What do you think?
Rate this book
Kay Scarpetta #17
The Scarpetta Factor
Librarian’s note: This is a previously-published edition of
Kindle ASIN: B002QX44DI.
In the extraordinary new novel by Patricia Cornwell-the world's #1 bestselling crime writer-forensic expert Kay Scarpetta is surrounded by familiar faces, yet traveling down the unfamiliar road of fame. A CNN producer wants her to launch a TV show called The Scarpetta Factor. But the glare of the spotlight could make Kay a target for the very killers she would put behind bars...
Kindle ASIN: B002QX44DI.
In the extraordinary new novel by Patricia Cornwell-the world's #1 bestselling crime writer-forensic expert Kay Scarpetta is surrounded by familiar faces, yet traveling down the unfamiliar road of fame. A CNN producer wants her to launch a TV show called The Scarpetta Factor. But the glare of the spotlight could make Kay a target for the very killers she would put behind bars...
314 pages, ebook
First published October 20, 2009
1831 people are currently reading
12845 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Cornwell
193 books19.6k followersPatricia Cornwell sold her first novel, Postmortem, in 1990 while working as a computer analyst at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia. Postmortem, was the first bona fide forensic thriller. It paved the way for an explosion of entertainment featuring in all things forensic across film, television and literature.
Postmortem would go on to win the Edgar, Creasey, Anthony, and Macavity awards as well as the French Prix du Roman d’Aventure prize – the first book ever to claim all these distinctions in a single year. To date, Cornwell’s books have sold some 100 million copies in thirty-six languages in over 120 countries. She’s authored twenty-nine New York Times bestsellers.
Patricia’s novels center primarily on medical examiner Kay Scarpetta along with her tech-savvy niece Lucy and fellow investigator Pete Marino. Celebrating 25 years, these characters have grown into an international phenomenon, winning Cornwell the Sherlock Award for best detective created by an American author, the Gold Dagger Award, the RBA Thriller Award, and the Medal of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters for her contributions to literary and artistic development.
Fox 2000 bought the rights to Kay Scarpetta. Working with producer Liz Friedman, Marvel’s Jessica Jones and fellow Marvel EP and Twilight Saga scribe Melissa Rosenberg to develop the film and find Scarpetta a home on the big screen.
After earning her degree in English from Davidson College in 1979, she began working at the Charlotte Observer.
Cornwell received widespread attention and praise for her series of articles on prostitution and crime in downtown Charlotte. From the Charlotte Observer, Cornwell moved to a job with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia – a post she would later bestow upon the fictional Kay Scarpetta.
When not writing from her Boston home, Patricia tirelessly researches cutting-edge forensic technologies to include in her work. Her interests span outside the literary: Patricia co-founded of the Conservation Scientist Chair at the Harvard University Art Museums. She appears as a forensic consultant on CNN and serves as a member of Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital’s National Council, where she advocates for psychiatric research. She’s helped fund the ICU at Cornell’s Animal Hospital, the scientific study of a Confederate submarine, the archaeological excavation of Jamestown, and a variety of law enforcement charities. Patricia is also committed to
funding scholarships and literacy programs. Her advice to aspiring authors: “Start writing. And don’t take no for an answer.”
Social and Digital Outlets
http://www.patriciacornwell.com
https://www.facebook.com/patricia.cor...
https://twitter.com/1pcornwell
https://instagram.com/1pcornwell/
Other areas of expertise & interests
Forensics | Forensic Technologies | Ballistics | Weapons | Explosives | Pathology & Autopsies | Crime | Historical and Unsolved Criminal Cases | Jack The Ripper | Helicopter Piloting | Suba Diving | Archaeological Excavation Experience |
Postmortem would go on to win the Edgar, Creasey, Anthony, and Macavity awards as well as the French Prix du Roman d’Aventure prize – the first book ever to claim all these distinctions in a single year. To date, Cornwell’s books have sold some 100 million copies in thirty-six languages in over 120 countries. She’s authored twenty-nine New York Times bestsellers.
Patricia’s novels center primarily on medical examiner Kay Scarpetta along with her tech-savvy niece Lucy and fellow investigator Pete Marino. Celebrating 25 years, these characters have grown into an international phenomenon, winning Cornwell the Sherlock Award for best detective created by an American author, the Gold Dagger Award, the RBA Thriller Award, and the Medal of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters for her contributions to literary and artistic development.
Fox 2000 bought the rights to Kay Scarpetta. Working with producer Liz Friedman, Marvel’s Jessica Jones and fellow Marvel EP and Twilight Saga scribe Melissa Rosenberg to develop the film and find Scarpetta a home on the big screen.
After earning her degree in English from Davidson College in 1979, she began working at the Charlotte Observer.
Cornwell received widespread attention and praise for her series of articles on prostitution and crime in downtown Charlotte. From the Charlotte Observer, Cornwell moved to a job with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia – a post she would later bestow upon the fictional Kay Scarpetta.
When not writing from her Boston home, Patricia tirelessly researches cutting-edge forensic technologies to include in her work. Her interests span outside the literary: Patricia co-founded of the Conservation Scientist Chair at the Harvard University Art Museums. She appears as a forensic consultant on CNN and serves as a member of Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital’s National Council, where she advocates for psychiatric research. She’s helped fund the ICU at Cornell’s Animal Hospital, the scientific study of a Confederate submarine, the archaeological excavation of Jamestown, and a variety of law enforcement charities. Patricia is also committed to
funding scholarships and literacy programs. Her advice to aspiring authors: “Start writing. And don’t take no for an answer.”
Social and Digital Outlets
http://www.patriciacornwell.com
https://www.facebook.com/patricia.cor...
https://twitter.com/1pcornwell
https://instagram.com/1pcornwell/
Other areas of expertise & interests
Forensics | Forensic Technologies | Ballistics | Weapons | Explosives | Pathology & Autopsies | Crime | Historical and Unsolved Criminal Cases | Jack The Ripper | Helicopter Piloting | Suba Diving | Archaeological Excavation Experience |
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,606 reviews
April 30, 2023
Book Review
4 of 5 stars to The Scarpetta Factor, the 17th book in the Kay Scarpetta mystery and thriller series, written by Patricia Cornwell and published in 2009. Many readers had mixed reactions to this book when it was released, thinking Cornwell finally got back on track with the character of Dr. Kay Scarpetta; however, some felt it was still going downhill. I enjoyed the book, mostly because of the focus of the story. It took Scarpetta to Hollywood (so to speak), embroiled in a scandal and possible serial killer over a famous actress, to NYC where she helped work on the crimes and cases (and that's where I live!), and she had an on-air radio show which kept things feeling different. The content was very sexual in this book, given the victims who died and the way in which it happened. It's not one of the lighter books, but then again, I do like reading stuff that pushes the limit without just being silly and vulgar. It's a fine line here, but I enjoyed it. I think it was a good installment in the series, but not the best... gives me hope the series may be back on track.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
4 of 5 stars to The Scarpetta Factor, the 17th book in the Kay Scarpetta mystery and thriller series, written by Patricia Cornwell and published in 2009. Many readers had mixed reactions to this book when it was released, thinking Cornwell finally got back on track with the character of Dr. Kay Scarpetta; however, some felt it was still going downhill. I enjoyed the book, mostly because of the focus of the story. It took Scarpetta to Hollywood (so to speak), embroiled in a scandal and possible serial killer over a famous actress, to NYC where she helped work on the crimes and cases (and that's where I live!), and she had an on-air radio show which kept things feeling different. The content was very sexual in this book, given the victims who died and the way in which it happened. It's not one of the lighter books, but then again, I do like reading stuff that pushes the limit without just being silly and vulgar. It's a fine line here, but I enjoyed it. I think it was a good installment in the series, but not the best... gives me hope the series may be back on track.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
December 31, 2009
Somewhere in the 500-plus pages of this book is a good 300 page mystery struggling to get out. There were many points where I thought it would succeed, only to lose it again under the suffocating weight of each character's relentless self-absorption and analysis.
Since The Body Farm, Cornwell has increasingly given over her books to a sort of public self-examination. She uses the pages of the Scarpetta series to work out her own issues, turning her characters into a sort of Greek Chorus for her own troubled mind. A couple of years after that book and her life became more interesting than the murder-by-numbers serial-killerthons she was churning out. CSI mainstreamed her schtick and that also made her books seem less special. It has, over time, been actually more fascinating to skip the Scarpetta middleman and just read about the events in Cornwell's own life.
And when you do so it is plain to see just how much of the Scarpetta series, and especially this book, has become a great trick on the readers. We are paying anywhere from ten to twenty-five dollars to act as sounding boards for Cornwell's personal issues. If she's not comfortable with her own lesbian life, she'll take three or four books to deal with it via Lucy. If she's pissed off about losing $40 million in the stock market crash of 2008, she'll give over much of her 2009 book to demonise the people she claims to have stolen it. And if she marries a Harvard Psychiatry professor you can expect the novels start to drag under a relentless series of internal monologues for each of the characters. Internal monologues that sound depressingly, reduntantly similar regardless of the theoretical differences between those make-believe versions of Cornwell, her lovers, her enemies and her desires. And even though many authors believe that writing is a form of therapy the craft is to entertain and make beautiful the process.
Cornwell lacks the essence of writerly craft. Her prose is heavy; reading it is like chewing through cement. She long ago lost the thread of story. And I'm truly sorry because I had, once upon a time, enjoyed her books immensely. At least I can say they now serve a higher purpose. They are an object lesson for any writer as to what happens when you take yourself too seriously.
