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/