Livid: The new Kay Scarpetta thriller from the No.1 bestseller

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As always in this series, there are gory descriptions of dead bodies and autopsies, so not for the faint of heart. In this 26th book in the 'Kay Scarpetta' series, the medical examiner helps investigate a high-tech murder. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.

There was good character growth (just a little growth since the series has been around for years, so you expect the character's to have done their growing) -just enough to keep them fresh. An interesting new weapon, at least to me. Cornwell is also good at reflecting readers' emotions around the hard career of dealing with dead bodies.The previous Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Elvin Reddy - who's now the Health Commissioner - has a grudge against Kay, and tries to interfere with her work.

The primary action and major plot developments occur outside of the primary characters and offstage from the reader. The core people involved are constantly informed of the key activities propelling the plot forward. They don’t actually experience the events first hand. They come in after those events and then react to what has already happened. I'M STILL SEEING STARS . . . KAY SCARPETTA IS THE SAME GRUMPY, WONDERFUL, RIVETING PERSONALITY SHE'S ALWAYS BEEN AND SHE'S ONLY GETTING BETTER WITH TIME' JAMES PATTERSONForensic pathologist Dr. Kay Scarpetta is a reluctant star witness in a sensational televised murder trial. Two years ago, a former beauty queen’s body washed up on the shore of Wallops Island, Virginia. She was last seen on a boat with her fiancé, who has since been held in jail while awaiting trial. Kay Scarpetta is an expert witness for the case where another forensic pathologist had previously bungled the investigation. Following an arduous cross-examination by the prosecutor, Scarpetta leaves the court only to discover that the sister of the judge on her case has been found dead. It’s also far too coincidental — the judge’s murdered sister was having an affair with the aforementioned, career-driven lawyer Flagler, for example. Cornwell is best when detailing a crime scene and how a pathologist might work or look for. It’s just a pity that that’s not enough for a crime thriller to, well, thrill. Clever detective work uncovers the perpetrator(s) AND exposes corrupt and malicious behavior in Virginia political circles. A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy.

Cornwell received widespread attention and praise for her series of articles on prostitution and crime in downtown Charlotte. From the Charlotte Observer, Cornwell moved to a job with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia – a post she would later bestow upon the fictional Kay Scarpetta. This book starts out with a trial that Kay is an expert witness but is being treated like -well, I just don't know how to describe it, but it sure isn't with any respect! This trial has a lot to do with today's political climate in the USA. funding scholarships and literacy programs. Her advice to aspiring authors: “Start writing. And don’t take no for an answer.” In addition, Reddy's former secretary - who Kay inherited - is difficult, obstructive, and spies on Kay for her former boss. But the relief doesn’t last long. She and investigator Pete Marino are soon notified that presiding judge (and Scarpetta’s friend/former roommate) Annie Chilton’s sister has been found dead at the family’s home. Further, evidence at the crime scene—blown electricity, dead wildlife, singed greenery, etc.—indicates the use of a high-tech “microwave gun.” That the victim was employed by the CIA and allegedly having an extramarital affair with Flagler only complicates matters, which are steeped in personal and professional quagmire. When a second body is discovered at a separate location, Scarpetta and expert Co. (including husband, Benton, and niece, Lucy) know that the threat of further violence is imminent. Still, internal strife and jurisdictional turf wars (think CIA, FBI, Secret Service) threaten to delay resolution, even as the terrorist(s) prepare to strike again.

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After earning her degree in English from Davidson College in 1979, she began working at the Charlotte Observer.