What do you think?
Rate this book
Kay Scarpetta #11
The Last Precinct
Patricia Cornwell's legendary crime fiction creation, Virginia's Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta, has logged a host of fans among mystery readers and, within the bounds of her fictional world, an equally impressive tally of individuals intent on causing her grievous physical or psychological harm.
The 11th Scarpetta novel, The Last Precinct, doesn't add any new names to the second roster. Instead, in a sweeping narrative gesture toward retrospection (less-than-fervent fans might whisper "or stagnation"), the novel depends largely on ground already covered in its predecessors, Black Notice and, to a lesser extent, Point of Origin. All the familiar faces--friend and foe--are here: police captain Marino, Kay's niece Lucy, the so-called Werewolf murderer, and (in memoriam) Kay's lover Benton Wesley and his killer, Carrie Grethen. Kay, who nearly killed the Werewolf in self-defense as Black Notice came to a close, now finds herself the target of a corrupt police investigation that will dredge her darkest secrets from the deepest corners of her past.
Torn between a desire to clear her name and the instinct of a wounded animal to turn against even its would-be rescuers, Kay sifts through the forensic evidence that seems to link Chandonne to other horrific events in her past, up to and including Wesley's murder. Physical analysis, however, will not be enough to right her up-ended world. Instead, Kay must rely on the strategic support of her niece, cofounder of the Last Precinct (an odd, ill-defined organization that is, in the words of its motto, "where you go when there is nowhere left"), and on her willingness to examine her own fears, misconceptions, and anything-but-altruistic motives. The most important setting in this novel is not the morgue--it's the living room where Kay's therapist forces her to address (you guessed it) "unresolved issues."
The 11th Scarpetta novel, The Last Precinct, doesn't add any new names to the second roster. Instead, in a sweeping narrative gesture toward retrospection (less-than-fervent fans might whisper "or stagnation"), the novel depends largely on ground already covered in its predecessors, Black Notice and, to a lesser extent, Point of Origin. All the familiar faces--friend and foe--are here: police captain Marino, Kay's niece Lucy, the so-called Werewolf murderer, and (in memoriam) Kay's lover Benton Wesley and his killer, Carrie Grethen. Kay, who nearly killed the Werewolf in self-defense as Black Notice came to a close, now finds herself the target of a corrupt police investigation that will dredge her darkest secrets from the deepest corners of her past.
Torn between a desire to clear her name and the instinct of a wounded animal to turn against even its would-be rescuers, Kay sifts through the forensic evidence that seems to link Chandonne to other horrific events in her past, up to and including Wesley's murder. Physical analysis, however, will not be enough to right her up-ended world. Instead, Kay must rely on the strategic support of her niece, cofounder of the Last Precinct (an odd, ill-defined organization that is, in the words of its motto, "where you go when there is nowhere left"), and on her willingness to examine her own fears, misconceptions, and anything-but-altruistic motives. The most important setting in this novel is not the morgue--it's the living room where Kay's therapist forces her to address (you guessed it) "unresolved issues."
The novel's focus on Kay's emotional evolution does not, unfortunately, mask the leaps of illogic that pepper the plot's murky stew. More disturbing than these occasional lapses, however, is the feeling that Cornwell has written herself into a corner. The Scarpetta of The Last Precinct is a far cry from the irritably independent woman of previous books. Her often over-inflated musings are more tiresome than tantalizing. Cornwell's impressive track record makes this excursion a bit disappointing, but that same record means that loyal fans will race to acquire the book anyway and that the odds of her returning to her usual stellar form next time are (hurrah!) favorable. --Kelly Flynn
1 pages, Audio CD
First published October 16, 2000
1902 people are currently reading
11443 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Cornwell
195 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 |
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 906 reviews
April 29, 2023
Book Review
4 out of 5 stars to The Last Precinct, the 11th book in the "Kay Scarpetta" mystery thriller series, written in 2000 by Patricia Cornwell. I really enjoyed this book as the complexity and the psychology of the killer was top-notch. Each chapter builds on the last, and in some ways, these books keep revisiting decisions and clues from previous book... so it gets quite explosive and intense. In this one, Scarpetta needs a break from the last case where she was batterd and bruised. But when she relies on a friend to help, she learns the friend is part of a trial against Scarpetta, forced into it due to circumstances pointing to Scarpetta possibly going rogue. Jamie Berger, the DA gets more involved, and we start this love/hate relationship with all the characters. This is definitely not a stand-alone book to read, you need to have read the rest of the series. It has a lot of great plot twists and characters, but it also takes a lot of energy out of you to pay attention and believe what's happening. I still liked it and was glad to see the growth in this one... tho it started to go down hill again afterwards in future books. If you enjoy the series, you will love this book. If not, don't pick it up here!
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.
4 out of 5 stars to The Last Precinct, the 11th book in the "Kay Scarpetta" mystery thriller series, written in 2000 by Patricia Cornwell. I really enjoyed this book as the complexity and the psychology of the killer was top-notch. Each chapter builds on the last, and in some ways, these books keep revisiting decisions and clues from previous book... so it gets quite explosive and intense. In this one, Scarpetta needs a break from the last case where she was batterd and bruised. But when she relies on a friend to help, she learns the friend is part of a trial against Scarpetta, forced into it due to circumstances pointing to Scarpetta possibly going rogue. Jamie Berger, the DA gets more involved, and we start this love/hate relationship with all the characters. This is definitely not a stand-alone book to read, you need to have read the rest of the series. It has a lot of great plot twists and characters, but it also takes a lot of energy out of you to pay attention and believe what's happening. I still liked it and was glad to see the growth in this one... tho it started to go down hill again afterwards in future books. If you enjoy the series, you will love this book. If not, don't pick it up here!
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.
January 29, 2025
In this 11th book in the 'Kay Scarpetta' series, the medical examiner is dealing with a lot of personal problems while investigating several murders.
The series is best read in order to avoid spoilers, but the book can be read as a standalone.
*****
As the book opens Dr. Kay Scarpetta, Virginia's Chief Medical Examiner, has maimed the deformed serial killer Jean-Baptiste Chandonne ('the werewolf') in self-defense.
