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Kay Scarpetta #13
Trace
The heart-stopping new Dr. Kay Scarpetta thriller from America's #1-bestselling crime writer.
Dr. Kay Scarpetta, now freelancing from south Florida, returns to the city that turned its back on her five years ago.
In Trace, Scarpetta travels to Richmond, Virginia, at the odd behest of the recently appointed Chief Medical Examiner, who claims that he needs her help to solve a perplexing crime. When she arrives, however, Scarpetta finds that nothing is as she expected: her former lab is in the final stages of demolition; the inept chief isn't the one who requested her after all; her old assistant chief has developed personal problems that he won't reveal; and a glamorous FBI agent, whom Marino dislikes instantly, meddles with the case.
Deprived of assistance from colleagues Benton and Lucy, who are embroiled in what first appears to be an unrelated attempted rape by a stalker, Scarpetta is faced with investigating the death of a fourteen-year-old girl, working with the smallest pieces of evidence-traces that only the most thorough hunters can identify. She must follow the twisting leads and track the strange details in order to make the dead speak-and to reveal the sad truth that may be more than even she can bear.
Dr. Kay Scarpetta, now freelancing from south Florida, returns to the city that turned its back on her five years ago.
In Trace, Scarpetta travels to Richmond, Virginia, at the odd behest of the recently appointed Chief Medical Examiner, who claims that he needs her help to solve a perplexing crime. When she arrives, however, Scarpetta finds that nothing is as she expected: her former lab is in the final stages of demolition; the inept chief isn't the one who requested her after all; her old assistant chief has developed personal problems that he won't reveal; and a glamorous FBI agent, whom Marino dislikes instantly, meddles with the case.
Deprived of assistance from colleagues Benton and Lucy, who are embroiled in what first appears to be an unrelated attempted rape by a stalker, Scarpetta is faced with investigating the death of a fourteen-year-old girl, working with the smallest pieces of evidence-traces that only the most thorough hunters can identify. She must follow the twisting leads and track the strange details in order to make the dead speak-and to reveal the sad truth that may be more than even she can bear.
496 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 2, 2004
2468 people are currently reading
12238 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Cornwell
197 books19.8k 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 |
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,217 reviews
April 29, 2023
Book Review
3.5 of 5 stars to Trace, the 13th book in the Kay Scarpetta thriller series, written in 2004 by Patricia Cornwell. Trace is midway in the series which has about 25 books as of 2017 when I'm finally writing this review! I'm trying to catch up on all my favorite series, finish writing reviews and then read the latest books which are still in my TBR pile.
Trace is a solid story, as we come to expect from Cornwell, but it has a few issues, too. It's a very emotional book, not only because it's focus starts with a 14 year old girl's death, but also because Scarpetta has just come back from Florida, where she basically ran off to for a "break." When she's back in Virginia, she's suddenly faced with being pulled back into her old routine, having to help the new ME figure out what happened in this crime. Scarpetta is also working again with her former right-hand-man, but something is different about him. She even suspects he may be the killer this time; and he's got some interesting attitude issues towards his former boss. Plus, Scarpetta is on her own, sans Lucy and Benton who are busy elsewhere.
In some respects, we're back to basics with this book, as she tries to solve the crime on her own, fighting with her colleagues the whole way. But she's also a different person, and her instincts aren't as fine-tuned as usual. It's a game-changing book, which ultimately sets the directional change in the series enough to re-boot it a bit. But the mystery itself is still quite diabolical. I wouldn't start with this book if you are new to the series, but if you're a big fan, it's worth the read to see all the changes going on in her world.
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.
[polldaddy poll=9729544]
3.5 of 5 stars to Trace, the 13th book in the Kay Scarpetta thriller series, written in 2004 by Patricia Cornwell. Trace is midway in the series which has about 25 books as of 2017 when I'm finally writing this review! I'm trying to catch up on all my favorite series, finish writing reviews and then read the latest books which are still in my TBR pile.
Trace is a solid story, as we come to expect from Cornwell, but it has a few issues, too. It's a very emotional book, not only because it's focus starts with a 14 year old girl's death, but also because Scarpetta has just come back from Florida, where she basically ran off to for a "break." When she's back in Virginia, she's suddenly faced with being pulled back into her old routine, having to help the new ME figure out what happened in this crime. Scarpetta is also working again with her former right-hand-man, but something is different about him. She even suspects he may be the killer this time; and he's got some interesting attitude issues towards his former boss. Plus, Scarpetta is on her own, sans Lucy and Benton who are busy elsewhere.
In some respects, we're back to basics with this book, as she tries to solve the crime on her own, fighting with her colleagues the whole way. But she's also a different person, and her instincts aren't as fine-tuned as usual. It's a game-changing book, which ultimately sets the directional change in the series enough to re-boot it a bit. But the mystery itself is still quite diabolical. I wouldn't start with this book if you are new to the series, but if you're a big fan, it's worth the read to see all the changes going on in her world.
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.
[polldaddy poll=9729544]
December 4, 2008
This is the book, I would say, where the characters complete their transformation from interesting people with issues you can relate to, to characters who are doing things that are so screwed up you don't even want to watch anymore. And now I remember why I stopped reading this series.
January 29, 2008
Although I'm a big fan of Cornwell's Scarpetta series I had great trouble getting into this book.
Scarpetta goes back to Richmond after 5 years to help solve the case of a young girl found dead in her bed. She is called by the new Medical Examiner who reveals himself to be a less than competent man with a few skeletons in his closet. At the same time Benton is in Aspen trying to help a member of Lucy's team who was attacked in Lucy's house, having had to cancel the vacation plans he had with Scarpetta.
I think my main problem with this book is one that I have been feeling in the last books I read in this series. What I enjoyed the most was Kay's observations about life and people, her private life details like cooking or choosing the right wine, it gave the books a sort of an intimist feeling that I enjoyed very much, unfortunately that is absent here.
Then I never quite understood about the new medical Examiner - Dr Joel Marcus - what's his agenda, what is he hiding? There's some build up regarding his character in the beginning but then nothing. And Lucy keeps getting into to trouble and trusting/loving the wrong people. I have some trouble believing someone as smart as her, that has already been burned once by a sociopath lover would fall for that again. And asking Benton to solve her problems for her. I'm a bit annoyed with the Benton character, he is supposedly in love with Kay but he has pretended to be dead for a number of years leaving her to mourn and now he cancels a vacation to spend his time trying to help someone less than worthy, it seems everyone is important except for Scarpetta.
And the mystery about who was behind those deaths was a bit lost in the middle of all this. I never did understand the murder's motivation and there were too many loose ends that seemed to be important and were never tied up at the end. A C.
Scarpetta goes back to Richmond after 5 years to help solve the case of a young girl found dead in her bed. She is called by the new Medical Examiner who reveals himself to be a less than competent man with a few skeletons in his closet. At the same time Benton is in Aspen trying to help a member of Lucy's team who was attacked in Lucy's house, having had to cancel the vacation plans he had with Scarpetta.
