Patricia Cornwell - Trace

Pros: Scarpetta's looking pretty good
Cons: but perhaps it's only in contrast to the emotional wrecks that surround her

The field of female mystery protagonists runs the gamut of the US's (supposedly) classless society, Julie Smith's the Baroness Pontalba notwithstanding. There's Stephanie Plum hovering somewhere just above trailer trash; a bunch of blue-collar toilers ...

Pros: It is better then the last one
Cons: It still misses. Cornwell seems burned out.

Yes, Patricia Cornwell has returned with Scarpetta, and I do believe this book is better then her last - but only a little. Something must have happened to the author regarding Richmond, Virginia, and her personal part in the forensic units of ...

Pros: Better than the last several..
Cons: but not nearly as good as the first books in the series.

For Doctor Kay Scarpetta, it has been five long years since she left Richmond, Virginia. Fired from her job as Chief Medical Examiner and run out of town on the proverbial rail, the phone call from her replacement, Dr. Marcus, asking for help is a bit of ...

Pros: Um, Scarpetta and Marino are still a team
Cons: Too many to list, boring, subplots are not fully developed.

I finished TRACE last night and am still wondering what happened. The book was going along at a slow pace and then just stopped. It ended, nothing more, no anticipation or happiness that the villain was captured, no emotional stirrings about Scarpetta ...

Pros: Good pacing, great characters, more Marino background and terrific local color.
Cons: Slightly long for my taste.

Trace, $7.99 US, will delight avid mystery readers. If you haven’t been following this series, I’m pleased to update you. Dr. Kay Scarpetta has already ...

Pros: Sell it, and I might recover my money before it stinks up the house.
Cons: The list is far too long.

Although I liked "Blow Fly" more than most of Cornwell's readers did, I should have quit the series after her last, the 12th novel. In this, "Trace", her 13th, I'm heartened that she tries to recapture some of the original magic by moving ...

Pros: All the characters are back, the series continues....
Cons: Little development between Kay and Benton.

I have been following Patricia Cornwells character Kay Scarpetta since I was in high school and this novel Trace gave me my “Scarpetta Fix” as I call it. This is the 13th book in the “Scarpetta” Series and I am just as delighted to read this one ...

Pros: You recognize the names of most of the characters,
Cons: But they aren't at all the way you thought they were.

I missed Blowfly, so was shocked to find Benton Wesley alive and well in this book. That was only the first disturbing development. Cornwell's writing used to be much better than this. Granted, the stories have darkened and grown weirder with each ...

Pros: If you don't bend the pages you can return it.
Cons: None

Ever since Blow Fly when Cornwell switched to third person, present tense, I have found myself unable to keep my interest in the books. Blow Fly and Trace have been unbelieveably disappointing. A true let down and I never thought I would say that about Cornwell. I used to look forward to her new books coming out, almost to the point of obsession. I can honestly say that until she goes back to third person I will not be buying any more of her novels. Let's just hope that for Cornwell's sake (as I know a lot of other fans are disappointed in the lack-luster new writing style and story line which seems to go nowhere) that she takes the hints from the poor reviews and switches back to first person. Most people were more comfortable and able to relate to Cornwell writing in first person. Almost to the point as to where you could see Scarpetta in Cornwell herself!