Kay believes Chandonne killed the corrupt former police chief Diane Bray but - in a twist - Kay herself is being investigated for Bray's death.
As usual in the Scarpetta novels Kay is the target of various malevolent individuals who wish her harm. (In Cornwell's books being a medical examiner is a very high risk job). Kay is more depressed and fed-up than usual for a number of reasons: she's still in deep mourning after the murder (in a previous book) of her boyfriend FBI profiler Benton Wesley;
She's upset about her niece, Lucy, being suspended from her job at ATF;
Her 'sidekick', detective Pete Marino, is being more obnoxious than usual;
and she's thinking of quitting her job as Chief Medical Examiner.
Part of the book is devoted to Kay examining her life in talks with her psychiatrist/friend Anna Zenner and much of this self-examination comes off as whiny and complaining.
The book's best parts revolve around the investigation of a couple of bizarre torture murders that are labeled hate crimes and, towards the end, a young boy's suicide.
As usual the scenes of autopsies conducted in the morgue are graphic and the forensic analyses of evidence is interesting.
The book is okay but not one of the best in the series.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
March 11, 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
September 28, 2021
What a mish-mosh. The Last Precinct is really a continuation of Black Notice, and this review may contain some spoilers of the prior novel. It's kinda unavoidable.
Scarpetta spent the last book determining who murdered a man in a shipping container, a convenience store clerk and a deputy chief of police. At the end of it, we saw Scarpetta fighting for her life against a monstrous attacker. She saved herself by throwing a solution of formalin into his face, causing blindness. Her attacker turned out to be Jean-Baptiste Chandonne, the genetically deformed son of a powerful French crime family. In this novel, loyalists to the murdered policewomen insinuate that it was Kay Scarpetta who killed her. The crime part of the plot is devoted to Kay, Merino, Lucy, Psychologist Anna Zenner and others building her defense.
I thought it was kinda outdated, or maybe gimmicky, that Cornwell
So all that was the crime plot; the rest of it was Lucy terminally pissed off, Merino ceaselessly offensive and Kay moping page in and out. Not only is Kay being accused of murder, but her job is in danger and she is still struggling with the loss of Benson Westley - from, what, three novels ago? After her on-and-off boyfriend Mark died, she started an affair with Benson while he was still happily married. That was the end of Scarpetta's lawful-good alignment for me, and it kinda grosses me out that she's portrayed so sympathetically. Boo f*cking hoo, you homewrecker! Too much of this novel was devoted to her grieving and trying to understand the man Benson was and the relationship they had. THE GUY IS DEAD, HAS BEEN FOR A LONG TIME... I really could care less that this character is still coming to terms with a plot development from several novels before.
Okay, rant over - unless the next novel doesn't move on from this. Honestly, I suspect Benson isn't dead - there are too many clues he went into hiding. One last thing: the twist at the end of The Last Precinct, revealing that really wasn't much of a twist. From the moment that guy appeared in Black Notice, I just knew he was a villain.
I really hope the next novel is better.
Scarpetta spent the last book determining who murdered a man in a shipping container, a convenience store clerk and a deputy chief of police. At the end of it, we saw Scarpetta fighting for her life against a monstrous attacker. She saved herself by throwing a solution of formalin into his face, causing blindness. Her attacker turned out to be Jean-Baptiste Chandonne, the genetically deformed son of a powerful French crime family. In this novel, loyalists to the murdered policewomen insinuate that it was Kay Scarpetta who killed her. The crime part of the plot is devoted to Kay, Merino, Lucy, Psychologist Anna Zenner and others building her defense.
I thought it was kinda outdated, or maybe gimmicky, that Cornwell
So all that was the crime plot; the rest of it was Lucy terminally pissed off, Merino ceaselessly offensive and Kay moping page in and out. Not only is Kay being accused of murder, but her job is in danger and she is still struggling with the loss of Benson Westley - from, what, three novels ago? After her on-and-off boyfriend Mark died, she started an affair with Benson while he was still happily married. That was the end of Scarpetta's lawful-good alignment for me, and it kinda grosses me out that she's portrayed so sympathetically. Boo f*cking hoo, you homewrecker! Too much of this novel was devoted to her grieving and trying to understand the man Benson was and the relationship they had. THE GUY IS DEAD, HAS BEEN FOR A LONG TIME... I really could care less that this character is still coming to terms with a plot development from several novels before.
Okay, rant over - unless the next novel doesn't move on from this. Honestly, I suspect Benson isn't dead - there are too many clues he went into hiding. One last thing: the twist at the end of The Last Precinct, revealing that really wasn't much of a twist. From the moment that guy appeared in Black Notice, I just knew he was a villain.
I really hope the next novel is better.
August 19, 2008
ETA: I spoiler for the end at the end (for good reason).
THIS IS THE LAST ONE, I won't read Southern Cross for at least a year, and this is the last one I had bought way back than. Sadly it's also 120+ pages longer, without narrowing of text or white pages, and already on the second one dear Kay proclaims that she could handle crashed planes but nobody could handle her death, and then how that giant ugly Marino lusts after her in her bedroom he's never been in (except he saved her life in her bedroom in book one, but that's Cornwell for you). As if the werewolf hadn't been boring enough in the last novel, the next nearly-600 pages are a continuation of that "horror".
But actually the first quarter of the book is just a bafflingly pointless, boring therapy session. For the first time in my life I tried to skim-read a whole book, which is depressingly easy, because Cornwell's descriptions never serve any larger purpose than to make her look like a proper writer and fill up more pages, and she really does repeat everything in every book. The therapy is only a larger piece of vomit about how she never cries and was never so scared before and all those lies.
Towards the third quarter there are suddenly three new serial killings, and thanks to Cornwell's illogical and insane splitting up of scenes into chapters, I can drag myself from one to the next by telling myself "it's only a little step, look, just 4 more pages" again and again.
And I try to tell myself that in an age where there aren't enough serial killers to go around for all the detectives in films and book, it makes sense to economise and keep bringing back the same, right? Even if the signature and MO of one set of killings is completely different. Except - the reason that doesn't work in the end is that it's always about KAY, the whole world, every baddie just kills for her, over decades and continents.