I think my main problem with this book is one that I have been feeling in the last books I read in this series. What I enjoyed the most was Kay's observations about life and people, her private life details like cooking or choosing the right wine, it gave the books a sort of an intimist feeling that I enjoyed very much, unfortunately that is absent here.
Then I never quite understood about the new medical Examiner - Dr Joel Marcus - what's his agenda, what is he hiding? There's some build up regarding his character in the beginning but then nothing. And Lucy keeps getting into to trouble and trusting/loving the wrong people. I have some trouble believing someone as smart as her, that has already been burned once by a sociopath lover would fall for that again. And asking Benton to solve her problems for her. I'm a bit annoyed with the Benton character, he is supposedly in love with Kay but he has pretended to be dead for a number of years leaving her to mourn and now he cancels a vacation to spend his time trying to help someone less than worthy, it seems everyone is important except for Scarpetta.
And the mystery about who was behind those deaths was a bit lost in the middle of all this. I never did understand the murder's motivation and there were too many loose ends that seemed to be important and were never tied up at the end. A C.
January 3, 2012
What is up with Patricia Cornwell? Her last book, "Blow Fly", sucked and this was not much better. Same problems as the last - huge unexplained plot holes, third person perspective, undeveloped minor characters. And what's worse, the last book ended with a cliff hanger that she ignored in this one and she just started a different track! Very Irritating! Her books used to be really tight with no holes, everything wrapped up nice and neat, and she always continued the story line until the bad guy was dead. After the last one I said I was done with this author, but then I got sick and needed something easy and diverting to read in bed, but it still pissed me off. I hope she gets back on her game because she's not even good enough for a sick day anymore.
September 6, 2025
I had a rough start with this one. I was inundated with awful, unlikable characters and everyone was unhappy with one another. I wish there was a little more forensics and a little less background drama amongst the recurring characters. But once the investigations got underway, I was a happy reader. The Kay Scarpetta series is back in my good graces.
There have certainly been better books in this series, but there's been far worse. I'll settle on 3 stars. It was so close to 4, but not quite there!
There have certainly been better books in this series, but there's been far worse. I'll settle on 3 stars. It was so close to 4, but not quite there!
March 25, 2024
Re Read March 2024
Story 4 stars**⬆️
Audio 3.75 stars**
Narrator Kate Reading
Story 4 stars**⬆️
Audio 3.75 stars**
Narrator Kate Reading
August 27, 2017
First read: March 2006
Re-Read: July-August 2017
The plot: Cornwell weaves two separate plots together in Trace. The first is from the perspective of Kay Scarpetta as she is called back to her old office in Virginia to help out on a case that the current chief medical examiner doesn't want to deal with. A fourteen year old girl named Gilly Paulsson is found dead in her bed with no obvious signs for the cause of death.
The second plot is from the perspective of Kay's niece Lucy, who has called Benton to help with an attack that occurred at her home, where her work colleague/lover Henri was assaulted by an intruder.
I really enjoyed re-reading Trace. The third person/present tense style of writing was a little disconcerting at first, but I quickly got used to it and began to enjoy the story. I liked the way the plotlines tied together and I still really enjoy reading about the lives of Kay Scarpetta, Benton, Lucy and Marino and everything they go through.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Re-Read: July-August 2017
The plot: Cornwell weaves two separate plots together in Trace. The first is from the perspective of Kay Scarpetta as she is called back to her old office in Virginia to help out on a case that the current chief medical examiner doesn't want to deal with. A fourteen year old girl named Gilly Paulsson is found dead in her bed with no obvious signs for the cause of death.
The second plot is from the perspective of Kay's niece Lucy, who has called Benton to help with an attack that occurred at her home, where her work colleague/lover Henri was assaulted by an intruder.
I really enjoyed re-reading Trace. The third person/present tense style of writing was a little disconcerting at first, but I quickly got used to it and began to enjoy the story. I liked the way the plotlines tied together and I still really enjoy reading about the lives of Kay Scarpetta, Benton, Lucy and Marino and everything they go through.
Rating: 4/5 stars
April 24, 2025
Another novel in the Kay Scrpetta series, this was the first serialized novel series I started, and it gave me a lot of information about medical examinations and how to process evidence, I continue to enjoy it through the years...
MiM
MiM
April 29, 2022
What?
Painful. This book is eye roll soup.
She actually said "and I'm also a lawyer!"
Lucy is a trainwreck. TWO of Scarpetta's coworkers (past and present) are out to get her. Hmm... maybe there's a pattern.
I took notes while I read but I'm not promising a review.
*****UPDATE******
Still not a review, but here's a list of things that were too stupid not to share:
* Scarpetta's cringe-fest inner monologue while touring the medical examiners office in Richmond. This book takes place about 5 years after Scarpetta gets fired. She wasn't asked to help in the search for her replacement and she didn't expect to ever be called back. She is living in Florida when she gets asked to go consult on a case in Richmond.
When she gets to Richmond, Scarpetta finds out that the old medical examiner's office building is being torn down. Her reaction to this (and basically everything else in the rest of the book) is "ME ME ME"... "Why wasn't I told?" "Why did no one call me?" "I spent so much time there." She's really upset, and it goes on for pages, but why? Gurl, you helped design the new building... you knew the old one was going to come down. Please.
It keeps going though. She goes and sees the new building and finds fault with everything. Scarpetta choose art prints, which she paid for out of her own money, but one of them is missing. No one appreciates anything. She designed the study/conference area, but it's a mess. No one has respect for anything. Do they not know that she, the MAGNIFICENT BENEVOLENT SCARPETTA donated priceless medical textbooks that they cannot bother to correctly put away?
*the way she talks to the current medical examiner over Pete Marino's presence is outrageous. Scarpetta goes on a power-trip when Marino is questioned because they didn't know she would be bringing anyone else... AND IT'S AN ACTIVE INVESTIGATION AND THEY DON'T WANT UNNECESSARY PEOPLE. Scarpetta loses her mind because how dare anyone question her. She can do whatever she wants because she's awesome, and if Marino (who she still hates...) can't stay, she's leaving. She sounds petulant.
*Lucy, the girl who can't hold a job and self-medicates when she gets overwhelmed is now Ms. Megabucks. Ok, she's a computer whiz, so maybe she designed a program and sold it? WRONG! Lucy founded a private security company and she's training commandos. She's made enough money to buy 2 Ferraris and a mansion. She's also so great at security that Benton is in town helping her because either someone attacked her lover/employee in her house or the girl is lying to her.
*there's a scene that made me laugh out loud when Lucy is lying through her teeth while interviewing a nosy rich neighbor. Lucy makes the observation that Kate, the neighbor, "only thinks about herself." Really? Lucy and Scarpetta never think about anyone else.
*Benton giving Lucy life advice made for a terrible scene, but compared to the rest of this book, it's almost normal.
*There are 2 bad guys. One is after Lucy, one is after Scarpetta. Both are tied to Scarpetta. One was a former co-worker who is delusional and was mediocre... Yet here he is outsmarting megabucks private security maven Lucy who is totally bringing in tons of top clients. Yep. Sure. The other bad guy never worked with Scarpetta, but he's always been jealous of her because she's achieved so much and she's perfect. He decides to never ever mention her name or say anything bad about her so that he stays above suspicion and can call her to consult on a case that turns out to be an elaborate set up.
