Without Consent

This is a great book. It was gripping and one of those "can't put it down" books. It was one of my first Kathryn Fox books and I enjoyed it completely. Would recommend it to others to read.

This book, written by an Australian physician, tells a quick moving story about a rapist-killer just released from prison (after 20 years) and a serial rapist on the loose. The question is, is it just a coincidence that the serial rapist emerged at the same time as this man was released from prison? Independent forensic pathologist Anya Crichton gets involved both with looking at the current series of rapes and -- coincidentally? -- with the file on the crime committed 20 years ago. The pace is quick and the plotting good -- I did not guess "who did it" but it made sense in the end. ALthough the detective is a forensic pathologist, I think that's close to where the resemblance to Cornwall ends. I liked Crichton a whole lot better than I liked Scarpetta, Cornwall's pathologist, and I thought the writing was tighter -- less verbose digressions. I'm going to go back and read this author's first book. And by the way, I believe this book received a major Australian award, so that speaks for the quality of the book.

Kathryn Fox is a powerful new voice in thrillers. She has attracted the praise of Jeffery Deaver, James Patterson and Linda Fairstein and the praise is justified. Without Consent is the story of a serial rapist. The police suspect the very simple but disturbed Geoff Willard, who has just got out of prison for raping and murdering a fourteen year old girl. But Dr Anya Crichton has doubts about his guilt for the decades old murder. If she finds a colleague to be incompetent, she has to grapple with becoming a whistle-blower and in the process letting a guilty rapist go free. The forensic info is stunning, new and really races the plot along. No lectures or wasted info here. Fox manages to write real, vulnerable but strong characters. Both good and evil characters are three dimensional and anything but cliches. Without Consent twists and turns at a rate of knots and I dare anyone to work out the twists in the ending!!!!! A five star thriller.