Did I mention Cornwell writes in first person present tense?
And if anybody actually read my lenghty recaps - I'm sorry if they are as "depressed" and repetitive as the novels; at least I'm not having tears in my eyes, and actually provide more content per sentence.
Retconning some of the many power women Kay hated in the past, they are now beloved and trusted friends. Lucy is a millionaire, btw, wasn't that the only thing missing? And Marino's son is suddenly the supervillain (off-screen). And she seriously keeps using "honey-coloured, baby-fine" (body) hair to prove how "unimmaginably monstrous" the bad guy is.
Only 80 pages to go now, \o/ is what I should be, but I'm all /o\ because it just. Won't. End. It's not just repeating the same words in slightly different scenes, it's not just blowing up pathetically handled single-paragraph-scenes into major events they hadn't been (in retrospect), it's actually repeating the same murders from the last book - again, and again, and again, retold without ever adding an ounce of insight or interest.
ETA: one should nearly admire Cornwell for how she actually manages to become worse when you think it's not possible. SPOILER: after the whole book had been about poor Kay being accused of the murders of that big bad wolf, the "new" serial killers Jay and Bev are not only connected to the evil evil (dead) Diane and wolfman Chan donne, they are also in cahoots with Temple and Carrie whom the previous 6 books or so had been wasted on. Cornwell must be a megalomaniac without a trace of irony, because the whole world really is trying to get poor Kay down. But at her hearing, the reason she's not charged is not that the evidence against her was proven wrong, but because she was beaten up and yet another young boy had been killed (yet another MO and yet again by the same serial killer). If not even Kay's constant crying could prove her a liar, this purely emotional non-trial should go counter against all her claims of factual integrity.
And the two "new" serial killers disappeared for no good reason without a trace, so this is STILL not the end of that idiotic "werewolf" thread either. Even if you are a fan of her, please be warned that even in TLP Cornwell neither clears up Black Notice nor actually what TLP is.
THIS IS THE LAST ONE, I won't read Southern Cross for at least a year, and this is the last one I had bought way back than. Sadly it's also 120+ pages longer, without narrowing of text or white pages, and already on the second one dear Kay proclaims that she could handle crashed planes but nobody could handle her death, and then how that giant ugly Marino lusts after her in her bedroom he's never been in (except he saved her life in her bedroom in book one, but that's Cornwell for you). As if the werewolf hadn't been boring enough in the last novel, the next nearly-600 pages are a continuation of that "horror".
But actually the first quarter of the book is just a bafflingly pointless, boring therapy session. For the first time in my life I tried to skim-read a whole book, which is depressingly easy, because Cornwell's descriptions never serve any larger purpose than to make her look like a proper writer and fill up more pages, and she really does repeat everything in every book. The therapy is only a larger piece of vomit about how she never cries and was never so scared before and all those lies.
Towards the third quarter there are suddenly three new serial killings, and thanks to Cornwell's illogical and insane splitting up of scenes into chapters, I can drag myself from one to the next by telling myself "it's only a little step, look, just 4 more pages" again and again.
And I try to tell myself that in an age where there aren't enough serial killers to go around for all the detectives in films and book, it makes sense to economise and keep bringing back the same, right? Even if the signature and MO of one set of killings is completely different. Except - the reason that doesn't work in the end is that it's always about KAY, the whole world, every baddie just kills for her, over decades and continents.
Did I mention Cornwell writes in first person present tense?
And if anybody actually read my lenghty recaps - I'm sorry if they are as "depressed" and repetitive as the novels; at least I'm not having tears in my eyes, and actually provide more content per sentence.
Retconning some of the many power women Kay hated in the past, they are now beloved and trusted friends. Lucy is a millionaire, btw, wasn't that the only thing missing? And Marino's son is suddenly the supervillain (off-screen). And she seriously keeps using "honey-coloured, baby-fine" (body) hair to prove how "unimmaginably monstrous" the bad guy is.
Only 80 pages to go now, \o/ is what I should be, but I'm all /o\ because it just. Won't. End. It's not just repeating the same words in slightly different scenes, it's not just blowing up pathetically handled single-paragraph-scenes into major events they hadn't been (in retrospect), it's actually repeating the same murders from the last book - again, and again, and again, retold without ever adding an ounce of insight or interest.
ETA: one should nearly admire Cornwell for how she actually manages to become worse when you think it's not possible. SPOILER: after the whole book had been about poor Kay being accused of the murders of that big bad wolf, the "new" serial killers Jay and Bev are not only connected to the evil evil (dead) Diane and wolfman Chan donne, they are also in cahoots with Temple and Carrie whom the previous 6 books or so had been wasted on. Cornwell must be a megalomaniac without a trace of irony, because the whole world really is trying to get poor Kay down. But at her hearing, the reason she's not charged is not that the evidence against her was proven wrong, but because she was beaten up and yet another young boy had been killed (yet another MO and yet again by the same serial killer). If not even Kay's constant crying could prove her a liar, this purely emotional non-trial should go counter against all her claims of factual integrity.
And the two "new" serial killers disappeared for no good reason without a trace, so this is STILL not the end of that idiotic "werewolf" thread either. Even if you are a fan of her, please be warned that even in TLP Cornwell neither clears up Black Notice nor actually what TLP is.
September 8, 2019
Pretty bad in a lot of ways, yet I continue to enjoy this series.
The bad:
- Marino is becoming more of a raging asshole then he is growing as a character/person
- This was less of a procedural than trying to tie up all of the ridiculousness from the last book... and after all those pages, looks like it'll carry into the next book too
- Everything ties together really quickly and nearly at the end which is kind of par for the course by this point but we could move on any time from the conspiracies
- People still have "evil eyes" whatever that means. You always know somethings up where there are evil eyes afoot. It's Scarpetta's tell.
The good:
- I gotta say I enjoyed the focus on Scarpetta's inner psychology here, despite Cornwell resorting to some pretty banal Freudian stuff at times
- I liked learning more about Anna and seeing their relationship grow
- My crush on Lucy is deepening despite the fact that she didn't see as much action in this story
- Scarpetta is now not in favour of the death penalty which was surprising coming from Cornwell. Maybe there's hope for Marino yet...?
