lemanley's review against another edition
4.0
It had been a while since I have read a Patricia Cornwell novel. The previous Cornwell books I've read had Dr Kay Scarpetta as the central figure. Usually, Kay was in her lab solving crime and doing autopsies.
This novel is again a crime novel involving Kay, her niece Lucy, Lucy's partner Janet, Kay's husband Benton (an FBI operative) and her investigative partner Pete Marino all play huge roles in the plot..
The plot centres on Carrie Grethen, a former FBI agent who was at Quantico many years earlier during the time Lucy was there. Carrie and Lucy had an brief and intense relationship until Lucy discovered how evil and manipulative Carrie was. Carrie used her knowledge of FBI procedures to haunt Lucy and Kay for many years until 17 years ago she was thought to have died in a helicopter accident.
It quickly becomes apparent that Carrie did not die. For years she was honing her skills in fraud, murder and deception. Carrie is most certainly a psychopath with an agenda for revenge.
The death of a wealthy socialites daughter and an FBI raid on Lucy and Janet's seem to be two completely separate events. Are they connected in some way. It seems quite possible when Kay and Marino seem to be followed from the crime scene of the socialite to Lucy's home.
Kay starts to question who she can trust as the story unravels. This is a of those crime novels where you know who the "bad guy" is. As the horrendous events unfold, the reader will be wondering why and how this could be happening.
I enjoyed reading this novel, as I have almost all the prior Kay Scarpetta books in the past.
This novel is again a crime novel involving Kay, her niece Lucy, Lucy's partner Janet, Kay's husband Benton (an FBI operative) and her investigative partner Pete Marino all play huge roles in the plot..
The plot centres on Carrie Grethen, a former FBI agent who was at Quantico many years earlier during the time Lucy was there. Carrie and Lucy had an brief and intense relationship until Lucy discovered how evil and manipulative Carrie was. Carrie used her knowledge of FBI procedures to haunt Lucy and Kay for many years until 17 years ago she was thought to have died in a helicopter accident.
It quickly becomes apparent that Carrie did not die. For years she was honing her skills in fraud, murder and deception. Carrie is most certainly a psychopath with an agenda for revenge.
The death of a wealthy socialites daughter and an FBI raid on Lucy and Janet's seem to be two completely separate events. Are they connected in some way. It seems quite possible when Kay and Marino seem to be followed from the crime scene of the socialite to Lucy's home.
Kay starts to question who she can trust as the story unravels. This is a of those crime novels where you know who the "bad guy" is. As the horrendous events unfold, the reader will be wondering why and how this could be happening.
I enjoyed reading this novel, as I have almost all the prior Kay Scarpetta books in the past.
lindajo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Excellent. One of her better ones of late. Read it on 24 hours.
sg1987's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
carlajo713's review against another edition
3.0
I found myself just wanting to be done.... Of the series, this has been my least favorite. It lacked scarpetta, seriously. No autopsies. No mystery. No more Carrie, please. Unfortunately it's set up for just more Carrie. I wanted her to be sitting in the dining room in the last chapter just to end it all. I agree with the other reviews, the read between the lines, damaged Kay psyche is just a lame read. Benton, blah. Lucy, blah... The only parts I felt were decent were when they weren't mentioned and it as just Kay and Marino. Sadly, those parts were few and far in between
jennflattery's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
fishwitch's review against another edition
2.0
Seriously her worst book ever. Why do I keep reading her stuff? How many frigging books can she write about Carrie Gretchen? Kill her already and move on to a new story. This was almost entirely a read of listening to Scarpetta's internal, neurotic monologue. I cannot stand any of the characters anymore. Her stories used to be so good.
impybelle's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not really sure how to rate Depraved Heart. As a follow up to Flesh and Blood, it fails spectacularly to resolve the freakin' SNAP cliffhanger. Who does that? Why would you... I... words fail me, honestly.
I spent the first fourth of the book, maybe even the first third, waiting for a resolution to that SNAP, btw, and it never happened.
Okay. That aside, and it really is a big thing that bothered me, Depraved Heart is a weird book. If you primarily enjoy Kay working a crime scene and a body and finding out the story behind the crime, well, you're SOL. Sorry. We spend an awful lot of time in Kay's mind and it's clear that her brush with Carrie and that whole getting shot thing (but not the blasted SNAP) has seriously rattled the woman. She's a little bit paranoid but that's one of the things that actually rings true about this story. When someone is capable of the crimes Carrie is, you have every right to be jumping out of your skin, waiting for them to strike.
Unfortunately, this is a bit tedious to read about when it's coupled with conversations that involve a whole lot of reading between the lines for every character. The later Scarpetta books would be a hell of a lot shorter if people would just say what they mean instead of dancing around everything. It's exhausting to read about and Kay is clearly feeling the strain as well.
But for all the conversations that take forever to go anywhere, I would read chapters at a time quite happily before realizing that my ultimate question was never going to be answered and that most of the book is spent setting up another book. Possibly. Maybe.
If you like your villains apprehended or any real closure offered, Depraved Heart isn't the book for you. Wait for the next book to come out and then maybe read them together. As it is, it's definitely not a stand alone.
I spent the first fourth of the book, maybe even the first third, waiting for a resolution to that SNAP, btw, and it never happened.
Okay. That aside, and it really is a big thing that bothered me, Depraved Heart is a weird book. If you primarily enjoy Kay working a crime scene and a body and finding out the story behind the crime, well, you're SOL. Sorry. We spend an awful lot of time in Kay's mind and it's clear that her brush with Carrie and that whole getting shot thing (but not the blasted SNAP) has seriously rattled the woman. She's a little bit paranoid but that's one of the things that actually rings true about this story. When someone is capable of the crimes Carrie is, you have every right to be jumping out of your skin, waiting for them to strike.
Unfortunately, this is a bit tedious to read about when it's coupled with conversations that involve a whole lot of reading between the lines for every character. The later Scarpetta books would be a hell of a lot shorter if people would just say what they mean instead of dancing around everything. It's exhausting to read about and Kay is clearly feeling the strain as well.
But for all the conversations that take forever to go anywhere, I would read chapters at a time quite happily before realizing that my ultimate question was never going to be answered and that most of the book is spent setting up another book. Possibly. Maybe.
If you like your villains apprehended or any real closure offered, Depraved Heart isn't the book for you. Wait for the next book to come out and then maybe read them together. As it is, it's definitely not a stand alone.
msjaquiss's review against another edition
I used to love the Scarpetta books but I just can’t finish this one. The premise of the super secret telephone line being hijacked to send her incriminating videos that she then won’t tell anyone about is crazy and doesn’t make sense. Then the announcement that Lucy shouldn’t call her Aunt Kay any longer — was the day that the FBI is raiding Lucy’s home the time for that announcement? Why is it even necessary? And what is with the way Kay and Lucy are dancing around one another and all but pointing fingers at each other from the time that Kay arrives until the attorney talks with them in the boathouse? I think that the books worked as long as Kay was solving a murder through evidence gathering and autopsy but making her the prey of a psychopathic stalker is just too much and clearly a sign that the series has jumped the shark.