Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell

I have been reading Patricia Cornwell's Dr. Kay Scarpetta Series since Postmortem. The latest installment and the 15th book in this series, is Book of the Dead. It is hard to believe Cornwell has written this many books in the Scarpetta Series. This high number of installments may also explain why I have not enjoyed any of the last several as much as I did the first ten or so series books. I think only a very few series books with this many installments can retain the integrity and story-line of the initial books in the series.

I would have bought and read this book simply because it was the newest installment in the Scarpetta Series. However, this book was even more interesting to me because in this installment, Dr. Scarpetta has moved from Florida to Charleston, SC, my hometown. As a matter of fact, I met Patricia Cornwell once at a book signing in Charleston in the late 1990's after the release of Point of Origin. I have an autographed copy and gave a couple away as birthday presents with personal inscriptions from Cornwell to the birthday recipient. Yes, I am definitely a Cornwell/Scarpetta fan.

When I first started reading this book, I found myself wondering if Cornwell had actually written it. The story was choppy, disjointed and at times, hard to follow - which is very uncharacteristic for Cornwell's early Scarpetta writing. As the story progressed and became more interesting, I learned to overlook the choppiness to follow the story.

Leaving out many of the human pieces of the story, Cornwell seems to put a lot more forensic detail and definition into this book. She ties up this left out detail in the closing chapters of this book. Unlike the first suspense-filled books in this series, she seems to have lost the ability to build to a climax and finish the book with a bang. Book of the Dead does not build to a climax, leaves out needed detail during the story and ties everything up quite nicely in the last couple of chapters. (Well, she ties up almost everything quite nicely. I wouldn't want to ruin the conclusion for anyone.)

Scarpetta is still an awesome forensic scientist. However, she is quite unable to resolve any of her personal issues. Lucy has become a, how-do-you-say, rich, spoiled brat, who believes herself the most intelligent investigator/computer whiz. Lucy also believes she is so gifted, she is above the law in most situations. And, Marino has become an overweight, over-the-top-testosterone driven, Harley riding male-chauvinist. What happened to the intelligent, law-enforcing, ethically-driven crime investigating characters I used to love?

The upside of this book, at least from "Island Girl's" point of view...reading about the Charleston setting was fabulous. Also, it was great to read about the fishing, crabbing and shrimping techniques I learned while growing up. I could almost smell the "sweet" aroma of the saltwater marsh and felt as if I could sink thigh deep in the pluff mud! The Charleston Place Hotel - spent a few nights there in August - great, charming hotel which serves absolutely great Southern cuisine. (Can't get good grits or sweet tea in California!) I knew most of the subjects and places pretty well, and believe Cornwell really did a thorough job researching to write so well about these Lowcountry charms.

As with the last several books in this series, I didn't enjoy Book of the Dead as much as the earlier books in this series. This book was okay. I will continue to buy and read future installments in this series because I really do like the ongoing story-lines and the characters. I would like to see a return to the more human, realistic, investigating side of Scarpetta, Lucy and Marino. But, I also realize these characters are Cornwell's creations and she can take them wherever she wants.

Book of the Dead
Author: Patricia Cornwell
Available formats:
Hardback, October 2007, 405 pages, approximate cost $18
Hardback, Large Print, November 2007, 655 pages, approximate cost $33
Audio, Compact Disc, Abridged, narrated by Mary Stuart Masterson, October 2007, approximate cost $24
Audio, Compact Disc, Unabridged, read by Kate Reading, October 2007, approximate cost $32

Other books by Patricia Cornwell are too many to mention in this space (more than 20). The books listed here are Patricia Cornwell books I have read or Dr. Kay Scarpetta inspired cookbooks.