Since The Body Farm, Cornwell has increasingly given over her books to a sort of public self-examination. She uses the pages of the Scarpetta series to work out her own issues, turning her characters into a sort of Greek Chorus for her own troubled mind. A couple of years after that book and her life became more interesting than the murder-by-numbers serial-killerthons she was churning out. CSI mainstreamed her schtick and that also made her books seem less special. It has, over time, been actually more fascinating to skip the Scarpetta middleman and just read about the events in Cornwell's own life.
And when you do so it is plain to see just how much of the Scarpetta series, and especially this book, has become a great trick on the readers. We are paying anywhere from ten to twenty-five dollars to act as sounding boards for Cornwell's personal issues. If she's not comfortable with her own lesbian life, she'll take three or four books to deal with it via Lucy. If she's pissed off about losing $40 million in the stock market crash of 2008, she'll give over much of her 2009 book to demonise the people she claims to have stolen it. And if she marries a Harvard Psychiatry professor you can expect the novels start to drag under a relentless series of internal monologues for each of the characters. Internal monologues that sound depressingly, reduntantly similar regardless of the theoretical differences between those make-believe versions of Cornwell, her lovers, her enemies and her desires. And even though many authors believe that writing is a form of therapy the craft is to entertain and make beautiful the process.
Cornwell lacks the essence of writerly craft. Her prose is heavy; reading it is like chewing through cement. She long ago lost the thread of story. And I'm truly sorry because I had, once upon a time, enjoyed her books immensely. At least I can say they now serve a higher purpose. They are an object lesson for any writer as to what happens when you take yourself too seriously.
January 13, 2010
This book was long, redundant, like a song with no end. There were times when I felt the need to scream, yell in frustration, toss the book as the point was never made. The story line was slow, confusing and erratic. It reminded me of a time when I first started reading and thought how great books were, not caring how the plot rambled or made a point, not caring for significance, not caring if it wasn't organized, like I was smarter then most because I could follow along, because I read the book. Because I read the book.
If you liked the way the upper portion was written, then you will like the book. If you thought that was complete trash, then you are not going to like the book. I listened to this on book on tape and I would not recommend this to anyone. I finished listening because I thought that at some point it would get better and then it just became a goal to get through it. I would say more then half of the book is a filler with no real contribution to the plot. The characters' personal depressive drama overshadow the murder/ mystery plot, almost making it a side story instead of the main plot.
This was my first book that I have read by Patricia Cornwell and so am not a loyal fan who forgives easily that it is not a well written book.
If you liked the way the upper portion was written, then you will like the book. If you thought that was complete trash, then you are not going to like the book. I listened to this on book on tape and I would not recommend this to anyone. I finished listening because I thought that at some point it would get better and then it just became a goal to get through it. I would say more then half of the book is a filler with no real contribution to the plot. The characters' personal depressive drama overshadow the murder/ mystery plot, almost making it a side story instead of the main plot.
This was my first book that I have read by Patricia Cornwell and so am not a loyal fan who forgives easily that it is not a well written book.
May 26, 2025
Somewhere along books #13-15, the Scarpetta series jumped the shark. I don't know if it's because Cornwell continues to tinker with place or has become overly involved in the innerworkings of her main characters, but while this wasn't a bad read, it wasn't the great read her Scarpetta books have been in the past.
Please Ms. Cornwell, drop all the past angst between your characters (enough with Marino, Benton and Kay's ongoing issues) and focus on the great villains and plot twists!
(Reviewed 1/2/10)
Please Ms. Cornwell, drop all the past angst between your characters (enough with Marino, Benton and Kay's ongoing issues) and focus on the great villains and plot twists!
(Reviewed 1/2/10)
November 22, 2025
This is an entertaining, well-written, fast paced, police procedural. It is has a strong and capable female protagonist, murder, mystery, twists and turns, and a satisfying conclusion. The series should be read in order for continuity. I always enjoy spending time with the fascinating and likable Dr. Kay Scarpetta and her engaging friends and family. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, Ms. Kate Reading, does an outstanding job voicing the characters.
April 16, 2024
Re Read April 2024
Story 4 stars**⬆️
Audio 4 stars**
Narrator Kate Reading
**review written on November 2016**
I've loved this series since book one, so I admit I haven't really been into this kinda books since before I started reading more romance. But here I am getting back into Kay Scarpetta's world again and seeing the whole gang of Benton, Marino, and Lucy and it feels pretty good. I think it's been over a year since I read the last of book which was "scarpetta" so past events where pretty fresh in my memory.
Anyway moving along I liked this one well enough, but I felt it lack the usual mystery suspense I'm used to with this series. I mean it did have it, but it dragged, at least that's how I felt. We had multiple POV which I'm not really a fan of, which for me made me lose the flow of the story. Too much inner thoughts form all characters, and maybe too many details for everything that was going on. I mean I get it everything is important especially in a mystery suspense book but I could of use more action.
But regardless I'm still fascinated by this series, how all the books are connected with each other somehow. I love scarpetta's mind, how she manages to solve all cases, of course with the help of the others. Even if their relationship with each other has changed so much over the years but they still mange to hang on. Especially Benton and Kay, this two have been in a long roller coaster ride for so long that I'm kinda shocked to see them together now. It imo they're perfect for each other though. Sorry I'm kinda of generalizing this review of the rest of the books since it's my first review of the series. It's hard though without giving anything away.
By the end of the story I got my answers but as always it continues with the next mystery to solve. Which I'm definitely going to continue I'm just hoping miss Cornwell brings back more of the wow factor to the scarpetta series. <3
Story 4 stars**⬆️
Audio 4 stars**
Narrator Kate Reading
**review written on November 2016**
I've loved this series since book one, so I admit I haven't really been into this kinda books since before I started reading more romance. But here I am getting back into Kay Scarpetta's world again and seeing the whole gang of Benton, Marino, and Lucy and it feels pretty good. I think it's been over a year since I read the last of book which was "scarpetta" so past events where pretty fresh in my memory.
Anyway moving along I liked this one well enough, but I felt it lack the usual mystery suspense I'm used to with this series. I mean it did have it, but it dragged, at least that's how I felt. We had multiple POV which I'm not really a fan of, which for me made me lose the flow of the story. Too much inner thoughts form all characters, and maybe too many details for everything that was going on. I mean I get it everything is important especially in a mystery suspense book but I could of use more action.
But regardless I'm still fascinated by this series, how all the books are connected with each other somehow. I love scarpetta's mind, how she manages to solve all cases, of course with the help of the others. Even if their relationship with each other has changed so much over the years but they still mange to hang on. Especially Benton and Kay, this two have been in a long roller coaster ride for so long that I'm kinda shocked to see them together now. It imo they're perfect for each other though. Sorry I'm kinda of generalizing this review of the rest of the books since it's my first review of the series. It's hard though without giving anything away.
By the end of the story I got my answers but as always it continues with the next mystery to solve. Which I'm definitely going to continue I'm just hoping miss Cornwell brings back more of the wow factor to the scarpetta series. <3
February 16, 2012
I can't begin to describe how disappointed I am, not only in this book, but in the last several. Scarpetta is un-recognizable from the early books-when she was a smart, loving, still hopeful woman with a life outside of the morgue. Back then I knew why her co-workers were devoted to her. I wish Benton had stayed dead, I wish Lucy had never grown up and Marino had never become...this Marino.
I am convinced that Kay Scarpetta is a thinly disguised Pat Cornwell and I can't help wondering why she hates herself so much.
I believe this will be my last Scarpetta.
Rest in Peace, Kay.
I am convinced that Kay Scarpetta is a thinly disguised Pat Cornwell and I can't help wondering why she hates herself so much.
I believe this will be my last Scarpetta.
Rest in Peace, Kay.
October 31, 2012
I was lucky enough to have a training class with the New York Medical Examiner's Office this past week. Patricia Cornwell was kind enough to stop by with some books for the class -- so this is signed to me.
Thank you Miss Cornwell!
Even though I have a lovely hard cover I have started listening to this take...must say thus far I am impressed.
I continued to be impressed. If the other Scarpetta novels are this well researched (the forensics side sounded really accurate, I can only guess the bomb and computer side was as well) and this well written, then I understand why they are so popular.
Well done Ms. Cornwell...I tip my hat to you!
Thank you Miss Cornwell!
Even though I have a lovely hard cover I have started listening to this take...must say thus far I am impressed.
I continued to be impressed. If the other Scarpetta novels are this well researched (the forensics side sounded really accurate, I can only guess the bomb and computer side was as well) and this well written, then I understand why they are so popular.
Well done Ms. Cornwell...I tip my hat to you!
December 31, 2011
I read all her early books, I still have them on my shelves and then I read one that made me think - no more. So I stopped. Saw The Scarpetta Factor on sale and thought I'd give her another try. Oh dear. Wished I hadn't. What on earth has happened to the writer she once was? POV changes all over the place - including the same paragraph - that left me confused. I liked reading just from Scarpetta's POV. I liked her as a ballsy character and what I read in this book was a stupid woman who should have known better than to wander around in the dark, should have known better than to take that parcel to her apartment.It's not good enough to say afterwards that she knew she'd made a mistake, she's not supposed to be like that. She's careful and methodical and I wanted to love her again and I couldn't. I had no idea what the issue was between her and Marino - missed that book. Benton - who I used to love - is a weak shadow of his former self. The notion of his protecting Kay by playing dead for sooo long - seems off to me. There was just so much wrong with this story. I was really disappointed.