The bad:
- Marino is becoming more of a raging asshole then he is growing as a character/person
- This was less of a procedural than trying to tie up all of the ridiculousness from the last book... and after all those pages, looks like it'll carry into the next book too
- Everything ties together really quickly and nearly at the end which is kind of par for the course by this point but we could move on any time from the conspiracies
- People still have "evil eyes" whatever that means. You always know somethings up where there are evil eyes afoot. It's Scarpetta's tell.
The good:
- I gotta say I enjoyed the focus on Scarpetta's inner psychology here, despite Cornwell resorting to some pretty banal Freudian stuff at times
- I liked learning more about Anna and seeing their relationship grow
- My crush on Lucy is deepening despite the fact that she didn't see as much action in this story
- Scarpetta is now not in favour of the death penalty which was surprising coming from Cornwell. Maybe there's hope for Marino yet...?
March 3, 2020
Kay Scarpetta 11: The aftermath of the last book leaves Scarpetta battered and bruised on many levels, and the ensuing investigation means she has to leave her home. A well plotted and high impact read that relies on the reader having read the previous books in the series with significant changes happening to the main cast; Scarpetta on trail; some revelations about Benton's fate and more. The 'Loup Garouf' saga continues… and surprising for such a late book in the series, this book brings the series back to its best! 7 out of 12.
August 17, 2022
Niet uitgelezen. Gestopt op blz. 41. Algauw kwam ik erachter dat je het vorige boek gelezen moet hebben om dit te kunnen volgen. Dan las is ook nog enkele reviews en het scoorde geen hoge cijfers, dat was genoeg voor mij om te stoppen.
February 6, 2009
Overall - 1/5 : Dog catching its tail again !
Plot - 0/5 : Complicated everything. Continuing from Black Notice-the previous chapter, this book tells nothing, but the dark and gore thoughts of Kay. No logic in the plot. Suddenly kay is a suspect, and everything once again turns around Benton, Marino is doing nothing but just comes and drinks beer, too much unbeleivable emotion, Lucy suddenly is rich...I stop here !
Writting - 4/5 : Still strong in Forsenic and pathologic details.
Heroine - 2/5 : Kay Scarpetta. Irritating me more and more.
Villan - 1/5 : Chandonne - loup-garou - Pathotic.
Description - 4/5 : Detailed description of each and every event.
Violence - 5/5 : Obviiously ! (not recomended if you do not know about Scarpetta series.)
Romance - 1/5 : Sick.
Philosophy - 0/5 : Nothing useful.
Art - 1/5 : Nothing useful.
History - 0/5 : None
References - 2/5 : Nothing useful..
Humour - 1/5 : None.
Dialogues - 3/5 : Too much. The first 100 pages is nothing but ...
Characters - 3/5 : Same and old which starts to irritate you. Espicially Lucy (as always) and Benton is still clinging to the series even long dead. The repeated use of Villans even they are dead does not make it a twist, but unbeleivable.
Positive - I read Scarpetta series just to know what happens to investigations in the pathological point of view. I was not diappointed. But all the rest is just dragging.
Negative - I feel like the series is written, keeping in mind the critics of the previous book or just to continue. Absolutely there got to be a new Kay and some more interesting characters, rather than Marino or Lucy. And one more thing, I do not understand why everyone is against Kay (I won't agree if the answer is she is a she). I do not know why there is no ending to any event. Just like in black notice nothing is clear about the Villan, and in this book its about Marino's son and ofcorse the Last Precint itself. And its more than 550 pages, which leaves you empty. Many repeated sentences and flash backs from the same and previous book, sometimes along the read it picks your nerves.
Comments : A review of the character and more thrills is need in the next book in the series. otherwise it will also be a big disappointment !
What I learned from this book : Be careful with next Kay !
Plot - 0/5 : Complicated everything. Continuing from Black Notice-the previous chapter, this book tells nothing, but the dark and gore thoughts of Kay. No logic in the plot. Suddenly kay is a suspect, and everything once again turns around Benton, Marino is doing nothing but just comes and drinks beer, too much unbeleivable emotion, Lucy suddenly is rich...I stop here !
Writting - 4/5 : Still strong in Forsenic and pathologic details.
Heroine - 2/5 : Kay Scarpetta. Irritating me more and more.
Villan - 1/5 : Chandonne - loup-garou - Pathotic.
Description - 4/5 : Detailed description of each and every event.
Violence - 5/5 : Obviiously ! (not recomended if you do not know about Scarpetta series.)
Romance - 1/5 : Sick.
Philosophy - 0/5 : Nothing useful.
Art - 1/5 : Nothing useful.
History - 0/5 : None
References - 2/5 : Nothing useful..
Humour - 1/5 : None.
Dialogues - 3/5 : Too much. The first 100 pages is nothing but ...
Characters - 3/5 : Same and old which starts to irritate you. Espicially Lucy (as always) and Benton is still clinging to the series even long dead. The repeated use of Villans even they are dead does not make it a twist, but unbeleivable.
Positive - I read Scarpetta series just to know what happens to investigations in the pathological point of view. I was not diappointed. But all the rest is just dragging.
Negative - I feel like the series is written, keeping in mind the critics of the previous book or just to continue. Absolutely there got to be a new Kay and some more interesting characters, rather than Marino or Lucy. And one more thing, I do not understand why everyone is against Kay (I won't agree if the answer is she is a she). I do not know why there is no ending to any event. Just like in black notice nothing is clear about the Villan, and in this book its about Marino's son and ofcorse the Last Precint itself. And its more than 550 pages, which leaves you empty. Many repeated sentences and flash backs from the same and previous book, sometimes along the read it picks your nerves.
Comments : A review of the character and more thrills is need in the next book in the series. otherwise it will also be a big disappointment !
What I learned from this book : Be careful with next Kay !
March 28, 2025
This is a well-written, entertaining, fast paced crime thriller. It has an intelligent, strong and capable female protagonist, murder, suspense, wit, a touch of humor, intrigue and a satisfying conclusion. This novel can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone, but it is better when read in order for continuity. I am looking forward to reading the next entry in this series with great anticipation! I listened to the audio book, and the narrator, Ms. Kate Reading, does an excellent job voicing the characters.