*the "terrorism" ties in the case from Virginia. Oh, good grief where I do start. So supposedly the dead girl's dad is politically important because he's an informant for homeland security. What is doing for them? Well, apparently he's a doctor who does flight physicals for pilots, and he informs on the pilots to DHS because one of them might want to crash a plane into all the C-17s parked in the area. Ok. Oh, and he's also sexually assaulting female pilots during their physicals, which they show up for in flight suits.
*the victim's mom's behavior never makes any sense. She's just lost her daughter, and even though she thinks it was flu and not murder, a normal person would be grieving. The nasty battle over funeral plans with her ex is tragic, but okay, it makes sense. Where I get lost is the whole thing with her and Marino. She's trying to get leverage...for what? And Scarpetta swooping in a taking sheets and the awkward scene with her wanting to take pictures of Marino's junk.... uh, wait, what?
*Lucy goes undercover... in a real investigation on an actual case... after her antics have gotten her run out of every federal law enforcement job her aunt was able to get for her. But sure, bring in the unstable girl who got fired to go undercover because that is just what we need.
*Lucy's company is breaking laws. Privacy? Due process? Nah. Oh, and let's manipulate the local cops and laugh at them because we're so much smarter than they are. I'm sure no one will ever figure out about them hacking the police system and the fake CSI who doesn't exist.
In summary, this book was a train wreck, but it's so bad it's funny.
Painful. This book is eye roll soup.
She actually said "and I'm also a lawyer!"
Lucy is a trainwreck. TWO of Scarpetta's coworkers (past and present) are out to get her. Hmm... maybe there's a pattern.
I took notes while I read but I'm not promising a review.
*****UPDATE******
Still not a review, but here's a list of things that were too stupid not to share:
* Scarpetta's cringe-fest inner monologue while touring the medical examiners office in Richmond. This book takes place about 5 years after Scarpetta gets fired. She wasn't asked to help in the search for her replacement and she didn't expect to ever be called back. She is living in Florida when she gets asked to go consult on a case in Richmond.
When she gets to Richmond, Scarpetta finds out that the old medical examiner's office building is being torn down. Her reaction to this (and basically everything else in the rest of the book) is "ME ME ME"... "Why wasn't I told?" "Why did no one call me?" "I spent so much time there." She's really upset, and it goes on for pages, but why? Gurl, you helped design the new building... you knew the old one was going to come down. Please.
It keeps going though. She goes and sees the new building and finds fault with everything. Scarpetta choose art prints, which she paid for out of her own money, but one of them is missing. No one appreciates anything. She designed the study/conference area, but it's a mess. No one has respect for anything. Do they not know that she, the MAGNIFICENT BENEVOLENT SCARPETTA donated priceless medical textbooks that they cannot bother to correctly put away?
*the way she talks to the current medical examiner over Pete Marino's presence is outrageous. Scarpetta goes on a power-trip when Marino is questioned because they didn't know she would be bringing anyone else... AND IT'S AN ACTIVE INVESTIGATION AND THEY DON'T WANT UNNECESSARY PEOPLE. Scarpetta loses her mind because how dare anyone question her. She can do whatever she wants because she's awesome, and if Marino (who she still hates...) can't stay, she's leaving. She sounds petulant.
*Lucy, the girl who can't hold a job and self-medicates when she gets overwhelmed is now Ms. Megabucks. Ok, she's a computer whiz, so maybe she designed a program and sold it? WRONG! Lucy founded a private security company and she's training commandos. She's made enough money to buy 2 Ferraris and a mansion. She's also so great at security that Benton is in town helping her because either someone attacked her lover/employee in her house or the girl is lying to her.
*there's a scene that made me laugh out loud when Lucy is lying through her teeth while interviewing a nosy rich neighbor. Lucy makes the observation that Kate, the neighbor, "only thinks about herself." Really? Lucy and Scarpetta never think about anyone else.
*Benton giving Lucy life advice made for a terrible scene, but compared to the rest of this book, it's almost normal.
*There are 2 bad guys. One is after Lucy, one is after Scarpetta. Both are tied to Scarpetta. One was a former co-worker who is delusional and was mediocre... Yet here he is outsmarting megabucks private security maven Lucy who is totally bringing in tons of top clients. Yep. Sure. The other bad guy never worked with Scarpetta, but he's always been jealous of her because she's achieved so much and she's perfect. He decides to never ever mention her name or say anything bad about her so that he stays above suspicion and can call her to consult on a case that turns out to be an elaborate set up.
*the "terrorism" ties in the case from Virginia. Oh, good grief where I do start. So supposedly the dead girl's dad is politically important because he's an informant for homeland security. What is doing for them? Well, apparently he's a doctor who does flight physicals for pilots, and he informs on the pilots to DHS because one of them might want to crash a plane into all the C-17s parked in the area. Ok. Oh, and he's also sexually assaulting female pilots during their physicals, which they show up for in flight suits.
*the victim's mom's behavior never makes any sense. She's just lost her daughter, and even though she thinks it was flu and not murder, a normal person would be grieving. The nasty battle over funeral plans with her ex is tragic, but okay, it makes sense. Where I get lost is the whole thing with her and Marino. She's trying to get leverage...for what? And Scarpetta swooping in a taking sheets and the awkward scene with her wanting to take pictures of Marino's junk.... uh, wait, what?
*Lucy goes undercover... in a real investigation on an actual case... after her antics have gotten her run out of every federal law enforcement job her aunt was able to get for her. But sure, bring in the unstable girl who got fired to go undercover because that is just what we need.
*Lucy's company is breaking laws. Privacy? Due process? Nah. Oh, and let's manipulate the local cops and laugh at them because we're so much smarter than they are. I'm sure no one will ever figure out about them hacking the police system and the fake CSI who doesn't exist.
In summary, this book was a train wreck, but it's so bad it's funny.
August 26, 2024
TRACE by Patricia Cornwell (the 13th book of the Kay Scarpetta adventures, an audio Russian edition in this case) was a nice distraction from my usual non-fiction books. Through several plotlines- one with Kay Scarpetta and her constant companion Pete Marino, another with Lucy Farinelli and Benton Wesley - TRACE shows an investigation of several deaths and assaults in Virginia and Florida that, at first sight, seem unrelated. But as we, detective story lovers know, in most cases, unrelated deaths lead to one killer...
I rate the book 2.5 stars rounded to 3. The sudden ending (I listened to it twice because I thought I missed a piece) took away 0.5 points. There was no suspense, no catch-and-chase moments. A blurb to a Russian edition that differs considerably from the English version was the biggest plot spoiler of all times. It reveals the information readers should find out themselves. For example, the connection between the deaths. I still remember solid hardcovers of the series in Russian, with prices far exceeding low-quality paperback volumes sold on every corner in every kiosk. Why editors of the Russian edition decided to change the blurb is beyond my understanding.
TRACE is not the worst yet not the brightest detective story I've read. I can't call it a thriller though because characters' squabbles take up the most of the book.
