I have read some other Patricia Cornwell books and did not remember them being this bad.
First the writing style was awkward for me. The omniscient point of view was not enjoyable.

Second she tried to hard to create mystery and suspense. "Look I found something?"
"What is it?"
"Let's have a talk about our relationship first and I will tell you what I found."
"BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. Oh yeah that thing I found, I don't know what it means. Hopefully I will figure it out at the end of the book."

Lastly, the killer was stupid. They didn't seem plausible and was very badly explained. The red herrings were obvious and pointless.

I finished reading the book thinking I most likely will not pick up another one in this series. And I definitely do not recommend it to anyone.

Creepy. Better than the last book though.

The Scarpetta books, once so wonderful, have been steadily declining in quality and excitement. I could hardly stay awake.

I stopped reading this book mid way though and haven't picked up a Scarpetta book since. I realized that the books were leaving me feeling dirty somehow, and I didn't like the characters anymore. In fact, I disliked them. I loved, and looked forward to, the early Scarpetta books, so it was with real regret I stopped reading, but I couldn’t go along for the ride anymore.

*******SPOILERS AHEAD******


I was horrendously disappointed with this book, though not for obvious reasons. I found the author a very competent one - and if that sounds like an underhanded insult, I don't mean it that way. She's a fine author, and the majority of her characters have subtleties and nuance, especially the older ones, who I became attached to almost instantly.

The problem was the specific story was horrendous. It was a mash-up of every bad crime novel I've ever read, and even the intelligence of the science and the characters themselves couldn't save the book. I was particularly disappointed by Lucy; it felt like the author was writing about a character she knew nothing about, could never identify with, and belonged in some silly erotica/wish-fulfillment fantasy novel. I was terribly sad by the end - not only because of the embarrassing plot (I kid you not: it was a lesbian serial killer with multiple personality disorders, and the whole book is spent trying to convince you her personalities are different people), but because I felt I'd met the author at her worst, that kind of awful first impression you'll try, but never really succeed, forgetting. A sad, confused, depressing novel, with a storyline that horrifies far less than it embarrasses.

SO what is happening with this series? I'm listening to this series as audio books- I could never read them- and sometimes if I miss who is speaking I can't tell the main characters from the bad guys. Why is everyone so angry and annoyed with each other? Kay can't stand Marino, who is suddenly described looking like Paul Teutul instead of a tall Danny Devito, including his new love of motorcycles. Marino may have transformed outwardly, but he is even more upset and depressed. Kay is suddenly being describe as this beautiful women that all men are lusting after, which was never have I pictured her. Lucy is wandering around aimlessly, and what happened to Rudy? She was so afraid he was going to quit in the last book and now I'm not even sure she still has the company, no less what happened to Rudy. And then there is Wesley Benton the most boring character ever written. Whenever our main 4 were together they were either talking about work (which is good, but not what they mostly did) or fighting (which they did a lot).

Kay is becoming more and more crazy and irrational it seems. Early in the book she actually said something to Rose- her long time secretary and mother figure, (and I'm paraphrasing but it went something like this) "Are you sure you confirmed my flight? Because no offense but you said that last time and I ended up flying all the way to California in coach!" I kept waiting for her to start throwing shoes or coffee cups. When did she become that person? No wonder everyone seems to be out to get her. She's very unlikeable. She used to be a cool Doc that cared about getting the job done and worrying if she would be able to get on the plane with her evidence. She would do her job and be good at it and people respected her because of it. EVen more because instead of slinging mud, she used her big brain to rise above with grace. Now she belittles people she doesn't like in little ways that show insecurity- like with Joe, she only called him doctor in front of other people. Or with Marino- she feels the need to keep telling him she is in charge and she works for him- which I think he's right- he works for Lucy, and so does Kay.

Let's talk about the very confusing mystery in this book for a second. I think what is lacking for me is the sense of here's the body- let's find out how it died and who did it. Now everything is a super secret big conspiracy case that comes to them, with the body being secondary. Not to mention every story is now peppered with the POV or the criminal- which I hate, and there is ALWAYS someone trying to sabotage Kay because she thinks she's is so awesome. I keep rooting for that guy to win- bad sign. The stories are also being weighted down by this open hostility every has for everyone else, and the melodrama that is the most boring and confusing romance in the universe- Kay and Benton. I would really like for them to break up- they are so incompatible. Sometimes love is not enough.

2.5 - Cornwell had waaay too many point of views in this book of the Scarpetta series. Might not continue on to book 15.

I was only captivated by the forensics in the story the rest ni beans.

I am finished with this series. The first few books were so good! I don't know what's happened, but Cornwell has just ruined the series. The stories are disjointed, the mystery is more of an afterthought, the characters have steadily declined into unlikable, bitter people who always seem to be mad at each other for no apparent reason. The last couple of books have been just plain bad. I barely made it through Predator and I'm just not reading any more. What a shame.

Re Read march 2024

Story 4 stars**⬆️
Audio 4.5 stars**
Narrator n  January LaVoyn

Even the revised introductions by the author and her acknowledgements to specific physicians/scientists ;including her lover/partner can't seem to help this series; number 14 is as disjointed and disappointing as ever. A fine psychological thriller about serial killers it is not. How established places like the New York Times are giving this any attention is beyond comprehension. The main characters have gone off the deep end and realistically did not follow the pattern established in the earlier books. I used to adore Lucy but sadly she has become a dull, stereotypical lesbian who could have been one of the most alluring characters around especially defined by what she does as a profession. Her realized medical condition is essentially ignored. Note to author; sex scenes between women are supposed to be sexy, elegant, confident and not painfully awkward. Scarpetta has become someone readers don't know any more. The most ridiculous scene is her firing a shotgun at herself. Her obsession with cutting down Pete Marino has gotten very old and he could also could have been a captivating character we love. Everyone seems tired and bored. Frankly, so are we as readers.

Esse é um livro estranho, normalmente nessas séries de romance policial enormes (Sherlock Holmes, Poirot, Miss Marple e afins) você pode começar a leitura por qualquer um dos livros normalmente que isso não impacta na experiência de leitura, a impressão que eu tive nesse livro é que eu precisaria ter lido os outros livros dessa série para entender esse, principalmente por que o foco da história parece estar mais nas relações entre os personagens recorrentes do que no mistério em si, a sensação final é de pular em um trem em movimento e ser jogado para fora dele antes da viagem terminar.