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Patricia Cornwell - Trace


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...Actually at one point Kay is talking to EAP, and she keeps telling him "Hello Edgar Allan", and "How are you Edgar Allan?" I found that rather irritating - no one will call a person by two full names if they are saying hello I would think!

Isn't that a particularly American thing, though? You get a million Mary Kates & Loura Louises & Marylin Mays. If I were over there I would most likely be Kell Andrea all the time - that would drive me nuts!

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I have read all the previous Scarpetta novels, so know where the characters are coming from. However if I were to start with this book, I would not get into the characters so much, and I would not make it a point to read all the books as the first one i picked up made me do. Personally I think this book falls short of the usual good stories her earlier novels were, and I was a bit disappointed.

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At least this is coming from someone who's read the others first - I was completely put off, but if someone who's read them says this is a disappointing one by the standard of the others, I may well reconsider & perhaps pick up the 1st one at some point in the future. It won't be high on my list of priorities, but if I come across it when I'm short on reading material, I might give it a go.

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At least this is coming from someone who's read the others first - I was completely put off, but if someone who's read them says this is a disappointing one by the standard of the others, I may well reconsider & perhaps pick up the 1st one at some point in the future. It won't be high on my list of priorities, but if I come across it when I'm short on reading material, I might give it a go.

 

You really should Kell. Her earlier novels were brilliant!

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Big spoiler in this so don't read on if you haven't read the novel!

 

 

 

 

 

I had never read any Patricia Cornwell, so last September started with the first Scarpetta novel, Postmortem, and have read them all now in order up to Trace.

 

I really liked the first ones and became very pulled into the stories and characters, though as the books progressed I got a bit confused as Scarpetta hardly seemed to age at all and Lucy aged at a rate of knots!

 

I was really starting to think before I got to Trace that the author was writing Scarpetta novels more because her readers expected it than that she had anything new to say about the characters, and Trace has confirmed it for me.

 

I very much disliked the fact that we were introduced to Edgar Allen by name so early, and as her books always link seemingly disparate crimes in the end, it was obvious that he was the perpetrator of the Richmond death. It was like watching Columbo - will they catch him, rather than whodunnit! And what was the point of all the stuff between the girl's mother and Marino - it ended up going nowhere really - the end was really rushed and not followed through effectively.

 

Bringing Benton back in the last book struck me as a Bobby Ewing moment as well, totally unbelievable and unnecessary.

 

Why does everyone always seem to be conspiring against them as well?

 

Very disappointed. I have started Predator, the last one, but this seems very similar, and probably won't read any more Scarpetta novels if she writes them.

 

 

Debbie

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! And what was the point of all the stuff between the girl's mother and Marino - it ended up going nowhere really - the end was really rushed and not followed through effectively.

 

Debbie

 

Not only that - he came out a big huge wimp because of the whole episode, whereas I always used to see him as a hero. Come on, if it were me I would have told her(him) where to go!!

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Bringing Benton back in the last book struck me as a Bobby Ewing moment as well, totally unbelievable and unnecessary.

 

Debbie

 

I agree! I would not have done that. Apart from that, I do not believe it could happen in real life - I cannot imagine leaving my family, making them think I am dead, and living a "made-up" life, for a job!!!

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