I rate the book 2.5 stars rounded to 3. The sudden ending (I listened to it twice because I thought I missed a piece) took away 0.5 points. There was no suspense, no catch-and-chase moments. A blurb to a Russian edition that differs considerably from the English version was the biggest plot spoiler of all times. It reveals the information readers should find out themselves. For example, the connection between the deaths. I still remember solid hardcovers of the series in Russian, with prices far exceeding low-quality paperback volumes sold on every corner in every kiosk. Why editors of the Russian edition decided to change the blurb is beyond my understanding.
TRACE is not the worst yet not the brightest detective story I've read. I can't call it a thriller though because characters' squabbles take up the most of the book.
April 19, 2025
This is a well-written, entertaining, fast paced crime thriller. It has an intelligent, strong and capable female protagonist, murder, suspense, intrigue, twists and turns, and a satisfying conclusion. This novel can be read as a stand alone, but it is better when read in order for continuity. I listened to the audio version of this novel, and the narrator, Ms. Kate Reading, does an outstanding job voicing the characters.
March 6, 2020
Kay Scarpetta #13: The now freelance team of The Last Precinct, sees the series continue to be in a better position. This volume sees the team investigating a serial killer who's primary target is one of the team! 5 out of 12.
December 6, 2012
I love the Scarpetta character, which is based on a real medical examiner. Generally, Cornwell produces the Scarpetta books with taut and compelling writing. But in this novel, the characters have become caricatures of themselves. Marino is more unpleasant than usual. As a former detective, he is a useful foil and clearly in love with the lovely Kay Scarpetta, but became unacceptably irascible and unlikable in this book.
I know authors can't hit a home run with every book, especially in a long-running series with a character most readers probably think they actually know. But this book wasn't even a dribbling in-field single.
If this had been the first book I read by Cornwell, it would also be the last.
I know authors can't hit a home run with every book, especially in a long-running series with a character most readers probably think they actually know. But this book wasn't even a dribbling in-field single.
If this had been the first book I read by Cornwell, it would also be the last.
June 17, 2009
OH MY GOD PLEASE STOP BOOHOOING ABOUT YOURSELF. The entire tone of this book was just so pity party that I couldn't even finish it. I had to put it down about a third of the way through. Where did the strong woman, who valued her mind and knew her capabilities go? I understand character developement, but why must the protagonist be such a WIMP?
June 19, 2025
Patricia Cornwell never fails and this book is no exception. I really enjoy reading the Kay Scarpetta novels.
September 14, 2012
I just don't know. This is the second Scarpetta book I have read (admittedly out of order), and there's something I'm just not getting.
This one begins promisingly enough, with Kay and detective Pete Marino heading back to Virginia to help solve the mysterious death of a 14 year old girl. We meet some creepy people- the new chief medical examiner, for one, and our real bad guy, Edgar Allen Pogue.
"Trace" centers around trace evidence found at three seemingly unrelated crime scenes. One of these, of course, involves Kay's niece Lucy. Lucy has a wicked intellect and is about as self-absorbed and destructive as a PMSing teenager.
The story surrounding the crimes is actually pretty good- but there is too much distraction for this to be a really good book. The CME is thrown in as kind of a red herring- he has some skeletons in his closet, but we never reslove anything with him. You can feel Kay and Benton (her, what? Boyfriend? Husband? I'm not sure what he is at this point) struggling to bury their hurtful past, but no one talks about it and there is no confrontation. Some opportunities for real drama are just skated over.
I've heard the earlier Scarpetta novels are better, but I think I'm done.
This one begins promisingly enough, with Kay and detective Pete Marino heading back to Virginia to help solve the mysterious death of a 14 year old girl. We meet some creepy people- the new chief medical examiner, for one, and our real bad guy, Edgar Allen Pogue.
"Trace" centers around trace evidence found at three seemingly unrelated crime scenes. One of these, of course, involves Kay's niece Lucy. Lucy has a wicked intellect and is about as self-absorbed and destructive as a PMSing teenager.
The story surrounding the crimes is actually pretty good- but there is too much distraction for this to be a really good book. The CME is thrown in as kind of a red herring- he has some skeletons in his closet, but we never reslove anything with him. You can feel Kay and Benton (her, what? Boyfriend? Husband? I'm not sure what he is at this point) struggling to bury their hurtful past, but no one talks about it and there is no confrontation. Some opportunities for real drama are just skated over.
I've heard the earlier Scarpetta novels are better, but I think I'm done.
February 21, 2020
Not the greatest took a bit of getting into. Started enjoying it more when Scarpetta and Marino are on the case. Her niece is getting a bit boring, only so much hard bitch you can take. Would be good to see some softness.
July 11, 2009
As I recounted in my review of the book after this, Predator, I checked that book out of the library thinking it might be the one about which I'd read a review saying that finally the Scarpetta series was improving again, but after realizing what a piece of tripe that work is, checked out this one instead, as I'd initially been going to do.
It started out more promising than Predator - for one thing, it began with an actual mystery! - but quickly got bogged down in Lucy's personal problems. Back when I used to voraciously read the Scarpetta series, I remember generally liking Lucy's character, but like so many of the main characters in this series, she has become less likable with age (or perhaps she'd still be likable if she were written in a better way). So many things bother me about the series now that didn't used to bug me, and I'm not sure whether they were always there and I just let them slide before because the books were generally well-written and fast-paced, or if the fact that the writing has gotten markedly worse includes these items. For one thing, in both Predator and this book, Cornwell is obsessed with "perfect" looking people, and the characters (and the narration) deride anyone that doesn't look like Cornwell's (and/or the characters') definition of "perfect." Personally I don't know a single actual real person that looks like what the books define as "perfect," and I find this obsession obnoxious.
Secondly, I'm finding Lucy's character extremely obnoxious now. In the span of two pages a bit through the book (about 100 pages in), she refers to one character as "the Hispanic" and to her father as "my crazy Latino biological father" while referring to her white mother as "Hopefully, not from my mother..." At this point, I simply lost all patience or sympathy with Lucy's character in this book, and lost even more respect for Cornwell. I can't imagine either Cornwell or Lucy saying, "the white" or "my crazy white biological mother" (indeed, her books now only cite race when the person is a person of color), but somehow it is OK to refer to a person solely or primarily by their race or ethnicity if they are a person of color. It would be different if it seemed like Cornwell was deliberately writing Lucy as a racist or Scarpetta as weight-obsessed (perhaps with an eating disorder?), but it seems that in Cornwell's new world of the novels, things like these are "just the way people act" and considered quite fine behavior.
Since Lucy's storyline makes up a huge part of this book (from what it seems so far), at this point I am trying to decide between skipping the sections with her (and the related plot with Benton and Lucy's girlfriend) and only reading the sections with Scarpetta and Marino, or just returning the book without even bothering to read the rest of it. After two disappointing books in a row, and incredibly sloppy writing, I don't believe I will be reading another Cornwell book. It's too bad, as her writing used to be gripping and I once liked the characters of Scarpetta, Benton, and Lucy (though I never was particularly fond of Marino, as was the case for many early fans).
