A Book A Week

Patricia Cornwell has captivated readers for decades with her Kay Scarpetta series. The books follow the medical examiner as she investigates murder cases and unexplained deaths. I first discovered the series in high school when I picked up a paperback copy of Post Mortem, and I was immediately hooked. Those thrilling mysteries were far more enticing than the books on my required reading list! Over the years, Cornwell has kept the series fresh, navigating cultural and technological changes while allowing Kay Scarpetta and her world to evolve, solidifying her place as one of the most iconic characters in modern crime fiction. Cornwell returns with Identity Unknown, the latest installment, offering a fast-paced whodunit filled with cutting-edge tech, fascinating characters, and a seemingly unsolvable case.

Dr. Kay Scarpetta is under intense pressure as she autopsies the body of a young girl, the daughter of ultra-wealthy parents who claim she accidentally shot herself. The parents are eager to retrieve their daughter's remains, but the more Kay examines the evidence, the shakier their story becomes. She refuses to release the body until she uncovers the truth.

Her investigation is interrupted when her Secret Service niece, Lucy, calls her to a far more unsettling scene. Lucy arrives by helicopter at the medical examiner’s office and whisks Kay away to a creepy, abandoned Wizard of Oz-themed amusement park. The eerie setting is nothing compared to the grisly discovery awaiting them. A body appears to have fallen from a great height, possibly ejected from an unidentified flying object, leaving even expert pilot Lucy puzzled. 

As Kay approaches the body, she's shocked to realize the victim is Sal Giordano, known as the "E.T. Whisperer"—a longtime friend and former lover. His crumpled remains lie on the dilapidated yellow brick road, surrounded by a strange crop circle of petals. As investigators grapple with theories of extraterrestrial involvement and Giordano's eccentric life, Scarpetta uncovers a more sinister, earthbound explanation that hits disturbingly close to home.

No author unsettles me quite like Patricia Cornwell, and Identity Unknown is no exception. An undercurrent of paranoia runs through every moment of the story, forcing readers to confront horrors they’d rather not imagine. Cornwell weaves this tension throughout her intricate mystery as Kay Scarpetta faces interference from her former boss, a disgruntled ex-employee, and the influential parents of a victim whose death appears far more sinister than anyone wants to admit. And that’s just the beginning.

The novel takes readers to one of the creepiest murder scenes I’ve ever encountered, plunging them into a bizarre investigation that even flirts with the possibility of extraterrestrial contact. Cornwell’s meticulous research grounds the narrative in reality, making the story's chilling elements feel all the more plausible.

Twenty-eight books into the series, Identity Unknown might just be the best one yet. I devoured it in a single sitting, unable to tear myself away until I’d reached the final page. With Amazon recently announcing a two-season pickup for a TV series based on the character, it seems Kay Scarpetta’s journey is far from over. If the books remain as gripping as this one, I can’t wait to see where she goes next.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2024, 74)

Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series has consistently been one of my preferred choices for crime fiction reading. Her skillful integration of captivating mysteries, empathetic characters, and forensic science has kept the series relevant for decades. Although Cornwell took a brief hiatus from Scarpetta, she reintroduced the character with a soft reboot in 2021. Now, she returns with the 27th Scarpetta novel, Unnatural Death. As a devoted fan of the series, I eagerly embraced the opportunity to receive a copy of the novel from Cornwell's publisher. True to its predecessors, this latest installment retains all the familiar elements fans adore while introducing new twists bound to captivate even the most seasoned mystery enthusiasts.

Kay Scarpetta faces an ongoing battle to maintain order in her role as Chief Medical Examiner for the state of Virginia. Unanticipated challenges arise from the loyalists to her predecessor, who are determined to complicate her life. The situation is exacerbated by severe budget cuts, making the procurement of basic supplies nearly impossible and pushing Kay to the edge. The story unfolds as she boards a helicopter with her CIA niece, Lucy, bound for a remote location where two deaths have occurred, unleashing a myriad of questions and confusion.