December 9, 2017
Sebbene non sia una fan del genere “crime thriller”, questa settimana una serie di circostanze fortuite mi ha fatto imbattere in un libro di Patricia Cornwell intitolato Il Fattore Scarpetta. L’ autrice non mi è nuova, infatti di suo ho già in libreria: La traccia e Ritratto di un assassino: Jack lo squartatore. Caso chiuso. Ritengo entrambi i libri molto validi. Menzione particolare merita l’opera Ritratto di un Assassino, nel quale la scrittrice, dopo undici anni di studio ossessivo sull’argomento, fornisce una personale ed interessante interpretazione dei fatti e dell’ identità relativi al serial killer più famoso e sanguinario di tutti i tempi.
“Il Fattore Scarpetta” si apre alla vigilia di Natale nella provincia di New York, dove vive e lavora l’anatomopatologa forense Kay Scarpetta, alle prese con un caso di decesso che presenta inquietanti contraddizioni e strane analogie con la scomparsa di Hannah Starr, figlia del magnate multimilionario Rupe Starr. Come in ogni buon romanzo che si rispetti nulla è come sembra e mano a mano che le indagini andranno avanti emergeranno indizi e prove sconvolgenti che coinvolgeranno direttamente Kay ed alcuni membri della sua famiglia.
20171109_075642.jpg
Il libro prende il titolo dal talento speciale della protagonista Kay Scarpetta, definito dai mass media :”Il Fattore Scarpetta“. La nostra protagonista non è nuova alle mirabolanti imprese investigative, infatti la Cornwell ha usato questo personaggio in altri romanzi di grande successo. L’autorevole anatomopatologa, esperta in scienze forensi, è in grado grazie alla sua arguzia, di trovare sempre la soluzione di un caso, anche quando la polizia brancola nel buio più totale. L’ autrice ha concepito una figura femminile forte, dinamica, indipendente: Kay è davvero in gamba e sa far tutto. Intelligente, colta e bellissima è perfino una cuoca sopraffina e moglie devota. Così rappresentata, di primo acchito, potrebbe sembrare un personaggio antipatico e un po’ irreale, invece l’ abilità della Cornwell si rivede nella capacità di umanizzarla, di renderla una donna completa, anche nelle sue fragilità e insicurezze. Dalle pieghe della personalità della super donna infatti, talvolta emerge flebile l’animo di una persona che ha sofferto e che si rende conto, con disincantata nitidezza, che la vita può essere davvero molto crudele e spietata. Il suo demone è il passato, che talvolta ritorna come un’ onda a sommergerla. Intorno a Kay ruotano una serie di personaggi anch’essi molto ben caratterizzati. Menzione particolare merita Lucy Farinelli, sua nipote, dotata di una soggettività complessa e ambigua, in bilico tra il bene e il male. Belle le descrizioni ambientali che completano il romanzo e favoriscono l’immersione totale nella lettura. Interessanti i particolari tecnici di cui tutto il libro è pervaso. A mio avviso sono un po’ troppo invasivi e talvolta ne pregiudicano la scorrevolezza. Sicuramente lasciano intuire l’indole da “prima della classe” della scrittrice.
Il Fattore Scarpetta non è uno dei libri migliori che abbia scritto la Cornwell ma cavalca il successo di tutto un filone di volumi dedicati al personaggio di Kay. Nell’insieme un bel romanzo, non memorabile ma piacevole da leggere. Sconsigliatissimo ai lettori distratti, soggetti ai voli pindarici. La storia non permette distrazioni pena la perdita del filo conduttore. Consigliato agli amanti del genere crime.
Buona lettura
“Il Fattore Scarpetta” si apre alla vigilia di Natale nella provincia di New York, dove vive e lavora l’anatomopatologa forense Kay Scarpetta, alle prese con un caso di decesso che presenta inquietanti contraddizioni e strane analogie con la scomparsa di Hannah Starr, figlia del magnate multimilionario Rupe Starr. Come in ogni buon romanzo che si rispetti nulla è come sembra e mano a mano che le indagini andranno avanti emergeranno indizi e prove sconvolgenti che coinvolgeranno direttamente Kay ed alcuni membri della sua famiglia.
20171109_075642.jpg
Il libro prende il titolo dal talento speciale della protagonista Kay Scarpetta, definito dai mass media :”Il Fattore Scarpetta“. La nostra protagonista non è nuova alle mirabolanti imprese investigative, infatti la Cornwell ha usato questo personaggio in altri romanzi di grande successo. L’autorevole anatomopatologa, esperta in scienze forensi, è in grado grazie alla sua arguzia, di trovare sempre la soluzione di un caso, anche quando la polizia brancola nel buio più totale. L’ autrice ha concepito una figura femminile forte, dinamica, indipendente: Kay è davvero in gamba e sa far tutto. Intelligente, colta e bellissima è perfino una cuoca sopraffina e moglie devota. Così rappresentata, di primo acchito, potrebbe sembrare un personaggio antipatico e un po’ irreale, invece l’ abilità della Cornwell si rivede nella capacità di umanizzarla, di renderla una donna completa, anche nelle sue fragilità e insicurezze. Dalle pieghe della personalità della super donna infatti, talvolta emerge flebile l’animo di una persona che ha sofferto e che si rende conto, con disincantata nitidezza, che la vita può essere davvero molto crudele e spietata. Il suo demone è il passato, che talvolta ritorna come un’ onda a sommergerla. Intorno a Kay ruotano una serie di personaggi anch’essi molto ben caratterizzati. Menzione particolare merita Lucy Farinelli, sua nipote, dotata di una soggettività complessa e ambigua, in bilico tra il bene e il male. Belle le descrizioni ambientali che completano il romanzo e favoriscono l’immersione totale nella lettura. Interessanti i particolari tecnici di cui tutto il libro è pervaso. A mio avviso sono un po’ troppo invasivi e talvolta ne pregiudicano la scorrevolezza. Sicuramente lasciano intuire l’indole da “prima della classe” della scrittrice.
Il Fattore Scarpetta non è uno dei libri migliori che abbia scritto la Cornwell ma cavalca il successo di tutto un filone di volumi dedicati al personaggio di Kay. Nell’insieme un bel romanzo, non memorabile ma piacevole da leggere. Sconsigliatissimo ai lettori distratti, soggetti ai voli pindarici. La storia non permette distrazioni pena la perdita del filo conduttore. Consigliato agli amanti del genere crime.
Buona lettura
May 1, 2011
I've been slack in reviewing my books lately, but had to savage this one after finishing it. The story itself is so convoluted while really not saying anything, it borders on stream-of-consciousness when trying to be a CSI/Police thriller. There's really no suspense, and the "conclusion" was a quick 30 seconds where the bad guys are dispatched without any buildup, with one "offscreen" as I guess it wasn't important enough to actually write about the finish. The "mastermind" of the whole thing shows up for....2 seconds to then be shot. The various love triangles, parallelograms and pentagons seem to be made up on the fly with no rhyme or reason.
However, as much as the story was useless and the writing pretty bad, my real complaint is with the editor...although really with the lack of one. Cornwell should sue her publisher for putting out her rough draft with no editing, as that's the only possibility in my mind. This was a bad 250 page book that somehow was published as a horrible 520 opus about nothing. The number of pages where minutia that was fully irrelevant is described in painstaking detail is absurd. Sentences ending with three separate but similar metaphors, presumably for a choice to be made among the three, are left with all three. "The room was black as night, dark as coal, gloomy as a cave"....I got it, get a flashlight. It was truly a work of perverse art in the utter lack of any editing. Maybe Cornwell has made so much money for everyone that they just let it go, but it was a huge disservice to the story and the writer it almost seemed either purposeful or just completely a mistake.
So all in all, terrible story with bad writing that goes on twice as long as it should...but other than that it was great.
However, as much as the story was useless and the writing pretty bad, my real complaint is with the editor...although really with the lack of one. Cornwell should sue her publisher for putting out her rough draft with no editing, as that's the only possibility in my mind. This was a bad 250 page book that somehow was published as a horrible 520 opus about nothing. The number of pages where minutia that was fully irrelevant is described in painstaking detail is absurd. Sentences ending with three separate but similar metaphors, presumably for a choice to be made among the three, are left with all three. "The room was black as night, dark as coal, gloomy as a cave"....I got it, get a flashlight. It was truly a work of perverse art in the utter lack of any editing. Maybe Cornwell has made so much money for everyone that they just let it go, but it was a huge disservice to the story and the writer it almost seemed either purposeful or just completely a mistake.
So all in all, terrible story with bad writing that goes on twice as long as it should...but other than that it was great.
September 10, 2012
Meh...
This just didn't do it for me like the older pre-Benson-came-back-to-life Scarpettas.
Kay is definitely losing her mojo, as evidenced by her not being able to learn to use a cell phone (Really, Kay? C'mon now you are a brilliant doctor and you can't use a Blackberry?) It's sad to watch. Plus she's not cooking up a storm like she used to. I miss her.
Marino. Oh, Marino, what have they done to you? I am really, really mad at Cornwell for ruining this character. What he did to Kay in the last book should have NEVER happened. That's NOT Marino. And now it's clearly ruined him. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY wants to read about Marino's sex life. Stop, please!!
Benson+Kay= BOOORRRIIING So, so boring.
I am really, really SO OVER Lucy. So Over her. Please, please make her die in a fiery car crash.
And, finally, resurrecting a bad guy from another book is just indefensible. It is LAZY.
I used to love this series, but I think Cornwell's hit rock bottom with this one. It was heartbreaking to watch this decline, I'll tell ya.
This just didn't do it for me like the older pre-Benson-came-back-to-life Scarpettas.
Kay is definitely losing her mojo, as evidenced by her not being able to learn to use a cell phone (Really, Kay? C'mon now you are a brilliant doctor and you can't use a Blackberry?) It's sad to watch. Plus she's not cooking up a storm like she used to. I miss her.