[See my review of Predator for my evisceration of that horrendous book.:]
It started out more promising than Predator - for one thing, it began with an actual mystery! - but quickly got bogged down in Lucy's personal problems. Back when I used to voraciously read the Scarpetta series, I remember generally liking Lucy's character, but like so many of the main characters in this series, she has become less likable with age (or perhaps she'd still be likable if she were written in a better way). So many things bother me about the series now that didn't used to bug me, and I'm not sure whether they were always there and I just let them slide before because the books were generally well-written and fast-paced, or if the fact that the writing has gotten markedly worse includes these items. For one thing, in both Predator and this book, Cornwell is obsessed with "perfect" looking people, and the characters (and the narration) deride anyone that doesn't look like Cornwell's (and/or the characters') definition of "perfect." Personally I don't know a single actual real person that looks like what the books define as "perfect," and I find this obsession obnoxious.
Secondly, I'm finding Lucy's character extremely obnoxious now. In the span of two pages a bit through the book (about 100 pages in), she refers to one character as "the Hispanic" and to her father as "my crazy Latino biological father" while referring to her white mother as "Hopefully, not from my mother..." At this point, I simply lost all patience or sympathy with Lucy's character in this book, and lost even more respect for Cornwell. I can't imagine either Cornwell or Lucy saying, "the white" or "my crazy white biological mother" (indeed, her books now only cite race when the person is a person of color), but somehow it is OK to refer to a person solely or primarily by their race or ethnicity if they are a person of color. It would be different if it seemed like Cornwell was deliberately writing Lucy as a racist or Scarpetta as weight-obsessed (perhaps with an eating disorder?), but it seems that in Cornwell's new world of the novels, things like these are "just the way people act" and considered quite fine behavior.
Since Lucy's storyline makes up a huge part of this book (from what it seems so far), at this point I am trying to decide between skipping the sections with her (and the related plot with Benton and Lucy's girlfriend) and only reading the sections with Scarpetta and Marino, or just returning the book without even bothering to read the rest of it. After two disappointing books in a row, and incredibly sloppy writing, I don't believe I will be reading another Cornwell book. It's too bad, as her writing used to be gripping and I once liked the characters of Scarpetta, Benton, and Lucy (though I never was particularly fond of Marino, as was the case for many early fans).
[See my review of Predator for my evisceration of that horrendous book.:]
January 16, 2014
Dr. Scarpetta returns for her (lucky) 13th installment, with a case that has her return to Richmond to assist the Chief Medical Examiner. Newly liberated Marino accompanies her and they receive a less than warm welcome. A girl is deemed to have been murdered, but the circumstances surrounding it do not match up with what the mother is telling authorities and no one can determine what's been going on. While receiving the persona non grata treatment, both Scarpetta and Marino determine that something is very much off with the overly emotional mother, only to discover a secret that chills them to the bone. Meanwhile, Lucy is running The Last Precinct in Florida and is trying to protect a new recruit from a stalker whose invaded her life. How do the cases relate and who is this murderer/stalker that is causing so many issues? When everything comes together, Scarpetta cannot help but be flabbergasted.
Cornwell continues her third person narrative, which works as two stories flow simultaneously. It is interesting to see the more than Scarpetta view of the overall story and this narrative diversion has not cause me any concern. I am enjoying the ongoing character building and development, especially with all the changes Cornwell keeps introducing to the stories, yet longtime series regulars can still pine for their beloved foundational characters.
Kudos Madam Cornwell on another wonderful thriller. I am eager to keep pushing ahead!
Cornwell continues her third person narrative, which works as two stories flow simultaneously. It is interesting to see the more than Scarpetta view of the overall story and this narrative diversion has not cause me any concern. I am enjoying the ongoing character building and development, especially with all the changes Cornwell keeps introducing to the stories, yet longtime series regulars can still pine for their beloved foundational characters.
Kudos Madam Cornwell on another wonderful thriller. I am eager to keep pushing ahead!
October 9, 2016
Pete & Kay didn't do it for me this time. As much as I enjoy reading the Kay Scarpetta series, this one was downright bizarre.
Kay is requested by the new Chief Mecical Examiner, Dr. Marcus but everything is quite sketchy. She's there to assist in finding out what happened to Jilly Paulson and nothing is what it appears to be.
1. The child's mother appears or acts like she's mentally out of her wits; all along she's playing S & M games and uses Pete Marino as one of her subjects.
2. Everyone claims the child died from pneumonia but there are evident bruises on her back to suggest otherwise.
3. Henrietta, Lucy's friend, was attacked in Lucy's home and the person that invaded her home is the same person responsible for several deaths in the Richmond, VA area.
4. Dr. Marcus hates Scarpetta and does his best to discredit her; only making himself appear insecure, paranoid and silly.
5. Jilly Paulson's father is a Dr. In Charleston, SC and he wants answers to his daughter's death. At the same time he's violating his female patients and was the one who played the S & M games while their daughter, Jilly was at home.
The story finally tells you in the latter chapters of the book why this stalker is harassing a certain individual. Once you find out the reason, you'll think it's unbelievable because of the number of deaths he's committed. It's never explained why he killed Jilly Paulson, a 12 year old girl; just how it was done.
Kay is requested by the new Chief Mecical Examiner, Dr. Marcus but everything is quite sketchy. She's there to assist in finding out what happened to Jilly Paulson and nothing is what it appears to be.
1. The child's mother appears or acts like she's mentally out of her wits; all along she's playing S & M games and uses Pete Marino as one of her subjects.
2. Everyone claims the child died from pneumonia but there are evident bruises on her back to suggest otherwise.
3. Henrietta, Lucy's friend, was attacked in Lucy's home and the person that invaded her home is the same person responsible for several deaths in the Richmond, VA area.
4. Dr. Marcus hates Scarpetta and does his best to discredit her; only making himself appear insecure, paranoid and silly.
5. Jilly Paulson's father is a Dr. In Charleston, SC and he wants answers to his daughter's death. At the same time he's violating his female patients and was the one who played the S & M games while their daughter, Jilly was at home.
The story finally tells you in the latter chapters of the book why this stalker is harassing a certain individual. Once you find out the reason, you'll think it's unbelievable because of the number of deaths he's committed. It's never explained why he killed Jilly Paulson, a 12 year old girl; just how it was done.
March 24, 2021
I have two more of these to read. Don't ask me why. I must have killed a dozen albatrosses in a former life.
#12 ranks up there with the worst books I've ever read. Two of the plot twists were totally ridiculous.
That said, Cornwell seems to know this so she starts this novel 5 years later. In other words, she created such a shit storm that she just jumps ahead so she doesn't have to wade through all the questions that the last book's ending evoked.
As a stand alone the book is still uninspired and creepy. What I mean is that I've read Cornwell was a troubled women and these books start to show that. The characters are like attempted paintings that turn into jigsaw puzzles where the few missing pieces and the creases are all visible.
The ending, like some other of her works, is anti-climatic, and the plot demands so much serendipity you just have to shrug and read on. The characters undergo odd interactions and the sub-plots are just strange and misdirected. There are scenes with a woman who likes rough sex that seems to exist only so Scarpetta can examine another main character's genitals. Another situation requires a harassing physical and a lot of anger that seems to come from the author more than the character and the lesbian romance is truncated and simply present but meaningless.
