode her bicycle along the Charles River. At first, it appears she was struck by lightning; but no bad weather anywhere near the area coupled with other suspicious goings-on prompt Kay to conclude the death is no accident.
Meantime, Kay has been getting strange threatening messages from an anonymous source dubbed Tailend Charlie - someone who seems to have inside information about Kay's life that aren't public knowledge. When she gets another not long after the young woman's death, Kay begins to suspect there may be a connection - a suspicion she shares with her husband and longtime friend, investigator Pete Marino (who got a questionable phone call of his own). Evidence from the murder and the messages begins to converge, leading to the horrifying conclusion that long-time psychopathic nemesis Carrie Grethen may be the instigator, if not the killer.
Most of the story takes place over a couple of days, and many chapters are spent on processing the murder scene before the murdered bicyclist is even taken back to Kay's lab at the Cambridge Forensic Center (much less positively identified). As usual, there's tension between Kay and Benton, who necessarily must keep certain details of their cases to themselves even when those cases overlap. And in the end, the killer's modus operandi does turn out to be something a little far-fetched, but it's grounded enough within the realm of possibility that I found it both intriguing and a bit unsettling.
November 22, 2016
Not the least bit satisfying
I rated this book a 2 because for me at least it is not the good follow-up to the last book it could have been and that when I finished it I felt like I had wasted my time in reading it. Cornwell's books are generally captivating and advance the bigger story much further than this one did. I kept waiting for this book to start but all it seemed to have was a big beginning, a short ending and nothing much in between.
The book is mostly about one day and goes into a lot of detail on setting up tents to house the crime scene that began the book. Once you wade through that you find you have read 70% of the book and it feels like it is still just starting. The last bit of the book is about Carrie Greiten and what she is currently doing to threaten the life's of Kay Scarpetta and those dear to her. The one good scene in the book is Kay disabling Carrie's latest weapon with a fishing pole and monofilament line. Unfortunately we don't get to read about the capture of Carrie as Kay is knocked unconscious. We only hear about bits and pieces of it from Kay's reflections on what she was told. Carrie is not killed so I suppose we will hear about more of her insane machinations in future books, although it is long past time for Carrie to make a permanent departure from the story. Cornwell would do well to return to some of her earlier books and try to write another one with the same vim and vigor those contained. Those were enjoyable and riveting. This book,however, is a sad example of her talent as a storyteller.
I had looked forward to this book since reading the last one but it disappointed me and left me wondering if it wasn't time to bid Scarlett adieu.
I rated this book a 2 because for me at least it is not the good follow-up to the last book it could have been and that when I finished it I felt like I had wasted my time in reading it. Cornwell's books are generally captivating and advance the bigger story much further than this one did. I kept waiting for this book to start but all it seemed to have was a big beginning, a short ending and nothing much in between.
The book is mostly about one day and goes into a lot of detail on setting up tents to house the crime scene that began the book. Once you wade through that you find you have read 70% of the book and it feels like it is still just starting. The last bit of the book is about Carrie Greiten and what she is currently doing to threaten the life's of Kay Scarpetta and those dear to her. The one good scene in the book is Kay disabling Carrie's latest weapon with a fishing pole and monofilament line. Unfortunately we don't get to read about the capture of Carrie as Kay is knocked unconscious. We only hear about bits and pieces of it from Kay's reflections on what she was told. Carrie is not killed so I suppose we will hear about more of her insane machinations in future books, although it is long past time for Carrie to make a permanent departure from the story. Cornwell would do well to return to some of her earlier books and try to write another one with the same vim and vigor those contained. Those were enjoyable and riveting. This book,however, is a sad example of her talent as a storyteller.
I had looked forward to this book since reading the last one but it disappointed me and left me wondering if it wasn't time to bid Scarlett adieu.