Marino. Oh, Marino, what have they done to you? I am really, really mad at Cornwell for ruining this character. What he did to Kay in the last book should have NEVER happened. That's NOT Marino. And now it's clearly ruined him. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY wants to read about Marino's sex life. Stop, please!!
Benson+Kay= BOOORRRIIING So, so boring.
I am really, really SO OVER Lucy. So Over her. Please, please make her die in a fiery car crash.
And, finally, resurrecting a bad guy from another book is just indefensible. It is LAZY.
I used to love this series, but I think Cornwell's hit rock bottom with this one. It was heartbreaking to watch this decline, I'll tell ya.
April 27, 2012
I bought this book because I loved Cornwell's older Scarpetta books. Then I read all the really bad reviews, and almost chucked it without opening it. Finally, I ran out of other things to read and opened this one. It took me several months to get through it, in between reading other things. It's very put-downable. Once I put it down, very hard to pick up and start reading again. I had to ask myself why - because this is an author I've loved from the start.
On the plus side, Cornwell is a good writer. Her style is crisp and clean, tThe characters well rounded, the plot intricate.
Now the negative side. I've followed the characters of Kay, Benton, Marino and Lucy through 17 books. They've grown over the years, but not in a positive way. The pages seethe with their disappointment, anger, even rage. They're angry with and distrustful of each other. There is little in these characters that I can identify with in any way. In fact, the only one I feel even a slight human connection to is Marino - and he's the one who was the most pitiful in the earlier books. Yes, these people have had some hard times. Maybe they have a right to be bitter. But do I want to immerse myself in their bitterness for days - weeks - on end and feel it to my core? No.
So why did I give this book three stars? Because of late I've read a lot of very sloppy, unprofessional books by writers who should not even think of calling themselves writers. Books that should never have been put on the market. Cornwell's writing is professional. I just wish she hadn't gone to the dark side.
On the plus side, Cornwell is a good writer. Her style is crisp and clean, tThe characters well rounded, the plot intricate.
Now the negative side. I've followed the characters of Kay, Benton, Marino and Lucy through 17 books. They've grown over the years, but not in a positive way. The pages seethe with their disappointment, anger, even rage. They're angry with and distrustful of each other. There is little in these characters that I can identify with in any way. In fact, the only one I feel even a slight human connection to is Marino - and he's the one who was the most pitiful in the earlier books. Yes, these people have had some hard times. Maybe they have a right to be bitter. But do I want to immerse myself in their bitterness for days - weeks - on end and feel it to my core? No.
So why did I give this book three stars? Because of late I've read a lot of very sloppy, unprofessional books by writers who should not even think of calling themselves writers. Books that should never have been put on the market. Cornwell's writing is professional. I just wish she hadn't gone to the dark side.
May 16, 2020
I have read a number of Patricia Cornwell's Dr Kay Scarpetta novels in the past, but not in recent years. "The Scarpetta Factor" brought me up to date with her marriage to Benton Wesley, her niece Lucy, Marino and other stalwarts from previous books.
The author weaves a complex web of seemingly unrelated plots into yet another compulsive thriller.
I applaud her once again.
The author weaves a complex web of seemingly unrelated plots into yet another compulsive thriller.
I applaud her once again.
January 15, 2019
“A discovery is said to be an accident meeting a prepared mind.”
It was Nobel Prize winning Hungarian biochemist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi who said this, and applied to my discovery of the character Kay Scarpetta specifically and the incredible writing of Patricia Cornwell in general.
For reference, “The Scarpetta Factor” is the seventeenth novel in the Kay Scarpetta series.
Despite Cornwell’s massive international fame as a novelist, on top of her numerous visits to the New York Times Bestseller List, I’d somehow missed her and Kay entirely. That condition changed the day I picked a copy of “The Scarpetta Factor” off the shelf at a second-hand book store.
I remember that it was the book’s cover that initially caught my eye. Then I opened the book to reveal a two-page photo spread on the inside, a sweeping picture of what I would soon come to understand was the First Avenue entrance of the building where the character Kay Scarpetta worked, and spent most of her waking hours.
The building’s entrance was of brick, but not just your run of the mill beige, chestnut, or rust color…but rather an eye-catching turquoise blue. For reasons I can feel, but cannot explain in words, this photo immediately captured and held my interest.
The next aspect of the photo I noticed was the raised, chrome plated letters that were set into the brick background:
C i t y o f N e w Y o r k
Office of Chief Medical Examiner
The letters themselves were widely spaced, an expanse that spanned the entire two-page photo.
For a moment, I considered this picture, the grit-laden letters that must have once gleamed in shining chrome, the patches of the brickwork that were a bit more faded than the others, perhaps due to years of exposure to the rainwater, snow and sunshine of the changing seasons. There were cracks in a few of the bricks as well as the concrete façade immediately below.
This photo was already telling me stories about the kind of people who worked behind this storied landmark, and the important ways they served the people of New York.
The wall was a bit worn and faded, but far from broken or dilapidated. Instead, I guessed that this wall spoke of a solid kind of continuity…an enduring hallmark of quiet, dignified service to those of the city’s residents who were no longer able to tell their stories. This was the place where Medical Examiners unraveled mysteries by painstakingly examining the clues hidden within cold, lifeless bodies.
I then read the dust jacket synopsis and already found myself being pulled into this story like a swimmer swept up in a river’s powerful current. I bought the book and began reading it, soon realizing that I’d made a wonderful book selection decision…and that it happened completely by accident.
My delight in this story begins with the character of Kay Scarpetta herself. Inspired by former Virginia Chief Medical Examiner Marcella Fierro, MD, Dr. Kay Scarpetta was born in Miami, Florida in 1954.
Cornwell fashioned her Medical Examiner heroine as a blonde, sharp dresser who always seemed to maintain a professional comportment. Her father died of leukemia when she was very young…this event had a powerful influence on young Kay. The experience of watching her dad waste away and eventually die, translated into her desire to solve the quiet mysteries of death and somehow afforded her the stomach to surround herself with death as part of her professional life. Kay is a perfectionist, an incredibly hard worker, and usually finds herself lost in the process of unlocking the clues in her curious job as Medical Examiner.
Her career journey takes her from Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Virginia to later relocating to Florida to become a private forensic consultant. After a few years, Kay moves to Hollywood, Florida, to head the National Forensic Academy, a private institution founded by her wealthy niece Lucy. By the time of this seventeenth installment, Kay and her husband Benton Wesley have moved to New York City where Kay is now the Senior Forensic Analyst for CNN while also offering her services, pro bono, to New York City’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
In the first chapter we find Kay facing an autopsy that is baffling in its contradictions.
The deceased is Toni Darien, a twenty-six year old female who works in the lounge of the “High Roller Lanes” an upscale bowling alley.
Scarpetta quickly determines that the cause of death was by way of a single blow to the back of the head with an object with a multi colored surface, yet there was almost no blood at the scene and the head would was only discovered after careful examination, mostly hidden by the victim’s hair.
Toni’s body was found at the edge of Central Park, only thirty feet off East 110th Street, shortly before dawn. This location was about twenty blocks from where Darien lived, but that seemed strange since the victim’s mother said she usually didn’t run that far from her apartment, and that she usually never ran at night.
Toni was found wearing running pants and a fleece, yet those who knew her said she would’ve bundled up much more for such a cold day, even when she was out for a run.
There was a Ploartec scarf tied in a double knot around her neck, causing first responders to guess the cause of death to be strangulation, yet Scarpetta’s closer examination revealed nothing to indicate the scarf had been used to kill since there were no corresponding marks on her neck.
Then there’s the unusual wristwatch found on Toni Darien’s body, a “Biograph” that Scarpetta is unable to find any reference to on the Internet, but guesses to herself is somehow connected to the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, the oldest movie company in America, founded in 1895.
As Scarpetta’s findings click into place, she begins to reveal an incredibly malevolent international menagerie with a cast of the most bizarre characters imaginable: the deranged bank robbing “granny”, a perverted Hollywood actor, a deviant former Marine, a Parisian mob family and a bankrupt, desperate former FBI forensic psychiatrist, just to name a few.
Gripping from start to finish…an incredible “accidental discovery” for my prepared mind. A thoroughly enjoyable read…assuring that I’ll be reading a lot more about Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta in the future!
It was Nobel Prize winning Hungarian biochemist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi who said this, and applied to my discovery of the character Kay Scarpetta specifically and the incredible writing of Patricia Cornwell in general.
For reference, “The Scarpetta Factor” is the seventeenth novel in the Kay Scarpetta series.
Despite Cornwell’s massive international fame as a novelist, on top of her numerous visits to the New York Times Bestseller List, I’d somehow missed her and Kay entirely. That condition changed the day I picked a copy of “The Scarpetta Factor” off the shelf at a second-hand book store.
I remember that it was the book’s cover that initially caught my eye. Then I opened the book to reveal a two-page photo spread on the inside, a sweeping picture of what I would soon come to understand was the First Avenue entrance of the building where the character Kay Scarpetta worked, and spent most of her waking hours.
The building’s entrance was of brick, but not just your run of the mill beige, chestnut, or rust color…but rather an eye-catching turquoise blue. For reasons I can feel, but cannot explain in words, this photo immediately captured and held my interest.
The next aspect of the photo I noticed was the raised, chrome plated letters that were set into the brick background:
C i t y o f N e w Y o r k
Office of Chief Medical Examiner
The letters themselves were widely spaced, an expanse that spanned the entire two-page photo.
For a moment, I considered this picture, the grit-laden letters that must have once gleamed in shining chrome, the patches of the brickwork that were a bit more faded than the others, perhaps due to years of exposure to the rainwater, snow and sunshine of the changing seasons. There were cracks in a few of the bricks as well as the concrete façade immediately below.
