30 Nov 2010 02:16:24
Training at Dover Air Force Base's Port Mortuary, Scarpetta gets tapped to solve the seemingly straightforward case of the sudden death of a man walking his dog near her home in Cambridge, Mass. He dies at the scene of an apparent heart attack, but an inspection at the morgue suggests he was still alive while put in the body bag. Further examination reveals unusual internal injuries.
At the same time, her husband, FBI agent Benton Wesley, seeks her help in an open-and-shut case involving the death of a little boy and the man who confessed to the crime. Wesley thinks the confession is bogus, though all the evidence points to his guilt. These two disparate cases will test her in ways she never imagined.
Cornwell writes the novel in first person, giving the reader insight into Scarpetta's mind. By doing this, Cornwell unfortunately takes the suspense out of the equation and creates a read that, like the victims in the novel, is lifeless. Too much time is spent on tangents that are inconsequential to the narrative, taking time away from the interesting aspects of the cases and the supporting characters fans have come to love.
Even though this could have easily been 100 pages shorter and much tighter, this novel will dominate the best-seller lists and Cornwell's many fans will be happy to have Scarpetta back in their lives.
At the same time, her husband, FBI agent Benton Wesley, seeks her help in an open-and-shut case involving the death of a little boy and the man who confessed to the crime. Wesley thinks the confession is bogus, though all the evidence points to his guilt. These two disparate cases will test her in ways she never imagined.
Cornwell writes the novel in first person, giving the reader insight into Scarpetta's mind. By doing this, Cornwell unfortunately takes the suspense out of the equation and creates a read that, like the victims in the novel, is lifeless. Too much time is spent on tangents that are inconsequential to the narrative, taking time away from the interesting aspects of the cases and the supporting characters fans have come to love.
Even though this could have easily been 100 pages shorter and much tighter, this novel will dominate the best-seller lists and Cornwell's many fans will be happy to have Scarpetta back in their lives.