January 12, 2014
In her most explosive novel in the series to date, Cornwell picks up the story where her previous novel ends, literally hours thereafter. With Scarpetta incapacitated and the killer recently handled, Cornwell begins spinning the story and her characters into a deeper and more daunting web than she’d tried in novels past. Taking the reader into the deeper layers of Scarpetta’s psyche and the pains of her life and past pitfalls, Scarpetta at her most vulnerable brings out great layers to a story that would seem less than eventful. When crimes outside Richmond come to light, the entire investigation into the Werewolf killer takes a spin the reader will surely not see coming. Just as series regulars think they have Scarpetta and the novels all figured out, Cornwell tosses a literary grenade and blows up any foundation seemingly present. Stellar plots and sensational thrills from beginning to the last period.
Cornwell has surely outdone herself here and knows how to inject new ideas into her already developed storylines and characters. In one novel, she succeeds in snipping the tied off loose ends of the previous 10 novels and leaves new ones hanging. No invested reader will consider this installment blazé or lacking in thrills. Surely not a good book to begin your Scarpetta investigation, as many past cases and results come to light and are questioned from multiple angles. As always, Cornwell adds layers of new character development to heavily established ones and spins some of her newer creations to leave the reader to wonder how they could have loved Person X or Y.
Kudos Madam Cornwell on this stellar piece of work. Excuse me as I pick my jaw up from on the floor. May I ask, why the constant use of Christmastime as a chronological backdrop for the novels?
Cornwell has surely outdone herself here and knows how to inject new ideas into her already developed storylines and characters. In one novel, she succeeds in snipping the tied off loose ends of the previous 10 novels and leaves new ones hanging. No invested reader will consider this installment blazé or lacking in thrills. Surely not a good book to begin your Scarpetta investigation, as many past cases and results come to light and are questioned from multiple angles. As always, Cornwell adds layers of new character development to heavily established ones and spins some of her newer creations to leave the reader to wonder how they could have loved Person X or Y.
Kudos Madam Cornwell on this stellar piece of work. Excuse me as I pick my jaw up from on the floor. May I ask, why the constant use of Christmastime as a chronological backdrop for the novels?
June 30, 2022
Terrible family, terrible professional life, terrible serial killer -- just all around blah, even for wanting your brain to be quiet for a moment. Plus, I might be jaded, but a lot of the legal bits written for shock and outrage () come off as like, okay, when you're done being outraged, you may want to get yourself a good lawyer.
I think I'm done with this series.
ETA: And I am livid about Mr. Peanut.
I think I'm done with this series.
ETA: And I am livid about Mr. Peanut.
October 26, 2025
This wasn't one of my favorite books. As always with this author, the writing itself is great, but the reason for the 3 stars is that it was just so slow in moving forward. I felt like there was a need to get page count instead of telling the story. I skipped so many pages, which I don't normally do with this author's work. Ironically, I would skip 20 or more pages, and start up feeling like I was exactly where I had left off! We still hadn't move ahead, so I would skip more pages. I am hoping the author was just having a bad storytelling period as I am about to start on the next one in the series and hoping it is not a repeat of this book.
May 29, 2025
Is it just me or does Cornwell struggle with endings? My criticism of this story is the ending as it is ridiculous. Saying that I did enjoy that this story follows on immediately from Black Notice. The story is set around Jamestown and two murders plus Kay being set up for the murder of Diane Bray.
There is a lot of navel gazing and psychoanalysis with Kay staying with her friend psychiatrist Anna. Who also has a past. Marino is a walking miracle given his drinking, smoking and temper. His son Rocky we find is not a very nice person. Kay sleeps with Jay who works in Interpol and all this happens over 24 hours in Paris. Talk about lack of impulse control.
A new character called Jamie a lawyer appears with Kay’s paranoia kicking in big time. She thinks she is behind her downfall.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Once again the ending is abrupt. Kay and Lucy investigating the suicide of a 12 year old boy near the motel where a murder took place. Poor Mr Peanut the dog the reason the boy was killed as he kept looking for it.
They are captured by Jay and Bev Kiffin the motel manageress. Jay ties and gags Kay and before he can torture and kill her Lucy escapes. Lucy is next door and is wearing body armor. Bev shoots her and Lucy disarms Bev and leaves her to help Kay next door. Somehow Jay and Bev escape and Jamie clears Kay in front of a grand jury. Why didn’t Lucy knock out Kiffin with the shotgun butt? Why didn’t Jay just shoot Kay while Lucy was looking for the room? Too many holes in the ending for me.
There is a lot of navel gazing and psychoanalysis with Kay staying with her friend psychiatrist Anna. Who also has a past. Marino is a walking miracle given his drinking, smoking and temper. His son Rocky we find is not a very nice person. Kay sleeps with Jay who works in Interpol and all this happens over 24 hours in Paris. Talk about lack of impulse control.
A new character called Jamie a lawyer appears with Kay’s paranoia kicking in big time. She thinks she is behind her downfall.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Once again the ending is abrupt. Kay and Lucy investigating the suicide of a 12 year old boy near the motel where a murder took place. Poor Mr Peanut the dog the reason the boy was killed as he kept looking for it.
They are captured by Jay and Bev Kiffin the motel manageress. Jay ties and gags Kay and before he can torture and kill her Lucy escapes. Lucy is next door and is wearing body armor. Bev shoots her and Lucy disarms Bev and leaves her to help Kay next door. Somehow Jay and Bev escape and Jamie clears Kay in front of a grand jury. Why didn’t Lucy knock out Kiffin with the shotgun butt? Why didn’t Jay just shoot Kay while Lucy was looking for the room? Too many holes in the ending for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2018
Not much to say about this one. After reading so many of her books they all run together.
June 26, 2012
Ok, I'm annoyed because I wrote a review, the the GR site went down for service while I was typing and my review is gone. So this is the lazy version which means mostly spoilers, sorry.
