Trace by Patricia Cornwell... anyone read it?

[perdidobay]

I want to read it but I hated her last book and I am wondering if her newest is any good. TIA for your review!!

 

[KathyTX]

I loved the earlier Kay Scarpetta books, but the last one sure was a disappointment. And this one's getting pretty bad reviews, too.

 

[Desiree]

Ack! Which last book are you guys talking about? I'm currently reading Blow Fly. (This is the 1st Patricia Cornwell book I've ever read). Should I have started from the beginning?

 

[leahannpen]

I just got it but haven't started it yet. I really liked the last one though, with Benton. I hope this one is good.

 

[perdidobay]

It would have helped to start reading from the first Kay novel, just to see why Kay acts as she does, but it's not really bad to read them out of order.
Blow Fly was not what I would judge her work by, if you want to start with her first, it's Postmortem.

 

[Desiree]

Thanks, Perdito.. I'll pick that one up next time I'm at the bookstore. I just grabbed that one because it seemed interesting with all the Louisiana references!

 

[goofy4tink]

Just finished it. I did like the earlier books but I enjoyed this one. I got it at the library. Was sitting there, looking at the new books and the librarian just stuck it on the shelf. When I checked out, the other librarian said.."Oh, you got 'Trace'. How'd you manage that?" I'm not a big Lucy fan tho. Yes, I know her history and her story but she's just too self-centered for me. But I love Kay. And Benton is pretty wonderful.

 

[castlegazer]

Hi Diane - you and I are hanging out together today!

I just finished Trace. I am a huge fan - but have been dissapointed in her in her last efforts. Trace is more enjoyable than the last two, but it still has some issues with her - meaning Patricia Cornwall's ego.

She spends a lot of time defending the mundaneness of "real" ME life versus the TV versions you see now to such apoint that she grossed me out one point in an autopsy - I don't remember her doing this previously. She also gets bogged down in the side stories and forgets to finish the original plot line. This truly frustrated me to no end. She completely leaves you without closure on huge issues that she spends considerable time developing previously in the book.

Overall, its an enjoyable beach read. She has lost a lot of her umph as an author in my mind and has gotten very full of herself and her fame. I am glad she did take some time to write this one, but regardless of time between novels, it still was not up to par with her prior work.

 

[perdidobay]

Thanks for the reviews.... I too wish she would dump Lucy.... the self centered whiner. IMHO