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Loading... All That Remains (original 1992; edition 1992)by Patricia Cornwell (Author)
Work InformationAll That Remains by Patricia Cornwell (1992)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. 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. “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. no reviews | add a review
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Fiction.
Mystery.
Thriller.
HTML:#1 bestselling author Patricia Cornwell returns to the world of gutsy medical examiner Kay Scarpetta in the third suspenseful novel in the forensic thriller series that begins with Postmortem. In Richmond, Virginia, young lovers are dying. So far, four couples in the area have disappeared, only to be found months later as mutilated corpses. When the daughter of the president's newest drug czar vanishes along with her boyfriend, Dr. Kay Scarpetta knows time is short. Following a macabre trail of evidence that ties the present homicides to a grisly crime in the past, Kay must draw upon her own personal resources to track down a murderer who is as skilled at eliminating clues as Kay is at finding them... No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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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. ( )