Maureen Posted October 26, 2009 Author Share Posted October 26, 2009 I was uncomfortable with the changes she wrought in all of her characters. Lucy became a killing machine and then seemed to become quite tacky and shallow in her choice of friend and mate, it was all about her wealth. Marino regressed to neanderthal being, all booze, bikes and testosterone. And a big question for me was why were Lucy and Marino included in the plans for the fake death of Benton? I just felt that this was decided after the event, and that Benton was supposed to stay dead, but P.C. changed her mind. If her earlier writing had not been so very good I wouldn't care, but I feel affronted by what I see as a disintergration of a fabulous and taut series, that rightly won many awards. Couldn't have put it better ! I cannot believe what she did to the characters - she should have stopped while it was still believable. I do think that PC changed her mind about Benton - at one time the books felt as if she probably could not milk another story and patched things up as best as she could. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanwa Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 I think that's the worst thing, that it actually felt like she changed her mind. She really should have stopped completely with the book in which Benton "dies". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenzy Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 Patricia Cornwell used to be one of my favorite writers, until Point of Origin. Then I stopped liking the books, and after reading Blowfly I haven't read anything by her anymore. I was so dissapointed. I did buy her other books though, just because I like to have my series complete, although sometimes I wonder why I still bother . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 I was uncomfortable with the changes she wrought in all of her characters. Lucy became a killing machine and then seemed to become quite tacky and shallow in her choice of friend and mate, it was all about her wealth. Marino regressed to neanderthal being, all booze, bikes and testosterone. That's something I've really disliked too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 I tend to agree with you all on this, I didn't particularly like the direction all the characters took which is a shame. It was a great series until up towards the end Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 Oh no!! What in the world? Angelina Jolie has been chosen to play Kay Scarpetta in the Scarpetta tv-series. Why, why? She is so wrong for the role. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ooshie Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 I'm pleased to see that it isn't just me who hasn't enjoyed the more recent Scarpetta books. From being a series which I really looked forward to the next book coming out, I have been very much disappointed by the last few; everything that I liked about the main characters seems to have gone. I had moved on to Kathy Reichs but, again, her last couple of books haven't seemed so enjoyable to me. I'm trying Linda Fairstein now and enjoying her Alexandra Cooper series so far... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirandashell Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 I used to love the Scarpetta books too but Blowfly was the last I read. Actually, I didn't finish it. I just kept thinking 'lord, this is ****!' So I put it down and haven't read one since. As for her Ripper theory ..... hmmmm. I reckon she gave a lot of evidence for her Ripper writing the letters but no real evidence at all for him actually being the Ripper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirandashell Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 Is there a Nannybot on this forum? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ooshie Posted June 13, 2010 Share Posted June 13, 2010 The Scarpetta Factor by Patricia Cornwell Scarpetta becomes entangled in a series of events which involve: Benton and one of his previous patients; Lucy and her partner Berger; the host and "expert" on a TV show Scarpetta appears on; and a villain from a previous book. I hugely enjoyed the first half dozen or so Scarpetta novels, and had read that with this one Cornwell had returned to her earlier form. While I did enjoy it more than the last few, it is still a poor imitation of her earlier work. To me, the main characters have all become totally depressing, and...I really don't like them or care much what happens to them any more. It took me a week to read, where usually I would have finished a Scarpetta book in a couple of days - or even one day if I was really enjoying it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 I was just about to post about the new Scarpetta novel, The Scarpetta Factor but Ooshie beat me to it, by a month Anyways, if anyone's interested, the book is on play.com at the moment, only for 5,49e, meaning £4,59. I don't think I'm going to buy it myself, I've still to read about half of the novels and I want to (re)read the whole series in chronological order some day in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my-sweetheart-is-drunk Posted July 29, 2010 Share Posted July 29, 2010 I've read all the Scarpetta novels and honestly I just thought they became ludicrous after a point! Also... I never liked Benton in the first place and pretty much wanted him to stay dead and then she goes and throws in a (to me) completely obvious "JR in Dallas" storyline! Have you ever noticed that in books a loved one who dies during the course of a book is usually only dead if their death has actually been witnessed by a relevant character? Seeing just the badly burned or decomposed remains is a total give away for me. The latest one however wasn't too bad. As for the Win Garano series or what there has been of it so far, was anyone else left thinking: what was the point? You're introduced to new characters who you could probably form some kind of attachment to and then the book is over! The second (The Front) seemed to do exactly the same and proved itself rather pointless IMO. Maybe next time, if there is one, Cornwell will write a more extensive book in this series with an actual real case instead of whetting the appetite and leaving it usatisfied! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shirley Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 I am reading Patricia Cornwell at the moment but not one of her usual murders with Scarpetta but Portrait of a Killer about Jack the Ripper - certainly makes you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnL Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 I am reading Patricia Cornwell at the moment but not one of her usual murders with Scarpetta but Portrait of a Killer about Jack the Ripper - certainly makes you think? I loved the Scarpetta's for a while years ago, then I figured she liked Italian cooking, she had a black amex, she liked good scotch and the best thing is for her to stay at home as the serial killer always shows up at her house ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 I am reading Patricia Cornwell at the moment but not one of her usual murders with Scarpetta but Portrait of a Killer about Jack the Ripper - certainly makes you think? She made a TV program about that around the time the book came out. I remember watching it, but remember very little about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 I have quite an old and battered copy of Portrait of a Killer tucked away on one of my bottom shelves. I borrowed it ages ago from a friend and still haven't read it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 I have quite an old and battered copy of Portrait of a Killer tucked away on one of my bottom shelves. I borrowed it ages ago from an ex-friend (who, to this day, still curses me for being the lazy book thief that I am) and still haven't read it! Fixed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffin Nail Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 I've tried to read the Scarpetta novels a few times and never really got into them. I thought perhaps it's because as usual I jumped into the middle of the series. Perhaps I'd take to them if I read them in order. So I got Post-Mortem from the library on my last visit. Early days yet. Not made up my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 I've tried to read the Scarpetta novels a few times and never really got into them. I thought perhaps it's because as usual I jumped into the middle of the series. Perhaps I'd take to them if I read them in order. So I got Post-Mortem from the library on my last visit. Early days yet. Not made up my mind. Or maybe she's just not the sort of author you'd enjoy. I see you are currently reading a Karin Slaughter novel, and I dare say, I personally think Cornwell has nothing on Slaughter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Cornwell has gone downhill rapidly, and I wouldn't even bother picking up her books nowadays. The first few in the Scarpetta series were great, but they soon tapered off into routine tedium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sofia Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Cornwell has gone downhill rapidly, and I wouldn't even bother picking up her books nowadays. The first few in the Scarpetta series were great, but they soon tapered off into routine tedium. I agree completely....anything she's written in the past five years is just unreadable IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffin Nail Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Or maybe she's just not the sort of author you'd enjoy. I see you are currently reading a Karin Slaughter novel, and I dare say, I personally think Cornwell has nothing on Slaughter! Too true Frankie. I got bored with Post Mortem and started to read Slaughters' Fallen instead. I usually really love her Will Trent novels, but I'm not enamoured with this one. Its still better than average though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Too true Frankie. I got bored with Post Mortem and started to read Slaughters' Fallen instead. I usually really love her Will Trent novels, but I'm not enamoured with this one. Its still better than average though. I haven't read that novel yet myself, I think I've gotten as far in the chronological order as to have read the first Will Trent novel (which was fabulous, by the way!!) and the next Grant County novel, maybe. I seriously need to re-read the series from the first novel onwards and then read the books I've yet to read. Some summers ago I started to collect Patricia Cornwell novels and I think I now have the first 12 or so in the series and I should really get to reading them. They'd be great summer reads too and I'd finally like to read them in order and not just whichever book comes my way whenever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiameseCat Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 I'm in the middle of a binge of Cornwell books. And so far I'm altogether underwhelmed. Over the last years I've read and enjoyed almost everything by Kathy Reichs. But her last few didn't quite deliver, so I decided to try Cornwell because she is often referred to as ground-breaking for this type of thriller. Other than the shared profession of the respective lead characters, I wouldn't even compare the two authors. So far, on average Reichs seems superior to me. Her tone just doesn't take itself so seriously, even if it gets a little silly at times. Cornwell seems almost solemn at times, and I keep wanting to say "get over yourself" to everyone in her books. The story lines are creative and suspenseful enough most of the way. But I find it disappointing that clues are solved along the way, almost in a "by the way" manner. There's usually little or no suspense left for a real climax. For me all the book have just "fizzled out". I appreciate realism, but as a reader I still feel cheated if the tension isn't increasing towards to end of a book. Oh no!! What in the world? Angelina Jolie has been chosen to play Kay Scarpetta in the Scarpetta tv-series. Why, why? She is so wrong for the role. Honestly, to me she's wrong for anything other than playing her conceited self. If she was never again inflicted on the public, it wouldn't be too soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 I see you are currently reading a Karin Slaughter novel, and I dare say, I personally think Cornwell has nothing on Slaughter! I tried one of her books and didn't get very far because the violence was a bit too schlocky. One thing I think Cornwell always balanced well, despite her other flaws, was in not over egging the more sensation elements of her novels (I guess this may come from her having worked in a pathology lab). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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