Book Review: Unnatural Exposure by Patricia Cornwell

News Type: Other — Mon Aug 20, 2007 9:31 AM EDT

Patricia Cornwell's first few books were pretty good. I read each one as it came out. Then came this one, a major disappointment, and Southern Cross, which stinks so bad it makes skunks smell good in comparison.

Unnatural Exposure is part of the Dr. Kay Scarpetta series. Scarpetta is a fictional Virginia medical examiner.

When she's good, Cornwell can write some great, engaging, scary stories. But when's she bad, well, it's not pretty.

For most of this book, she held my attention. Some of that momentum was kept up, though, by referring to characters and plot lines from the earlier books — as well as putting off some stories for the next one.

The plot itself is good: a serial killer is hunting and killing selected people by releasing a mutated version of smallpox. The killer taunts her by sending electronic mail through America On-Line so the FBI tries to trip the killer up by having the real doctor and "deaddoc," the suspect's on-line name, meet in a chat room so they can trace the call.

While the character of Scarpetta is interesting — it's not everyday that a medical examiner is the heroine — she is getting so hardened on the world (shades of Cornwell's famously guarded personality?) that she is becoming gradually less interesting.

More interesting is her niece, Lucy, a computer expert working for the FBI who is being hassled because she is lesbian. After reading the book, and feeling the desire to throw it against the wall when the suspect was revealed, I checked to see what other readers thought of it by looking at reviews at Amazon.

Sure enough, most had the same opinion: this was a book that seemed rushed and is one of her weaker efforts. Several suggested focusing a story around Lucy instead of Kay, which is a pretty good idea.

Overall, the characters in her book are becoming less interesting and I'm questioning whether I'll read another Cornwell book.

6 Votes
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6.0

{"commentId":960773,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

I was thinking about this review while reading a book by Karin Slaughter who has some similiarites to Cornwell only she does it much better. If you like Slaughter come help me develop some good questions for her.

{"commentId":960773,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

1 vote

#1 - Mon Aug 20, 2007 9:38 AM EDT

{"commentId":960896,"authorDomain":"wmolaw"}

wmolaw

Scott:

Don't think I would give up on Cornwell yet. Really enjoyed most of her books, and agreed with you on this one, but Scarpetti is interesting enough to carry it, albeit not wonderfully.

Have you read Cornwell's book on Jack the Ripper?

Portrait of a Killer

It wasn't great, but it was interesting.

I'm still up for Cornwell. Though an author of the same name, Bernard Cornwell is far superior. I swear, his Sharpe series is about as good as it gets.

{"commentId":960896,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"wmolaw"}

2 votes

#2 - Mon Aug 20, 2007 10:25 AM EDT

{"commentId":960975,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

I didn't read her Jack the Ripper book. Is it better than her others?
I thought this one and Southern Cross were bloody awful and this author agreed with me.

{"commentId":960975,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

1 vote

#3 - Mon Aug 20, 2007 10:58 AM EDT

{"commentId":961045,"authorDomain":"wmolaw"}

wmolaw

The Ripper book is okay, not great. Probably not worth your time. But I enjoyed it as that subject has fascinated me over the years.

I read the other seed of yours. Frankly, many of the books and authors he rips, he doesn't seem to understand. I don't think any of them are seeking to write the Great American Novel, but to make a living at what they are doing, and they all seem pretty successful at that.

A quick read, not much thought or effort, that's what a lot of readers want.

I really enjoy Parker's protagonist Spencer, surprised he hasn't read any of them.

{"commentId":961045,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"wmolaw"}

2 votes

#3.1 - Mon Aug 20, 2007 11:26 AM EDT

{"commentId":961122,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

Well, he's pretty clear in his book that he's not looking for the great american novel either he's looking for good fun thrillers but there are some writers - Corwell and Clancy and James Patterson come to mind - who use characters and plots that are so predictable, cliched, just awful - that its hard not to get fed up

Did you read my interview with Robert Parker? I love him. I can find and post a link to that and my reviews of his books if you want.

{"commentId":961122,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

1 vote

#3.2 - Mon Aug 20, 2007 11:47 AM EDT

{"commentId":961138,"authorDomain":"wmolaw"}

wmolaw

That would be great. I really think his spencer series is fantastic.

{"commentId":961138,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"wmolaw"}

2 votes

#3.3 - Mon Aug 20, 2007 11:51 AM EDT

{"commentId":961266,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

This is my interview with him and this is my review of his last 3 books

{"commentId":961266,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

2 votes

#3.4 - Mon Aug 20, 2007 12:32 PM EDT

{"commentId":961304,"authorDomain":"wmolaw"}

wmolaw

Thanks!

{"commentId":961304,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"wmolaw"}

2 votes

#3.5 - Mon Aug 20, 2007 12:44 PM EDT

{"commentId":962756,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

You're quite welcome.