Upon arriving at the scene, two bodies are discovered—one male and one female. The gruesome sight is not for the faint of heart, with the man's body appearing to have been torn apart before being discarded in an abandoned mine shaft. At the same time, the woman's remains float in a nearby lake, becoming prey for the creatures inhabiting it. The question looms: is this the work of a deranged killer, or have the creatures of the wilderness reclaimed their territory? As Kay grapples with this horrific scene, her longtime investigative partner, Marino, presents an even more perplexing discovery—a cast of a human-like footprint, seemingly too large for a man. Convinced it proves the existence of the legendary sasquatch, Marino faces skepticism from everyone else at the scene. Despite her doubts, Kay must utilize all her skills to unravel the mysteries of this unsettling sight.

The 27th book in the series introduces readers to another perplexing mystery. The narrative takes a while to gain momentum, with Cornwell dedicating the initial third of the novel to catching readers up on Kay's professional and personal life. While longtime series fans may appreciate these updates, first-time readers might find the opening a bit slow. However, the beginning's political intrigue and personal challenges soon lead to a mystery that taps into current events and paranoia that thoroughly hooked me. In addition to the detailed exploration of the victims' causes of death, Cornwell introduces lingering uncertainties about the possible existence of a mythical creature at the crime scene. Kay and Marino become entangled in a conspiracy that forces them and the readers to question everything they encounter. This creates a suspenseful narrative that held my interest throughout. Unnatural Death delivers all the elements I expect from Cornwell's series and lays the groundwork for even more compelling adventures in future books.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2023, 83)

This is the time of year when every day seems busier than the last. It can be a miracle to cook dinner in the evening, let alone sit down to read a book. With a family wedding later this week, it seems like this trend will continue for a while. While I may not be as quick to spend time reading physical books, I almost always have an audiobook going. Last night, as I frantically rushed to meal prep for the week, I managed to finish listening to Patricia Cornwell's latest Kay Scarpetta novel. After a kind of soft reboot of the long-running series with last year's release Autopsy, Cornwell's twenty-sixth installment in the series, Livid, proves there are still plenty of fresh cases for Scarpetta to solve. 

When we first reconnect with Kay Scarpetta, the chief medical examiner is on the stand as an expert witness in a murder trial. The book's title comes into play in two ways. First, it describes the state of the victim's body, colored with the bluish-gray twinge that results from spending time floating in the water. Concurrently, livid is an apt description for the mob of protestors outside of the courtroom. You see, Kay's findings have led her to believe that the death of this victim was merely an unfortunate accident, not the violent attack of a spurned man. The prosecuting attorney is diligently working to discredit Kay, her science, and her already contentious reputation. 

Later on, Kay is called to the scene of an unusual death. The deceased just so happens to be the sister of the judge who is hearing the controversial trial that Kay was just testifying in. Even odder, though, is the sheer amount of death in the area. Not only is there a dead woman, but it seems that every living thing in the radius of the scene has suddenly died too. Kay is surrounded by dead birds and insects as if someone switched a button and eliminated all of the life around them. This is no ordinary murder. The means by which this crime was committed has huge ramifications that reach much further than this single case. As her life and livelihood simultaneously come under fire, Kay will have to pull all of her resources to solve this case and prevent a national security crisis. 

I've read the Scarpetta series off and on for the better part of 15 years. The books are at their best when they combine cutting-edge science with chilling mysteries, and Livid further proves that point. Rather than shy away from the timely, if a bit silly, political debates around the validity of science, Cornwell dives right into the thick of it. I found her imagined throng of protestors to be eerily reminiscent of the group that overtook the US capitol last year. The anger of those misinformed souls, both in real life and in this fiction, gives the entire story an underlying tension. Cornwell captures the uncertainty of these times with a precision that sees her characters racked with pressure. She balances this paranoia with a mystery that is rooted in a doomsday scenario ripped straight from the headlines. All in all, Livid is another solid entry in the Scarpetta series. 

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2022, 57)

I've been reading Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series off and on since my aunt first gave me a copy of Body of Evidence when I was in high school.  After devouring the first several books in the series, my reading tastes evolved and my interest in the series waned. Then in 2015 my book-reviewing buddy John Valeri urged me to give the series another chance. Over the next three years, I was thrilled by the story that took place through Flesh and Blood, Depraved Heart, and Chaos. That last book seemed like a pretty good place to let Scarpetta ride off into the sunset. In fact, Cornwell spent the next few years writing a completely new series. Imagine my surprise, then, when I learned that her latest novel out today would be a return to her famed series. 

