Point of Origin

I don\’t understand how this series has made it to 23 books. This book itself was pretty good, but killing off (apparently) one of the major characters was an issue for me. The follow up to this, \”Black Notice\”, however, is almost unreadable. Some of the issues with that entry begin to creep into this book. Things like the author\’s overall negativity toward the world and her main character\’s continuing issues with the power structure. I recognize this is done to create tension and suspense, but in Cornwell\’s books it comes off as whining and preachy. The Temperance Brennen series by Kathy Reichs handles these subjects much better and actually builds empathy for the main character, while Cornwell does none of that. I may try to finish the series, but at this point I need a break.

Is it bad this book actually made me sad? I don\’t want to give out spoilers so I won\’t say why. I found this book different than some of her others. Besides the fact it has a lot to do with fire, it felt somewhat more personal or Kay Scarpetta. I really really enjoyed it! I really love Kay/ Lucy scenes. It would be amazing if they made a movie or even tv show like Tess Gerritsen\’s Rizzoli novels. You can\’t beat getting these books for $4 used. I have made quite a collection on my bookshelves from Amazon and a decent dent in my bank account as well. Oh well, books and knowledge are priceless! Highly recommend this novel series.

In this book, Dr. Scarpetta is a consultant for ATF and is called out to a fire scene in Warrenton. Her niece, Lucy, is now working for ATF and has been transferred to Philadelphia. When the Warrenton fire is connected to a fire in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania and other fires and a tragedy happens, Scarlett a is determined to lure the killer out. This was a very pages turning but sad read.

Too much superfluous technical detail. Who\’s she trying to impress? Too implausible. Over the top, bazaar. Too contrived. Unbelievable. Too, too many loose ends. Did we ever learn how the fires started (yeah a magnesium fire starter that left small filings in skin) and fueled to such intensity. Did I miss something as I skimmed the technical jargon? Why was Windsong loose? Himmmm….she may have gone down in a ball of fire, presumed dead, but I\’m thinking we will have to wait until Carrie reappears to learn THE POINT OF ORIGIN.

This book is what I consider the last good Scarpetta novel; all the books that follow it (The Last Precinct, Blowfly, Predator, et al) are hardly worth the paper they\’re printed on. The plot centers on the suspected arson of a media magnate\’s home which resulted in the death of one female and several prize horses. A new villain enters the picture (Newton Joyce), and he\’s aided by serial killer Carrie Grethen, newly escaped from prison. There\’s a subplot involving Benton Wesley, Scarpetta\’s FBI paramour, which turns into the mother of all plot twists in her later novel \’Blowfly\’. I felt that Cornwell didn\’t give her characters enough chance: she rapidly ditches both Joyce and Grethen in favor of Le Loup-Garou, her villain of \’Black Notice\’ and \’The Last Precinct\’, which in my opinion was a mistake. The supporting characters are back: Lt. Pete Marino (I swear if she kills him off I will never touch one of her novels again), FBI agent Lucy Farinelli, Scarpetta\’s neice (although too much of a deal is made of her lesbianism), and one of the best villains in contemporary thrillers, Carrie Grethen. Carrie can be placed easily next to Hannibal Lecter in terms of fictional villains. As you read, you\’ll learn about how arson fires are investigated and, incidentally, how fires work in terms of accelerants and point(s) of origin (where the fire initially begins); you\’ll also learn a little bit about how a scanning electron microscope (SEM) works. Cornwell\’s science is always dead-on, and this book is no exception.

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