{"commentId":962756,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

1 vote

#3.6 - Mon Aug 20, 2007 9:59 PM EDT

{"commentId":3033443,"authorDomain":"sybiletc"}

Arizonan

I felt the same way, I have read the whole Kay Scarpetta series, and once waited anxiously for a rumored movie that never came to be.

I thought it might have just been my taste have changed since I have taken to reading the whole JD Robb "Murder" series. Now those are interesting.. Sci fi, a female cop and romance. LOL

{"commentId":3033443,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"sybiletc"}

2 votes

#4 - Sun Sep 21, 2008 7:06 PM EDT

{"commentId":3033628,"authorDomain":"marilynl"}

Marilyn L

I'm with you, Arizonan. Used to love Scarpetta, now I don't bother to read them.

I love the JD Robb series, too.

{"commentId":3033628,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"marilynl"}

2 votes

#4.1 - Sun Sep 21, 2008 7:31 PM EDT

{"commentId":3034072,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

I gave up after her southern book. There's something that happens to many best-selling writers be they elmore leonard, tom clancy or patricia cornwell - they become formula a cookercutter version (a weaker one) of themselves.

There are exceptions - robert parker's still pretty good (mostly because he's trying out new protagonists and voices) as is Stephen King (though i still have issues about his endings - but not many.

I was amazed a while back when I interviewed Mary Higgins Clark when I essentially asked her as politely as possible if she doesn't stick with the same formula and she politely said yes but it works. Therein lies the problem imho.

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3 votes

#4.2 - Sun Sep 21, 2008 8:16 PM EDT

{"commentId":3034754,"authorDomain":"MinnieApolis"}

MinnieApolis

This is true of the mystery genre in general -- the fans WANT a formula that they can depend on. Don't mess with their heads! My personal mystery series faves are Sue Grafton's alphabet mysteries (with Kinsey Milhone as the lady PI who barely pays her bills), and Tony Hillerman's series set on the Navajo reservation/Four Corners area. The Hillerman books are very different because the characters' actions are based in Navajo culture, which is a REAL mystery to us white folks. Most characters' motivations are either love or money in 'white' based mysteries/dramas, but the Navajo characters may be offended by a windmill near a graveyard, or a vandal painting a sacred mountain, etc. The crimes oddly enough are usually committed by some white person trying to steal some valuable artifact off the rez.

Was this TMI? Just trying to make a good comment...

{"commentId":3034754,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"MinnieApolis"}

2 votes

#4.3 - Sun Sep 21, 2008 9:26 PM EDT

{"commentId":3034888,"authorDomain":"sybiletc"}

Arizonan

Tony Hillerman's series set on the Navajo reservation/Four Corners area. The Hillerman books are very different because the characters' actions are based in Navajo culture, which is a REAL mystery to us white folks.

Hillerman is one who I still love, I would read any I saw. They seem to have different storylines, rather then the same ol' same ol'. I also like another series that is written about Arizona, its a female sherrif, and I can't for the life of me remember the author or the characters names right now.

{"commentId":3034888,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"sybiletc"}

3 votes

#4.4 - Sun Sep 21, 2008 9:40 PM EDT

{"commentId":3035155,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

Have you read Hillerman's memoir? I wanted to read it but mostly just to see "how Indian he really is" which is a terrible reason to read a memoir.

Hillerman and Grafton - heck and George Pelecanos (my interview with him will run mid-week) - are examples of writers who have gotten better over time but I think each had the opposite career path of Cornwell and Clancy and Grisham (i.e. huge from the first few books as opposed to after five or ten books)

I'll never forget sitting in when my sister read a Hillerman novel with her college ESL class. When she asked a question about a whodunit the questions and answers from the students (most from other nations) were quite telling, i.e. more suspicion that law enforcement was the true guilty party than even cynics like me suspect.

{"commentId":3035155,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

1 vote

#4.5 - Sun Sep 21, 2008 10:00 PM EDT

{"commentId":3036502,"authorDomain":"sybiletc"}

Arizonan

Have you read Hillerman's memoir?

I have not. I first came across Hillerman when I had to read The Dark Wind for a class at the community college sometime during the 90's. I resisted at first, a Native American cop story was not my type of book ( my husband read Lois Lamour and such Arizona books, but I never had). I simply loved it, and now my husband also has read many and our oldest son too.

I like novels where I can still find something interesting to learn about, such as the state I live in.