Autopsy, the 25th novel in the Kay Scarpetta series sees the character taking on the problems of the present-day while attempting to reclaim some of the glory from her past. Scarpetta has recently returned to her old stomping ground and career as the new chief medical examiner for the state of Virginia, a role she held many years ago. Back then, she was trying to prove herself as a respected professional in a male dominate field. Now, she's more than earned respect in her job, but her challenge is nonetheless daunting. Her predecessor was more concerned with furthering his political aspirations than running a functioning investigative unit. This negligence has left the department in disarray with many loyalists to the former guy working to undermine Kay's attempts at righting the ship. 

Interdepartmental drama aside, Kay's personal life has demanded her attention in a different way. When she took the job in Virginia, her entire family picked up their lives and made the move with her. Any move can take a toll on the family, but a tragic case of COVID has impacted Scarpetta's inner circle in a way no personal or professional obstacle has ever come close to replicating. Just as she is working to settle into things at work and home, Kay is called to the scene of a brutal murder. Her trusty sidekick and investigative partner Marino has made the move with her. The pair are a little worse for the ware, but they settle into an easy rhythm of working the case. Things are far from settled at the scene when Kay is interrupted by a phone call. Her presence has been requested by none other than the President of the United States. It's all in a day's work for the famed Dr. Kay Scarpetta. 

It seems that time has been the best thing for Patricia Cornwell's long-running series. Indeed, the years-long hiatus between novels has allowed the author to hit a kind of reset button within her world. Her characters' relationships and careers have changed since we last read about them, giving Cornwell the license to take her series in a new direction. She has opted to return to her roots, placing Scarpetta back in the job that she held when the series began twenty-five books ago. This gives Autopsy a feeling of familiarity that was very welcome, especially as the more recent books in the series have seemed to have lost some of the things that made the earlier books such a joy to read. It was a welcome change to have Scarpetta take a more hands-on approach with the investigation while also navigating the metaphorical landmine that the present-day political scene has become. I've always said that no one can write a chilling scene like Patrica Cornwell, and this latest book continues to prove my point. I had a few gripes about pacing and an ending that tidied things up a bit too quickly, but these did little to deter me from enjoying the book. With Autopsy it is safe to say that Patrica Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series is back and better than ever. 

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2021, 48)

I've recently jumped back into Patricia Cornwell's famed Kay Scarpetta series. My love/hate relationship with the main character caused me to shelf the series for some time, but I couldn't stay away for long. For my money, no one writes with the thrilling reality that Cornwell does. Given my enjoyment of the past couple novels, I came into this latest one with high expectations.

This 24th installment begins with Scarpetta and her FBI agent husband Benton attempting to have dinner at the exclusive Harvard University club. Scarpetta is preparing to give a lecture to some students there. All too often, the couple's meals are interrupted by their work, and this occasion is no different. They both receive calls about a mysterious death on the campus. A female biker has been found dead of an apparent lightning strike. Immediately, something seems off. How could a woman be killed by lightning on such a clear night?

The situation is compounded by a string of mysterious texts from a figure called Tailend Charlie. Scarpetta receives these odd poems that contain personal details that only someone close to her would know. As the details of these messages begin to coincide with her ongoing investigation, Scarpetta's paranoia reaches a peak. All evidence has her believing that the nefarious serial-killer Carie Grethen, who has been at large for the last couple of novels, is somehow connected to the murder.

Like the previous novel, Depraved Heart, Chaos takes place over a short period of time and focuses mostly on Scarpetta's inner dialogue. In the words of Elvis Presley, "A little less conversation, a little more action" could have gone a long way in helping the pace of most of the early portions of this book. Scarpetta's inward paranoia was not enough to propel the beginning of the story. Fortunately, the action increased as the investigation progressed. It was great to see Scarpetta be a little more hands on with examining the body and crime scene. This is what captured my imagination in the early books, and it was nice to see Cornwell return to these elements. The narrative arc that began in Flesh and Blood comes to a satisfying, but slightly too convenient, conclusion in this story. With the promising progression of the last three novels, I'm excited to see how Cornwell evolves her character next.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.