This photo was already telling me stories about the kind of people who worked behind this storied landmark, and the important ways they served the people of New York.
The wall was a bit worn and faded, but far from broken or dilapidated. Instead, I guessed that this wall spoke of a solid kind of continuity…an enduring hallmark of quiet, dignified service to those of the city’s residents who were no longer able to tell their stories. This was the place where Medical Examiners unraveled mysteries by painstakingly examining the clues hidden within cold, lifeless bodies.
I then read the dust jacket synopsis and already found myself being pulled into this story like a swimmer swept up in a river’s powerful current. I bought the book and began reading it, soon realizing that I’d made a wonderful book selection decision…and that it happened completely by accident.
My delight in this story begins with the character of Kay Scarpetta herself. Inspired by former Virginia Chief Medical Examiner Marcella Fierro, MD, Dr. Kay Scarpetta was born in Miami, Florida in 1954.
Cornwell fashioned her Medical Examiner heroine as a blonde, sharp dresser who always seemed to maintain a professional comportment. Her father died of leukemia when she was very young…this event had a powerful influence on young Kay. The experience of watching her dad waste away and eventually die, translated into her desire to solve the quiet mysteries of death and somehow afforded her the stomach to surround herself with death as part of her professional life. Kay is a perfectionist, an incredibly hard worker, and usually finds herself lost in the process of unlocking the clues in her curious job as Medical Examiner.
Her career journey takes her from Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Virginia to later relocating to Florida to become a private forensic consultant. After a few years, Kay moves to Hollywood, Florida, to head the National Forensic Academy, a private institution founded by her wealthy niece Lucy. By the time of this seventeenth installment, Kay and her husband Benton Wesley have moved to New York City where Kay is now the Senior Forensic Analyst for CNN while also offering her services, pro bono, to New York City’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
In the first chapter we find Kay facing an autopsy that is baffling in its contradictions.
The deceased is Toni Darien, a twenty-six year old female who works in the lounge of the “High Roller Lanes” an upscale bowling alley.
Scarpetta quickly determines that the cause of death was by way of a single blow to the back of the head with an object with a multi colored surface, yet there was almost no blood at the scene and the head would was only discovered after careful examination, mostly hidden by the victim’s hair.
Toni’s body was found at the edge of Central Park, only thirty feet off East 110th Street, shortly before dawn. This location was about twenty blocks from where Darien lived, but that seemed strange since the victim’s mother said she usually didn’t run that far from her apartment, and that she usually never ran at night.
Toni was found wearing running pants and a fleece, yet those who knew her said she would’ve bundled up much more for such a cold day, even when she was out for a run.
There was a Ploartec scarf tied in a double knot around her neck, causing first responders to guess the cause of death to be strangulation, yet Scarpetta’s closer examination revealed nothing to indicate the scarf had been used to kill since there were no corresponding marks on her neck.
Then there’s the unusual wristwatch found on Toni Darien’s body, a “Biograph” that Scarpetta is unable to find any reference to on the Internet, but guesses to herself is somehow connected to the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, the oldest movie company in America, founded in 1895.
As Scarpetta’s findings click into place, she begins to reveal an incredibly malevolent international menagerie with a cast of the most bizarre characters imaginable: the deranged bank robbing “granny”, a perverted Hollywood actor, a deviant former Marine, a Parisian mob family and a bankrupt, desperate former FBI forensic psychiatrist, just to name a few.
Gripping from start to finish…an incredible “accidental discovery” for my prepared mind. A thoroughly enjoyable read…assuring that I’ll be reading a lot more about Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta in the future!
July 15, 2022
I've read quite a few in this series and find that I'm at complete opposite ends of the star rating system for every one.
Sadly, this book received a lower rating. It just took so long for me to get remotely interested in the storyline and even then, my interest wasn't sustained.
An accomplished author but this one wasn't for me.
Sadly, this book received a lower rating. It just took so long for me to get remotely interested in the storyline and even then, my interest wasn't sustained.
An accomplished author but this one wasn't for me.
January 30, 2010
Where do I begin with my reaction to this one? Seemed better than the previous, Scarpetta, although I'm starring them the same.
I thought Dr. Scarpetta was supposed to be into the forensics end of the criminal investigation. What happened to the forensics? For that matter, what happened to the poor dead "jogger" in the park? Her case seemed to get lost in the mountains of angst among the investigating "team." This book, similar to the last, spent more time on the psychological issues of the "team" than on the crimes they were supposed to be investigating. If you are into psychology this is the book for you. Maybe the next book should skip having a crime and just address, and hopefully resolve, the worst of the psych issues among the central characters and move on from there; start over and re-focus their attention on solving murders.
The multiple criminal plots if you could find them in the forest were interesting, and the manner in which they tied together was good. Cornwell has kept up with the times, but has left the medical forensics behind for the technological. And, yes, as pointed out in some other reviews, you do need to have a "geek" interest to keep up. But I'm hoping that as her earlier works popularized new medical developments in crime detection, her current works will familiarize the public with techno-detection and its future. I also hope it will give readers some second thoughts about how they integrate smart phones into their lives and what they do with their computers.
This could have been a great book on many levels, but it got bogged down in the complicated, negative psychology of the characters. The repetition and rehashing of old issues was annoying to this series reader. I'll probably keep reading, but I think Cornwell has passed her writing apex.
December 9, 2009
A quick, mind-candy read. Still not the early Scarpetta that attracted me to reading Cornwell, but the climax was a fun bringing together of loose ends (although a bit predictable if you've read the previous books in the series). The writing at the end makes me a little suspicious that there's a future video version planned.
While I continue to be a Cornwell fan, I've grown more than a little weary of the continued belly button gazing in the series. Way too much time spent on the personal lives and substantial dysfunctions of the main characters (Kay Scarpetta, her niece Lucy, now-husband Benton, and loyal sidekick Pete). Not to mention that these folks attract obsessive evil-people like iron to magnets.
I hope this book ties a Christmas bow on this particular on-going Scarpetta story that began with the death/resurrection of Benton. Time to drive a stake through the heart of this antagonist and let this brilliant and experienced ensemble cast solve crimes not aimed at their persons.
While I continue to be a Cornwell fan, I've grown more than a little weary of the continued belly button gazing in the series. Way too much time spent on the personal lives and substantial dysfunctions of the main characters (Kay Scarpetta, her niece Lucy, now-husband Benton, and loyal sidekick Pete). Not to mention that these folks attract obsessive evil-people like iron to magnets.
I hope this book ties a Christmas bow on this particular on-going Scarpetta story that began with the death/resurrection of Benton. Time to drive a stake through the heart of this antagonist and let this brilliant and experienced ensemble cast solve crimes not aimed at their persons.
March 8, 2011
After a long break from reading Cornwell's books I stumbled across this one in a drug store line one day and grabbed it up. And I have to say this is the most painful read I've ever had for a book. I finished it but only because I wanted to know if I was right about who the killer was and ... really that was the ending?
It took me 4 months to read a paperback. I NEVER take that long it was just slow and just hard to read that I kept having to put it down and do something else. It makes me terribly sad to say this about a Cornwell book but gawd that was just not up to what I expect from her at all. I went to school for this and even went to school in Richmond because of how much I idolized her work and truthfully I wish she had left it alone. I had actually stopped enjoying the series back around Body Farm but wanted to give it a try again and now I wish I had stuck with leaving it be sadly.
Unless you really want to get caught up in slow moving minutia I wouldn't bother with this.
It took me 4 months to read a paperback. I NEVER take that long it was just slow and just hard to read that I kept having to put it down and do something else. It makes me terribly sad to say this about a Cornwell book but gawd that was just not up to what I expect from her at all. I went to school for this and even went to school in Richmond because of how much I idolized her work and truthfully I wish she had left it alone. I had actually stopped enjoying the series back around Body Farm but wanted to give it a try again and now I wish I had stuck with leaving it be sadly.
Unless you really want to get caught up in slow moving minutia I wouldn't bother with this.
February 23, 2016
Seventeenth in the Kay Scarpetta forensics mystery series and revolving around a forensic pathologist and her psychologist husband. It’s a week before Christmas in New York City.
My Take
I tried to enjoy this, but all the whining and stupid reactions by the main characters made it an annoying read. It didn't help that Cornwell was constantly hinting and inferring tidbits, some of which were revealed openly, others were buried, and some were ignored. Loose threads, anyone? She was also vague about some events.
That romantic trip to Vermont for Lucy and Jaime? Nope, didn't pick up on it being a birthday gift for Jaime until much later. I think Cornwell should have played the gift aspect up as I was totally confused as to why they were even in Vermont. All that hinting around about the issues between Hannah and Lucy drove me nuts. Wherever does Jaime get the idea that Lucy is deceiving her? I admit it’s been a long while since I read the earlier Kay Scarpettas, so I may not be remembering issues from the "past", but a little reminder would have been useful. Then there’s Lucy’s smarts. Jaime knows about Lucy’s background, her intelligence, so why is she going on about Lucy’s interrogation methods? It’s like Lucy and Jaime don’t know each other. It’s for certain sure neither of them trusts the other. I guess it was all supposed to be drama. Or tension? 'Cause I sure got tense about it.
I gotta wonder why Cornwell is having her characters be this stupid. It takes over half the book before Kay figures out that, ta-duhhh, there must be a reason Lucy feels the need to keep track of where everyone is. I do agree with Kay that Lucy should have explained the why of those phones. As for Jaime having the right to be upset because Lucy hasn’t told her all of her past history. WTF? How is Lucy supposed to know which parts of her past she simply must inform Jaime about? For all that Lucy has done so far in her life, telling every detail (besides near impossible to remember it all and some of it probably classified) could take days, weeks, months. How stupid.