One could write a doctoral thesis in psych on Cornwell and her relationship with her work.
#12 ranks up there with the worst books I've ever read. Two of the plot twists were totally ridiculous.
That said, Cornwell seems to know this so she starts this novel 5 years later. In other words, she created such a shit storm that she just jumps ahead so she doesn't have to wade through all the questions that the last book's ending evoked.
As a stand alone the book is still uninspired and creepy. What I mean is that I've read Cornwell was a troubled women and these books start to show that. The characters are like attempted paintings that turn into jigsaw puzzles where the few missing pieces and the creases are all visible.
The ending, like some other of her works, is anti-climatic, and the plot demands so much serendipity you just have to shrug and read on. The characters undergo odd interactions and the sub-plots are just strange and misdirected. There are scenes with a woman who likes rough sex that seems to exist only so Scarpetta can examine another main character's genitals. Another situation requires a harassing physical and a lot of anger that seems to come from the author more than the character and the lesbian romance is truncated and simply present but meaningless.
One could write a doctoral thesis in psych on Cornwell and her relationship with her work.
November 15, 2017
This is Cornwell's 13th Kay Scarpetta novel and quite frankly this one is better then the past 6 or so. No Temple Gault and company. No Wolf Man. Instead we have Edgar Allen Pogue (come on...that is pretty lame). Regardless of his name, EAP is the proverbial meek quiet employee who worked for Scarpetta till something went wrong and he is tipped over the edge of insanity bent on hurting Scarpetta.
Kay is currently living and working in Florida when she is called by the current Medical Examiner to come back to Richmond and help solve the death of a 14 year old girl. Lucy and Benton are in Colorado dealing with the after effects of an intruder attacking Lucy's latest flame and co-worker (yeah, that is smart).
Marino gets it on with the 14 year old girl's mother who has some sexual issues she deals with by taking it out on Marino. We learn about EAP's hatred for all things Scarpetta. Seems like there are an awful lot of people who have an axe to grind with Kay.
Kay is a nicer person in this book. One thing that drives me crazy though happens in this book once again. It is when Kay gets offended by others not calling her Dr. Scarpetta and instead calling her by her first name. Give me a break. How about a little humility KAY?!?!
Kay is currently living and working in Florida when she is called by the current Medical Examiner to come back to Richmond and help solve the death of a 14 year old girl. Lucy and Benton are in Colorado dealing with the after effects of an intruder attacking Lucy's latest flame and co-worker (yeah, that is smart).
Marino gets it on with the 14 year old girl's mother who has some sexual issues she deals with by taking it out on Marino. We learn about EAP's hatred for all things Scarpetta. Seems like there are an awful lot of people who have an axe to grind with Kay.
Kay is a nicer person in this book. One thing that drives me crazy though happens in this book once again. It is when Kay gets offended by others not calling her Dr. Scarpetta and instead calling her by her first name. Give me a break. How about a little humility KAY?!?!
August 29, 2023
I didn't want to get anything done that I couldn't listen to the story while I worked. It did seem less meaty than her others, but it kept me not wanting to miss a word.
June 30, 2012
This is the reason I needed to start a goodreads account in the first place. To keep track of my ridiculous Patricia Cornwell addiction. I can never remember where I left off in the series and then halfway through a book I'll remember I've read it. Plus, I go through spurts of reading her, which complicates memory matters. So note to self: you've read this. In addition, this book was actually really good comparatively. Her first novels were ridiculously cheesy but now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure the last few have been much better... And her writing style has changed a lot. "Trace" was much more focused on her main characters and she actually gave them some depth. The plot was less "OMG, we have to catch someone, but who?" and more about allowing the readers to get inside the heads of longstanding characters. That said, the plot wasn't bad either.
October 11, 2019
Pretty good read, but after a while, all her books seem to sound alike. Just my opinion.
April 15, 2016
Thirteenth in the Kay Scarpetta forensic mystery series and revolving around a freelance forensic pathologist. Trace involves a return to Richmond, Virginia, which had thrown Kay out on her ear five years ago.
My Take
I didn't care for the screenplay feel of the writing, although it wasn't actually that obnoxious. I simply dislike feeling as though the writer is providing instructions to the characters.
What a self-officious prick! I loved how Kay took Marcus down. Idiot. I don't know what Virginia was thinking when they took this guy on, but he's darn lucky they haven't talked to his shrink. By the way, I am wondering why Cornwell thought it was so important to tell us about the garbage men. Sure, it made me despise the little shit more, but other than that…why?
Benton has his own problems. By the name of Henri. I do not know how he had the patience to deal with that woman. Jesus. As for why Lucy would choose Henri?? She's like a train wreck you don't want to watch.
Cornwell provides a peek back at Marino and Lucy's relationship, what Lucy had gotten up to in her earlier youth. If it was supposed to give us an idea of why Lucy is behaving the way she is now, it's not working. We're left with no conclusion as to Fielding's issues. As for Kay, I think Kay is an idiot not to take advantage of, or want to hear, what Lucy has to tell her. She certainly ain't politically savvy. And she's so whiny about Lucy.
That poor FBI agent who "didn't come here to be abused". Why not? Everyone else is being abused. Why not join the club? Or not as Dr. Fielding quits in a rather explosive way, lol. Then Marino caps it with what he's learned about the truth of why the FBI is involved. It figures.
That boy does get himself into some trouble. He irritates the heck out of me with his passive-aggressive attitude, the way he jumps to conclusions, and then he pulls something as stupid as this with Suz Paulsson. What was her reasoning for her actions? Marino does have sex on the brain, as we get quite a bit of his thinking about what he'd like to do with Kay. I'm wondering if this is part of the build-up to the encounter he will later have with Kay?
I have to say, it was "impressive" how easily Kay makes that connection to a former employee. I guess he made a bigger impression on Kay than he knew.
It feels as if Cornwell is throwing bits and pieces into the story to lengthen the story, make it interesting. She writes as if Eise doesn't know or ever worked with Kay, and then it all turns around and he did work under her. WTF? It's disjointed, vague, and I felt as though I was struggling to understand what was going on.
The Story
Richmond is desperate for help on a perplexing case their current chief medical examiner hasn't a chance in hell of figuring out.
Meanwhile, it's Lucy's fault that Kay and Benton missed out on their Aspen vacation. Now Benton is trapped with a damaged sociopathic lover.
The Characters
Dr. Kay Scarpetta is still smarting from being tossed out of her position as the chief medical examiner in Richmond, Virginia. She currently lives in Florida and freelances. Rose is her secretary. Pete Marino has been her detective friend and partner for years.
Richmond, Virginia
Dr. Joel Marcus is the inept idiot with little confidence or skill who was finally appointed as chief medical examiner of Virginia. He's been there four months now and still hasn't done one autopsy. Assistant Chief Dr. Jack Fielding had been Kay's friend and pathology partner. Dr. Ramie and Dr. Martin are more unfortunate pathologists. Junius Eise is a forensic scientist in Trace with his own issues. Kit Thompson is Eise's neighbor in the lab. Jessie. Julie is a clerk. Bruce is a guard Marino gets chummy with. Bailey is a soldier from Fort Lee's Graves Registration Unit learning how to handle dead bodies.
