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The Last Precinct
 
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The Last Precinct (Paperback)

by Patricia Cornwell (Author)
3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
RRP: £6.99
Price: £4.99 & eligible for Free UK delivery on orders over £5 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Frequently Bought Together

The Last Precinct + Black Notice + Blow Fly
Price For All Three: £15.47

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  • This item: The Last Precinct by Patricia Cornwell

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  • Black Notice by Patricia Cornwell

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Product details

  • Paperback: 565 pages
  • Publisher: Sphere; New edition edition (2 Jun 2001)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0316646253
  • ISBN-13: 978-0751525359
  • ASIN: 0751525359
  • Product Dimensions: 18 x 10.9 x 3.7 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 15,345 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #10 in  Books > Crime, Thrillers & Mystery > Authors, A-Z > C > Cornwell, Patricia > Scarpetta
    #10 in  Books > Crime, Thrillers & Mystery > Authors, A-Z > C > Cornwell, Patricia > Complete List

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
What is peculiarly impressive about Patricia Cornwell's new addition to her popular series about the pathologist Kay Scarpetta, The Last Precinct, is that it is a book in which everything is up for grabs and all is at stake. Murders we thought settled for good in previous books, with guilt allocated and people arrested or killed, suddenly come bubbling to the surface again. Kay finds herself accused of the killing of difficult Deputy Police Chief Diane Bray, and of framing the deformed psychopath who killed Diane and burst into Kay's home with murderous intent. Even the hideous death of Kay's lover Benton, several books ago, turns out to have been more complicated than we thought. Kay finds herself in jeopardy several times over with her headstrong lesbian niece, her only entirely reliable ally. This is a book in which Cornwell takes her heroine into new areas--we get the same amount of complicated forensic lore, but there is a new personal urgency to it, a sense that detection is not a game. Kay's relationships with colleagues have always been prickly, but here they become more problematic than ever before; Cornwell's admirers will be pleased by this, her most tense and nervy book for years. --Roz Kaveney This review refers to the hardcover edition of this title. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
'When she is this good, she is hard to beat.' New Statesman 'Forget the pretenders. Cornwell reigns.' Mirror

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Last Precinct
84% buy the item featured on this page:
The Last Precinct 3.1 out of 5 stars (81)
£4.99
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Unnatural Exposure (Dr Kay Scarpetta)
4% buy
Unnatural Exposure (Dr Kay Scarpetta) 3.1 out of 5 stars (20)
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Customer Reviews

81 Reviews
5 star:
 (18)
4 star:
 (18)
3 star:
 (15)
2 star:
 (13)
1 star:
 (17)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.1 out of 5 stars (81 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The agony of Scarpetta's life continues without much relief, 31 Jan 2004
By Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)      
Finishing one of Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta novels is never a cathartic experience and this certainly holds true for this one. "The Last Precinct" is unusual because it picks up within 24 hours of where the previous Scarpetta novel, "Black Notice," left off (usually much more time has passed with things happening like people getting blown up by bombs or something equally significant). Scarpetta is still reeling from the attempt by Jean-Baptiste Chandonne, a.k.a. Le Loup-Garou or The Werewolf." It is insufficient to say that you if you have not read "Black Notice" you will have trouble following the events in this novel, because "The Last Precinct" does some major revisionist history on virtually every major person and event in Scarpetta's life, particularly Benton. The main narrative thread in this novel is that, in a grotesque turn of events, Scarpetta is implicated in the brutal murder of Diane Bray, Chandonne's previous victim and one of Scarpetta's many nemises. It seems Scarpetta is not going to get away from being victimized from this most recent deranged killer to cross her path.

As always, the forensic details in Crowmell's novels are fascinating. Most crime fiction glosses over such things and even in Scarpetta's world rather obvious scientific facts have to be hammered home to the idiots in power over and over again. But these novels are always much more are Scarpetta's relationships with the people around here than the demented killers she is helping to track down. I always look forward to finding out what is up with Lucy in each novel: having given up on the FBI and now ATF, Lucy is ready to enter the private sector (it seems she's been doing some interesting things in her spare time). The novel's title refers to a newly formed investigative unit run by Lucy's old ATF boss, Teun McGovern. But the name takes on darken significance as more of this immense and convoluted plot are revealed. Like Scarpetta, we are asked to reconsider some of the major events in these novels in light of new and most revealing information.

