Livid: The new Kay Scarpetta thriller from the No.1 bestseller

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I had my hopes up that Cornwell has resurrected her prior ability to tell a good story based on the reviews I read that Kay Scarpetta was back. In my opinion All that Remains, Cruel and Unusual and, in particular From Potter’s Field are some of her very best work.

Scarpetta holds the key to the forensic evidence and her word, should it be taken serial by the jury, could free a man or condemn him forever. At the same time there is a modern weapon threat that is realistic enough to scare the pants off of me. 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.Cornwell is not creating something new and refreshing, but rather continues to rely on her plotting methodology of solving a mystery over a condensed two-to-three-day timeframe, an approach that she established and perfected, then used repetitively over and over again until it just got old. Cornwell is also good at reflecting readers' emotions around the hard career of dealing with dead bodies. Livid is the 26th installment, and it's quite strong compared to many in the middle that sagged a bit. Kay Scarpetta is an expert witness for the case where another forensic pathologist had previously bungled the investigation.

Whatever the reason, this, the 26th book in the popular series, is another one I really didn't want to put down. Her testimony in the trial of Gilbert Hooke, who's accused of killing his girlfriend April Tupelo, contradicts that of a previous medical examiner. There appears to be no connection to the killings, and there really isn't but for the author's unbelievable stretch at the end to make sure there is a connection. Kay Scarpetta doesn't seem quite as paranoid as usual (even though in this case, her suspicions may be rooted in fact).

To date, Cornwell’s books have sold some 100 million copies in thirty-six languages in over 120 countries. This passive ending is so frustrating, and I should mention it is the identical weak ending that was in the previous novel, “Autopsy”. In addition, the plotlines also follow the same formula and structure, which includes weak, frustrating, and unfulfilled endings. The office and inter-agency politics play a big part of the story and I think they'll be at play in future installments.

This never-stop action plot is yet another gift to readers from Patricia Cornwell-a literary artist that is never going to stop writing some of the best and most memorable thrillers out there. The deceased has been staying with her sister in a creepy old mansion, overgrown with weeds and other greenery.But then as soon as Scarpetta leaves the courtroom, and before we know the outcome of the case in question, the plot and the quality of writing changes as the story's focus suddenly shifts to finding out who has murdered the judge's sister and why. The story also involves the CIA and the FBI but the reasons for their involvement or the results of their investigations are not always shared with Scarpetta for reasons of secrecy.