{"commentId":3036502,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"sybiletc"}

2 votes

#4.6 - Sun Sep 21, 2008 11:58 PM EDT

{"commentId":3035212,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

This is true of the mystery genre in general -- the fans WANT a formula that they can depend on. Don't mess with their heads! My personal mystery series faves are Sue Grafton's alphabet mysteries (with Kinsey Milhone as the lady PI who barely pays her bills), and Tony Hillerman's series set on the Navajo reservation/Four Corners area. The Hillerman books are very different because the characters'

I both agree and disagree - I think the reader wants to have a relationship with the characters and get to know them over time. But that doesn't mean an authro should tell the same story over and over which is what I was politrly suggesting Mary Higgins Clark was doing.

A few exampes might help illustraet my point:
Nero Wolfe's books about Archie Goodwin - i wouldn't say it was a formula so much as a series with the same charactesr. We liked it bcause we knew the players. One reason I still read authors like Robert Parker is that while the plots seem weaker I just like getting reacquainted wiht the characters. It's kind of like cheers but an inverse - you know everybody's name and want to see how htey adjust to something

To me that's different that dan brown writing two books which seem to be more fumulaic in that it's like a (church plots) + b (daring smart man) +c (smart lady) = novel

{"commentId":3035212,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

1 vote

#5 - Sun Sep 21, 2008 10:06 PM EDT

{"commentId":3035328,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

This is true of the mystery genre in general -- the fans WANT a formula that they can depend on. Don't mess with their heads! My personal mystery series faves are Sue Grafton's alphabet mysteries (with Kinsey Milhone as the lady PI who barely pays her bills), and Tony Hillerman's series set on the Navajo reservation/Four Corners area. The Hillerman books are very different because the characters'

To me that's different that dan brown writing two books which seem to be more fumulaic in that it's like a (church plots) + b (daring smart man) +c (smart lady) = novel

Was this TMI? Just trying to make a good comment

Hey if I can write storeis with headlines like "stop sending me emails about my genitals" i'd be hard-pressed to protest anyone is oversharing

{"commentId":3035328,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

2 votes

#6 - Sun Sep 21, 2008 10:16 PM EDT

{"commentId":3044200,"authorDomain":"psdevards"}

psdevards

writers should avoid writing pulp fiction as`we call such books here.they get a name but rarely retain it.

{"commentId":3044200,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"psdevards"}

1 vote

#7 - Mon Sep 22, 2008 2:39 PM EDT

{"commentId":3045054,"authorDomain":"MinnieApolis"}

MinnieApolis

True, the best stories introduce us to characters who we come to love, and who grow over time. Like Kinsey Milhone, for example -- she goes thru some personal stuff every now and then, plus the other characters (like her landlord and Rosie at the restaurant) go thru certain changes or meet significant others or even get married. And of course we have gotten wrapped up in the lives of the Navajo Policemen Jim Chee and Lt. Leaphorn in the Hillerman novels. Jim has his ups and downs with his lady friend -- whom we met in the first novel; BTW they seem to be on the outs permanently now. And we feel for Leaphorn's loss of his wife to cancer, and are happy he has met a lady professor who seems very suitable for him. Will Chee leave the force to pursue a career as a traditional singer full-time (at least full-time for a Navajo, small joke)? Can he reconcile his traditional culture with the modern police work? Stay tuned, next novel, same place.

{"commentId":3045054,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"MinnieApolis"}

1 vote

#8 - Mon Sep 22, 2008 3:30 PM EDT

{"commentId":3046388,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

One of my favorite crime writers - who keeps getting better - is George Pelecanos. Just published my interview with him

Meanwhile what are you reading these days and how is it?

{"commentId":3046388,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#8.1 - Mon Sep 22, 2008 4:36 PM EDT

{"commentId":3052847,"authorDomain":"psdevards"}

psdevards

i think Harold Robin's later works were not as good as his earlier ones, for instance, ' the carpet baggers ' he wrote almost in the beginning of his writing career.

{"commentId":3052847,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"psdevards"}

#9 - Tue Sep 23, 2008 1:54 AM EDT

{"commentId":3153550,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

For those of you who - like me - liked the early Patricia Cornwell more than the later stuff I'd encourage you to check out Karin Slaughter whose books are similar but better.

I interviewed Karin for her last book and received today a copy of her newest book, Fractured, and will be doing a short (just ten questions) interview with her about it. As always I'm open to question suggestions.

Oh and one thing she did that I found intriguing was to have a bonus chapter of the book on the web.

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#10 - Fri Sep 26, 2008 7:35 PM EDT

{"commentId":3153887,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

I've spent an hour trying in vain to find our earlier interview. I tend to get a bit obsessive compulsive about such stuff. I know I wrote it but if I published it I didn't tag it or headline it properly.

{"commentId":3153887,"threadId":"139975","contentId":"907727","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#10.1 - Fri Sep 26, 2008 7:57 PM EDT

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SCOTT (SCOOP) BUTKI

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Book Review: Unnatural Exposure by Patricia Cornwell

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