Before I start, I have to say that I've found the last few installments of the Scarpetta series to be simple variations on a theme. The stories have gone from being about the cases of the CME of Richmond, who happens to be called Kay Scarpetta, to being about Kay Scarpetta, who happens to be the CME of Richmond, her family and the things that happen to them.
You can imagine, then, the uncertainty I felt when purchasing this book, especially since Ms Cornwell has radically changed the style of writing.
First off, that style of writing takes some getting used to. Not the third person part - that's fairly standard and, I think, makes the book more interesting - you get to see far more of the action this way.
The problem is that Ms Cornwell has decided to write in the present tense, which occasionally causes eye-watering moments as one has to become accustomed to reading it.
The other major problem was that even if you finish the book it feels unfinished. The story sort of tails off with the kind of ending that's obviously setting things up for a sequel but ties up many loose ends in one fell swoop and makes the reader feel cheated when things were just getting exciting.
All in all this book is worth reading, but only if you're a die-hard Scarpetta fan. If not, I'd suggest sticking with the earlier novels which are by far better written and more exciting.
