Patricia Cornwell's Newest Novel: Book of the Dead

A Review of Cornwell's Latest Book in the Kay Scarpetta Series

Patricia Cornwell's newest novel, Book Of The Dead, is book 15 in the author's Kay Scarpetta series. Book Of The Dead begins in Italy where the reader is introduced to the first of several murders-- the brutal murder of a young American athlete. We suspect, soon enough, that the killer's connections span far beyond Italy.

After the initial dramatic events in Italy, the reader is transported back to the United States. Patricia Cornwell has given Scarpetta a new home in Charleston, South Carolina, where Kay has opened a private forensic pathology facility. It is here Dr. Scarpetta returns after leaving Italy. Some in Charleston are not happy about her presence, and so Scarpetta must deal with malicious local politicians, in addition to other serious events which are unfolding.

The narrative throughout Book Of The Dead is crisp and effective; the overall mood can be described as chilling. Patricia Cornwell has gone a step beyond her other books here. This novel moves stealthily into deeper waters. Book Of The Dead is a tremendous testimony to Cornwell's ability to layer and intertwine situations and emotions. Cornwell's characters are realistically multi-faceted, her plots and subplots deftly interwoven.

Some long-time Patricia Cornwell fans may be attached to old versions of characters and resist any change. But people do change, and Cornwell breathes new life into Kay Scarpetta and the other characters by allowing them to grow, to change as real people do. Any real person going through what these fictional characters go through would certainly be changed. Cornwell knows this, and she knows her characters and allows them to evolve. This takes the world of Kay Scarpetta to an emotionally rich level--richer than ever before.

If you are looking for a novel with some depth rather than a simple "shoot 'em and book 'em" story, then you should enjoy Book Of The Dead, and any other Patricia Cornwell novel in the Kay Scarpetta series. Unexpected detours and emotional realism keep her prose fresh, and the effect can be pleasantly long lasting.