Friday, October 30, 2015

Depraved Heart by Patricia Cornwell Book Review




Title: Depraved Heart
Date Published: October 27, 2015
Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 480
Format: Paperback
Source: TLC Book Tours

Purchasing:



Patricia Cornwell delivers the newest engrossing thriller in her high-stakes series starring medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta.

Depraved Heart: “Void of social duty and fatally bent on mischief.”

—Mayes v. People, 806 III. 306 (1883)

Dr. Kay Scarpetta is working a suspicious death scene in Cambridge, Massachusetts when an emergency alert sounds on her phone. A video link lands in her text messages and seems to be from her computer genius niece Lucy. But how can it be? It’s clearly a surveillance film of Lucy taken almost twenty years ago.

As Scarpetta watches she begins to learn frightening secrets about her niece, whom she has loved and raised like a daughter. That film clip and then others sent soon after raise dangerous legal implications that increasingly isolate Scarpetta and leave her confused, worried, and not knowing where to turn. She doesn’t know whom she can tell—not her FBI husband Benton Wesley or her investigative partner Pete Marino. Not even Lucy.

In this new novel, Cornwell launches these unforgettable characters on an intensely psychological odyssey that includes the mysterious death of a Hollywood mogul’s daughter, aircraft wreckage on the bottom of the sea in the Bermuda Triangle, a grisly gift left in the back of a crime scene truck, and videos from the past that threaten to destroy Scarpetta’s entire world and everyone she loves. The diabolical presence behind what unfolds seems obvious—but strangely, not to the FBI. Certainly that’s the message they send when they raid Lucy’s estate and begin building a case that could send her to prison for the rest of her life.

In the latest novel in her bestselling series featuring chief medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta, Cornwell will captivate readers with the shocking twists, high-wire tension, and cutting-edge forensic detail that she is famous for, proving yet again why she’s the world’s #1 bestselling crime writer.


Crime books have been one of my favorite genres for as long as I can remember. But, my TBR pile topples at the mere suggestion of another book, so when I was contacted about this book I decided enough was enough. Having not read a Patricia Cornwell book before (even though I have more than a few on my bookshelves) I decided it was time to take the plunge. And she does not disappoint.

This is another book featuring Dr. Kay Scarpetta, one of Cornwell's repeat characters. Not to worry, no need to read other books as she does a great job of fleshing out the character so you can grasp her depth. 

After seeing a surveillance film of her niece Lucy (who is like a daughter to her) secrets are revealed, secrets that Kay doesn't know what to do with. She certainly can't tell her husband, or Lucy either for that matter. There is A LOT that goes on in this book, and part of the reason I didn't give it five stars is you really have to be on your toes as multiple story lines work together. The only down side I see is that the focus stays mainly on Kay and the rest of the characters play minor roles, while I felt some deserved a little more time.

A very talented writer, I feel like I need to go back to the beginning of this series, just so I can see what Kay was like then to now. There is so much I could give away, so I will keep this review masked for now. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys crime or thriller novels.




Patricia Cornwell

Patricia Cornwell is recognized as one of the world s top bestselling crime authors with novels translated into thirty-six languages in more than 120 countries. Her novels have won numerous prestigious awards including the Edgar, the Creasey, the Anthony, the Macavity, and the Prix du Roman d Aventure. Beyond the Scarpetta series, she has written a definitive book about Jack the Ripper, a biography, and two more fiction series. Cornwell, a licensed helicopter pilot and scuba diver, actively researches the cutting-edge forensic technologies that inform her work. She was born in Miami, grew up in Montreat, North Carolina, and now lives and works in Boston.

Find out more about Patricia at her website, and follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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