Book of the Dead (Kay Scarpetta, No 15) by Patricia Cornwell
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Book Reviews of Book of the Dead (Kay Scarpetta, No 15)
Book Review: Super heroes and serial killers
Summary: 3 Stars
The beautiful city of Charleston ought to be a great place to set up a new practice, but for Kay, nothing seems to be working out the way she'd hoped and planned. She's received plenty of referrals, but family and staff have never been in such disarray. As Kay develops her phenomenal forensic skills, emotionally she's frozen solid. But at least she's functioning as brilliantly as ever, professionally. It's a different story for her friends and relations. Marino, the ever faithful, chafes under her authority, and has evolved into a version of the Incredible Hulk. Talented, techno-wiz niece Lucy now behaves as a version of Wonder Woman. The love of Kay's life, Wesley Benton, is as distant, physically and emotionally, as ever, in spite of the heirloom engagement ring he's just presented to Kay. And her beloved personal assistant, Rose, seems ominously ill.
These personal disasters are given equal prominence with the horrific serial murder case that Kay and company are attacking, a complex, multi-tentacled situation that involves celebrities, the military, and long-buried family secrets. In Book/Dead, Cornwell made the choice to emphasize character over plot, and while her characters are indeed vivid, the plot suffers from fragmentation and reliance upon a set of implausible linkages. Still, the murders are compelling, and this is a story worth finishing. Loose ends left dangling in the final chapter will no doubt be picked up in the next Scarpetta entry.
Book Review: More About Character Than Murder Mystery
Summary: 3 Stars
As my first real foray into the crime genre as a reader this book was strangely less about having a mystery to solve and more about the fragility of the main characters as they struggled to deal with whatever baggage they'd accumulated (presumably) from the previous Scarpetta novels. While the writing is good quality and the characters are developed well enough there's nothing particularly hopeful or even likeable about them overall, despite some hints of interesting tensions in how they relate at times.
But I thought a crime novel was primarily occupied with solving a murder, or if not, a close second. And it's a wonder the main protagonists solve it apart from a good dose of being in the right place at the right time. You feel that Scarpetta's enemies have the upper hand most of the way, to the point that regardless of the ending you won't really think better of these people - the solving of the murder is secondary to their chaotic lives, a pyrrhic victory at best.
I enjoyed the writing style most, and I believe that saved the book from being merely adequate - it was a sufficiently enjoyable read but I wouldn't call this any more than an average novel.
Book Review: The Book of the Dead
Summary: 3 Stars
Not one of the best Cornwell books I have read, but never the less, held my attention to the end. Marino definately a mystery to uncover.Book Review: Losing the Loyal on this one ...
Summary: 2 Stars
So, after getting really frustrated with Trace I took a break. Predator made it seem like I missed a book or two. But I know I did not miss any. I am all for non-linear fiction when I am reading to be challenged. However, when I read to enjoy or turn off my brain (like Cornwell, Patterson, Kellerman, etc.) I don't want to have to read the author's mind. I should know how Scarpetta got to Florida in Predator.
Now, with Book of the Dead she's moved to South Carolina and the reader's world of Scapetta is upside down. The beauty of serialized mystery is you know what to expect from the characters and you can page turn with glee. With this one, not so much. It would be as if James Patterson decided Nana Mama from the Alex Cross books became a docile sweet old lady. What if Milo in Kellerman's books showed up married (to a woman) with two or three kids of his own. We'd all scratch our heads and wonder what the heck happened.
It almost seems like someone else wrote this book.
I won't get into any plot details, you can find them elsewhere. I will only say that for continuity's sake, go ahead and read it - used or from the library.
Book Review: is there no happiness in Scarpettta-land
Summary: 2 Stars
I've been following the Scarpetta crowd for years and usually enjoy their ploits, antics, brilliance, and odd personalities. When this one came out, I didn't even wait for the paperback....I had to know what happens to these larger than life characters created by a great story teller. This is the first time I've been hugely disappointed! Though longer than most of Cornwall's books, the clues were so loosely held together that I had to reread a couple of chapters to see if I could find out how she moved from one clue to the next. They seemed to be held together by spider-web threads. The link between a couple of the clues remains more of a mystery than the novel..... It was almost impossible to tell how they actually solved this one. In addition....I was hugely disappointed in the characters. I've heard it said that good writing means characters must evolve, grow as human beings. These Scarpetta characters seem to be sinking into lower and lower levels of dysfunction with every novel. Just once--mind you, just once--I'd love to see Kay or Wesley or Lucy happy! Even if it was for a few minutes. Now--is that really too much to ask?