May 22, 2018
Chaos is Patricia Cornwell's twenty-fourth engrossing thriller and the very best of Patricia Cornwell. I highly recommend Chaos. This hardback would make a lovely present specially with Christmas in a few months time. Chaos is ideal for a fan of Patricia Cornwell or a newcomer to Patricia Cornwell's books.
In the quite of twilight, on an early autumn day, twenty-six year old Elisa Vandersteel is killed while riding her bicycle along the Charles River. It appears she was struck by lightning except the weather IS PERFECTLY CLEAR with not a cloud in sight. Dr Kay Scarpetta, the Cambridge FORENSIC CENTER'S director and chief, decides at the scene that this is no ACCIDENTAL ACT of God. Her investigation becomes complicated when she BEGINS RECEIVING a flurry of bizarre poems from an anonymous cyberbully WHO CALLS HIMSELF Tailend Charlie. Through subsequent lab results support SCARPETTA'S CONCLUSIONS, the threatening messages don't stop. When the TENTH POEM ARRIVES exactly twenty-four-hours after Elisa's death, Scarpetta BEGINS TO SUSPECT the harasser is involved, and sounds the alarm to her INVESTIGATIVE PARTNER Peter Marino and her husband, FBI analyst Benton Wesley. SHE ALSO ENLISTS the help of her niece, Lucy. But to Scarpetta's surprise, TACKLING THE SLIPPERY Tailend Charlie is nearly impossible, even for someone AS BRILLIANT AS her niece. Also, Lucy can't explain how this anonymous NEMESIS COULD have access to private information. To make matters worse, a VENOMOUS MEDIA is whipping the public into a frenzy, questioning the seasoned forensics chiefs judgment and a quack cause of death on a par with spontaneous combustion.
In the quite of twilight, on an early autumn day, twenty-six year old Elisa Vandersteel is killed while riding her bicycle along the Charles River. It appears she was struck by lightning except the weather IS PERFECTLY CLEAR with not a cloud in sight. Dr Kay Scarpetta, the Cambridge FORENSIC CENTER'S director and chief, decides at the scene that this is no ACCIDENTAL ACT of God. Her investigation becomes complicated when she BEGINS RECEIVING a flurry of bizarre poems from an anonymous cyberbully WHO CALLS HIMSELF Tailend Charlie. Through subsequent lab results support SCARPETTA'S CONCLUSIONS, the threatening messages don't stop. When the TENTH POEM ARRIVES exactly twenty-four-hours after Elisa's death, Scarpetta BEGINS TO SUSPECT the harasser is involved, and sounds the alarm to her INVESTIGATIVE PARTNER Peter Marino and her husband, FBI analyst Benton Wesley. SHE ALSO ENLISTS the help of her niece, Lucy. But to Scarpetta's surprise, TACKLING THE SLIPPERY Tailend Charlie is nearly impossible, even for someone AS BRILLIANT AS her niece. Also, Lucy can't explain how this anonymous NEMESIS COULD have access to private information. To make matters worse, a VENOMOUS MEDIA is whipping the public into a frenzy, questioning the seasoned forensics chiefs judgment and a quack cause of death on a par with spontaneous combustion.
July 17, 2018
This was better than the 3.55 rating I see in May 2018.
Dr. Scarpetta (Cambridge Forensic Center - first person in the book), FBI Benton Wesley (Scarpetta's husband), Pete Marino (Scarpetta's private investigator) & Lucy (niece) work nicely together again in Boston.
They need to investigate what caused Elisa Vandersteelis, riding her bicycle in a Cambridge along the Boston Charles River park & Gen. John Briggs sudden death? Electricity & lightning seems to link the two deaths together?
They concentrate on a cyber stalker "Tailend Charlie" & psychopath Carrie Grethen paths cross but mystery is finally solved.
Dr. Scarpetta (Cambridge Forensic Center - first person in the book), FBI Benton Wesley (Scarpetta's husband), Pete Marino (Scarpetta's private investigator) & Lucy (niece) work nicely together again in Boston.
