Post by Charlynn on Aug 5, 2012 16:40:54 GMT -5
Unnatural Exposure by Patricia Cornwell
This time, Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta isn't fighting against a man with a bomb or a woman with a gun; her opponent isn't motivated by greed or god. Instead, the heroine of Cornwell's Scarpetta series goes head to head with a silent killer in Unnatural Exposure: disease – more specifically, an engineered, deadly virus. To make matters worse, not only is Kay challenged by her latest psychopathic serial killer, but she also comes up against a personal attack, too, when an ambitious colleague targets both her and her beloved niece, Lucy, in a smear campaign on his quest to advance his own career while derailing theirs. Add to the mix a less than entirely welcome marriage proposal and baggage from past relationships rearing its confusing head, and Unnatural Exposure delivers a mysterious and dramatic punch.
However, given the sheer amount of subplots Cornwell packs into this novel, several of the details get dropped, and, unfortunately, the author isn't known for her continuity between books. This results in unresolved cases and characters which are practically forgotten about in Unnatural Exposure. Marino is reduced to a glorified taxi driver and an emotional punching bag for Kay. Furthermore, the novel lacks the sense of immediacy that a more physical crime can bring to a work of fiction. There is some personal growth on the part of both Kay and her heavily featured niece – something that is appreciated, but it isn't enough to make up for the book's other flaws.
Two out of Five Stars
This time, Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta isn't fighting against a man with a bomb or a woman with a gun; her opponent isn't motivated by greed or god. Instead, the heroine of Cornwell's Scarpetta series goes head to head with a silent killer in Unnatural Exposure: disease – more specifically, an engineered, deadly virus. To make matters worse, not only is Kay challenged by her latest psychopathic serial killer, but she also comes up against a personal attack, too, when an ambitious colleague targets both her and her beloved niece, Lucy, in a smear campaign on his quest to advance his own career while derailing theirs. Add to the mix a less than entirely welcome marriage proposal and baggage from past relationships rearing its confusing head, and Unnatural Exposure delivers a mysterious and dramatic punch.
However, given the sheer amount of subplots Cornwell packs into this novel, several of the details get dropped, and, unfortunately, the author isn't known for her continuity between books. This results in unresolved cases and characters which are practically forgotten about in Unnatural Exposure. Marino is reduced to a glorified taxi driver and an emotional punching bag for Kay. Furthermore, the novel lacks the sense of immediacy that a more physical crime can bring to a work of fiction. There is some personal growth on the part of both Kay and her heavily featured niece – something that is appreciated, but it isn't enough to make up for the book's other flaws.
Two out of Five Stars