What I can say is that this book starts immediately after the last one, with only a 12 hour turn around. I think this books is a bit tedious. I'm really tired of Kay mourning Benton. I cant believe how many chapters that Jean-Baptiste Chardonne interview went on. I can't believe how much time we spent talking about Kay's feelings, and she is still mourning Benton. I'm so over super Lucy who is now a millionaire with her own helicopter and company. It was nice to find out about Marino's son. There is a lot of questions about Kay's sexuality, and I feel like there is a lot unexplained, as to why everyone is out to get Kay. I mean really, she's not that important.
What I can say is that this book starts immediately after the last one, with only a 12 hour turn around. I think this books is a bit tedious. I'm really tired of Kay mourning Benton. I cant believe how many chapters that Jean-Baptiste Chardonne interview went on. I can't believe how much time we spent talking about Kay's feelings, and she is still mourning Benton. I'm so over super Lucy who is now a millionaire with her own helicopter and company. It was nice to find out about Marino's son. There is a lot of questions about Kay's sexuality, and I feel like there is a lot unexplained, as to why everyone is out to get Kay. I mean really, she's not that important.
April 4, 2025
Patricia Cornwell continues to entertain readers with a taste for reading about horrific crimes in the 11th Dr. Kay Scarpetta mystery thriller, ‘The Last Precinct’. This is a very good series if one enjoys horror, sadistic serial killers, and sleeping with the lights on with a gun under the pillow.
I have copied the book blurb below, but it has spoilers about the murders in the 10th novel in the series, Black Notice. Readers need to start with book one, Postmortem, since all of the novels after book one refer to plots from the previous books. None of these are standalone.
”Following the death of Diane Bray and an apparent attack on Kay Scarpetta by Jean-Baptiste Chandonne in her own house at the end of Black Notice, The Last Precinct concentrates on discovering the full story behind Chandonne's killings. Kay Scarpetta is also under suspicion for the killing of Bray, due to their known rivalry and public confrontations. Torn between a desire to clear her name and the instinct of a wounded animal to turn against even its would-be rescuers, Kay sifts through the forensic evidence that seems to link Chandonne to past events in her life, up to and including the murder of her lover, Benton Wesley. A major new character is Jaime Berger, from the District Attorney's Office in New York, who believes Chandonne killed a woman in New York two years' before his arrival in Virginia. Kay must examine her own fears, misconceptions, and anything-but-altruistic motives to accept working with another competent woman.‘
These are extremely dark mysteries, and very graphic since Dr. Scarpetta is a medical examiner who describes the autopsies she performs on dead people in detail. She also is having more hysterics a lot because the serial killer horrors done to people lead her to investigate on her own, getting herself tied up and almost murdered by the killer too in every novel!
I’m kidding! Actually, I’m not. Scarpetta is getting more gaga in each novel I’ve read so far. She might be wearing restraints in a mental asylum soon given her exposure to horrific murders and her obviously worsening PTSD. Marvel comics should consider adding Scarpetta to their tortured survivor-guilted hero characters.
I have copied the book blurb below, but it has spoilers about the murders in the 10th novel in the series, Black Notice. Readers need to start with book one, Postmortem, since all of the novels after book one refer to plots from the previous books. None of these are standalone.
”Following the death of Diane Bray and an apparent attack on Kay Scarpetta by Jean-Baptiste Chandonne in her own house at the end of Black Notice, The Last Precinct concentrates on discovering the full story behind Chandonne's killings. Kay Scarpetta is also under suspicion for the killing of Bray, due to their known rivalry and public confrontations. Torn between a desire to clear her name and the instinct of a wounded animal to turn against even its would-be rescuers, Kay sifts through the forensic evidence that seems to link Chandonne to past events in her life, up to and including the murder of her lover, Benton Wesley. A major new character is Jaime Berger, from the District Attorney's Office in New York, who believes Chandonne killed a woman in New York two years' before his arrival in Virginia. Kay must examine her own fears, misconceptions, and anything-but-altruistic motives to accept working with another competent woman.‘
These are extremely dark mysteries, and very graphic since Dr. Scarpetta is a medical examiner who describes the autopsies she performs on dead people in detail. She also is having more hysterics a lot because the serial killer horrors done to people lead her to investigate on her own, getting herself tied up and almost murdered by the killer too in every novel!
I’m kidding! Actually, I’m not. Scarpetta is getting more gaga in each novel I’ve read so far. She might be wearing restraints in a mental asylum soon given her exposure to horrific murders and her obviously worsening PTSD. Marvel comics should consider adding Scarpetta to their tortured survivor-guilted hero characters.
Read
October 21, 2023DNF. I'm not sure if it's because I accidentally skipped this book so I'm now very much farther in the life of Scarpetta, or what, but I couldn't get into this one. So, I'm not going to rate it. I have a feeling that I would have been more into it if I had read it at the time I should have.
October 25, 2021
Overall, very enjoyable! I am finding more and more gripes as the series continues (but not enough to stop.... yet) but I am still actively engaged in the story and characters. Here is what I didn't like about this book:
1) This is basically a continuation of the last book. There was no new case. Someone who picked up this book without reading the last book wouldn't appreciate it as much
2) The ending was very abrupt (but satisfying). As I was getting to the end of the book, I kept looking at how much plot was left unresolved and thinking "How are they going to get themselves out of this with so little left?" Knowing this is a book series, I knew not every plotline would be completed but there was a lot.
3) Kay's age. I did the math and, due to info from this book, she would have been 28 in book 1. She went to college, medical school, law school and was somehow already well established as the chief medial examiner of Virginia by 28? When did she start college? 10 years old? It doesn't add up. I don't know. Stuff like that bugs me when a book is supposed to be realistic.
4) New audiobook narrator. Now this narrator was not bad by any means, she is actually quite good. It is hard to forget the characterizations the narrator of the first 10 books did with the characters. They are different now. I will get used to it (as I understand this narrator does the rest of the series). It is hard to let go of the original narrator, who was brilliant.
5) This book overstayed its welcome just a touch. A very long book without its own plot. There are some scenes that go on forever that don't seem to have anything to do with the story. It could have been tightened up a bit.
I still give it 4 stars because I had to know what was going to happen. That counts for a lot (and I can forgive the above imperfections if the books till keeps my interest - which it did). So I still give it a thumbs up!
