I’ve read quite a few books by Cornwell, some I really enjoyed and some not so much. Sad to say, the rating was not about the story, but about the performance! The longer the narrator read, the worse it got until I almost couldn’t finish! The characters, plot, etc. were not a problem, just all the deep breathing and sighs.

FROM AMAZON: A serial killer is stalking Virginia’s young lovers, taking their lives and taunting police with a single clue: a jack of hearts. For two years, the meaning of this card has eluded FBI investigators. But as Scarpetta begins searching the victims’ remains for microscopic clues, she begins to suspect that someone in the FBI knows more about the murderer. ( )

When Deborah Harvey, the daughter of the National Drug Policy Director, and her boyfriend fail to return home, the FBI investigates based on the assumption that there is a link to her father's job. When their remains are finally found, the media, linking it without substance, to eight other dead in pairs of two near Williamsburg, Virginia, dub the culprit the Couples Killer.

State Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta joins the investigation into the latest killings. Not much data can be gleaned from the skeletons though the killer leaves a glaring jack of hearts at each crime site. The Feds, state, and local law enforcement trip over each other like the Keystone Cops. Meanwhile Kay and Richmond homicide detective, Pete Marino, follow the paths, many of which dead end in cul de sacs, left behind by a devious killer made even more complex by a reporter and the Harvey family.

This reprint of an early Scarpetta thriller is a fine entry as a difficult case turns ugly and convoluted by so many participants especially the interference by cops and amateurs. Kay, her Valkyrie cohorts, and Pete are at their best working through a myriad of potential clues obfuscated by politicians, reporters, cops and family members who devastate crime scenes and more. Fans of the great M.E. will enjoy this fine forensic police procedural.
( )

Another good Dr Kay Scarpetta adventure. ( )

Las continuas desapariciones de jóvenes parejas y el posterior hallazgo de sus cadáveres en avanzado estado de descomposición hacen suponer la existencia de un asesino que calcula y prepara metódicamente la inmolación de sus víctimas. Cuando es la hija de la directora de la Policía Nacional Antidroga quien desaparece con su novio, las anteriores hipótesis adquieren una nueva dimensión. La doctora forense Kay Scarpetta cree hallarse ante un asunto que presenta unas pautas claras, de las cuales la más significativa es una jota de corazones que el asesino deja como testimonio de su crimen. Hasta que empieza a investigar y averigua que alguien está ocultando información de importancia vital para la resolución del caso.

“A haze had dulled the sky, and a plane was a silver needle pulling a white thread beneath the sun.”
― Patricia Cornwell, All That Remains

3.5 stars.

This was the first Kay Scarpetta book I have read. I may read more.

There is a serial killer murdering couples.I like a good mystery as much as the next person and it seems that the Scarpetta novels are quite popular.

A lot of this novel, is typical thriller territory. But I thought the writer did a great job on establishing the dark and moody atmosphere.

I found this to be a dark and disturbing but very interesting and well plotted mystery. I took to Kay right away and did get swept up in wanting to know who did it and why.

What made this book unique to me was the fact that rather than going the typical route, psychological profiling comes into the equation. For me that guaranteed I would read to the end.

That is one thing I really liked in this book . The Psychologist aspect was fascinating. It sort of felt like the reader is right there watching Kay put the pieces of the puzzle together.

I come from a family of psychologists and counselors so it was really interesting to read about the pasts of some of the victims from a psychological perspective.

That aspect, the Psychologist profiling, to me, made the book very original and it stood out from the typical thriller in that way.

I enjoyed this book and will perhaps be reading more Scarpetta mysteries. But the reason I only rated a three is because I’m just not a series person. I did enjoy this book though. ( )