Scarpetta Series:
Predator, 2005
Trace, 2004
Blow Fly, 2003
The Last Precinct, 2000
Black Notice, 1999
Point of Origin, 1998
Unnatural Exposure, 1997
Cause of Death, 1996
From Potter's Field, 1995
The Body Farm, 1994
Cruel and Unusual, 1993
All That Remains, 1992
Body of Evidence, 1991
Postmortem, 1990

Scarpetta inspired cookbooks:
Food to Die For: Secrets from Kay Scarpetta's Kitchen, Cornwell (and Marlene Brown), 2001
Scarpetta's Winter Table, 1998

Biography:
Ruth, A Portrait: The Story of Ruth Bell Graham, 1997 (updated re-release of A Time for Remembering, 1983)

To learn more about the author Patricia Cornwell, visit: http://www.patriciacornwell.com/

The 6th Target by James Patterson (& Maxine Paetro)

Fans of James Patterson's Women's Murder Club will not be disappointed in the newest installment of this series, The 6^th Target.

The 6^th Target is really three murder mysteries in one. The first mystery places you inside the mind of a deranged killer who, in his murderous crime spree, shoots one of the members of the Women's Murder Club. The second mystery is a killer on the loose in the apartment building of another of the Club's members. And the third mystery involves the disappearance of a gifted child in San Francisco. As in each book in this series, the four members of the Women's Murder Club - San Francisco Police Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer, San Francisco Chief Medical Examiner Claire Washburn, San Francisco Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano and San Francisco Chronicle Reporter Cindy Thomas - put the the pieces of these mystery puzzles together to assist solving the crimes and putting the bad guys behind bars.

I have read and liked this entire series of books. I like these books because of the San Francisco setting, the power roles of the female lead characters, and the inter-personal relationships of these women outside of their crime solving duties. The Women's Murder Club is also a new series on ABC. I like the television show for the same reasons I enjoy the books. The television show has taken some criticism because, at times, the characters seem to be more interested in their personal relationships than solving their criminal investigations. I have always liked the personal story lines as much, if not more, than I enjoy the crime solving skills of these four women. Although the television series seems to have jumped around to and from different nights on ABC, I think it's regular time-slot is Friday night after Men In Trees, another of my favorite television shows. (With Tivo, I am almost always assured I will never miss an episode of my favorite shows, no matter how many times the network changes the time-slot. You gotta love Tivo!)

Even with the personal story lines, The 6^th Target is a suspense-filled mystery. Patterson has done a great job building the criminal and criminally insane characters of this book. The "perps" are almost too realistic and frightening.

If you have not read any of Patterson's Women's Murder Club series, and you enjoy reading crime stories which include the inter-personal relationships of working women, my suggestion would be to start with the first book in this series, 1^st to Die. (This complete series of books is listed below.) You do not need to read previous installments in this series to enjoy this book. The 6^th Target is a good stand-alone, crime-solving story.

Although I have read and enjoyed other Patterson books, I am very partial to the Women's Murder Club series. After finishing the latest installment in this series, I always look forward to the next one! If you have not started this series, you have an advantage. Because of the availability of all six books in the series, you can read them back-to-back, while I have to wait on the next publication.

The 6^th Target
Authors: James Patterson (and Maxine Paetro)
Available formats:
Hardback, May 2007, 390 pages, approximate cost $20
Hardback, Large Print, May 2007, 483 pages, approximate cost $30
Paperback, available January 2008, 416 pages, approximate cost $14
Audio, Compact Disc, Abridged, read by Carolyn McCormick, May 2007, approximate cost $30
Audio, Compact Disc, Unabridged, read by Carolyn McCormick, May 2007, approximate cost $40

Other books by James Patterson are too many to mention in this space (more than 40). The books listed here are James Patterson books I have read.

Women's Murder Club Series:
The 5^th Horseman, Patterson (and Maxine Paetro), 2006
4^th of July, Patterson (and Maxine Paetro), 2005
3^rd Degree, Patterson (and Andrew Gross), 2005
2^nd Chance, Patterson (and Andrew Gross), 2003
1^st to Die, 2002
(Note: The seventh installment of this series, 7^th Heaven, is currently scheduled to be released in February of 2008)

Alex Cross Series:
Four Blind Mice, 2003
Along Came A Spider, 1993

Others:
Maximum Ride, 2006
The Lake House, 2004
The Beach House, Patterson (and Peter de Jonge), 2003
When the Wind Blows, 1999

To learn more about the author James Patterson, visit:
http://www.jamespatterson.com/