(2017, 22)

Depraved Heart begins much as the 22 novels preceding it have. Dr. Kay Scarpetta is surveying the body of a Hollywood star's daughter when her phone buzzes. The message appears to be from the private line of her niece Lucy. As an expert in all things technology, Lucy has accumulated a massive wealth and cherishes her privacy. If Lucy is reaching out through this line, then something is terribly important.

If you didn't read the previous novel, Flesh and Blood, then you may be surprised to learn that a psychopathic murderer and Lucy's former love interest is out to kill Scarpetta. For those of you who did read the last book, you'll recall that Carrie Grethen, who Scarpetta believed dead, shot Kay with a harpoon gun and escaped. When Scarpetta looks at the message from Lucy, she is terrified to discover that the message is actually a link to a secret video taken of Lucy during her days as a trainee at the FBI. Two things become very clear. Carrie is behind the videos, and she is threatening the lives of Scarpetta and everyone she holds dear.

The twenty-third installment in the Kay Scarpetta series corrects many of the wrongs committed in the previous novel. Flesh and Blood threw a sudden cliff hanger at readers that really sullied all of the great moments that preceded it. Thankfully, Cornwell uses Depraved Heart to begin to flesh out the implications of that ending. With all of that in mind, I highly recommend reading the previous novel before you dive into this one. Without the backstory of Carrie Grethen's resurgence, much of the plot and suspense of this novel will be unintelligible.

I was gifted an autographed copy of Depraved Heart from my book-blogging friend John Valeri. My mixed reaction to the previous novel kept the book languishing on my shelf for months. Finally my curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to see the story through. Much of my complaints about the newer Scarpetta novels remain in this one. Kay Scarpetta has gone from a tough medical examiner making her way in a male dominated profession to a paranoid whiner who complains when things don't work out to her liking. The evolution of the character has made it difficult to root for her. Where the early novels relied on the action of an active investigation, Depraved Heart is mostly comprised of the suspicious inner dialogue of the main character. The action is almost non-existent.

All that being said, I could not stop reading this book! I'm usually weary of an author reviving a villain from previous novels, but Carrie Grethen is a force to be reckoned with. To see the way that Scarpetta, Lucy, and Marino (Scarpetta's longtime detective partner) react to being hunted by a killer is terrifying. For all her faults as an author, nobody can deliver genuine scares and thrills like Patricia Cornwell. The climatic encounter had me holding my breath as Scarpetta faced one of the most fear-inducing scenes that I've ever read. While Depraved Heart is far from perfect, it represents an upward tick in a series that has recently languished in mediocrity. With Depraved Heart, Patricia Cornwell has found a solid footing to ground the next evolution of her decades-old series. For the first time in years, I am eagerly awaiting the next installment in the Kay Scarpetta series.

For more information, visit the authors website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
This review is part of a TLC Book Tour.

(2017, 5)

I have a tumultuous relationship with Dr. Kay Scarpetta. Author Patricia Cornwell captured my imagination with her first books featuring the famed medical examiner, but I soon became burned out. Cornwell has a knack for the kind of complex and disturbing stories that leave mystery buffs like myself reeling, but I found that I was losing interest in her protagonist. After a couple solid installments at the start of the series, Scarpetta became less likable, and I found myself caring less and less about her. After reading the first five Scarpetta novels, I decided to take a break from the series. Knowing that my taste in reading material has evolved over the years, however, I decided to give Scarpetta another go.

Flesh and Blood marks the 22nd book in the Scarpetta anthology. Kay Scarpetta, now the chief medical examiner, is preparing for a tropical birthday vacation with her FBI profiler husband, Benton Wesley. The trip serves as a much needed break for the hard working couple who rarely get time to themselves. As they are enjoying what should be a relaxing morning at home, Kay notices seven pennies lining the wall of her garden. Each penny has been meticulously arranged, polished, and dated 1981. As she questions the meaning of the objects, Scarpetta is called to the scene of a murder that occurred nearby. She joins her longtime comrade, detective Pete Marino, at the investigation site. The victim, a music teacher who gained notoriety after being falsely accused of terrorism a few years earlier, was shot by a sniper while unloading groceries. Amidst the panic and confusion that surrounds the crime scene, one thing is certain. . . Scarpetta's vacation will have to wait.

