Friday, May 18, 2007

Trace - Patricia Cornwell


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.

7 comments:

  1. I've only read one Patricia Cornwall book and I was less than impressed! The one I read was Blowfly. At one point I read an interview with her where she said that it was an accessible point for someone who hadn't read any of the other books. I was flabbergasted because it is so not true!

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  2. I only read the first one in the series, Post-Mortem, and I loved it. But I've heard the fans say that the books are losing quality!

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  3. Marg,
    I don't know why she would say something like that because it's really not true in the sense that what made me enjoy the series is absent in that book. I didn't much enjoy that one either...

    Virgulina,
    I loved the first books, they are keepers for me but these last ones I've read just aren't the same thing. I have Predator in the TBR pile so maybe I'll grab it one of these days to see if it's more of the same...

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  4. My problem with Cornwell is that she's been recycling her plots. I mean is Kay really that hateful that she has to deal with office sabotage in every..single..book? But sigh, I keep reading, although she's strictly a library author for me.

    Oh, and in case anyone cares - I think she hit her stride with From Potter's Field - after that it starts to slide downhill......

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  5. Hi Wendy,
    Have you read Predator? Is it just more of the same? I also have Hornet's Nest and Southern Cross in the TBR but I've been hesitant to try those. Would you recommend them?

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  6. Ana:
    Hornet's Nest and Southern Cross is her other series, and those I haven't read. So sorry - I'm not help there.

    Predator is pretty much more of the same - except the last 100 pages ROCK! That said, you have to wade through the first 300 to get to the pay-off, so you'll have to decide if investing the time is worth it. Plus, it's more sad-sack Marino, and personally I'm more than little peeved with Cornwell for neutering him.

    I wasn't disappointed that I read it - but very happy I checked it out from the library.

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  7. Wendy,
    I just love Marino!! It's awful to see what she made him go through in this book.

    I am happy to know that at least the last pages of Predator rock :-)
    That's more than I can say for Trace. And I guess I'll just have to take my chances with the other 2 and pick them up one of these days.

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