OH MY GOD PLEASE STOP BOOHOOING ABOUT YOURSELF. The entire tone of this book was just so pity party that I couldn't even finish it. I had to put it down about a third of the way through. Where did the strong woman, who valued her mind and knew her capabilities go? I understand character developement, but why must the protagonist be such a WIMP?

I didn't want to get anything done that I couldn't listen to the story while I worked. It did seem less meaty than her others, but it kept me not wanting to miss a word.

Another novel in the Kay Scrpetta series, this was the first serialized novel series I started, and it gave me a lot of information about medical examinations and how to process evidence, I continue to enjoy it through the years...

MiM

This was better than her previous book, but not by much. I still think she can and should do better. On to the next.

What?
Painful. This book is eye roll soup.

She actually said "and I'm also a lawyer!"
Lucy is a trainwreck. TWO of Scarpetta's coworkers (past and present) are out to get her. Hmm... maybe there's a pattern.

I took notes while I read but I'm not promising a review.

*****UPDATE******

Still not a review, but here's a list of things that were too stupid not to share:

* Scarpetta's cringe-fest inner monologue while touring the medical examiners office in Richmond. This book takes place about 5 years after Scarpetta gets fired. She wasn't asked to help in the search for her replacement and she didn't expect to ever be called back. She is living in Florida when she gets asked to go consult on a case in Richmond.

When she gets to Richmond, Scarpetta finds out that the old medical examiner's office building is being torn down. Her reaction to this (and basically everything else in the rest of the book) is "ME ME ME"... "Why wasn't I told?" "Why did no one call me?" "I spent so much time there." She's really upset, and it goes on for pages, but why? Gurl, you helped design the new building... you knew the old one was going to come down. Please.

It keeps going though. She goes and sees the new building and finds fault with everything. Scarpetta choose art prints, which she paid for out of her own money, but one of them is missing. No one appreciates anything. She designed the study/conference area, but it's a mess. No one has respect for anything. Do they not know that she, the MAGNIFICENT BENEVOLENT SCARPETTA donated priceless medical textbooks that they cannot bother to correctly put away?

*the way she talks to the current medical examiner over Pete Marino's presence is outrageous. Scarpetta goes on a power-trip when Marino is questioned because they didn't know she would be bringing anyone else... AND IT'S AN ACTIVE INVESTIGATION AND THEY DON'T WANT UNNECESSARY PEOPLE. Scarpetta loses her mind because how dare anyone question her. She can do whatever she wants because she's awesome, and if Marino (who she still hates...) can't stay, she's leaving. She sounds petulant.

*Lucy, the girl who can't hold a job and self-medicates when she gets overwhelmed is now Ms. Megabucks. Ok, she's a computer whiz, so maybe she designed a program and sold it? WRONG! Lucy founded a private security company and she's training commandos. She's made enough money to buy 2 Ferraris and a mansion. She's also so great at security that Benton is in town helping her because either someone attacked her lover/employee in her house or the girl is lying to her.

*there's a scene that made me laugh out loud when Lucy is lying through her teeth while interviewing a nosy rich neighbor. Lucy makes the observation that Kate, the neighbor, "only thinks about herself." Really? Lucy and Scarpetta never think about anyone else.

*Benton giving Lucy life advice made for a terrible scene, but compared to the rest of this book, it's almost normal.

*There are 2 bad guys. One is after Lucy, one is after Scarpetta. Both are tied to Scarpetta. One was a former co-worker who is delusional and was mediocre... Yet here he is outsmarting megabucks private security maven Lucy who is totally bringing in tons of top clients. Yep. Sure. The other bad guy never worked with Scarpetta, but he's always been jealous of her because she's achieved so much and she's perfect. He decides to never ever mention her name or say anything bad about her so that he stays above suspicion and can call her to consult on a case that turns out to be an elaborate set up.

*the "terrorism" ties in the case from Virginia. Oh, good grief where I do start. So supposedly the dead girl's dad is politically important because he's an informant for homeland security. What is doing for them? Well, apparently he's a doctor who does flight physicals for pilots, and he informs on the pilots to DHS because one of them might want to crash a plane into all the C-17s parked in the area. Ok. Oh, and he's also sexually assaulting female pilots during their physicals, which they show up for in flight suits.

*the victim's mom's behavior never makes any sense. She's just lost her daughter, and even though she thinks it was flu and not murder, a normal person would be grieving. The nasty battle over funeral plans with her ex is tragic, but okay, it makes sense. Where I get lost is the whole thing with her and Marino. She's trying to get leverage...for what? And Scarpetta swooping in a taking sheets and the awkward scene with her wanting to take pictures of Marino's junk.... uh, wait, what?