1) This is basically a continuation of the last book. There was no new case. Someone who picked up this book without reading the last book wouldn't appreciate it as much
2) The ending was very abrupt (but satisfying). As I was getting to the end of the book, I kept looking at how much plot was left unresolved and thinking "How are they going to get themselves out of this with so little left?" Knowing this is a book series, I knew not every plotline would be completed but there was a lot.
3) Kay's age. I did the math and, due to info from this book, she would have been 28 in book 1. She went to college, medical school, law school and was somehow already well established as the chief medial examiner of Virginia by 28? When did she start college? 10 years old? It doesn't add up. I don't know. Stuff like that bugs me when a book is supposed to be realistic.
4) New audiobook narrator. Now this narrator was not bad by any means, she is actually quite good. It is hard to forget the characterizations the narrator of the first 10 books did with the characters. They are different now. I will get used to it (as I understand this narrator does the rest of the series). It is hard to let go of the original narrator, who was brilliant.
5) This book overstayed its welcome just a touch. A very long book without its own plot. There are some scenes that go on forever that don't seem to have anything to do with the story. It could have been tightened up a bit.
I still give it 4 stars because I had to know what was going to happen. That counts for a lot (and I can forgive the above imperfections if the books till keeps my interest - which it did). So I still give it a thumbs up!
November 1, 2022
Anything might affect one’s enjoyment. It does not matter if enhancing or detracting elements are personal, stylistic, general composites of good or bad, or overall quality. For example, unless it is a treatise on the protection of animals, I refute the excessively sad drama of creatures dying in stories in any way. Fiction is where authors can make up happy endings, at least for animals! In social justice or crime, where contents like Patricia Cornwell’s are already grim, for Pete’s sake; spare cats, dogs, horses, rodents, and birds. Numerous people agree with me about sparing animals on film and in ink and dock a star for this alone. Mr. Peanut, this protest is for you! You deserved a new home.
I got invested in this eleventh case, “The Last Precinct”, 2000, which nearly earned four stars. Kay never smiles or jokes enough for me to like her personality at a five star level and autopsy scenes are obviously awful. What tanked my ability to like this story was a stylistic complaint, committing two personal bugaboos. For the love of God, authors: spell direction words with “S”! It drives me batty if they are not spelled and pronounced: upwards, backwards, forwards, downwards, towards. Go figure, vocabulary we hate creeps up unceasingly. Patricia could have used “to” instead. In second place, I hate first person, present tense. That jarring tense rips readers out of the front row, distancing us. Past tense feels like we are watching scenes, or seated with the storyteller.
What was riveting and impressive, was Patricia weaving incidents into a secret too large to resolve in one book. I tire of her repellent criminals after a couple of stories but have hoped resurrecting a beloved personage is the payoff. Maureen Johnson is an authoress who extends mysteries exceptionally well.
I got invested in this eleventh case, “The Last Precinct”, 2000, which nearly earned four stars. Kay never smiles or jokes enough for me to like her personality at a five star level and autopsy scenes are obviously awful. What tanked my ability to like this story was a stylistic complaint, committing two personal bugaboos. For the love of God, authors: spell direction words with “S”! It drives me batty if they are not spelled and pronounced: upwards, backwards, forwards, downwards, towards. Go figure, vocabulary we hate creeps up unceasingly. Patricia could have used “to” instead. In second place, I hate first person, present tense. That jarring tense rips readers out of the front row, distancing us. Past tense feels like we are watching scenes, or seated with the storyteller.
What was riveting and impressive, was Patricia weaving incidents into a secret too large to resolve in one book. I tire of her repellent criminals after a couple of stories but have hoped resurrecting a beloved personage is the payoff. Maureen Johnson is an authoress who extends mysteries exceptionally well.
December 9, 2019
Book Review
The Last Precinct - Patricia Cornwell - 5/5
Every book preceding this one built around a central theme and a pointed crime-solving aspect, but the 11th novel in the series beautifully paints what it means to be the very bruised, flawed and unforgivably human: Kay Scarpetta. Whether this is a battle of psychologically approaching grief and pain, or a matter of dissecting the motivations and mutilations of criminal behaviour, the twists and turns in this book are increasingly elusive. Each chapter ends at just the right moment, each precipice leading to yet another calm but thrilling incline up a slope that Cornwell masterfully navigates. One forgets that she is the mastermind of the story and not a faithful narrator along for the ride as character voice, development, and agenda seamlessly blend between each judicial event be that investigation, interrogation or interpretation. Cornwell at her best, story-telling at its finest.
Spoilers below
The Last Precinct - Patricia Cornwell - 5/5
Every book preceding this one built around a central theme and a pointed crime-solving aspect, but the 11th novel in the series beautifully paints what it means to be the very bruised, flawed and unforgivably human: Kay Scarpetta. Whether this is a battle of psychologically approaching grief and pain, or a matter of dissecting the motivations and mutilations of criminal behaviour, the twists and turns in this book are increasingly elusive. Each chapter ends at just the right moment, each precipice leading to yet another calm but thrilling incline up a slope that Cornwell masterfully navigates. One forgets that she is the mastermind of the story and not a faithful narrator along for the ride as character voice, development, and agenda seamlessly blend between each judicial event be that investigation, interrogation or interpretation. Cornwell at her best, story-telling at its finest.
Spoilers below
August 19, 2017
I've never read any Patricia Cornwell before. I picked this one up, hoping it was a nice alternative to a Karin Slaughter. Authors can only write so fast, and you need to keep your queue filled.
I was really disappointed. I didn't realize (must have been living under a crime drama rock), when I picked it up, that the book was one in a series, but I got lots of reminders throughout the book that impactful events had occurred before. And there was plenty of sturm und drang of the endless mental sort, with minimal action, for the first 300 pages. The only new characters introduced were assigned to a seemingly unrelated murder, so all this "who can I trust" that Dr. Scarpetta was going through (not to mention the odd psychoanalysis with her "friend") was just dreadfully ominous and sad.
I found Dr. Scarpetta as a character somewhat unrelatable in her isolation. I completely understood her feelings of fear, doubt, and pressure; I had trouble with her lack of attractive, relatable, dependable friends or contacts. And I'm not familiar with the role her character plays in solving crimes - it seems remarkably similar to that old TV show "Quincy M.D."
