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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Kay Scarpetta's return to Virginia makes for more interesting plots than were present for a time in this series. I admit, what I loved about the Scarpetta books were the early entries. I resisted the turn to high tech spy thrillers and upscale living with connections, connections, connections. I've always liked the characters and all of the main players are still here. Kay's sister Dorothy's marriage to Kay's long time partner, Marino, seems odd, but in a sense Cornwell agrees with me. Recently since I kept reading the books, I realized I'd love the current version of the series if I'd never read the earlier books. I like thrillers. I like spy stories. I like high tech intrigue. I just felt a dissonance when they became early character Kay Scarpetta's new life. My epiphany that I could like both definitely has drawn me back to the series.
This is to say I really enjoyed "Identity Unknown" and highly recommend it if you like thriller/government secrecy and high tech. In this case, a former flame of Kays and still a good friend is found dead under very odd circumstances. She had seen him the day before on his 60th birthday. Sal was a former Nobel prize recipient, a famed scientist a bit of a maverick and he died in a crumbling, abandoned theme park that has a great theme. Those keeping up with the novels know that a dangerous Russian operative who was once involved with Lucy and who was once believed dead is still around and still messing in the extended family group's lives. Kay is brought into the case to perform the forensic autopsy but on a need to know basis and in a secure, highly secret location. Meanwhile, his death becomes fodder for social media because of how Sal was killed. Also high profile is the death of a young daughter of a powerful, wealthy couple who are less than likable. Did she play with a gun and shoot herself? As usual, what makes a mystery delectable is ruined if too much is shared. Sorry. Not Sorry. Read it!
The Narrator for this audiobook, January LaVoy, is truly one of the best I've ever heard and I listen to a LOT of audiobooks.
This is to say I really enjoyed "Identity Unknown" and highly recommend it if you like thriller/government secrecy and high tech. In this case, a former flame of Kays and still a good friend is found dead under very odd circumstances. She had seen him the day before on his 60th birthday. Sal was a former Nobel prize recipient, a famed scientist a bit of a maverick and he died in a crumbling, abandoned theme park that has a great theme. Those keeping up with the novels know that a dangerous Russian operative who was once involved with Lucy and who was once believed dead is still around and still messing in the extended family group's lives. Kay is brought into the case to perform the forensic autopsy but on a need to know basis and in a secure, highly secret location. Meanwhile, his death becomes fodder for social media because of how Sal was killed. Also high profile is the death of a young daughter of a powerful, wealthy couple who are less than likable. Did she play with a gun and shoot herself? As usual, what makes a mystery delectable is ruined if too much is shared. Sorry. Not Sorry. Read it!
The Narrator for this audiobook, January LaVoy, is truly one of the best I've ever heard and I listen to a LOT of audiobooks.
Much better than the last 6 in the series, she's back to writing straight instead of meandering through so much angst. So glad, I've stuck because I'm invested in the characters. Glad I have.
I picked up this book because Patricia Cornwell was my grandmother's favorite author. I tried to read one of her books in high school, and it hadn't been for me at the time. This book was a pleasant surprise in many ways, and bittersweet because I can no longer chat with my grandmother about the new Cornwell and how much I liked it.
This was a fun story, though did feel a bit unfinished at the end. I'm going to chalk that up to the fact that this mystery is part of a larger overarching mystery that started before this book and will continue on into others. I enjoyed it though, and over a decade later I enjoyed my time with Kay Scarpetta a lot more. Part of it is me aging, part of it is her being more settled, and I think the story being such a connection to someone I loved played a role too. I enjoyed the life that has been made since my last time reading, and all the characters that are part of that. These characters were well-written, and even without previous knowledge of them all it was easy to dive into their world and who they were. Plus, UFOs? So interesting.
This book was great if you are fan of the mystery/thriller genre, or kind of an X Files vibe. Kay Scarpetta novels are really a genre defining series at this point, but if you like Kathy Reichs, you'll like this too.
This was a fun story, though did feel a bit unfinished at the end. I'm going to chalk that up to the fact that this mystery is part of a larger overarching mystery that started before this book and will continue on into others. I enjoyed it though, and over a decade later I enjoyed my time with Kay Scarpetta a lot more. Part of it is me aging, part of it is her being more settled, and I think the story being such a connection to someone I loved played a role too. I enjoyed the life that has been made since my last time reading, and all the characters that are part of that. These characters were well-written, and even without previous knowledge of them all it was easy to dive into their world and who they were. Plus, UFOs? So interesting.
This book was great if you are fan of the mystery/thriller genre, or kind of an X Files vibe. Kay Scarpetta novels are really a genre defining series at this point, but if you like Kathy Reichs, you'll like this too.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes