A Book A Week

I've been reading Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series off and on since my aunt first gave me a copy of Body of Evidence when I was in high school.  After devouring the first several books in the series, my reading tastes evolved and my interest in the series waned. Then in 2015 my book-reviewing buddy John Valeri urged me to give the series another chance. Over the next three years, I was thrilled by the story that took place through Flesh and Blood, Depraved Heart, and Chaos. That last book seemed like a pretty good place to let Scarpetta ride off into the sunset. In fact, Cornwell spent the next few years writing a completely new series. Imagine my surprise, then, when I learned that her latest novel out today would be a return to her famed series. 

Autopsy, the 25th novel in the Kay Scarpetta series sees the character taking on the problems of the present-day while attempting to reclaim some of the glory from her past. Scarpetta has recently returned to her old stomping ground and career as the new chief medical examiner for the state of Virginia, a role she held many years ago. Back then, she was trying to prove herself as a respected professional in a male dominate field. Now, she's more than earned respect in her job, but her challenge is nonetheless daunting. Her predecessor was more concerned with furthering his political aspirations than running a functioning investigative unit. This negligence has left the department in disarray with many loyalists to the former guy working to undermine Kay's attempts at righting the ship. 

Interdepartmental drama aside, Kay's personal life has demanded her attention in a different way. When she took the job in Virginia, her entire family picked up their lives and made the move with her. Any move can take a toll on the family, but a tragic case of COVID has impacted Scarpetta's inner circle in a way no personal or professional obstacle has ever come close to replicating. Just as she is working to settle into things at work and home, Kay is called to the scene of a brutal murder. Her trusty sidekick and investigative partner Marino has made the move with her. The pair are a little worse for the ware, but they settle into an easy rhythm of working the case. Things are far from settled at the scene when Kay is interrupted by a phone call. Her presence has been requested by none other than the President of the United States. It's all in a day's work for the famed Dr. Kay Scarpetta. 

It seems that time has been the best thing for Patricia Cornwell's long-running series. Indeed, the years-long hiatus between novels has allowed the author to hit a kind of reset button within her world. Her characters' relationships and careers have changed since we last read about them, giving Cornwell the license to take her series in a new direction. She has opted to return to her roots, placing Scarpetta back in the job that she held when the series began twenty-five books ago. This gives Autopsy a feeling of familiarity that was very welcome, especially as the more recent books in the series have seemed to have lost some of the things that made the earlier books such a joy to read. It was a welcome change to have Scarpetta take a more hands-on approach with the investigation while also navigating the metaphorical landmine that the present-day political scene has become. I've always said that no one can write a chilling scene like Patrica Cornwell, and this latest book continues to prove my point. I had a few gripes about pacing and an ending that tidied things up a bit too quickly, but these did little to deter me from enjoying the book. With Autopsy it is safe to say that Patrica Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series is back and better than ever. 

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2021, 48)