I nearly put the book down because the results seemed so obvious, but was determined to slog through - only to discover that yes, indeed, Dr. Scarpetta's feeling of foreboding were due to what I expected - probably I've watched way too much "Law & Order." And although I didn't guess one of the guilty parties, I was suspicious, and I would have had a search warrant on my main suspect days before our climatic story end. I'm sure that people who have started with the first story in the series, and have developed a relationship with Dr. Scarpetta, would have liked this book much better than I did.
I was really disappointed. I didn't realize (must have been living under a crime drama rock), when I picked it up, that the book was one in a series, but I got lots of reminders throughout the book that impactful events had occurred before. And there was plenty of sturm und drang of the endless mental sort, with minimal action, for the first 300 pages. The only new characters introduced were assigned to a seemingly unrelated murder, so all this "who can I trust" that Dr. Scarpetta was going through (not to mention the odd psychoanalysis with her "friend") was just dreadfully ominous and sad.
I found Dr. Scarpetta as a character somewhat unrelatable in her isolation. I completely understood her feelings of fear, doubt, and pressure; I had trouble with her lack of attractive, relatable, dependable friends or contacts. And I'm not familiar with the role her character plays in solving crimes - it seems remarkably similar to that old TV show "Quincy M.D."
I nearly put the book down because the results seemed so obvious, but was determined to slog through - only to discover that yes, indeed, Dr. Scarpetta's feeling of foreboding were due to what I expected - probably I've watched way too much "Law & Order." And although I didn't guess one of the guilty parties, I was suspicious, and I would have had a search warrant on my main suspect days before our climatic story end. I'm sure that people who have started with the first story in the series, and have developed a relationship with Dr. Scarpetta, would have liked this book much better than I did.
Read
August 22, 2013I'm going to be fare and I'm NOT going to rate it because I'm not reading the full book. I'm choosing to put this down due to personal preference. I will share my experience with it to this point.
From what I read up to page 178:
-The writing was fine. Not as exciting or full of suspense the previous book (book #10, this is book #11).
-There was a lot of recap. Seeing as to how I'd read the previous book and this being book #11, again not sure why there was so much extensive recap.
-I wanted books within the mystery genre because I wanted some excitement and I found myself pushing to read it and I don't want to do this.
That being said. Someone else may enjoy this greatly. I may also choose to read other books by this author but am choosing to not move forward due to some explicit detailed content that I just don't choose to read.
(I've gotten so much flack when my opinions don't agree with readers who disagree with my opinion. Once again, I've not said negative or positive about his.. I just choose not to read it. I've bought it, I have that right.)
From what I read up to page 178:
-The writing was fine. Not as exciting or full of suspense the previous book (book #10, this is book #11).
-There was a lot of recap. Seeing as to how I'd read the previous book and this being book #11, again not sure why there was so much extensive recap.
-I wanted books within the mystery genre because I wanted some excitement and I found myself pushing to read it and I don't want to do this.
That being said. Someone else may enjoy this greatly. I may also choose to read other books by this author but am choosing to not move forward due to some explicit detailed content that I just don't choose to read.
(I've gotten so much flack when my opinions don't agree with readers who disagree with my opinion. Once again, I've not said negative or positive about his.. I just choose not to read it. I've bought it, I have that right.)
February 25, 2023
I'm not gonna tag this suspense because, well, it wasn't.
Scarpetta gets tried for a murder in the previous book so we go through the ENTIRE previous book in this one. With great detail. Every little action Scarpetta did is repeated.
So you can either read the previous one or this one, I don't feel you lose anything if you skip one or the other.
Cornwell, what the f?
Scarpetta gets tried for a murder in the previous book so we go through the ENTIRE previous book in this one. With great detail. Every little action Scarpetta did is repeated.
So you can either read the previous one or this one, I don't feel you lose anything if you skip one or the other.
Cornwell, what the f?
July 12, 2012
3 1/2 stars. My 1st Patricia Cornwell novel and I’m an instant fan. When I picked it up I didn't realize it was #11 in a series; not a problem at all – I guess she writes each novel so they work as stand-alones. The main character in the series is Kay Scarpetta, a highly competent medical forensic specialist. The Last Precinct finds her hot on the trail of a truly dastardly villain by the name of ‘The French Werewolf’. It’s got a terrific supporting cast including her gay niece Julie, the slovenly detective Marino and an aging Nazi sympathizer.
Cornwell knows her stuff; this is a really decent crime-thriller.
April 8, 2008
This was a page turner, as have been most of her other books, for me. There definitely is a gruesome and grisly factor because she is a medical examiner and is always dealing with murders and murderers. Many times serial killers. I like this character, Kay Scarpetta, because she is a strong, intelligent woman who is real and flawed. She makes mistakes, as do we all, but she is always able to figure it out in the end. This particular story had many twists and turns that kept you guessing until it's all tied up neatly in a bow...at the very ending.
July 25, 2011
For a book where nothing happens this is a riveting read. I suppose no-one is likely to come this book without having read a significant proportion of the previous 10 books in the Scarpetta series and as such basing the novel looking back at previous events is not a problem provided it is well written which it is without a doubt. Also the characters seem a little less abrasive than usual though Marino is perhaps becoming a bit of a caricature. It will be interesting to see where she goes from here in Blowfly.
February 13, 2021
Wow! One of the most interesting and complex story lines I've ever read in this genre. Cornwall is really up to par with this one.
I thoroughly enjoyed the intensity of Kay's current dilemma. How her closest friends and alibies quietly stand by her.
The introduction of new, interesting characters and the steadfastness of the existing ones was genius.
I thoroughly enjoyed the intensity of Kay's current dilemma. How her closest friends and alibies quietly stand by her.
The introduction of new, interesting characters and the steadfastness of the existing ones was genius.
Read
May 3, 2019As usual, vaguely dissatisfying. I am always intrigued by the twists in the story, but I never much like the characters.
March 24, 2023
“[Marino] is like the harsh lighting in dressing rooms. I was relatively comfortable with myself until I saw my reflection in him.”
Displaying 1 - 30 of 906 reviews