As usual, vaguely dissatisfying. I am always intrigued by the twists in the story, but I never much like the characters.

In her most explosive novel in the series to date, Cornwell picks up the story where her previous novel ends, literally hours thereafter. With Scarpetta incapacitated and the killer recently handled, Cornwell begins spinning the story and her characters into a deeper and more daunting web than she’d tried in novels past. Taking the reader into the deeper layers of Scarpetta’s psyche and the pains of her life and past pitfalls, Scarpetta at her most vulnerable brings out great layers to a story that would seem less than eventful. When crimes outside Richmond come to light, the entire investigation into the Werewolf killer takes a spin the reader will surely not see coming. Just as series regulars think they have Scarpetta and the novels all figured out, Cornwell tosses a literary grenade and blows up any foundation seemingly present. Stellar plots and sensational thrills from beginning to the last period.

Cornwell has surely outdone herself here and knows how to inject new ideas into her already developed storylines and characters. In one novel, she succeeds in snipping the tied off loose ends of the previous 10 novels and leaves new ones hanging. No invested reader will consider this installment blazé or lacking in thrills. Surely not a good book to begin your Scarpetta investigation, as many past cases and results come to light and are questioned from multiple angles. As always, Cornwell adds layers of new character development to heavily established ones and spins some of her newer creations to leave the reader to wonder how they could have loved Person X or Y.

Kudos Madam Cornwell on this stellar piece of work. Excuse me as I pick my jaw up from on the floor. May I ask, why the constant use of Christmastime as a chronological backdrop for the novels?

Niet uitgelezen. Gestopt op blz. 41. Algauw kwam ik erachter dat je het vorige boek gelezen moet hebben om dit te kunnen volgen. Dan las is ook nog enkele reviews en het scoorde geen hoge cijfers, dat was genoeg voor mij om te stoppen.

Overall - 1/5 : Dog catching its tail again !

Plot - 0/5 : Complicated everything. Continuing from Black Notice-the previous chapter, this book tells nothing, but the dark and gore thoughts of Kay. No logic in the plot. Suddenly kay is a suspect, and everything once again turns around Benton, Marino is doing nothing but just comes and drinks beer, too much unbeleivable emotion, Lucy suddenly is rich...I stop here !

Writting - 4/5 : Still strong in Forsenic and pathologic details.

Heroine - 2/5 : Kay Scarpetta. Irritating me more and more.

Villan - 1/5 : Chandonne - loup-garou - Pathotic.

Description - 4/5 : Detailed description of each and every event.

Violence - 5/5 : Obviiously ! (not recomended if you do not know about Scarpetta series.)

Romance - 1/5 : Sick.

Philosophy - 0/5 : Nothing useful.

Art - 1/5 : Nothing useful.

History - 0/5 : None

References - 2/5 : Nothing useful..

Humour - 1/5 : None.

Dialogues - 3/5 : Too much. The first 100 pages is nothing but ...

Characters - 3/5 : Same and old which starts to irritate you. Espicially Lucy (as always) and Benton is still clinging to the series even long dead. The repeated use of Villans even they are dead does not make it a twist, but unbeleivable.

Positive - I read Scarpetta series just to know what happens to investigations in the pathological point of view. I was not diappointed. But all the rest is just dragging.

Negative - I feel like the series is written, keeping in mind the critics of the previous book or just to continue. Absolutely there got to be a new Kay and some more interesting characters, rather than Marino or Lucy. And one more thing, I do not understand why everyone is against Kay (I won't agree if the answer is she is a she). I do not know why there is no ending to any event. Just like in black notice nothing is clear about the Villan, and in this book its about Marino's son and ofcorse the Last Precint itself. And its more than 550 pages, which leaves you empty. Many repeated sentences and flash backs from the same and previous book, sometimes along the read it picks your nerves.

Comments : A review of the character and more thrills is need in the next book in the series. otherwise it will also be a big disappointment !

What I learned from this book : Be careful with next Kay !

tlp sounds promising

my copy is the pits

Virginia's Chief Medical Examiner, Kay Scarpetta, becomes the victim of the very legal system she works for. When a serial killer attempts to murder her she is caught up in a web of circunstancial evidence that implicates her in murder and complicity in various rather henos crimes.

She is asked to confront what is an all too common reality, that the burden of proof is on the victim to establish that she is not guilty. As we are carefully led through an intricate web of evidence, including a good deal of blood and guts on the examiner's table, ( we may well ask... Gulp! Will they do that to my body when I die? To put that concern to rest, don't worry silly, you won't be there) it becomes increasingly apparent that our heroine is in deep trouble.

Who will come to her rescue? For awhile it seems that nobody will and even those who have the best of intentions find their efforts seemingly turned to the killer's advantage. It becomes obvious that there is a good deal more going on here than a simple murder, or two.

As often happens in life, help comes from an unexpected source and Kay is thankfully, saved from a miserable life in the slammer. What is more, the whole situation prompts her to rethink her life and take some major decisions. The stage is perfectly set for a sequel.