It will always seem stupid to me that law enforcement holds back information from each other. Special Agent Lanier is a real pain, and so typical of that FBI superiority. I’m with Pete. Why bother calling him if she’s not going to say anything? I certainly don’t understand why Jaime would refuse to talk to her own investigator. Nor do I understand why Lucy would hold back. Heck, I’d like Lucy to explain why she insists on giving her close circle of family and friends those BlackBerrys.
Since when do sentenced criminals get a choice of venue and doctor? Kay claims that the Boston office is overwhelmed, so why is she spending so much time in New York? Who’s doing the work in Boston? Why is the FBI allowing Agee to claim he was a profiler? Why hasn’t Benton told Kay the truth? Why would all those government agencies believe anything Agee said?
Lucy is tightly wound in this one, and it’s causing problems between her and Jaime, lashing out at random people, and having angry flashbacks about her aunt. I suspect most of it is set off by the lack of communication between her and Jaime. As for her whining about being controlled, hmmph, she should talk. As for Berger and her whining… Hullo? What’s good for the goose, is good for the gander, or the other goose, in this case.
Yep, there is a lot of whining going on in this. I guess it wouldn’t have been so bad except that everyone kept going on and on about their own issues. Was Cornwell trying to pad things out or did she think it would create drama?
I think it would be interesting to do an analysis about what caused Lucy to be the way she is. Cornwell keeps describing Lucy as a sociopath, but my understanding is that a sociopath can only ape emotion. They don’t actually feel it. And Lucy certainly does feel emotional about Jaime, Kay, Benton, and Marino. She’d do anything to protect them. It may not be appropriate. It may be controlling, but she’d never let anything happen to them. With all the betrayal that Lucy has suffered her entire life — her mother is an excellent example of a woman who should never have been allowed to have children — it's not surprising that Lucy has such insecurity. Although…then we wouldn’t have Lucy.
As much of a snob as he sounds, I do like Rupe. An honest, thoughtful man who reckons he’d be a lesbian too if he were a woman…because he likes women too, lol. Reminds me of a boyfriend I had who always claimed to be a lesbian *more laughter*.
Wow, Kay and Benton have been together for twenty years! How time flies.
There’s an interesting bit on freedom as Benton remembers his feelings when he came out of the witness protection program that spring of 2003.
The Story
Forensic expert Kay Scarpetta is surrounded by familiar faces, yet traveling down the unfamiliar road of fame. The show is an important platform for Kay, but the glare of the spotlight could make Kay a target for the very killers she would put behind bars.
The Characters
Dr. Kay Scarpetta is a forensic pathologist who technically works in Boston but is spending most of her time in New York. She also does a regular guest spot as CNN’s senior forensic analyst where she talks about advances in forensic science. Benton Wesley is her husband, booted from the FBI, and working as a consulting forensic psychologist at Bellevue and on staff at McLean, a Harvard-affiliated psychiatric hospital. Justine is their housekeeper at their Belmont, Massachusetts, home.
Lucy Farinelli is Kay's gay millionaire niece with some mad computer and combat skills. For such a young woman, she’s had a full life: former special agent, certified fire investigator for ATF, creator of CAIN for the FBI while she was still a teenager, and an experienced deep cover operator. She currently operates a forensic computer investigative agency, Connextions, in her Greenwich village warehouse home. Jaime Berger is her significant other and the New York county assistant district attorney with the Sex Crimes Unit. Jet Ranger is their rescue bulldog.
Detective Pete Marino is currently working for Jaime. It’s been a year-and-a-half since the incident with Kay, the incident that has turned him around. Georgia Bacardi is the girlfriend Pete thinks he’s losing. Doris was his long ago ex-wife. Peter Rocco Marino, Jr, Caggiano is the son who went wrong.
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) in…
…New York City is where Kay volunteers. Dr. Brian Edison is the chief medical examiner and Kay’s boss. And against Kay being on CNN. Rene is a tech. Filene is a security guard who enjoys rock ’n roll. Dennis is a medicolegal investigator.
NYPD
Detective L.A. Bonnell is investigating the Darien murder and has a lot to learn about observation. Officer Mellnik is unlikely to rise from his current position. Police Commissioner Kelly. Lieutenant Al Lobo is in charge of the team disposing of the bomb. Ann "Android" Droiden is the female bomb tech. Geffner is a trace evidence examiner. The Two Truck is a police precinct? fire department? where they all celebrate Christmas dinner. Max is the Two's rescued brindle boxer. RTCC is the Real Time Crime Center, the information-technology center at One Police Plaza where Marino goes data mining. Petrowski is one of the computer analysts.
Mayor Bloomberg. Judge Fable is Jaime’s favorite judge.
FBI
Special Agent Marty Lanier is with the Joint Bank Robbery Task force and the principal coordinator for the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime; they're investigating the Granny and Clyde bank robberies. NYPD Detective Jim O’Dell is part of the task force and partnered with Special Agent Andy Stockman. Bay Bridge Finance was part of a Ponzi scheme.
Toni Darien, a waitress at High Roller Lanes, is a marathon runner who suffered a very confusing death. Grace Darien is her angry and confused mother. Larry is the deadbeat father suddenly very interested in his child. Joe is the super at Toni’s building. Graham Tourette is a neighbor. Harvey Fahley is a witness who’s taken advantage of.
Hannah Starr is a missing celebrity financial manager. Bobby Fuller, a hedge fund manager, is her husband. Rupe Starr was her father, the Money Manager worth millions who only took on big clients. Lucy was one of them. I think he looked upon her as a daughter. Rosie is the Florida housekeeper while Nastya is the one in New York.
Hap Judd is an actor (and a stupid man) who used to work at Park General before he became famous. Farrah Lacy was a patient in a coma at Park General. The overly dramatic Dodie Hodge, a witch and psychic advisor with a histrionic personality disorder, is a former patient of Benton’s who is totally whacked and stalking him and Kay. Betty of Betty’s Bookstore brought the charges against Dodie. Lafourche is Dodie’s Detroit lawyer. Jerome Wild is an AWOL Marine.
Carley Crispin is…
…a former presidential press secretary who is the irresponsible host of The Crispin Report on CNN. She overrides her guests and "edits" their remarks to suit her need for drama. Alex Bachta is the executive producer. The self-aggrandizing Dr. Warner Agee is a frequent profiler on the show and the man who brought about Benton’s expulsion from the FBI. He’s not above being "creative" with the truth. Interested in the paranormal, he was in correspondence with a Monsieur Lecoq.
High Roller Lanes is…
…a very upscale bowling alley owned by Freddie Maestro with entertainment businesses and restaurants all over the eastern half of the United States.
The Chandonne crime cartel is…
…mostly broken with the father in jail and Jay, the heir, dead. But, the nutso Jean-Baptiste who suffers from congenital hypertrichosis universalis, is still on the lam and running the family business. They’re the reason Benton had to "die" and enter the witness protection program as Tom Haviland .
Dr. Nathan Clark is the chief of forensic psychiatry at Bellevue and working with Benton on personal issues. Judy is the whiny elderly woman who had been a comedic actor years ago. Now she’s a widow drowning her past. Fresca is her dog, a gift from her husband years ago. Now she’s Kay and Benton’s New York neighbor and bitter about it. F.J. Reed is one of the ground handlers at Westchester County Airport where Lucy hangars her jet and Bell 407 chopper; the air traffic controller is Lech Peterek. Eric is a young man who does some work for Lucy. The Hotel Elysée's night manager is Curtis.
The Cover and Title
The cover is dark on with a colonial blue brick wall proclaiming in raised letters where the story takes place and what Kay is (in Boston) The rest is in grays: a gradated one at the top with the author’s name in an embossed green-gold while the bottom fourth is a scraggly, grassy ground ending in a sidewalk, the title in an embossed silver.
The title is the promotional tag used by CNN, The Scarpetta Factor.
My Take
I tried to enjoy this, but all the whining and stupid reactions by the main characters made it an annoying read. It didn't help that Cornwell was constantly hinting and inferring tidbits, some of which were revealed openly, others were buried, and some were ignored. Loose threads, anyone? She was also vague about some events.
That romantic trip to Vermont for Lucy and Jaime? Nope, didn't pick up on it being a birthday gift for Jaime until much later. I think Cornwell should have played the gift aspect up as I was totally confused as to why they were even in Vermont. All that hinting around about the issues between Hannah and Lucy drove me nuts. Wherever does Jaime get the idea that Lucy is deceiving her? I admit it’s been a long while since I read the earlier Kay Scarpettas, so I may not be remembering issues from the "past", but a little reminder would have been useful. Then there’s Lucy’s smarts. Jaime knows about Lucy’s background, her intelligence, so why is she going on about Lucy’s interrogation methods? It’s like Lucy and Jaime don’t know each other. It’s for certain sure neither of them trusts the other. I guess it was all supposed to be drama. Or tension? 'Cause I sure got tense about it.
I gotta wonder why Cornwell is having her characters be this stupid. It takes over half the book before Kay figures out that, ta-duhhh, there must be a reason Lucy feels the need to keep track of where everyone is. I do agree with Kay that Lucy should have explained the why of those phones. As for Jaime having the right to be upset because Lucy hasn’t told her all of her past history. WTF? How is Lucy supposed to know which parts of her past she simply must inform Jaime about? For all that Lucy has done so far in her life, telling every detail (besides near impossible to remember it all and some of it probably classified) could take days, weeks, months. How stupid.