They need to investigate what caused Elisa Vandersteelis, riding her bicycle in a Cambridge along the Boston Charles River park & Gen. John Briggs sudden death? Electricity & lightning seems to link the two deaths together?
They concentrate on a cyber stalker "Tailend Charlie" & psychopath Carrie Grethen paths cross but mystery is finally solved.
December 1, 2016
I hate to do it but this book was pretty bad. I've read every single book by Cornwall and liked them, some were better than others, but all were up there with best authors. This book was boring and I had to force myself to finish it because I kept thinking it was bound to get better. She spent most of the book inside Scarpetta's head and suffering from heat, the worst heat in Cambridge, Massachusetts, history and on and on. Moreno was big and bald and sweaty and mean as usual. Benton was distant and wouldn't look at Kay. Lucy was secretive and it all was just boring. Even the murder or whatever wasn't up to par. I just found the story line lost on Tail Gun Charlie and whoever he/she might be. It was convoluted with even a tattoo being a possible exposure. Who saw it? Who cares is my comment. The whole story felt like walking miles in sweat soaked shoes (which Kay did) and then finding fear everywhere. Kay Scarpetta was never afraid in earlier books. She is older now and seemed to not be able to let her childhood 'sister twister' stuff go. Her sister Dorothy shows up out of the blue and Kay is atagonistic about that. She seems hateful and downright mean to the FBI, not to Benton, but to his colleagues. It just wasn't a good book. I listened to the narrator, Susan Ericksen, and she is excellent but even she sounded tired. Guess she had to since she was reading the words.
February 7, 2017
Interestingly, to me at least, I finished Book #24 for the Alex Cross and Kay Scarpetta series within a matter of days of each other. While I am forced to reiterate my ongoing diatribe about Cornwell's love affair with her own characters, most especially the evil and vindictive Carrie Grethen, and for spending WAY TOO MUCH TIME rehashing the backstories of all the series' characters, I liked this book much better than her last one. Unfortunately, the murder mystery does not even start until 20% into the book, at which point, some reviewers had already given up. The basic mystery was good though, including the international intrigue, even though the nature of the murder weapon was overly obvious, even if the delivery was unorthodox.
June 10, 2022
Big fan
I have enjoyed many of the books that Ms. Cornwell has written about Kay Scarpetta. In fact, this is my second time around with this one. As usual, Kay is the happy medium between the polar opposites that her sister and niece are. We have a murder, which is alot more complicated than first thought. Also appearing is an old enemy. All turns out but getting there is fun. Stick with it.
I have enjoyed many of the books that Ms. Cornwell has written about Kay Scarpetta. In fact, this is my second time around with this one. As usual, Kay is the happy medium between the polar opposites that her sister and niece are. We have a murder, which is alot more complicated than first thought. Also appearing is an old enemy. All turns out but getting there is fun. Stick with it.
June 8, 2023
4.5 stars
Book 24 in the Kay Scarpetta thriller series and I’m still up for more, can’t get enough of forensic scientist/medical examiner Kay Scarpetta, police investigator Pete Marino, FBI agent Benton Wesley and the brilliant tech-savvy, Lucy.
Certainly not fast paced but the suspense the author builds is fantastic. The recaps, the ramblings, time spent in Kay’s head, the unbearable heatwave, the world-building, the murder case, Lucy’s mechanical gizmo’s� All intriguing and brilliantly written.
Oh yeah, the crazy serial killer is back.
And to end the book on a shocker secret� Wowser! Did. Not. See. That. Coming.
Book 24 in the Kay Scarpetta thriller series and I’m still up for more, can’t get enough of forensic scientist/medical examiner Kay Scarpetta, police investigator Pete Marino, FBI agent Benton Wesley and the brilliant tech-savvy, Lucy.