The cast of characters offers someone for everyone; a loveable overweight and slightly redneck cop; an ageing Austrian psychiatrist; a gorgeous kick ass lesbian special forces agent; and a twisted federal agent, to name a few. The dialogue is as intelligent and real as the characters and one gets a palpable sense of presence as we live through each stage of the drama with them.

For anyone interested in cutting up bodies (third year anatomy?) there is a wealth of vivid detail that should keep you sharpening your scalpels far into the night.

There are many good lessons to be learned from Kay but should we ever meet I do want to ask her one question, Why did you sleep with that scum bag Jay, ...uh, what's his name?

I picked this book up at a library sale and although I had once been a Patricia Cornwall fan, it was quite a while back but I was home sick and
a trip to the library was out of the question. I was immediately hooked when I read the dedication to Linda Fairstein of whom I am a current fan. This book was written a few years before Ms. Fairstein became scorned by the literary community for her part in the wrongful conviction of the Central Park 5. In “The Last Precinct”, Linda Fairstein is portrayed by Jaime Berger who is sent to prosecute Kay Scarpetta for a murder she did not commit. In the final pages, Berger defends rather than prosecutes Scarpetta and convinces the grand jury of her innocence. The reader identifies Berger as a heroine and the opening dedication to
“Prosecutor. Novelist. Mentor. Best Friend.” is realized. Although I did not read the previous books leading up to this one, I was not confused since the author did a masterful job of updating the reader of past events. I will definitely pick up Ms Cornwell’s newest novel and see where the last 20 years takes me!

Still enjoying this series.

What I Enjoyed:
-How what happened over the last three books comes together for a big final.
-Not really knowing what the heck is going on. Not sure where the story is leading and if Kay will make it out of this book unscathed.
-The higher stakes in this one. Kay is being framed and all of the evidence is stacking up against her. She is dealing with being a suspect in a murder, and her reputation being shredded. All after dealing with the death of Benton and being attacked by a psycho.
-A lot of underlying issues being brought up. Dealing with loss and the struggles that come with it in a highly publicized job, Government and Police corruption, being a woman in a patriarchal world, and dealing with the everyday horrors that come with being a Chief Medical Examiner.
-Lucy starting her own Precinct that is all about finding out the truth for people regardless of the limitations.
-I love the characters. How when Kay is at her lowest her friends surround her and are there for her. I also like the new NY Lawyer Jamie Berger. Between her and Kay I feel like they would run the world.

What I Found Difficult:
-The overall mood of this book was sad and dark. We are in the head of Kay and she is going through so much in this book. It seems like everyone is against her and she is alone. Being with her in that state was hard to read at times.

It's never a good sign when the only interesting part of the book is the last fifteen or so pages. Which is exactly the case with "The Last Precinct".
I am still amazed how can someone write over five hundred pages of filler... But, obviously it is possible...

I really have come to despise Cornwell's Lucy character. This book does nothing to dissuade my desire to kick the crap out of this immature, whiny, unlikeable personification of Cornwell's alter-ego.

Toegegeven: het vorige boek leek het einde van een spannende reeks maar er bleven toch nog wel wat vragen over. Verder nodigt de introductie op de achterflap uit tot het lezen van alweer een spannend boek. Maar dat valt tegen.
Patricia Cornwell beantwoordt wel de openstaande vragen van de vorige delen maar daarvoor gebruikt ze slechts een 100-tal bladzijden. Ook de titel "Het Eindstation" blijkt eerder etalage-dressing dan een verwijzing naar de inhoud. De term wordt wel enkele keren gebruikt maar de belofte van de acherflap wordt zeker niet ingelost.
Dit boek bevat buiten de 100 bladzijden thriller (zoals verwacht) 450 bladzijden zwaar verteerbare en erg droge psychologische analyses. Alle vorige aannames worden opnieuw op tafel gelegd en compleet stuk geanlyseerd. Steeds opnieuw en steeds dieper. Er worden veronderstellingen gemaakt die vaak enkel op gebakken lucht gebaseerd zijn, en daarop wordt dan steeds verder geborduurd. Alles wordt met al het vorige in verband gebracht, Benton wordt van zijn voetstuk gestoten (als dat nog nodig was). Wel interessant is de uitleg van de finesses bij vingerafdrukken en alle verschillende mogelijkheden bij DNA-onderzoek en het gebruik ervan in de rechtbank.
Marino, toch de steun en toeverlaat van Scarletta, komt er bekaaid af als notoire dronkaard.
De zoon van Marino blijkt een connectie te hebben (puur theoretisch) met de maffia familie uit Parijs die achter alle moorden blijkt te zitten. Bij de ontknoping wordt hier niets meer mee gedaan. Mogelijk is dat dan de insteek voor het volgende boek?
Zwaar, moeilijk door te komen, slechts op enkele momenten focus of pathologie en spannende momenten. Niet echt een hoogtepunt in de reeks.

This is a well-written, entertaining, fast paced crime thriller. It has an intelligent, strong and capable female protagonist, murder, suspense, wit, a touch of humor, intrigue and a satisfying conclusion. This novel can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone, but it is better when read in order for continuity. I am looking forward to reading the next entry in this series with great anticipation! I listened to the audio book, and the narrator, Ms. Kate Reading, does an excellent job voicing the characters.