Detective Browning is with the Richmond PD and working the Paulsson case. Special Agent Karen Weber is from Quantico's Behavioral Science Unit.
Edgar Allan Pogue had been employed at the medical examiner's office until he became disabled from inhaling formaldehyde in an accident. Dave had been Pogue's supervisor back then.
Gilly Paulsson was fourteen years old when she died mysteriously at home. Her dad, Dr. Paulsson, is a GP and flight surgeon in Charleston, South Carolina, who also works with the Air Force to give health checkups to pilots. Seems Homeland Security and the FBI are rather curious about some of his activities. Sweetie is (or isn't) Gilly's basset hound. Suz Paulsson is Gilly's mother and has got some issues goin' on. Hoo, boy.
Sissy Shirley, Benjamin Franklin, and Theodore Whitby (who was alive when Kay passed by him that morning), and Finky/Finder? are victims. Mrs. Walker has the same kind of blue Impala as Marcus' mother. Sam Stiles, Bobby, and the foreman, Joe, had been some of Ted Whitby's coworkers.
Hollywood…
…Virginia. Benjamin P. Shupe is the not-too-choosy landlord. Mrs. Edith Arnette was an old lady and a neighbor to the Paulssons. Now the house is owned by her daughter, Bernice Towle. Dr. Stanley Philpott is Pogue's doctor.
Benton Wesley (I think he's newly back from the dead) is a profiler and psychologist stuck in Aspen as a favor to Lucy. Henrietta "Henri" Walden, a.k.a., Jen Thomas, of the Virginia Waldens had been a policewoman in L.A. when Lucy hired the sociopathic narcissist.
Pompano Beach, Florida
Lucy Farinelli, a.k.a., Tina Franks, is Kay's gay, multimillionaire, brilliant niece. Lucy recently opened an office in Los Angeles. Rudy Musil is a friend, colleague, and partner who left the FBI to come work for Lucy at The Last Precinct, an international investigation firm. Kate is Lucy's weird neighbor. Jeff is the ex-husband whom I think got away just in time. Brenda was the ER nurse. CSI John Dalessio is an invention.
The Cover and Title
The cover background is a silver holograph with the author's name large on top and in an embossed red metallic font while the title is also large, at the bottom, and in a white embossed font. In small print in the middle is a notation that it is a Scarpetta novel.
The title is a tiny bit of inexplicable evidence the Trace department finds that will lead them to the truth.
My Take
I didn't care for the screenplay feel of the writing, although it wasn't actually that obnoxious. I simply dislike feeling as though the writer is providing instructions to the characters.
What a self-officious prick! I loved how Kay took Marcus down. Idiot. I don't know what Virginia was thinking when they took this guy on, but he's darn lucky they haven't talked to his shrink. By the way, I am wondering why Cornwell thought it was so important to tell us about the garbage men. Sure, it made me despise the little shit more, but other than that…why?
Benton has his own problems. By the name of Henri. I do not know how he had the patience to deal with that woman. Jesus. As for why Lucy would choose Henri?? She's like a train wreck you don't want to watch.
Cornwell provides a peek back at Marino and Lucy's relationship, what Lucy had gotten up to in her earlier youth. If it was supposed to give us an idea of why Lucy is behaving the way she is now, it's not working. We're left with no conclusion as to Fielding's issues. As for Kay, I think Kay is an idiot not to take advantage of, or want to hear, what Lucy has to tell her. She certainly ain't politically savvy. And she's so whiny about Lucy.
That poor FBI agent who "didn't come here to be abused". Why not? Everyone else is being abused. Why not join the club? Or not as Dr. Fielding quits in a rather explosive way, lol. Then Marino caps it with what he's learned about the truth of why the FBI is involved. It figures.
That boy does get himself into some trouble. He irritates the heck out of me with his passive-aggressive attitude, the way he jumps to conclusions, and then he pulls something as stupid as this with Suz Paulsson. What was her reasoning for her actions? Marino does have sex on the brain, as we get quite a bit of his thinking about what he'd like to do with Kay. I'm wondering if this is part of the build-up to the encounter he will later have with Kay?
I have to say, it was "impressive" how easily Kay makes that connection to a former employee. I guess he made a bigger impression on Kay than he knew.
It feels as if Cornwell is throwing bits and pieces into the story to lengthen the story, make it interesting. She writes as if Eise doesn't know or ever worked with Kay, and then it all turns around and he did work under her. WTF? It's disjointed, vague, and I felt as though I was struggling to understand what was going on.
The Story
Richmond is desperate for help on a perplexing case their current chief medical examiner hasn't a chance in hell of figuring out.
Meanwhile, it's Lucy's fault that Kay and Benton missed out on their Aspen vacation. Now Benton is trapped with a damaged sociopathic lover.
The Characters
Dr. Kay Scarpetta is still smarting from being tossed out of her position as the chief medical examiner in Richmond, Virginia. She currently lives in Florida and freelances. Rose is her secretary. Pete Marino has been her detective friend and partner for years.
Richmond, Virginia
Dr. Joel Marcus is the inept idiot with little confidence or skill who was finally appointed as chief medical examiner of Virginia. He's been there four months now and still hasn't done one autopsy. Assistant Chief Dr. Jack Fielding had been Kay's friend and pathology partner. Dr. Ramie and Dr. Martin are more unfortunate pathologists. Junius Eise is a forensic scientist in Trace with his own issues. Kit Thompson is Eise's neighbor in the lab. Jessie. Julie is a clerk. Bruce is a guard Marino gets chummy with. Bailey is a soldier from Fort Lee's Graves Registration Unit learning how to handle dead bodies.
Detective Browning is with the Richmond PD and working the Paulsson case. Special Agent Karen Weber is from Quantico's Behavioral Science Unit.
Edgar Allan Pogue had been employed at the medical examiner's office until he became disabled from inhaling formaldehyde in an accident. Dave had been Pogue's supervisor back then.
Gilly Paulsson was fourteen years old when she died mysteriously at home. Her dad, Dr. Paulsson, is a GP and flight surgeon in Charleston, South Carolina, who also works with the Air Force to give health checkups to pilots. Seems Homeland Security and the FBI are rather curious about some of his activities. Sweetie is (or isn't) Gilly's basset hound. Suz Paulsson is Gilly's mother and has got some issues goin' on. Hoo, boy.
Sissy Shirley, Benjamin Franklin, and Theodore Whitby (who was alive when Kay passed by him that morning), and Finky/Finder? are victims. Mrs. Walker has the same kind of blue Impala as Marcus' mother. Sam Stiles, Bobby, and the foreman, Joe, had been some of Ted Whitby's coworkers.
Hollywood…
…Virginia. Benjamin P. Shupe is the not-too-choosy landlord. Mrs. Edith Arnette was an old lady and a neighbor to the Paulssons. Now the house is owned by her daughter, Bernice Towle. Dr. Stanley Philpott is Pogue's doctor.
