Back on the horse, this weekend Blind Monkey reviewed the latest by Patricia Cornwell, “Book of the Dead.” All the players are back, with Dr. Kay Scarpetta working from a new home base in South Carolina, aand including action spanning from New York to Rome and Venice. Benton Wesley, Pete, Lucy and Rose all return for the drama, which is emotional and raw - something that will come as no surprise to those of you that are fans already.

I was prepared, but must admit that this story is brutal - even for Cornwell. Haunted by images of a beautiful and famous tennis phenom who is cruelly tortured and mutilated in Rome, Kay strives to find the killer before he stikes again. And fails. The imagery is so moody, dark and powerful that I was surprised everytime I stepped away to look around and see the bright California sunshine.

There are at least two wonderfully sensitive and joyful moments, two more than you will generally find in a Cornwell novel. But “Book of the Dead” is not for the squeamish or faint-of-heart - in fact, I already warned Mom that under no circumstances is she allowed to read it. But if you’re looking for a mystery with the heart of a savage psychological thriller - pick up the “Book.”

I give this one 4 1/2 bananas, with points taken off only because the reveal comes a little early.

Reviewed by: The Blind Monkey
Saturday, August 7, 1999

Well, it’s happened again. In a space of 24 hours, I have torn through Patricia Cornwell’s latest creation — and now it’s over. *SIGH*

It wouldn’t be so tormenting if she didn’t have such a unique talent for pulling you in. You race through her novels like a dying man gulping his first drink out of the desert, and then the canteen runs dry and you’re immediately thirsty again.

————–

Black Notice is no different. A sadistic mesh of old faces and startling new personalities, the tenth Scarpetta novel introduces a bleak political climate and puzzling string of grisly murders. Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta, Pete Marino, and neice Lucy are unsuccessfully struggling to cope with Benton Wesley’s untimely death. Scarpetta faces the destruction of her career, Lucy is a ticking time bomb of rage and angst, and Marino is back in uniform. Introduced into this grim setting, Benton visits from the grave through a personal letter written before his death with instructions to be delivered to Kay exactly one year post-mortem.

But enough of that!!! What you want to hear about is death! HAHAHA!!! (ooohh - BM’s evil laugh!)

Well I’m happy to say (is that wrong?) that Black Notice has some of the darkest clues and grim forensic discoveries to date. The first body (there’s always a first) is discovered at the Richmond international port locked in a container where it’s been steadily decomposing for weeks. The sorry state of the body leads to the most graphic detecting yet… you know, the kind of stuff where Quincy always cut to a commercial! A clue written in blood near the body in odd blocky letters, “Le Loup-garou,” leads Dr. Scarpetta and Captain Marino on a whirlwind journey to Interpol where Kay actually breaks the law to subvert a corrupted system.

It’s facinating stuff, and will make you wonder what’s wrong with you that you’re so enthralled by the gore.

There’s no denying that this is Cornwell’s best work. And I admit, I do feel guilty that I reveled in the ugly underbelly (and the fact that I was just dying to use that phase in a sentence) of the police department and the macabre tone… especially when one of the most prominent themes deals with grief and the message that the dead have to tell.

Just another reason this book was riveting. Yes, RIVETING. Big word. Totally true. Just read it yourself and then tell us what you think!

Hardcover - 368 pages (August 02, 1999) Putnam Pub Group; ISBN: 0399145087 ; Dimensions (in inches): 1.56 x 9.57 x 6.55

Reviewed by: The Blind Monkey

Patricia Cornwell has made a career out of clear language, believeable characters, and intricate descriptions that use location to create a compelling, moving force that transports the reader. Her latest work, Southern Cross, continues this simple-yet-effective strategy, and will engross you from page one.

As a sometimes-hypocritical, but consistently aggressive intellectual snob, I find it hard to admit to my readers how much I enjoy Cornwell’s novels. In fact, the other BMR writers turn up their collective noses whenever I mention her name. But the fact is, I can’t wait to rush to the bookstore or put in that ‘early-release order’ with Amazon each time she comes out with a new one.

I was both delighted and disappointed with her latest police-adventure.

Let’s start with “delighted.” This book introduces a humourous new element to PC’s writing with toungue-in-cheek satire and outlandish sub-characters that are simultaneously stereotypical and unique.

Take Butner “Bubba” Fluck IV, the gun-toting redneck tool freak obsessed with Phillip Morris products and alien conspiracies. Or Weed Gardner, a frighteningly accurate portrayal of a talented youth forced to commit criminal acts by fame-seeking gang members. There’s also Lehlia Ehrlhart, whose command of the english language is so terribly pathetic that every sentence comes out as a joke. And finally, we have the pets: “Popeye” and “Niles” steal the show time and again offering a unique perspective on the misguided actions of their owners.

But the development of the main characters leads us to the “dissapointing” portion of this book.

Cornwell returns to the cast of 1997’s Hornet’s Nest. Set in Richmond, VA, our heros venture north to implement the latest technological advances in criminal mapping on a grant from the NIJ to clean up the beleagered Richmond PD. Chief Judy Hammer, Deputy Virginia West, and Officer Andy Brazil interact in a way that leads the reader to believe that many, many, scenes have been missed since last we saw them. It’s much like reading the FIRST and THIRD book in a trilogy… you keep wondering what happened in-between.

A second, but equally troubling, disappointment is revealed in what seems like a lack of research on the part of the author. Unlike the excruciatingly accurate detail of the Scarpetta novels, Cornwell seems lost in her description of computer viruses and the police procedural. It’s almost as if she took a vacation while writing this book, and decided that the details weren’t as important as before.

But despite these shortcomings, Southern Cross is still a compelling read. It is a true accomplishment when one can make writing seem so completely effortless and encompassing. Although this isn’t one of Cornwell’s best, I still found it a great diversion and recommend it for readers looking for a lighthearted and enjoyable read.

Hardcover - 359 pages (January 11, 1999) Putnam Pub Group; ISBN: 039914465X ; Dimensions (in inches): 1.45 x 9.59 x 6.56