Certainly not fast paced but the suspense the author builds is fantastic. The recaps, the ramblings, time spent in Kay’s head, the unbearable heatwave, the world-building, the murder case, Lucy’s mechanical gizmo’s� All intriguing and brilliantly written.
Oh yeah, the crazy serial killer is back.
And to end the book on a shocker secret� Wowser! Did. Not. See. That. Coming.
September 23, 2017
Massachusetts, USA: Die Forensikerin Dr. Kay Scarpetta wird gebeten, bei der Aufklärung eines mysteriösen Todesfalls mitzuwirken. In einem Park wurde die Leiche einer jungen Frau gefunden, die mit dem Fahrrad unterwegs war. Ihr Tod wirft Rätsel auf. Die Leiche ist halb bekleidet, der Körper schon starr, obwohl sie noch nicht so lange tot sein kann. Was ist geschehen?
Mein Leseeindruck:
Ich habe schon Bücher aus der Kay Scarpetta - Reihe von Patricia Cornwell gelesen, doch das ist schon ein paar Jahre her. Ich war somit sehr gespannt auf ein neues Buch von ihr. Dieser 24. Band der Reihe hat mir auch durchaus gut gefallen, allerdings glaube ich, hätte mir das Buch noch besser gefallen, hätte ich die direkten Vorgängerbücher gelesen.
In diesem 24. Buch wird ein großer Bezug genommen auf eine Figur aus Kay Scarpettas Vergangenheit. Zwar wird alles recht genau erklärt, so dass man sich durchaus ein Bild von den Ereignissen machen kann, aber ich denke einfach, es wäre noch spannender gewesen, hätte man die Vorkommnisse rund um diese bestimmte Figur in den Vorgängerbänden selbst gelesen. Das habe ich leider nicht, und somit habe ich hier manchmal etwas die Spannung vermisst.
Der eigentliche Fall rund um die getötete Fahrradfahrerin ist zwar auch sehr spannend und interessant, kommt aber ein wenig zu kurz für meinen Geschmack. Der Mittelteil des Buches legt den Fokus eben auf andere Geschehnisse und Figuren aus Kay Scarpettas Vergangenheit.
Dennoch hat mir dieses Buch gut gefallen und mich vor allem neugierig werden lassen auf vorherige Fälle. Ich denke, ich werde noch weitere Bücher dieser Reihe lesen.
Mein Leseeindruck:
Ich habe schon Bücher aus der Kay Scarpetta - Reihe von Patricia Cornwell gelesen, doch das ist schon ein paar Jahre her. Ich war somit sehr gespannt auf ein neues Buch von ihr. Dieser 24. Band der Reihe hat mir auch durchaus gut gefallen, allerdings glaube ich, hätte mir das Buch noch besser gefallen, hätte ich die direkten Vorgängerbücher gelesen.
In diesem 24. Buch wird ein großer Bezug genommen auf eine Figur aus Kay Scarpettas Vergangenheit. Zwar wird alles recht genau erklärt, so dass man sich durchaus ein Bild von den Ereignissen machen kann, aber ich denke einfach, es wäre noch spannender gewesen, hätte man die Vorkommnisse rund um diese bestimmte Figur in den Vorgängerbänden selbst gelesen. Das habe ich leider nicht, und somit habe ich hier manchmal etwas die Spannung vermisst.
Der eigentliche Fall rund um die getötete Fahrradfahrerin ist zwar auch sehr spannend und interessant, kommt aber ein wenig zu kurz für meinen Geschmack. Der Mittelteil des Buches legt den Fokus eben auf andere Geschehnisse und Figuren aus Kay Scarpettas Vergangenheit.
Dennoch hat mir dieses Buch gut gefallen und mich vor allem neugierig werden lassen auf vorherige Fälle. Ich denke, ich werde noch weitere Bücher dieser Reihe lesen.
January 17, 2025
The Scarpetta series has been getting more unreal, and paranoid for the last few years. The details used to be fascinating in their realism, not tiresome. It's become like a superhero comic, peopled by 2 dimensional cardboard characters.