It will always seem stupid to me that law enforcement holds back information from each other. Special Agent Lanier is a real pain, and so typical of that FBI superiority. I’m with Pete. Why bother calling him if she’s not going to say anything? I certainly don’t understand why Jaime would refuse to talk to her own investigator. Nor do I understand why Lucy would hold back. Heck, I’d like Lucy to explain why she insists on giving her close circle of family and friends those BlackBerrys.
Since when do sentenced criminals get a choice of venue and doctor? Kay claims that the Boston office is overwhelmed, so why is she spending so much time in New York? Who’s doing the work in Boston? Why is the FBI allowing Agee to claim he was a profiler? Why hasn’t Benton told Kay the truth? Why would all those government agencies believe anything Agee said?
"Aggression occurs when it’s profitable."We do get background information on Benton’s death and some of his life as a "dead man", how he kept tabs on Kay. I do understand why Benton is so angry over Agee’s actions, the FBI’s complicity, and not being able to work in law enforcement anymore. Those instincts of his just won’t quit. Kay has her own flashbacks about his "death" and how it affected her professional life.
Lucy is tightly wound in this one, and it’s causing problems between her and Jaime, lashing out at random people, and having angry flashbacks about her aunt. I suspect most of it is set off by the lack of communication between her and Jaime. As for her whining about being controlled, hmmph, she should talk. As for Berger and her whining… Hullo? What’s good for the goose, is good for the gander, or the other goose, in this case.
Yep, there is a lot of whining going on in this. I guess it wouldn’t have been so bad except that everyone kept going on and on about their own issues. Was Cornwell trying to pad things out or did she think it would create drama?
I think it would be interesting to do an analysis about what caused Lucy to be the way she is. Cornwell keeps describing Lucy as a sociopath, but my understanding is that a sociopath can only ape emotion. They don’t actually feel it. And Lucy certainly does feel emotional about Jaime, Kay, Benton, and Marino. She’d do anything to protect them. It may not be appropriate. It may be controlling, but she’d never let anything happen to them. With all the betrayal that Lucy has suffered her entire life — her mother is an excellent example of a woman who should never have been allowed to have children — it's not surprising that Lucy has such insecurity. Although…then we wouldn’t have Lucy.
As much of a snob as he sounds, I do like Rupe. An honest, thoughtful man who reckons he’d be a lesbian too if he were a woman…because he likes women too, lol. Reminds me of a boyfriend I had who always claimed to be a lesbian *more laughter*.
Wow, Kay and Benton have been together for twenty years! How time flies.
There’s an interesting bit on freedom as Benton remembers his feelings when he came out of the witness protection program that spring of 2003.
The Story
Forensic expert Kay Scarpetta is surrounded by familiar faces, yet traveling down the unfamiliar road of fame. The show is an important platform for Kay, but the glare of the spotlight could make Kay a target for the very killers she would put behind bars.
The Characters
Dr. Kay Scarpetta is a forensic pathologist who technically works in Boston but is spending most of her time in New York. She also does a regular guest spot as CNN’s senior forensic analyst where she talks about advances in forensic science. Benton Wesley is her husband, booted from the FBI, and working as a consulting forensic psychologist at Bellevue and on staff at McLean, a Harvard-affiliated psychiatric hospital. Justine is their housekeeper at their Belmont, Massachusetts, home.
Lucy Farinelli is Kay's gay millionaire niece with some mad computer and combat skills. For such a young woman, she’s had a full life: former special agent, certified fire investigator for ATF, creator of CAIN for the FBI while she was still a teenager, and an experienced deep cover operator. She currently operates a forensic computer investigative agency, Connextions, in her Greenwich village warehouse home. Jaime Berger is her significant other and the New York county assistant district attorney with the Sex Crimes Unit. Jet Ranger is their rescue bulldog.
Detective Pete Marino is currently working for Jaime. It’s been a year-and-a-half since the incident with Kay, the incident that has turned him around. Georgia Bacardi is the girlfriend Pete thinks he’s losing. Doris was his long ago ex-wife. Peter Rocco Marino, Jr, Caggiano is the son who went wrong.
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) in…
…New York City is where Kay volunteers. Dr. Brian Edison is the chief medical examiner and Kay’s boss. And against Kay being on CNN. Rene is a tech. Filene is a security guard who enjoys rock ’n roll. Dennis is a medicolegal investigator.
NYPD
Detective L.A. Bonnell is investigating the Darien murder and has a lot to learn about observation. Officer Mellnik is unlikely to rise from his current position. Police Commissioner Kelly. Lieutenant Al Lobo is in charge of the team disposing of the bomb. Ann "Android" Droiden is the female bomb tech. Geffner is a trace evidence examiner. The Two Truck is a police precinct? fire department? where they all celebrate Christmas dinner. Max is the Two's rescued brindle boxer. RTCC is the Real Time Crime Center, the information-technology center at One Police Plaza where Marino goes data mining. Petrowski is one of the computer analysts.
Mayor Bloomberg. Judge Fable is Jaime’s favorite judge.
FBI
Special Agent Marty Lanier is with the Joint Bank Robbery Task force and the principal coordinator for the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime; they're investigating the Granny and Clyde bank robberies. NYPD Detective Jim O’Dell is part of the task force and partnered with Special Agent Andy Stockman. Bay Bridge Finance was part of a Ponzi scheme.
Toni Darien, a waitress at High Roller Lanes, is a marathon runner who suffered a very confusing death. Grace Darien is her angry and confused mother. Larry is the deadbeat father suddenly very interested in his child. Joe is the super at Toni’s building. Graham Tourette is a neighbor. Harvey Fahley is a witness who’s taken advantage of.
Hannah Starr is a missing celebrity financial manager. Bobby Fuller, a hedge fund manager, is her husband. Rupe Starr was her father, the Money Manager worth millions who only took on big clients. Lucy was one of them. I think he looked upon her as a daughter. Rosie is the Florida housekeeper while Nastya is the one in New York.
Hap Judd is an actor (and a stupid man) who used to work at Park General before he became famous. Farrah Lacy was a patient in a coma at Park General. The overly dramatic Dodie Hodge, a witch and psychic advisor with a histrionic personality disorder, is a former patient of Benton’s who is totally whacked and stalking him and Kay. Betty of Betty’s Bookstore brought the charges against Dodie. Lafourche is Dodie’s Detroit lawyer. Jerome Wild is an AWOL Marine.
Carley Crispin is…
…a former presidential press secretary who is the irresponsible host of The Crispin Report on CNN. She overrides her guests and "edits" their remarks to suit her need for drama. Alex Bachta is the executive producer. The self-aggrandizing Dr. Warner Agee is a frequent profiler on the show and the man who brought about Benton’s expulsion from the FBI. He’s not above being "creative" with the truth. Interested in the paranormal, he was in correspondence with a Monsieur Lecoq.
High Roller Lanes is…
…a very upscale bowling alley owned by Freddie Maestro with entertainment businesses and restaurants all over the eastern half of the United States.
The Chandonne crime cartel is…
…mostly broken with the father in jail and Jay, the heir, dead. But, the nutso Jean-Baptiste who suffers from congenital hypertrichosis universalis, is still on the lam and running the family business. They’re the reason Benton had to "die" and enter the witness protection program as Tom Haviland .
Dr. Nathan Clark is the chief of forensic psychiatry at Bellevue and working with Benton on personal issues. Judy is the whiny elderly woman who had been a comedic actor years ago. Now she’s a widow drowning her past. Fresca is her dog, a gift from her husband years ago. Now she’s Kay and Benton’s New York neighbor and bitter about it. F.J. Reed is one of the ground handlers at Westchester County Airport where Lucy hangars her jet and Bell 407 chopper; the air traffic controller is Lech Peterek. Eric is a young man who does some work for Lucy. The Hotel Elysée's night manager is Curtis.
The Cover and Title
The cover is dark on with a colonial blue brick wall proclaiming in raised letters where the story takes place and what Kay is (in Boston) The rest is in grays: a gradated one at the top with the author’s name in an embossed green-gold while the bottom fourth is a scraggly, grassy ground ending in a sidewalk, the title in an embossed silver.
The title is the promotional tag used by CNN, The Scarpetta Factor.
May 4, 2023
As with all Cornwall novels, this was very well plotted and written. I felt cheated because I didn't know Benton's backstory and the conclusion took me completely by surprise. I mean I was cruising along fine, learning all the characters, their motives, and.... out of a clear blue sky it becomes about Benton's past, his witness protection and the entire plot pivoted on this "secret knowledge"... meaning knowledge I didn't have because it was not contained in this novel.
So... take off a star for that.
Also the internal bickering in Scarpetta's head get a little old after awhile. Her F.E.E.L.I.N.G.S.... whose musing and internal monolog may be just what some readers enjoy , was not something I enjoyed. I am sure these expressions of angst, self-doubt and feeling sorry for herself endear her to many readers-- but they were too long and boring for my simple brain to endure. Call me a sexist if you want, but guys don't really want the long monolog's that occur within her head. Maybe I am the WRONG Audience to be reading her stuff? If I'm wrong fellow XY Males please let me know in the comments.
Other than these minor criticisms I was really drawn into the story and it filled the time (all 13 CDs worth) of cutting the grass, planting/weeding the garden and moving tons of rocks to form a new planter bed in the front yard.
So... take off a star for that.
Also the internal bickering in Scarpetta's head get a little old after awhile. Her F.E.E.L.I.N.G.S.... whose musing and internal monolog may be just what some readers enjoy , was not something I enjoyed. I am sure these expressions of angst, self-doubt and feeling sorry for herself endear her to many readers-- but they were too long and boring for my simple brain to endure. Call me a sexist if you want, but guys don't really want the long monolog's that occur within her head. Maybe I am the WRONG Audience to be reading her stuff? If I'm wrong fellow XY Males please let me know in the comments.
