The Works of Patricia Cornwell

[Yossarian]

I still remember the first time I read a novel of hers, back in 1993. Loved it, loved Scarpetta. Now, reading those novels is beyond meh. Scarpetta has become a shrew, Lucy is insane and the whole Benton dead/not dead! storyline made me wretch. Cornwell should head a thread called "When Good Authors Go Bad."

Anyhoo, in personal Cornwell news she is suing her financial advisers for forty million dollars that has gone missing.[/color]

[Sunnyhorse]

Same trajectory here, Yossarian. Scarpetta has always been something of a Mary Sue, but Cornwell's run her off the fucking rails, I swear. Misunderstood supergenius crime-fighter niece Lucy is also annoying as hell.

[twopfan]

Same for me. I've read them all but the newest one. I think they'd be okay, except for the Lucy part. She was so nice and moderately normal, just super-smart, now does does everything, knows everyone and has as much money as God? And she's SO self-righteous with Scarpetta, like she hasn't constantly messed up.

Scarpetta is still pretty awesome, but all the crap she's dealt with has made her into a harpy and it's sad.

I still kinda like Marino, when I forget how he tries to push himself on women when the author can't think of a subtler way to explore his inner frustration.

[Yossarian]

You know what else I hate? This actually applies to a lot of crime authors (see Kathy Reichs, for example): that the evil serial killer/criminal mastermind somehow becomes obsessed with Kay Scarpetta. Um, what? That would have been an interesting plot to one of her stories ... but every single one of them? Do criminals sit around and obsess over who is the coroner all day long? R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S.

[biondetta]

Oh, a big ol' WORD to everything that's been said. I really started hating Kay in some of the later books. Just a miserable bitch who can't do anything wrong (in her mind). And the perfect cooking and the perfect everything else. Tedious. Lucy doesn't even bear discussing at this point.

It's a shame when good book series go bad.

[Daisy Pusher]

Yep, yep, yep and yep. What y'all have said. I used to really enjoy the Scarpetta novels, and read them faithfully up to Point of Origin, which was probably the last one that was even worth reading. Black Notice was so incredibly stupid (human werewolf? Bitch, puhleeze). I think it was at that point I lost complete interest in the series and haven't touched any of the later books. Plus, Cornwell is even more crazy now than Lucy ever was.

[Ripley]

Was it Patricia Cornwell who decided that she "solved" the Jack The Ripper murders?

[tabby]

Was it Patricia Cornwell who decided that she "solved" the Jack The Ripper murders?

Yep. She published a book about it a few years ago.

[Deleted]

Count me in among those who loved the earlier books, and haven't bothered with them since Black Notice. Was that the one where Benton came back to life? I can't even remember. I just remember absolutely loving the earlier books.

[Deleted]

Which is the book where it shifts into present tense? I could deal with all the other crap, but that was the dealbreaker for me.