Scarpetta is an ME, but she increasingly comes off like a head of state in the Cold War, targeted by evil powers the world over (who continually die, and come back to life in the next book, like a 1930s children's adventure serial).
Lucy is a stunningly beautiful genius, a child prodigy, inventor, multimillionaire, ace pilot, computer hacker, and obnoxious sociopath. Marino should be about 80, as if anyone who drank alcoholically, smoked, and ate pizza for 50 years would still be able to even walk at this stage, much less indefatigably gad about like Batman. Although I understand the concept of the suspension of disbelief, shouldn't they all be long past retirement by now? Benton is another ageless machine-like genius, all of them solving crimes, and fighting evil forces personally targeting their loved ones! If she'd titled it KAOS (like in Get Smart), at least we could've anticipated some laughs. Because it is, laughably, filled with James Bond/Maxwell Smart spy-gadgets a la "M."
Another minor quibble, Cornwell just cannot write convincingly of a heterosexual relationship. Describing Scarpetta & Benton Wesley's marriage usually wastes a chapter straining tediously to convince us of their overwhelming desire for each other, and it always comes off as stilted, unmoving, defensive, and almost pleading on Cornwell's part.
Approx. 25 years was a very good run, but the series is unlikely to ever return to form.
P.S. Her almost mandatory inclusion of animal torture/death scenarios has become gratuitous, and ill serves animal rights supporters, or the animals themselves, if that were her intention.
Scarpetta is an ME, but she increasingly comes off like a head of state in the Cold War, targeted by evil powers the world over (who continually die, and come back to life in the next book, like a 1930s children's adventure serial).
Lucy is a stunningly beautiful genius, a child prodigy, inventor, multimillionaire, ace pilot, computer hacker, and obnoxious sociopath. Marino should be about 80, as if anyone who drank alcoholically, smoked, and ate pizza for 50 years would still be able to even walk at this stage, much less indefatigably gad about like Batman. Although I understand the concept of the suspension of disbelief, shouldn't they all be long past retirement by now? Benton is another ageless machine-like genius, all of them solving crimes, and fighting evil forces personally targeting their loved ones! If she'd titled it KAOS (like in Get Smart), at least we could've anticipated some laughs. Because it is, laughably, filled with James Bond/Maxwell Smart spy-gadgets a la "M."
Another minor quibble, Cornwell just cannot write convincingly of a heterosexual relationship. Describing Scarpetta & Benton Wesley's marriage usually wastes a chapter straining tediously to convince us of their overwhelming desire for each other, and it always comes off as stilted, unmoving, defensive, and almost pleading on Cornwell's part.
Approx. 25 years was a very good run, but the series is unlikely to ever return to form.
P.S. Her almost mandatory inclusion of animal torture/death scenarios has become gratuitous, and ill serves animal rights supporters, or the animals themselves, if that were her intention.
March 22, 2017
I've read all the books in this series and this book may be the one that makes me stop. The amount of time spent on details that do nothing to move the story along is an annoying habit PC has gotten into with her last couple of books..she is way too fascinated by fancy cars, watches, helicopters, food, technology, etc, etc..and she goes into excruciating detail about all of it!..It's time to get rid of certain characters in this series..Marino being the first..followed by Carrie and Bryce. I remember a time when I couldn't wait to get my hands on the new Kay Scarpetta book and go on an exciting roller coaster ride..sadly, that time has passed.
This installment did end on a promising twist...maybe instead of spitting a book out each year, PC needs to take longer to write the next one and return to her former thrilling glory.
This installment did end on a promising twist...maybe instead of spitting a book out each year, PC needs to take longer to write the next one and return to her former thrilling glory.
