Crime mystery

It's been a while since I've read a novel in this series. I recall enjoying some of the books but stopped because the stories had turned dark in terms of both the themes and characters. Scarpetta was such a kickass medical examiner at the outset but turned into something less interesting. The wailing against the establishment, i.e., the department heads and government officials, turned more plaintive. The character became somewhat robotic, scientifically precise but lacking the emotional impetus that carried those earlier novels. Anyway, it was nice to revisit and bring back some good reading memories, but I doubt if I will try another book (unless I see a pretty strong review on GR!)

I had the audiobook which was about 6 hours long for a book that was over 400 pages long so I would guess this is an abridged version. Am wondering what parts of the original text were left out?

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?

The 13th book in the Kay Scarpetta series has Kay returing to Richmond, Virginia to solve a crime. A twisty and complex crime mystery.

Thirteenth Book in The Scarpetta Series

Wonderful thirteenth book in The Scarpetta Series. This book is about Scarpetta being called in as a consultant by the new chief medical examiner of Richmond, Dr. Joel Marcus who dislikes her because he is now working the same position that she had 5 years ago and people frequently point out to him that he is not measuring up to how she did the job. A 14 year old girl, Gilly Paulsson was found dead in bed by her mother after she stayed home sick with the flu. Scarpetta's former second in command Dr. Jack Fielding, who still works at the medical examiner's office performed Gilly Paulsson's autopsy and couldn't discover what her cause of death was and her father has been using his connections to pressure the ME's office so they called Scarpetta and invited her to help with the Paulsson case. After reexamining the girl's body Scarpetta determines that she died of mechanical asphyxia and trace found links it to the presumed accidental death of a heavy equipment operator at the site of the old ME's office, the attempted murder of Henri Walden, a friend of Lucy's at her house in Florida and 2 bombs left in mailboxes, one at Lucy's and one a waitresses.

I've always been a huge Patricia Cornwell fan, especially of her Kay Scarpetta series. This book unfortunately was very dissapointing to me. It didn't seem to have much of the forensic investigation or murder investigations in it. In fact, all the murders had been commited by the start of the book. It's definately a take it or leave it book.

Patricia Cornwell is the reining author on stringing works together to make readers visualize characters personalities.

While investigating the murder of a young girl, Scarpetta’s partner Marino believes he may have raped a suspect while drunk and somehow this ties in with the murder of the girl. A worthwhile read.

(#13 in the Kay Scarpetta series)-This is definitely an improvement from Blow Fly. To me, this was almost written as a screenplay. The best part of the book is Marino. The book kept my interest thru the whole way. One of her better ones I say.

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.

I really want to say that I liked this book. Although the makings of a great story are there within its pages, it's ultimately held back by a lack of any real consequence or outcome. This is the first story in the Scarpetta series where I really feel we got a buddy cop dynamic with Scarpetta and Marino this time around. It actually surprised me in the first couple of pages when Marino had accompanied Scarpetta on the case back in Virginia from the jump instead of getting involved later as he's always done. I was excited at the idea that these two were finally headlining a case together in a stronger way.

That being said, I'm assuming from the last book on that Cornwell has ultimately decided to continue with the multiple perspectives. It's not a bad thing, but there are times where we know exactly what happened and how it happened because the killer in this case has already told us through either his actions or inner dialogue which took the fun of guessing out. I will say at first I was intrigued because Edgar Allen Pogue's chapter came out of nowhere and I had no idea how he would connect to the main story.

Which is where my frustration comes from. I don't understand this fear it seems that Cornwell has in not making every investigation going on in the story connected in some way, shape or form. Not everything that Scarpetta's doing has to relate to everything that Lucy is doing or even Benton. Granted, this one made more sense than others but seriously you mean to tell me that that was the reason Pogue does what he does. I get mental illness playing a factor in it, but there had to be some other way to motivate this killer than what it ultimately ended up being.

Also, the last 20 pages of this book had me so confused as to how anything would wrap up. There was no "final battle" as it seems every Scarpetta book has had up until this point and I truly thought she was going to continue the story in the next novel. For it to have ended the way it did left a bitter taste in my mouth. There's something about the story that drew me in and don't get me wrong I finished still with a desire to read the rest, but this is without a doubt one of the weakest standalone Scarpetta novels there are.

There's a lot of wasted potential here and I can only hope that it gets better from here.

Actual rating: 2.5/5 Stars

Re Read March 2024

Story 4 stars**⬆️
Audio 3.75 stars**
Narrator n  Kate Readingn

Not the greatest took a bit of getting into. Started enjoying it more when Scarpetta and Marino are on the case. Her niece is getting a bit boring, only so much hard bitch you can take. Would be good to see some softness.

3.5