SHARP FORCE

5 stars out of 5

No. 29 in the series? Seems impossible that I've followed the adventures of medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta for that many years (the first installment, Postmortem, was released in 1990, and I've looked forward to her next adventure since 28 times since then).

It hasn't all been roses, though; for one period of time I almost gave up on the esteemed doctor as the plots bordered on the supernatural and Kay somehow morphed into a paranoid (and rather unlikeable) version of her former self. Here, she seems to be back to her usual self. The story still hovers close to unbelievable - holograms that go blink in the night and security systems that mysteriously foretell another visit by the dreaded Phantom Slasher who's having his (or her) way with victims in northern Virginia - but it never reached far-out status.

Then there's Janet, an AI-generated avatar version of Kay's technology whiz and FBI consultant niece Lucy's late wife. While that one is rooted in real-life examples - such things really do exist - it's hard to wrap my head around a fake person who seems to know more about everyone and everything around her than the humans who are "talking" to her.

As the Christmas holidays are set to begin, Kay and her hunky husband Benton Wesley, a forensic psychologist for the U.S. Secret Service, are about to head overseas on their first vacation in a long time. But of course, serial killers don't care about vacations, and two more victims turn up (one of whom didn't end up dead). Needless to say, Kay must deal with the deceased one, Benton gets called in from the government side and oops, there goes the vacay.

The dead one is found on the grounds of a defunct psychiatric hospital known for its shady practices - coincidentally (well, not really - I'm sure the author planned it that way) in the same area where Kay, Benton, Lucy and Kay's sister Dorothy live - the latter with Kay's longtime colleague and investigator Pete Marino. As she returns home from her lab, Kay spots the dreaded hologram lights near her home and thinks the worst, but everything is fine thanks to Lucy's technology expertise and insistence on protecting all those she loves. Still, it hints that Kay - or someone close to her - could be the Slasher's intended next victim.

The rest of the book, of course, follows the progress of the investigation - and also of course, I'll leave those details for me to know and other readers to find out. But overall, it's another winner in my book - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to get in on the action once again. No. 30? Bring it!

Sharp Force by Patricia Cornwell (Grand Central Publishing, October 2025); 392 pp.

IDENTITY UNKNOWN

5 stars out of 5

It's been a while since I read a book in a single day - and alas, this isn't one of them. That's not because of lack of wanting to, though, nor trying my darndest to put off doing things that needed done so I could polish it off. I came close, but that doesn't count except when I'm playing horseshoes. What I can do is say this is one of the best in the series so far - and I don't think I've missed one yet (this is the 28th).

The story begins in Virginia, where forensic pathologist Dr. Kay Scarpetta is examining the body of a young girl whose uber-wealthy parents claim she accidentally shot herself. The parents are demanding the body back, which Scarpetta refuses to approve until she can determine the cause of death. But then, she gets a call to come to a remote location where another body has been found - apparently dropped through the air by some kind of unidentified flying object, according to Scarpetta's Secret Service niece, Lucy.

Say what? If Lucy, an accomplished helicopter pilot, can't figure out what dropped the body, who can? To make already complicated matters more so, the body belongs to astrophysicist Sal Giordano, knicknamed the "E.T. Whisperer" because of his belief in life beyond Earth - with whom Scarpetta just happens to have had a love affairs years ago, before she met and married her FBI profiler husband, Benton Wesley. Since then, she and Sal have stayed in touch but not romantically, most recently on his 60th birthday, the day before he took a downturn for the worse.

Clues as to his death are almost nonexistent, and those that are present are unexplainable - like finding his locked car dumped over a ravine and strange colors and substances found on his mangled body. Also strangely, his body was found in an abandoned theme park owned by - wait for it - the parents of that little girl who supposedly shot herself. Coincidence? I certainly thought not.

As the very secretive investigation by the Secret Service, FBI and other powers-that-be gets under way, something even more sinister is revealed; a possible connection with a villainous character who's haunted Scarpetta and Lucy for years while eluding, and/or escaping, the arms of justice. That in itself adds a whole new dimension to the entire investigation as well as threatens the lives of Scarpetta and everyone she loves.

The book works as a standalone, but for sure those who have read at least a couple of prior books will "get it" more easily (as is the case with almost any series, IMHO). I'm ready for the next one, but meantime I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy of this one. It's a gem!

Identity Unknown by Patricia Cornwell (Grand Central Publishing, October 2024); 394 pp.