'Cause of Death' is the seventh book in the Kay Scarpetta series from Patricia Cornwell and begins when a reporter is found dead in the icy waters of the Elizabeth River in Virginia. This then leads Scarpetta, Marino, Wesley and Lucy into the world of terrorism when the death is found to be related to an investigation into the terrorist group The New Zionists.
I've been reading through the Scarpetta novels in order for about a year now and this was the first one that didn't really grip me at all and in places I was even a little bored. The Kay/Benton relationship is also getting a little tiresome as well as Kay's over-protective relationship and over-exageratted problems with her neice Lucy.
The actual murder investigation is ok, if a little unbeliveable. I did find it interesting how forensics were becoming more advanced at the time that the book was written, as some of the procedures and equipment used are things that are fairly basic in this day and age and really made me think how things have rapidly progressed over the past 10 years.
Overall it is a fairly entertaining read for the most part that unfortunately does get a little boring at points, but is one that regulars to the series should read to keep up to date with the flow of the series. If you're new to the Cornwell books, I'd definitely start at the beginning (Postmortem) as the first six books are much better thank this.