In "The Last Precinct" the pivotal characters are a pair of women the professional equals of Scarpetta and the best parts of the book are her interactions with them. The first is a familiar face, Dr. Anna Zenner, who becomes Scarpetta's de facto counselor, a move that could end up hurting our heroine as much as it helps. The second is Jaime Berger, a first-rate prosecutor from New York who will apparently be handling much more than the Chandonne case, which is being moved to NYC for the worst of political reasons. This also a shadowy behind the scenes figure who has a big impact: Pete Marino's estranged son Rocky, a New York lawyer with mob connections who will be defending Chandonne, just to make things really interesting.

When you finish reading "The Last Precinct" you will certainly not feel a sense of cleansing relief. It is not because of the violent deaths and the detailed autopsies, but rather because with Cornwell it is never really over. At best Scarpetta has a chance to catch her breath before the next round of horrors for which she is the inevitable focal point begins again. Maybe this is just the middle part of an epic trilogy that will finally get us to the point where we can believe justice has been served, but I really have to doubt it given every other book in the series.

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars The Last Precinct, 23 Feb 2006
Considering the length of the book, very little actually happens. Scarpetta again finds herself in the middle of another campaign to destroy her. Not a bad book but where is this series going, what's happening to the characters? Thankfully Lucy is not around much but when she is we discover that Superwoman has added another string to her bow. She is an internet millionaire. Whoopee. Despite Scarpetta constantly telling us how beautifull, smart, funny and wonderful Lucy is, Cornwell constantly fails to give any evidence that this is actually the case. Scarpetta herself is not as sympathetic this time round either. It's difficult to care that her life is falling apart when she appears to have no awareness of her shortcomings and her lack of tolerance for anyone who fails to meet her Everest sized standards is galling when most of the plot is driven by her own bad judgement. It is a shame as Scarpetta at her best is a fantastic character. Cornwell makes you understand why this woman does the job she does. Hopefully the next book will be better.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed, 2 Aug 2006
By S. Coates (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I have read all of this series and I am sorry to say but this is the worst book I have ever read. Not only did nothing happen AT ALL, but the story did not even seem finished when the pages "ran out". The plot was awful and the characters seemed to loose the idea throughout the book. Without giving the book away (not that there is much)I would advise any Patricia Cornwell fans to stay away from this book, it will not ruin the series and will not give you the idea that the once great author is loosing her touch.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars The Last Precinct
This is the 11th in Cornwell's long running Kay Scarpetta series and it is a complete extension of her previous novel 'Black Notice' which is the 10th in the series. Read more
Published 18 days ago by molko

1.0 out of 5 stars Poor
This is one of the worst books that I have ever read. Cornwell seems bereft of new ideas and the increasingly ludicrous plot and characterisation is breathtaking. Read more
Published 4 months ago by C. Wadsworth

3.0 out of 5 stars Not The Last
As this book unfolds you realise that it is part of a trilogy, and in that lies a problem: the reader becomes aware that the overarching story will not be completed, the answers... Read more
Published 5 months ago by M. J. Saxton

1.0 out of 5 stars complete anti-climax
If like me you are gradually working your way through the Scarpetta novels then I'm afraid you will still need to read this one to continue understanding everyone's private life... Read more
Published 9 months ago by DWM

4.0 out of 5 stars New readers introduction to Scarpetta, Marino and Lucy
I enjoyed this book as much as all the others, but I felt the story line pulled too much on the other Scarpetta novels rather than having a good plot of its own. Read more
Published 11 months ago by J. Sumner

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
This is such a great book. I cannot fault it. Im 16 and can't wait the next book from her.
Published on 3 Jun 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reading
Out of all the Scarpetta's books I have read I considered this the best. It keeps you guessing until the end and is one I didn't want to put down. Read more
Published on 29 Dec 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars A very good book
I read all the patricia cornwell novels that are about Kay Scarpetta and have found them all to be gripping reads. Read more
Published on 12 May 2003 by katieanddarryl

2.0 out of 5 stars A disapointing read
Well that's not necessarily true. The first time through I was as thouroughly caught up in the book as with all her others but still distracted with the change of tense. Read more
Published on 18 April 2003 by lha2311

5.0 out of 5 stars still strong
i've just finished reading all the scarpetta novels and loved every single book. the last precinct is undoubtably the best one of all. Read more
Published on 20 Mar 2003 by maria

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