Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell has many good & bad points. This novel is written in first person voice which was a welcome change from the prior novels in the series. This helps tremendously with creating three dimensional personalities for each of the characters. However, it also caused immaterial details to be drawn out & inconsequential to the storyline. For an example when Cornwell is describing the routine inspection of a helicopter prior to take-off this was a little too detailed. I would have preferred more time be spent on examining the body in the morgue versus the mechanical engineering of a helicopter. I found myself drifting away from reading the book. Once I got half-way through the book the storyline intensified & the plot thickened which kept my interest until the very end. In fact, I couldn’t put it down until the last page.
I recommend this novel to anyone who loves forensic mysteries because of Cornwell’s ability to take the reader on a journey through suspense & intrigue. My only suggestion is that you give the storyline a chance to grow because it does become the novel that you expect from Ms. Cornwell. I look forward to the next in the series.