Elaine Roberts's Reviews > Trace

I love the Scarpetta character, which is based on a real medical examiner. Generally, Cornwell produces the Scarpetta books with taut and compelling writing. But in this novel, the characters have become caricatures of themselves. Marino is more unpleasant than usual. As a former detective, he is a useful foil and clearly in love with the lovely Kay Scarpetta, but became unacceptably irascible and unlikable in this book.

I know authors can't hit a home run with every book, especially in a long-running series with a character most readers probably think they actually know. But this book wasn't even a dribbling in-field single.

If this had been the first book I read by Cornwell, it would also be the last.