*Lucy goes undercover... in a real investigation on an actual case... after her antics have gotten her run out of every federal law enforcement job her aunt was able to get for her. But sure, bring in the unstable girl who got fired to go undercover because that is just what we need.

*Lucy's company is breaking laws. Privacy? Due process? Nah. Oh, and let's manipulate the local cops and laugh at them because we're so much smarter than they are. I'm sure no one will ever figure out about them hacking the police system and the fake CSI who doesn't exist.

In summary, this book was a train wreck, but it's so bad it's funny.

If you’re looking for an easy but interesting read this book is great for you! It was perfect for when I had down time at work, very easy to pick up and put down when I had time for it. The ending was a bit boring to me and I was hoping for a little more action in the resolution, but still would read again.

Also, be careful and make sure to flip through your book if you have a hard copy of this one. I had 20 pages completely missing from mine and another 40 that were in the wrong place.

If I wasn't listening to this, I probably would have put it down. I think she needs to retire this series. Edgar Allen Pogue? Give me a break.

Thirteenth in the Kay Scarpetta forensic mystery series and revolving around a freelance forensic pathologist. Trace involves a return to Richmond, Virginia, which had thrown Kay out on her ear five years ago.

My Take
I didn't care for the screenplay feel of the writing, although it wasn't actually that obnoxious. I simply dislike feeling as though the writer is providing instructions to the characters.

What a self-officious prick! I loved how Kay took Marcus down. Idiot. I don't know what Virginia was thinking when they took this guy on, but he's darn lucky they haven't talked to his shrink. By the way, I am wondering why Cornwell thought it was so important to tell us about the garbage men. Sure, it made me despise the little shit more, but other than that…why?

Benton has his own problems. By the name of Henri. I do not know how he had the patience to deal with that woman. Jesus. As for why Lucy would choose Henri?? She's like a train wreck you don't want to watch.

Cornwell provides a peek back at Marino and Lucy's relationship, what Lucy had gotten up to in her earlier youth. If it was supposed to give us an idea of why Lucy is behaving the way she is now, it's not working. We're left with no conclusion as to Fielding's issues. As for Kay, I think Kay is an idiot not to take advantage of, or want to hear, what Lucy has to tell her. She certainly ain't politically savvy. And she's so whiny about Lucy.

That poor FBI agent who "didn't come here to be abused". Why not? Everyone else is being abused. Why not join the club? Or not as Dr. Fielding quits in a rather explosive way, lol. Then Marino caps it with what he's learned about the truth of why the FBI is involved. It figures.

That boy does get himself into some trouble. He irritates the heck out of me with his passive-aggressive attitude, the way he jumps to conclusions, and then he pulls something as stupid as this with Suz Paulsson. What was her reasoning for her actions? Marino does have sex on the brain, as we get quite a bit of his thinking about what he'd like to do with Kay. I'm wondering if this is part of the build-up to the encounter he will later have with Kay?

I have to say, it was "impressive" how easily Kay makes that connection to a former employee. I guess he made a bigger impression on Kay than he knew.

It feels as if Cornwell is throwing bits and pieces into the story to lengthen the story, make it interesting. She writes as if Eise doesn't know or ever worked with Kay, and then it all turns around and he did work under her. WTF? It's disjointed, vague, and I felt as though I was struggling to understand what was going on.

The Story
Richmond is desperate for help on a perplexing case their current chief medical examiner hasn't a chance in hell of figuring out.

Meanwhile, it's Lucy's fault that Kay and Benton missed out on their Aspen vacation. Now Benton is trapped with a damaged sociopathic lover.

The Characters
Dr. Kay Scarpetta is still smarting from being tossed out of her position as the chief medical examiner in Richmond, Virginia. She currently lives in Florida and freelances. Rose is her secretary. Pete Marino has been her detective friend and partner for years.

n  Richmond, Virginian
Dr. Joel Marcus is the inept idiot with little confidence or skill who was finally appointed as chief medical examiner of Virginia. He's been there four months now and still hasn't done one autopsy. Assistant Chief Dr. Jack Fielding had been Kay's friend and pathology partner. Dr. Ramie and Dr. Martin are more unfortunate pathologists. Junius Eise is a forensic scientist in Trace with his own issues. Kit Thompson is Eise's neighbor in the lab. Jessie. Julie is a clerk. Bruce is a guard Marino gets chummy with. Bailey is a soldier from Fort Lee's Graves Registration Unit learning how to handle dead bodies.