March 12, 2017
I read a bunch of Patricia Cornwell's early Scarpetta novels when I was in high school and college. I identified with her main character, forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta, for multiple superficial reasons: Scarpetta attended medical school where I'd gone to college; Scarpetta attended law school where my mom did; Dr. Marcella Fierro, the former Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia, upon whom Scarpetta's character is based, gave a lecture in one of my classes in medical school. I liked Scarpetta's character and was fascinated by the interplay between criminals, crimes, and medicine.
I've revisited the series every few years and have consistently been disappointed. I think Scarpetta has become a caricature. She turns a judgmental, mean-spirited eye on everyone except herself and her beloved husband, Benton Wesley (how often does the reader need to hear how gorgeous, intelligent, and perfect Benton is?). In Chaos, Cornwell continues with the theme of Scarpetta and Wesley's exceptionalism, both as a couple, and as individuals. They're both so, unbelievably perfect. No one else in their lives, including characters like Lucy and Marino, who've been with them through dozens of increasingly ridiculous adventures, is worthy of their perfection. In fact, with each successive Scarpetta novel I read, it seems more and more that the other characters are only around to, in their imperfection, highlight the perfection of Scarpetta and Wesley.
Contrast grumpy, frumpy Marino with stoic, impeccable Benton. Here, Scarpetta's take on Marino:
Here, Scarpetta describes Benton:
My experience of Marino through the books I've read is that he is loyal and smart. Benton is kind of a [expletivive]. Come to think of it, Scarpetta is a huge [expletive], too. She's a whiny, judgmental jerk. I used to be able to empathize with her, but now I seem to empathize with everyone but her. She sees everyone as inferior to her and Benton. She is critical of Lucy, her niece, but she's also needlessly mean in her descriptions of people she encounters for the first time. Here, she describes an officer she encounters at a crime scene:
Dorothy is Scarpetta's sister. I like that Scarpetta says Dorothy would be cruel in describing this officer. Is Scarpetta's description supposed to be kind?!
Scarpetta's focus on belittling and criticizing others is so intense that, even when her loved ones are potentially at the mercy of her nemesis, who she describes as the WORST! PSYCHOPATH! EVER!, she can make a dig at Dorothy's expense:
ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS? We're supposed to like this protagonist?! I rolled my eyes while reading another Scarpetta book a few years ago (I can't remember which one). It was as if, by being married to a psychologist, Scarpetta had magically acquired the ability to psychoanalyze others. She offered hypotheses about other characters' motives. I guess the realism here came from the fact that Cornwell/Scarpetta wasn't actually very good at psychoanalysis. Still, the more I read about Scarpetta, the more convinced I am that she suffers from a severe personality disorder. It's pretty simple, really: when you feel like problems are always with people around you, the problem is probably actually YOU.
This series has become absurd. I mean, in this book, we learn that WHAT. THE. WHAT?! If I were rational, I'd be done with this series. Good riddance, Scarpetta. Keep telling your readers how perfect you are and maybe some will believe you. I'm wondering if, in the spirit of Lent and penance, I should keep reading...or at least revisit the older books, which I enjoyed. We'll see.
I've revisited the series every few years and have consistently been disappointed. I think Scarpetta has become a caricature. She turns a judgmental, mean-spirited eye on everyone except herself and her beloved husband, Benton Wesley (how often does the reader need to hear how gorgeous, intelligent, and perfect Benton is?). In Chaos, Cornwell continues with the theme of Scarpetta and Wesley's exceptionalism, both as a couple, and as individuals. They're both so, unbelievably perfect. No one else in their lives, including characters like Lucy and Marino, who've been with them through dozens of increasingly ridiculous adventures, is worthy of their perfection. In fact, with each successive Scarpetta novel I read, it seems more and more that the other characters are only around to, in their imperfection, highlight the perfection of Scarpetta and Wesley.
