Blogs
Not the Best, But Still Brilliant
I’ve just finished reading a novel titled Trace by Patricia Cornwell, one of the best crime fiction writers. It is the first one I’ve ever read of her Scarpetta series. Actually she has been writing Scarpetta novels since the 1990s with Scarpetta as the main character. Compared with other similar books I read before, I feel it is not the best, but still quite good and worth reading.
Trace is set in Richmond, Virginia. Kay Scarpetta was sacked as chief medical examiner in Richmond five years ago, but returns, on request, as consultant pathologist to help solve the mysterious death of a teenager girl. She uncovers evidence during the second postmortem examination that suggests the teenager---Gilly Paulsson---was murdered. Meanwhile Benton Wesley, Scarpetta’s lover, and Lucy, Scarpetta’s niece, are investigating a seemingly unrelated case of attempted rape by a stalker. Then Marino, Scarpetta’s assistant, gets seduced into playing a sexual game with Suz, Gilly’s mother, and is wrongly accused of rape. An added twist occurs when a construction worker is run over by a tractor and killed. Somehow the same trace evidence found on the worker’s body is also found in Gilly Paulsson’s mouth. Scarpetta has to work with the smallest pieces of evidence-----traces that only the most thorough hunters can identify. She must follow the twisting leads and track the strange details in order to make the dead speak.
Trace is told in the third person so we can have many viewpoints. It’s like you’re undergoing a mystery tour while she moves effortless from different storylines. You may find a lot of technical terms in forensic science, which could be obstacles to us readers. I guess if you’re in that field of science or if you like forensic science, this novel will be the best choice that you can ever make. However, if you’re patient enough and willing to consult a dictionary occasionally, the book is capable of holding you riveted to the chair as you put together the pieces of the puzzle.
View AllAuthor's latest blogs
Post comment Comment (12 replies)
- Reply sammyyvone
- Am I first one here. good experience to share. I try to read it .
I always read Kids novels which easy to undstand .
- Reply ly.identity
- I've never read a crime fiction before. But reading is always enjoyable~
- Reply rich
- sammyyvone: Am I first one here. good experience to share. I try to read it .crime fiction is always compelling, so i like that kind better. and i was told other novels by the same author are even better. of course, it depends on personal preferences.
I always read Kids novels which easy to undstand .
- Reply rich
- ly.identity: I've never read a crime fiction before. But reading is always enjoyable~generally crime fiction novels are easier to read. they belong to the kind of books which are referred to as un-put-downable. hehe.
- Reply rich
- Edelweiss: It seems confusing and thrilling.with several storylines unfolded before your eyes, it could be confusing at the beginning. however, it is quite good for casual leisure reading. hehe. have a good day!
- Reply Davidlam2005
- I like crime fiction too. we can learn a lot knowledge from the good crime fictions. but sometimes, reading crime fiction is a challenge for me.
- Reply rich
- Davidlam2005: I like crime fiction too. we can learn a lot knowledge from the good crime fictions. but sometimes, reading crime fiction is a challenge for me.actually it is a challenge for me. as i see it, however, once you start reading, say about one chapter, you'll feel it smoother and easier to read. have a good day.
- Reply bluephoebe
- I like Patrica's works in general, certainly not as much as I like Agatha Christina. Sometimes I found the storyline might be too twisted, and sometimes, like you said, too many technique details. But I admire her in person. She has such a tough childhood: her father walked out on the family, her mother suffered from depression and uncable of taking her own children. Therefore, she was grown up in foster system. She overcame all the adversities and become a successful writer--that's really impressive!
- Reply rich
- bluephoebe: I like Patrica's works in general, certainly not as much as I like Agatha Christina. Sometimes I found the storyline might be too twisted, and sometimthanks so much for telling me about her family background. truly impressive. looks like another real-life success story. sounds you know the author very well. so you have read her other books? in the process, more than once i could not help but wonder why she is so familiare with forensic science. did she ever work in that field? or someone close to her works in that particular field? personally i like Agatha Christie better, though actually i read only a few, not many enough to judge.
- Reply 2010jj
- This kind of story really needs your thoughts on how it comes up. if i can want to comprehend it fully, i must keep mind clear. I've read one novel about that. sometimes, i want to make one point clear, i have to go through some details again.
- Reply rich
- 2010jj: This kind of story really needs your thoughts on how it comes up. if i can want to comprehend it fully, i must keep mind clear. I've read one novel abyes it can be very confusing at the beginning. from my experience, we usu can grasp the main storyline in the second or third chapter, and get familiar with the major characters. have fun reading! hehe.
