Cornwell, Patricia. All That Remains. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1992.
373 pages.
Reviewed by J. d’Artagnan Love
In the third book of the Kay Scarpetta series, Dr. Scarpetta unravels the thread connecting a series of murders that leads her to a political mess. Couples are being murdered across Dr. Scarpetta and Pete Marino’s jurisdiction. One of these couples happens to include the daughter of a prominent political figure. The more she digs, the closer Kay gets to a killer who has been trained to kill with scary military precision.
The plot in this novel is pretty linear but it kept my attention nonetheless. As readers, we learn more about Kay’s relationship with FBI agent, Mark James, and Pete Marino becomes more manifold as well as we learn more about his personal life including his strained relationship with his wife. It is clear to me, as a reader, that Cornwell is passionate about doing good research and paying attention to detail. I’m no forensic expert, but the plot points and forensic science in the book are believable.
One thing that I’ve really loved about the Kay Scarpetta series so far is the way in which it is a bit of walk back in time for me. I was a child of the 90s and these books were written in the early 90s when DNA research was still young and computers were still a novelty. The descriptions of the technology and the fashion of the time make me nostalgic and happy. In general, this series is not literary genius, but it’s certainly a fun ride. On to the next!
This book is FOR: readers who have already read earlier books in the series, people who like quick, fun mysteries.
This book is NOT FOR: readers who have not read earlier books in the series, those seeking a piece of literary fiction.