Contrast grumpy, frumpy Marino with stoic, impeccable Benton. Here, Scarpetta's take on Marino:
As he steps up on the sidewalk I notice the sleeves of his navy-blue suit jacket are above the wrist. His trouser cuffs are high-waters that show his gray tube socks, and he has on black leather trainers that aren't laced all the way up. His tie is almost color coordinated and just as unfashionable, black-and-red-striped and much too wide, possibly from the 1980s when people wore polyester bell-bottoms, Earth Shoes and leisure suits.
Here, Scarpetta describes Benton:
I watch Benton climb out of his car. He unfolds his long lank self, and my husband always looks newly minted. His pearl-gray suit is as fresh as when he put it on this morning, his blue-and-gray silk tie perfectly knotted, his engrave antique white-and-gold cuff links glimmer in the early evening light. He could grace the pages of Vanity Fair with his strong fine features, his platinum hair and horn-rim glasses. He's slender and ropy strong, and his quiet calm belies the iron in his bones and the fire in his belly.
My experience of Marino through the books I've read is that he is loyal and smart. Benton is kind of a [expletivive]. Come to think of it, Scarpetta is a huge [expletive], too. She's a whiny, judgmental jerk. I used to be able to empathize with her, but now I seem to empathize with everyone but her. She sees everyone as inferior to her and Benton. She is critical of Lucy, her niece, but she's also needlessly mean in her descriptions of people she encounters for the first time. Here, she describes an officer she encounters at a crime scene:
N. E. Flanders is the brand of plain that Dorothy wouldn't have a single kind word to say about. I estimate the officer's age is mid- to late-forties, her chunky short-waisted figure not helped by her creaking black leather duty belt and low-riding trousers.
Dorothy is Scarpetta's sister. I like that Scarpetta says Dorothy would be cruel in describing this officer. Is Scarpetta's description supposed to be kind?!
Scarpetta's focus on belittling and criticizing others is so intense that, even when her loved ones are potentially at the mercy of her nemesis, who she describes as the WORST! PSYCHOPATH! EVER!, she can make a dig at Dorothy's expense:
Their hands are in their laps, but I don't see any signs of restraints. Dorothy's eyes are wide, and the morning light isn't kind on her overfilled Botoxed face while Janet is quiet and steady.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS? We're supposed to like this protagonist?! I rolled my eyes while reading another Scarpetta book a few years ago (I can't remember which one). It was as if, by being married to a psychologist, Scarpetta had magically acquired the ability to psychoanalyze others. She offered hypotheses about other characters' motives. I guess the realism here came from the fact that Cornwell/Scarpetta wasn't actually very good at psychoanalysis. Still, the more I read about Scarpetta, the more convinced I am that she suffers from a severe personality disorder. It's pretty simple, really: when you feel like problems are always with people around you, the problem is probably actually YOU.
This series has become absurd. I mean, in this book, we learn that WHAT. THE. WHAT?! If I were rational, I'd be done with this series. Good riddance, Scarpetta. Keep telling your readers how perfect you are and maybe some will believe you. I'm wondering if, in the spirit of Lent and penance, I should keep reading...or at least revisit the older books, which I enjoyed. We'll see.
November 15, 2016
I found this a disappointing read and nowhere near the quality of previous books. It felt very laboured, the plot development was slow and the characters' reactions to circumstances I felt were contrived. It's hard to put a finger on it but the central protagonist, Kay Scarpetta, failed to engender any empathy and was unnecessarily abrasive with anyone other than those who worked for her. It wore a bit thin after a while.
The plot centering around the evil adversary, Carrie Grethen, takes a bit of a 'surprise' turn: 'surprise' being more of a euphemism for ridiculous.
Personally, I think Patricial Cornwell needs to think about gracefully retiring these characters as it feels like they've run their course.
The plot centering around the evil adversary, Carrie Grethen, takes a bit of a 'surprise' turn: 'surprise' being more of a euphemism for ridiculous.
Personally, I think Patricial Cornwell needs to think about gracefully retiring these characters as it feels like they've run their course.
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