Other than these minor criticisms I was really drawn into the story and it filled the time (all 13 CDs worth) of cutting the grass, planting/weeding the garden and moving tons of rocks to form a new planter bed in the front yard.
June 15, 2023
I've only read a few of these books in this Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell. This was definitely not my favorite. I can't believe I actually finished it. It seemed so long with all the weird tangents that didn't feel like it belonged to this particular mystery. It felt melodramatic and not in a good way.
Overall, I was bored by this one. So 1 star.
Overall, I was bored by this one. So 1 star.
January 27, 2014
Cornwell continues the Scarpetta series with another blockbuster, full of fabulous detail and strong story lines that tie in nicely with the previous novels, yet stand alone just sufficiently. Scarpetta is blindsided by the host of a prime-time CNN program about details related to a current case, one that has New York reeling and the talking heads speculating. The murder of a jogger shows ties to a recent Hollywood starlet's slaying in New York, bringing Scarpetta, Marino, and Berger onto the case to piece it all together, while Wesley wrestles with a patient from his past invading his privacy. Before long, more questions arise when a suicide and string of bank robberies may have something to do with it. As emotional pasts resurface, one close to Scarpetta will not survive the case, but whom...?
Cornwell does a brilliant job linking her novels together, as well as the characters found therein. Themes of plot, setting, and character development appear throughout the series and each novel sheds new light on the larger story. While each story could stand alone, the reader is encouraged to begin the journey at the start and see how development thickens the plot and adds to the enjoyment. This novel, the seventeenth, surely builds on areas previously left untouched and adds dimensions to an already complex foundation for the series.It also uses the usual emotional development of characters to tell a story within the larger narrative, one that is more powerful and impact-filled than many of the previous novels combines. A treat to the mystery and character lover that Cornwell is so famous for delivering.
Kudos Madam Cornwell for such a strong novel that adds intrigue to an already powerful narrative.
Cornwell does a brilliant job linking her novels together, as well as the characters found therein. Themes of plot, setting, and character development appear throughout the series and each novel sheds new light on the larger story. While each story could stand alone, the reader is encouraged to begin the journey at the start and see how development thickens the plot and adds to the enjoyment. This novel, the seventeenth, surely builds on areas previously left untouched and adds dimensions to an already complex foundation for the series.It also uses the usual emotional development of characters to tell a story within the larger narrative, one that is more powerful and impact-filled than many of the previous novels combines. A treat to the mystery and character lover that Cornwell is so famous for delivering.
Kudos Madam Cornwell for such a strong novel that adds intrigue to an already powerful narrative.
April 19, 2011
I should have known...Twenty years ago I started reading Cornwell's books featuring Kay Scarpetta. I enjoyed the first several of them. Seventeen books later... Ugh. I was looking for a good mystery, an easy read, about interesting characters, with a lot of forensics thrown in. Didn't find it here this time, unfortunately. What I did find was a boring mystery with a bunch of one-dimensional characters whose back stories take up much of the space in the book. Guess you had to be there for all of it. I hate it when authors spend an inordinate amount of time refreshing your memory or filling in the blanks about what happened to the people in past books instead of focusing on the story at hand. The book was lamely written, the dialogue "hip" with lots of f-words, and everybody just seemed so uptight and obsessed with the past that the mystery took a back seat and all that excellent forensic science I so enjoyed before wasn't even there. Also, the whole whodunnit was stupid and convoluted. Lazily thrown together with a sloppy ending. Seems like the author was cranking out a money-maker using lackeys to come up with bits of plot that she could weave together with "intelligent" technical jargon gleaned from a Wiki search. I wish I had read something else.
March 15, 2010
In this series, "Scarpetta" has gradually become the center of an ever-shrinking universe in which the only important people are Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta herself and her long-time associates: her husband (Benton Wesley), her niece (Lucy), and her friend (Moreno). In the rest of this fictional world, everyone else follows their exploits in the tabloids and on CNN like fans in the real world follow events in the lives of stars like Tiger Woods. (BTW, how many real-life medical examiners can you name?)
I've enjoyed all the Scarpetta books until this one, although it's gradually become harder and harder to suspend disbelief. But in this case, the characters seem flat—they've almost become caricatures of themselves—and the plot tediously convoluted. I have to say that my rating of "3" is due in part to loyalty to the "brand."
In the interest of saying something nice, I like the way Patricia Cornwall uses current events and information about cutting-edge technology to make her books feel up to the minute. In general, I agree with her politics. Odds are I'll buy her next book, as usual, and read it with hope and indulgence.
I've enjoyed all the Scarpetta books until this one, although it's gradually become harder and harder to suspend disbelief. But in this case, the characters seem flat—they've almost become caricatures of themselves—and the plot tediously convoluted. I have to say that my rating of "3" is due in part to loyalty to the "brand."
In the interest of saying something nice, I like the way Patricia Cornwall uses current events and information about cutting-edge technology to make her books feel up to the minute. In general, I agree with her politics. Odds are I'll buy her next book, as usual, and read it with hope and indulgence.
September 17, 2025
It’s near Christmas in New York and Kay is working for the city doing postmortems. Toni a runner is found dead in Central Park from a head wound. The case appears linked to a missing fraudster called Hannah as both women were seen getting into a yellow cab.
Lucy and Berger are having problems which after finishing the book are ridiculous. Berger finds some photos of Lucy in an album at Hannah’s house. Both of them don’t communicate and misunderstandings follow. Benton is angry over a past colleague and one of his patients is playing mind games with him using voice recordings on Xmas cards.
Kay also is on CNN with a presenter called Carley who was is a narcissist and sensationalist. She is in cahoots with Benton’s old colleague. After a train wreck show she finds out her show is going to be canceled and informs her partner. With no income or future he takes a nosedive off a bridge and she disappears.
SPOILERS AHEAD
We find out towards the end of the 532 page book that Jean-Baptiste Chardonne aka the wolf man is stalking Kay. He was the husband of Hannah called Bobby and had a lot of plastic surgery. He and Hap Judd a movie star with necrophilic tendencies partnered together murdering Hannah and Toni. There is a confrontation at the end of the book and neither of them fare well.
Not a bad story but I felt it could have been considerably edited down.
Lucy and Berger are having problems which after finishing the book are ridiculous. Berger finds some photos of Lucy in an album at Hannah’s house. Both of them don’t communicate and misunderstandings follow. Benton is angry over a past colleague and one of his patients is playing mind games with him using voice recordings on Xmas cards.
Kay also is on CNN with a presenter called Carley who was is a narcissist and sensationalist. She is in cahoots with Benton’s old colleague. After a train wreck show she finds out her show is going to be canceled and informs her partner. With no income or future he takes a nosedive off a bridge and she disappears.
SPOILERS AHEAD
We find out towards the end of the 532 page book that Jean-Baptiste Chardonne aka the wolf man is stalking Kay. He was the husband of Hannah called Bobby and had a lot of plastic surgery. He and Hap Judd a movie star with necrophilic tendencies partnered together murdering Hannah and Toni. There is a confrontation at the end of the book and neither of them fare well.
Not a bad story but I felt it could have been considerably edited down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2025
3.5 stars
December 22, 2011
Good grief. I just returned this book to the library (so glad I didn't spend money on it) after having already renewed it, yet I dropped it into the slot wth 60 pages still unread. It was a painful five weeks to get through 432 pages; I've never taken so long to MAKE myself try to finish something.
I have read all of Cornwell's Scarpetta books and absolutely devoured the first ones. Maybe it's that I haven't read any in quite a while...or maybe...just maybe I couldn't finish this one because Cornwell did nothing in it to make me like any of the characters (Kay Scarpetta included). Maybe it's that she didn't create enough tension in the actual plot to make me care whether or not it ever got resolved. Maybe it's that she spent more words on therapeutic dialogue and self-analytical inner thoughts than she did on making the convoluted connections between characters and their actions meaningful.
I finally decided to give up the good fight and start something else that--I HOPE--will make me want to turn the page. This book only made me close the back cover before arriving at the last page.
I have read all of Cornwell's Scarpetta books and absolutely devoured the first ones. Maybe it's that I haven't read any in quite a while...or maybe...just maybe I couldn't finish this one because Cornwell did nothing in it to make me like any of the characters (Kay Scarpetta included). Maybe it's that she didn't create enough tension in the actual plot to make me care whether or not it ever got resolved. Maybe it's that she spent more words on therapeutic dialogue and self-analytical inner thoughts than she did on making the convoluted connections between characters and their actions meaningful.
I finally decided to give up the good fight and start something else that--I HOPE--will make me want to turn the page. This book only made me close the back cover before arriving at the last page.
Read
August 28, 2012The most convoluted, uninteresting storyline ever. I liked the early Cornwell books but the latter few, leading up to the Marino assault, I found tiresome. I stopped reading after that assault but picked up a copy of this free, so gave it a go for old time's sake.I really shouldn't have bothered. It was very badly written - and while I disagree with the direction Cornwell has been taking recently and the way she allowed her characters evolve over time, her books were usually relatively well-written. I had no interest in any of the characters. My response to the climactic final scene? Meh. I just didn't care. It's written in a teaser style with characters introduced with no back story, which unfolds gradually over the course of the book. It was unsuccessful - instead of drawing me in, it just annoyed me. I've read "challenging" books like War and Peace or Ulysses with greater ease than this book, but perhaps that's partly to do with the poor writing and partly to do with the fact that I just, basically, couldn't bring myself to care.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,606 reviews