Reviews

Red Mist: Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell

sinimini's review against another edition

informative mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

mclellan's review against another edition

3.0

I loved Cornwell's earlier
Books but have been very disappointed in the Scarpetta books the past few years. This one was much better.

duygusu's review against another edition

2.0

I normally adore her books and she is one of those authors that I automatically buy her books without really seeing if others liked them or not. I like her writing style in general but I do have to say that her stories are getting increasingly unsatisfying as the years go by. In Red Mist for example, I didn't like that all the action and revelations were revealed in the last chapters. It seemed like it was all in a rush to get out. It would have been better with some development in the plot. Sometimes the plot just seems to run off in every different direction and I am left with a "what just happened" mindset. All in all, the premise is ok, the writing is ok, but it didn't leave me satisfied in the end.

gmakstutis's review against another edition

1.0

It is sad when a good character is trapped in a bad novel. Unfortunately, Kay Scarpetta has been trapped for a while. This is another in the Scarpetta series that doesn't get better. Cornwell has become formulaic and the characters have been exhausted of anything really new. Lucy remains beautiful, tough and troubled. Benton is handsome and boring. Marino, having lost weight, is now healthy and conflicted. And, Kay has just become an annoying 'know-it-all.' I'm sure die hard fans of the series will find this novel enjoyable, but I find I have no sympathy, empathy or interest in the characters anymore.

alykat_reads's review against another edition

slow-paced

1.75

A decent premise to this one, but man it started off so slow. Could have spared myself reading the previous book because it was summed up in the beginning of this one basically. Once I finally got 2/3 of the way through though I found myself more interested in what was going on. Otherwise, same old, same old. Kay has the least amount of self-awareness and criticizes others for what she does constantly.  
I also really don't understand what Patricia's obsession is with making characters just terrible and then killing them off. In previous books, she basically idolized Berger as this super professional, amazing, super smart woman, and then in this one she went off the deep end and was the complete opposite right before she dies. Then ofc Kay takes it personal - 'even though I was soooo mad at her, I should have been more caring and I could have prevented her death' and then blames herself. Same thing Patricia and Kay, respectively, did with Fielding. It's a used up trope, let's move on please.

bobnaidus's review against another edition

4.0

Typical Scarpetta tale, with many surprises amidst political intrigue and grotesque villains. A bit unbelievable, but never dull.

rarebird_15's review against another edition

5.0

this book was amazing! I couldn't put it down! This is the first book I've ever read in this series, but it's definitely not the last.

mich3ll31221's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

pato_myers's review against another edition

2.0

I haven't read any other book in the series and even though the story is still fine I feel like I should have started at the beginning.
I would say that this focuses in on violence more than I like for purposes of character building, to show how evil a character is or how much a character has gone through and I prefer other manners of showing those traits.

kjmccarthy's review against another edition

mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5