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The 11th Scarpetta novel, The Last Precinct, doesn't add any new names to the second roster. Instead, in a sweeping narrative gesture toward retrospection (less-than-fervent fans might whisper "or stagnation"), the novel depends largely on ground already covered in its predecessors, Black Notice and, to a lesser extent, Point of Origin. All the familiar faces--friend and foe--are here: police captain Marino, Kay's niece Lucy, the so-called Werewolf murderer, and (in memoriam) Kay's lover Benton Wesley and his killer, Carrie Grethen. Kay, who nearly killed the Werewolf in self-defense as Black Notice came to a close, now finds herself the target of a corrupt police investigation that will dredge her darkest secrets from the deepest corners of her past.
Torn between a desire to clear her name and the instinct of a wounded animal to turn against even its would-be rescuers, Kay sifts through the forensic evidence that seems to link Chandonne to other horrific events in her past, up to and including Wesley's murder. Physical analysis, however, will not be enough to right her up-ended world. Instead, Kay must rely on the strategic support of her niece, cofounder of the Last Precinct (an odd, ill-defined organization that is, in the words of its motto, "where you go when there is nowhere left"), and on her willingness to examine her own fears, misconceptions, and anything-but-altruistic motives. The most important setting in this novel is not the morgue--it's the living room where Kay's therapist forces her to address (you guessed it) "unresolved issues."
The novel's focus on Kay's emotional evolution does not, unfortunately, mask the leaps of illogic that pepper the plot's murky stew. More disturbing than these occasional lapses, however, is the feeling that Cornwell has written herself into a corner. The Scarpetta of The Last Precinct is a far cry from the irritably independent woman of previous books. Her often over-inflated musings are more tiresome than tantalizing. Cornwell's impressive track record makes this excursion a bit disappointing, but that same record means that loyal fans will race to acquire the book anyway and that the odds of her returning to her usual stellar form next time are (hurrah!) favorable. --Kelly Flynn --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
I KNOW FROM LUCY'S VOICE THAT SHE IS SCARED. Read the first page
Concordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
A Waste of Time,
By
This review is from: The Last Precinct (Mass Market Paperback)
What a gigantic waste of time. The story isn't compelling; the plot doesn't resolve itself with clarity; the characters are shallow and unlikable. To make matters worse, the author portrays every male as sex-crazed, inherently evil, and shallow. Even the main character's male side kick is described as fat, slovenly, and shifty. The only surprise in this crime/mystery is that I actually finished it.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Tired & Angry,
By Don Blohowiak "Lead Well® Institute" (Charlottesville, VA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Last Precinct (Mass Market Paperback)
Writing with golden handcuffs must be hard. Long after the author has tired of the characters, the publisher demands more books featuring them. Result: The bored writer's characters get edgier, angrier, more darkly introspective. And the plots get uglier, sillier, less well-crafted. And downright sloppy. Examples: • Another major character, a career government employee, mentions -- in an off-handed, "oh by the way" way, to her surrogate mother that she easily became a millionaire a while back. Must have slipped her mind. • The dramatic climax is instantly and incredulously resolved. In an error worthy of a wannabe novelist, the reader is only *told* that the protagonists survived certain death. The miraculous, death-defying feat is accomplished through unseen heroics. Worse, we're expected to believe it's via by a cop on administrative leave who is inexplicably wearing body armor, thus avoiding a fatal, point blank shotgun blast. The tremendous body blow aside, she manages to miraculously overpower her captor. Then there's the uncharacteristic cowardly turn of tail by the strong, macho and sadistic villain who simply runs from the scene without even a little skirmish. We learn the sketchiest of details about all this in a most unsatisfactory, quick and dirty, summary fashion. The FedEx guy must have been waiting at the door to pick up the overdue manuscript. Once upon a time, Patricia Cornwell created a most likable and intriguing character in Dr. Kay Scarpetta. But, obviously tired and trapped, the talented Ms. Cornwell has turned on the good doctor. Now we're all feeling her angst, frustration, and pain. There are still hints of Cornwell's smart insights, her tight plotting, and inspired character development. But they're degraded because she's phoning it in. One can only conclude that Cornwell can't or won't give Scarpetta the bullet. So she's setting the stage for her readers to do the dirty deed for her through a slow, agonizing demise. Call that sad tale, Death by Disappointment.
4.0 out of 5 stars
The darkest Kay Scarpetta yet.,
By
This review is from: The Last Precinct (Mass Market Paperback)
This book is the darkest Kay Scarpetta book yet, and although it is not one of my favourites in the series, it is a very important one for all Kay Scarpetta fans. Not only are unresolved issues from the previous book brought to conclusion, it is also the book where Kay has to face her enemies on all fronts, and in her most vulnerable state. Not only that it's the book where Kay has to face the death of her lover Benton. Why was Benton killed, and why does it seem to be linked with the latest grizzly murders commited by the French "werewolf"? We also see character development in Kay's supporting cast. Marino, Lucy and Kay's friend Anna. Kay has powerful enemies, and they almost succeed in getting her discredited and charged with the murder of the woman that was killed in the previous book - the beautiful, haughty and crooked Dianne Bray. But Kay also has loyal and inteligent friends and they, along with a brillian District Attorney, help her overcome this conspiracy. No one can do a full scale conspiracy like Patricia Cornwell.
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