Blow Fly

Over the years I have read many of Patricia Cornwell's / Kay Scarpetta novels and always enjoyed them. This one I'm sad to write is a big disappointment and if I could give it zero stars I would. The story jumps all over the place and made me wonder more than once if I had inadvertently skipped a few pages or even a whole chapter. I literally forced myself to read it to the end in the hopes that it would somehow redeem itself. It did not! It's a terrible ending and makes no sense at all. Did Cornwell even write this book, or does she now employ other writers to write for her? Whatever the case, if she continues in this vein she might as well retire. I do hope though that she gets back on track so Kay Scarpetta can once again be the strong accomplished professional she once was and doing what she does best, forensic detective.

"Please don't go there. The past is the past," sighs New York Assistant District Attorney Jaime Berger, who herself was introduced in Cornwell's last Kay Scarpetta novel, The Last Precinct (2000). Alas, many of Cornwell's fans are bound to agree. One fascinating nonfiction bestseller (Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper, Case Closed) later, Cornwell now returns to Scarpetta, formerly Virginia's chief medical examiner. From the start, however, the formidable author is up against the equally formidable task of getting her charismatic main character off ice and back in action. We encounter Scarpetta languishing in a crumbling little rental house in Florida. She has taken refuge there and become a private forensic consultant after she was driven from her job for her alleged involvement in the murder of a deputy police chief. The violent death of her lover, Benton Wesley, the brilliant FBI psychological profiler, has left her filled with an unappeasable grief. When the coroner in Baton Rouge asks her advice on a cold case concerning an affluent woman found dead of a drug overdose in a seedy hotel, it seems little more than a diversion. Yet it becomes clear that the overdose may be related to a fresh string of serial killings. Also disturbing Scarpetta's somber peace is a troubling letter from someone out to kill her, the sick and obsessed death-row inmate Jean-Baptiste. When Scarpetta is at last allowed to get back to business, she is a feisty, independent powerhouse whose capacity to concentrate and observe rivals Sherlock Holmes's

Loved this book! Reading it in the 3rd person, instead of the usual Scarpetta first person, is a little weird at first. Once you get right into the novel, you are able to see whole new sides to the other characters because you get a glimpse beyond Scarpetta's perception. Bravo Patricia!!! Loved it!!

Before I read this book I read many of the reviews, and was especially surprised at the number of less-than-glowing reviews. I began reading with great skepticism. Lesson here: do yourself a favor, read it for yourself and come your own conclusion. After reading the book, I have thought about it some more, and cannot say enough about how much I liked it! As another reviewer indicated, many loose ends are tied together, which is satisfying to those that have read the series. More importantly, the characters have matured with the story and the story has not been a repeat of one independent serial killer case after another. This is book was not directed at an audience with the maturity of Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys or Three Investigators, where each story rarely plays on another. This book was an evolutionary addition to the ongoing story and not stunted by merely repeating a successful mystery format. I loved the book and look forward to seeing what else Ms. Cornwell can do with the characters and story line. Thank you Patricia Cornwell for another wonderful book!

I loved this book! In it, Kay finds herself in Florida, drawn into some gruesome murders -- but this is only a tease, as she soon becomes entangled in a greater mystery: one of international scope. Well, we can safely call this novel a successful page-turner! One book I certainly recommend. Other non-crime, more character-driven books I recommend: Bleachers by John Grisham, The Losers' Club by Richard Perez

Six years ago Benton Wesley was tortured and murdered. Since then life has become exceedingly difficult for Kay Scarpetta. Serial Killer Jean Baptiste Chardonne, the unwanted son of a crime cartel family, tried to make Kay one of his victims. When he was caught, he tried to turn the situation around and Kay was forced to go before a grand jury to defend her reputation and honor. Her one time lover Jay Talley, Jean-Baptist's fraternal twin, used her to find out if Benton told her anything about the Chardonne crime cartel.Unable to live in her precious Virginia home, Kay moved to Del Rey Beach, Florida working as a free lance consultant. Talley and his lover are fugitives living in the bayou near Baton Rouge where ten women in fourteen months have disappeared. Jean-Baptiste is days away from state execution and wants to see Scarpetta. Marino's son is a lawyer for the Chardonne family and is a threat to all of Kay's friends. All those people are being played by one of the world's most intelligent puppet masters.BLOW FLY brings the various players from the last three books together allowing the audience to see what is happening to each of them. Patricia Cornwell has written a brilliant crime thriller starring a vulnerable Scarpetta, a person who has endured heartache, legal troubles, a violent attack and near death by a violent sociopath. She is nowhere near healed and when she discovers the secret those closest to her have been keeping, she will feel betrayed and anger. Ms. Cornwell is at the top of her game with her latest novel. It keeps readers on the edge of their seats absorbing one shock after another.Harriet Klausner