The sniper rifle allowed the killer to remain distant from the scene, a fact that results in a disappointing lack of physical evidence. Autopsy results confirm the cause of death, but offer little in terms of identifying the killer. The bullet recovered from the victim's body presents more questions than answers. Formed from polished copper, the bullet is an unusual choice for sniper rifle ammunition. As Scarpetta thinks back to the pennies on her garden wall, she recalls a string of odd tweets from a user named Copperhead. When Marino informs her of two other sniper murders, both where copper traces were found at the scene, it becomes clear that Kay was meant to find those pennies. Someone is sending her a message. Someone is toying with her emotions. Someone is threatening her life.

I find my reaction to Flesh and Blood quite similar to the reaction I had to Cornwell's early novels. There are genuine thrills in this story that sent chills down my spine. The threat of the killer draws upon reality (the D.C. sniper comes to mind), allowing for the reader's imagination to come to conclusions far more terrifying than anything that is printed on the page. Seemingly unconnected points come together in shocking ways, providing the kind of satisfaction that mystery readers crave. Unfortunately, Scarpetta's advanced position at the medical examiners office makes her much more hands off that she was in the earlier novels. Rather than personally inspect the bodies, she comes to conclusions based upon the insight, or lack thereof, of the examiners working beneath her. This makes the investigation and revelations a bit flat. Further, the self absorption of many of the main characters makes them hard to root for. After a promising opening and several fantastic twists, Cornwell ends her novel with the whimper of a cliffhanger, a trend that many mystery series authors seem to be taking. For the sake of completion, I'll probably read the next Scarpetta novel, but the disappointing conclusion of this one leaves me wary of continuing the series beyond that.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and GoodReads.

As the title would suggest, there is extreme loyalty amongst the members of the Ludlow family. Loyalty to themselves, each other, and most importantly to their father, Carl. But this loyalty goes far beyond the ties of family. Besides being their father, Carl is also their boss. He heads a high-powered law firm where each of his children work. His three sons all partners at the firm, follow a strict diet, religious exercise routine, and do everything in their power to keep their father happy. Fina, the sole surviving daughter of the family, could not be more different. She never did the law school thing, opting instead to apprentice with the firm's private investigator. Now, as the lead investigator for the firm, she brings her irreverent spontaneity to everything she does. To be clear, she still has a strong loyalty to her family, but she definitely has her own unique way of showing it.

The family is rocked when Melanie, the wife of brother Rand Ludlow goes missing. This isn't the first time this has happened. In fact, there has always been tension between Rand, Melanie, and their teenage daughter Haley, but this time things are different. Following an argument with her husband at their daughter's school the day before, she is literally nowhere to be found. Even worse for the family, all evidence points to Rand as being responsible for her disappearance. Rand is no stranger to minor run ins with the law, but he insists that he had nothing to do with this. With the police, who naturally have a frayed relationship with the family of lawyers to begin with, begin investigating Rand, Carl tasks Fina with getting to the bottom of things.

In Fina, author Ingrid Thoft has imagined a fireball of a character who isn't afraid to get her hands dirty to find the truth. As she investigates, she is forced to battle her own emotions and decide whether to place her loyalty in her own sense of moral justice, or in the family that she has devoted her life to. Reminiscent of an early Kay Scarpetta or Stephanie Plum, Fina is the kind of strong, endearing female character that you can't help but root for. In addition to the suspenseful mystery, Thoft involves Fina in an unconventional love triangle that gives us glimpses into her sympathetic if not a little bit twisted psyche. The mystery of itself does become a bit predictable towards the end, but the fun is in witnessing this entertaining character discover the secrets. With Loyalty, her debut novel, Ingrid Thoft has quickly established her place in crime fiction through her strong characters, suspenseful pacing, and charming wit.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and GoodReads.

(2013: week 32, book 31)