Post by Charlynn on Sept 25, 2011 19:49:07 GMT -5
Body of Evidence by Patricia Cornwell
A good murder mystery needs three key components: a sympathetic victim, a fast pace, and an intricately woven web of clues for the reader to unravel right along with the book's crime solving entities. Cornwell's Body of Evidence meets these standards. Right out of the gate, she introduces the victim, Beryl Madison, through the woman's own words – sharing with readers letters written by Beryl to the mysterious 'M,' a moniker later revealed to be a red herring. As more characters are introduced, the plot thickens, for it becomes quickly apparent that, concerning this case, no one is telling the truth. What is perhaps Body of Evidence's best asset, though, is the fact that despite Kay Scarpetta – Virginia's chief medical examiner and the novel's narrator's – intelligence and scientific training, its her intuitiveness and her heart which eventually help her to solve Beryl's murder. Just as readers come to care for the victim, so does Kay, and she resolves the mystery in a fashion that the audience can identify with. Although a crime novel told from a medical examiner's perspective could quickly become detached emotionally, there's nothing cold and sterile about Scarpetta's methods, this book, or Cornwell's abilities as an author.
4 out of 5 Stars
A good murder mystery needs three key components: a sympathetic victim, a fast pace, and an intricately woven web of clues for the reader to unravel right along with the book's crime solving entities. Cornwell's Body of Evidence meets these standards. Right out of the gate, she introduces the victim, Beryl Madison, through the woman's own words – sharing with readers letters written by Beryl to the mysterious 'M,' a moniker later revealed to be a red herring. As more characters are introduced, the plot thickens, for it becomes quickly apparent that, concerning this case, no one is telling the truth. What is perhaps Body of Evidence's best asset, though, is the fact that despite Kay Scarpetta – Virginia's chief medical examiner and the novel's narrator's – intelligence and scientific training, its her intuitiveness and her heart which eventually help her to solve Beryl's murder. Just as readers come to care for the victim, so does Kay, and she resolves the mystery in a fashion that the audience can identify with. Although a crime novel told from a medical examiner's perspective could quickly become detached emotionally, there's nothing cold and sterile about Scarpetta's methods, this book, or Cornwell's abilities as an author.
4 out of 5 Stars