Detective Browning is with the Richmond PD and working the Paulsson case. Special Agent Karen Weber is from Quantico's Behavioral Science Unit.

Edgar Allan Pogue had been employed at the medical examiner's office until he became disabled from inhaling formaldehyde in an accident. Dave had been Pogue's supervisor back then.

Gilly Paulsson was fourteen years old when she died mysteriously at home. Her dad, Dr. Paulsson, is a GP and flight surgeon in Charleston, South Carolina, who also works with the Air Force to give health checkups to pilots. Seems Homeland Security and the FBI are rather curious about some of his activities. Sweetie is (or isn't) Gilly's basset hound. Suz Paulsson is Gilly's mother and has got some issues goin' on. Hoo, boy.

Sissy Shirley, Benjamin Franklin, and Theodore Whitby (who was alive when Kay passed by him that morning), and Finky/Finder? are victims. Mrs. Walker has the same kind of blue Impala as Marcus' mother. Sam Stiles, Bobby, and the foreman, Joe, had been some of Ted Whitby's coworkers.

Hollywood…
…Virginia. Benjamin P. Shupe is the not-too-choosy landlord. Mrs. Edith Arnette was an old lady and a neighbor to the Paulssons. Now the house is owned by her daughter, Bernice Towle. Dr. Stanley Philpott is Pogue's doctor.

"She had cancer. So many of them did."

n  Aspenn
Benton Wesley (I think he's newly back from the dead) is a profiler and psychologist stuck in Aspen as a favor to Lucy. Henrietta "Henri" Walden, a.k.a., Jen Thomas, of the Virginia Waldens had been a policewoman in L.A. when Lucy hired the sociopathic narcissist.

n  Pompano Beach, Floridan
Lucy Farinelli, a.k.a., Tina Franks, is Kay's gay, multimillionaire, brilliant niece. Lucy recently opened an office in Los Angeles. Rudy Musil is a friend, colleague, and partner who left the FBI to come work for Lucy at The Last Precinct, an international investigation firm. Kate is Lucy's weird neighbor. Jeff is the ex-husband whom I think got away just in time. Brenda was the ER nurse. CSI John Dalessio is an invention.

The Cover and Title
The cover background is a silver holograph with the author's name large on top and in an embossed red metallic font while the title is also large, at the bottom, and in a white embossed font. In small print in the middle is a notation that it is a Scarpetta novel.

The title is a tiny bit of inexplicable evidence the Trace department finds that will lead them to the truth.

A quick light read that follows a well established formula & continues with known characters. Not the best of the series, but fine for a holiday read.

Unfortunately, this iteration of the Scarpetta series has more to do with the relationships among the main characters than the actual crime, criminals, or victims. While we get bits and pieces of some elements of the main story line, it is really only to further dig deeper into how intelligent one of them is or how hurt by their past another is or some other something about them rather than focusing on the actual plot. I would not be bothered by all of the interpersonal stuff if as much time and attention were devoted to the actual story. Unfortunately, the story was incomplete in detail, not developed enough, and as a consequence, really hard to care about.

Another source of frustration in this particular book is that apparently only the main, recurring characters are able to figure anything out. Everyone else is either stupid, incompetent, or apathetic. I don't remember the earlier books being like this, but as the series has gone on, this theme keeps playing out. Golly, it's a good thing these four people are here or gee whiz the whole world would fall apart.

While this book did the job of giving me a "no-brainer" to read on a road trip, I really wouldn't recommend it for much else unless you happen to be a die hard Scarpetta fan. But even then, I'm certain you'll be disappointed.

Once again, the author has woven storylines together in an unrealistic way. At least this time, we do see some forensic work and some actual detection. But for the umpteenth time she has written a fair enough book and wrapped everything up in just a few pages.

I do enjoy that the story has changing points of view and we now get to see into our favorite characters heads. But really, how can everybody be so friendly with Benton after what he put them through. We found out in the last book that he wasn't really dead and that Lucy and Marinaro knew. Kay has a rocky relationship with Benton, but she still has one. She doesn't seem to be upset at all with the others. Benton manipulated everyone to eliminate threats. No one is mad at him and they are all ok with crossing lines of legality.

Also, Scarpetta was supposedly fired when she actually resigned. Lucy's reason for leaving the FBI, and her business partner were rewritten in the last book. This book claims that she is rich because of dot.com investments instead of software creation. Can't the author keep track of her own story?

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CSI

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