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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.5 stars for the eBook, 5 stars for the narration.
Identity Unknown takes Dr. Kay Scarpetta into two chilling cases: the suspicious death of 7-year-old Luna Briley and the bizarre murder of Nobel-winning physicist Sal Giordano, who was once Scarpetta’s lover.
The story begins with intrigue, from a tragic child abuse case to a haunting murder scene in an abandoned theme park, complete with crop circles and eerie clues.
The forensic details are sharp, but the novel feels overloaded. With countless subplots and references to past events, I struggled to keep track. This isn’t a standalone—new readers will probably feel left out. The UFO angle was weird, though it ironically reflects the current US drone sightings.
Cornwell excels at creating a fascinating cast, and Scarpetta’s emotional depth shines, especially in her reaction to Sal’s death. My favorite part was January LaVoy’s audiobook narration. Her velvet voice brings the characters to life, making the story more enjoyable. If you’re considering Identity Unknown, the audiobook is the way to go.
Though the mystery starts off baffling, the ending is underwhelming. Longtime fans may enjoy revisiting familiar faces, but for newcomers, Identity Unknown might be too much to unpack. As a grandmother, reading about an abused child hit me hard. It’s a painful element that adds emotional weight.
** Thanks to the publishers for copies of the eBook and audio. The opinions are my own.
Identity Unknown takes Dr. Kay Scarpetta into two chilling cases: the suspicious death of 7-year-old Luna Briley and the bizarre murder of Nobel-winning physicist Sal Giordano, who was once Scarpetta’s lover.
The story begins with intrigue, from a tragic child abuse case to a haunting murder scene in an abandoned theme park, complete with crop circles and eerie clues.
The forensic details are sharp, but the novel feels overloaded. With countless subplots and references to past events, I struggled to keep track. This isn’t a standalone—new readers will probably feel left out. The UFO angle was weird, though it ironically reflects the current US drone sightings.
Cornwell excels at creating a fascinating cast, and Scarpetta’s emotional depth shines, especially in her reaction to Sal’s death. My favorite part was January LaVoy’s audiobook narration. Her velvet voice brings the characters to life, making the story more enjoyable. If you’re considering Identity Unknown, the audiobook is the way to go.
Though the mystery starts off baffling, the ending is underwhelming. Longtime fans may enjoy revisiting familiar faces, but for newcomers, Identity Unknown might be too much to unpack. As a grandmother, reading about an abused child hit me hard. It’s a painful element that adds emotional weight.
** Thanks to the publishers for copies of the eBook and audio. The opinions are my own.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I stoped reading Cornwall years ago, but when I saw this on my library shelf, I decided to give it another try. I forced myself to read at least 100 pages, and then I gave up. I found the story boring and the characters two dimensional to the point of being cartoonish.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Interesting read, you need to know the series from the beginning to follow with complete understanding. Although, the storyline was far fetched , it was an interesting read. I find myself a bit disappointed that I didn’t start from the beginning of the series and read this series chronologically.
a little too much exposition and not enough plot. Would help to have read previous book (or books?) to know some of the backstory.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No