"She had cancer. So many of them did."Aspen
Benton Wesley (I think he's newly back from the dead) is a profiler and psychologist stuck in Aspen as a favor to Lucy. Henrietta "Henri" Walden, a.k.a., Jen Thomas, of the Virginia Waldens had been a policewoman in L.A. when Lucy hired the sociopathic narcissist.
Pompano Beach, Florida
Lucy Farinelli, a.k.a., Tina Franks, is Kay's gay, multimillionaire, brilliant niece. Lucy recently opened an office in Los Angeles. Rudy Musil is a friend, colleague, and partner who left the FBI to come work for Lucy at The Last Precinct, an international investigation firm. Kate is Lucy's weird neighbor. Jeff is the ex-husband whom I think got away just in time. Brenda was the ER nurse. CSI John Dalessio is an invention.
The Cover and Title
The cover background is a silver holograph with the author's name large on top and in an embossed red metallic font while the title is also large, at the bottom, and in a white embossed font. In small print in the middle is a notation that it is a Scarpetta novel.
The title is a tiny bit of inexplicable evidence the Trace department finds that will lead them to the truth.
July 6, 2010
Cornwell and Scarpetta should just gracefully retire !!
Patricia Cornwell is not on a good roll. Her atrocious non-Scarpetta "Isle of Dogs" was hardly redeemed by the weak return of Kay and Lucy in "Blowfly", wherein Scarpetta barely put in a cameo and Lucy took center stage (disguised as Wonder Woman), while poor Pete Marino was cast as little better than a bum and Benton Wesley was resurrected from the dead of all things.
At least in "Trace", half of the story is about Scarpetta, and though grouchy, she seems pretty much her normal self as she is brought back to her old building as a consultant to work a difficult case involving a young child's death. Meanwhile, Lucy's lover Henri (an actress turned cop), has been sent to Aspen, where Benton psychoanalyzes her to help determine whodunit, while Lucy and her aide Rudy work the case where it occurred in Florida. Confused yet? When all these plotlines test plausibility by converging into our suspect, ex-ME morgue geek Edgar Allen Pogue (what a clever name), we're tired already and just want it over. Revealing the murderer halfway through and then just putting on a weak hunt for the guy also ruined any pretense of suspense.
To us, introducing spotty relationships between Lucy and Henri, Henri and Benton, Lucy and Rudy, even Kay and Marino (his role never was clear) and Kay and new ME Marcus, just added terrible clutter without ever going anywhere. A couple of these scenarios might have made entertaining subplots had they resolved into something. Especially the shoddy work now happening under the new Virginia ME should have resulted in a firing or something, but the story just drifted to an end. Perhaps our reading of Ms. Cornwell, who seems unable to rekindle the fires of her earlier writing, deserves the same fate.
Patricia Cornwell is not on a good roll. Her atrocious non-Scarpetta "Isle of Dogs" was hardly redeemed by the weak return of Kay and Lucy in "Blowfly", wherein Scarpetta barely put in a cameo and Lucy took center stage (disguised as Wonder Woman), while poor Pete Marino was cast as little better than a bum and Benton Wesley was resurrected from the dead of all things.
At least in "Trace", half of the story is about Scarpetta, and though grouchy, she seems pretty much her normal self as she is brought back to her old building as a consultant to work a difficult case involving a young child's death. Meanwhile, Lucy's lover Henri (an actress turned cop), has been sent to Aspen, where Benton psychoanalyzes her to help determine whodunit, while Lucy and her aide Rudy work the case where it occurred in Florida. Confused yet? When all these plotlines test plausibility by converging into our suspect, ex-ME morgue geek Edgar Allen Pogue (what a clever name), we're tired already and just want it over. Revealing the murderer halfway through and then just putting on a weak hunt for the guy also ruined any pretense of suspense.
To us, introducing spotty relationships between Lucy and Henri, Henri and Benton, Lucy and Rudy, even Kay and Marino (his role never was clear) and Kay and new ME Marcus, just added terrible clutter without ever going anywhere. A couple of these scenarios might have made entertaining subplots had they resolved into something. Especially the shoddy work now happening under the new Virginia ME should have resulted in a firing or something, but the story just drifted to an end. Perhaps our reading of Ms. Cornwell, who seems unable to rekindle the fires of her earlier writing, deserves the same fate.
July 29, 2011
I found this book while I was in Amsterdam a few weeks ago. It had just been released and I couldn't wait to get it in paperback so I got the brand new hardcover. I just couldn't wait to see if she will redeem herself in this book. After completely changing the style that she writes the Scarpetta series and being severely disappointed in her latest (Blow Fly) this is her chance to win me back. So far I'm not even halfway through but I'm not impressed. It's the same choppy story as the last one, changing view and always in 3rd person. I miss the earlier books where you really could get a feel for Scarpetta and the people around her. It's all so exaggerated now, just can't get into it. I'll give an update when I'm finished.
Update: Only halfway through the book now. Been trying to get through it for a few weeks. It is as lackluster as Blow Fly and I'm having trouble trudging my way through it. I'm hoping there is some sort of climax soon because the book is dull, scattered and boring so far. So disappointed..
Update 2: Nov 10, 2004 - Finished the book last week and feel like it was a complete waste of time. So sorry to see Cornwell take such a massive decline. I will continue to read her books in hopes that she will realize where she's gone wrong and go back to her old style of writing.
Update: Only halfway through the book now. Been trying to get through it for a few weeks. It is as lackluster as Blow Fly and I'm having trouble trudging my way through it. I'm hoping there is some sort of climax soon because the book is dull, scattered and boring so far. So disappointed..
Update 2: Nov 10, 2004 - Finished the book last week and feel like it was a complete waste of time. So sorry to see Cornwell take such a massive decline. I will continue to read her books in hopes that she will realize where she's gone wrong and go back to her old style of writing.
December 18, 2021
Crime mystery
It's been a while since I've read a novel in this series. I recall enjoying some of the books but stopped because the stories had turned dark in terms of both the themes and characters. Scarpetta was such a kickass medical examiner at the outset but turned into something less interesting. The wailing against the establishment, i.e., the department heads and government officials, turned more plaintive. The character became somewhat robotic, scientifically precise but lacking the emotional impetus that carried those earlier novels. Anyway, it was nice to revisit and bring back some good reading memories, but I doubt if I will try another book (unless I see a pretty strong review on GR!)
I had the audiobook which was about 6 hours long for a book that was over 400 pages long so I would guess this is an abridged version. Am wondering what parts of the original text were left out?
It's been a while since I've read a novel in this series. I recall enjoying some of the books but stopped because the stories had turned dark in terms of both the themes and characters. Scarpetta was such a kickass medical examiner at the outset but turned into something less interesting. The wailing against the establishment, i.e., the department heads and government officials, turned more plaintive. The character became somewhat robotic, scientifically precise but lacking the emotional impetus that carried those earlier novels. Anyway, it was nice to revisit and bring back some good reading memories, but I doubt if I will try another book (unless I see a pretty strong review on GR!)
I had the audiobook which was about 6 hours long for a book that was over 400 pages long so I would guess this is an abridged version. Am wondering what parts of the original text were left out?
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