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The Last Precinct
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780425180631
ISBN: 0425180638
Label: Berkley
Manufacturer: Berkley
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 480
Publication Date: July 01, 2001
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: July 03, 2001
Studio: Berkley
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Editorial Review:
Patricia Cornwell's legendary crime fiction creation, Virginia's Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta, has logged a host of fans among mystery readers and, within the bounds of her fictional world, an equally impressive tally of individuals intent on causing her grievous physical or psychological harm.
The 11th Scarpetta novel, The Last Precinct, doesn't add any new names to the second roster. Instead, in a sweeping narrative gesture toward retrospection (less-than-fervent fans might whisper "or stagnation"), the novel depends largely on ground already covered in its predecessors, Black Notice and, to a lesser extent, Point of Origin. All the familiar faces--friend and foe--are here: police captain Marino, Kay's niece Lucy, the so-called Werewolf murderer, and (in memoriam) Kay's lover Benton Wesley and his killer, Carrie Grethen. Kay, who nearly killed the Werewolf in self-defense as Black Notice came to a close, now finds herself the target of a corrupt police investigation that will dredge her darkest secrets from the deepest corners of her past.
Torn between a desire to clear her name and the instinct of a wounded animal to turn against even its would-be rescuers, Kay sifts through the forensic evidence that seems to link Chandonne to other horrific events in her past, up to and including Wesley's murder. Physical analysis, however, will not be enough to right her up-ended world. Instead, Kay must rely on the strategic support of her niece, cofounder of the Last Precinct (an odd, ill-defined organization that is, in the words of its motto, "where you go when there is nowhere left"), and on her willingness to examine her own fears, misconceptions, and anything-but-altruistic motives. The most important setting in this novel is not the morgue--it's the living room where Kay's therapist forces her to address (you guessed it) "unresolved issues."
The novel's focus on Kay's emotional evolution does not, unfortunately, mask the leaps of illogic that pepper the plot's murky stew. More disturbing than these occasional lapses, however, is the feeling that Cornwell has written herself into a corner. The Scarpetta of The Last Precinct is a far cry from the irritably independent woman of previous books. Her often over-inflated musings are more tiresome than tantalizing. Cornwell's impressive track record makes this excursion a bit disappointing, but that same record means that loyal fans will race to acquire the book anyway and that the odds of her returning to her usual stellar form next time are (hurrah!) favorable. --Kelly Flynn
Virginia chief medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta's probe into a four-hundred-year-old murder puts a contemporary killer on her trail in this tour de force from #1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Cornwell. Abridged Five CD's, 6 hours
The new era of Scarpetta begins. In this #1 New York Times bestselling novel, Patricia Cornwell takes her readers deeper into Kay Scarpetta's heart and soul than ever before. Thwarting an attack by a suspected serial killer puts Virginia's Chief Medial Examiner Kay Scarpetta in the harsh glare of the spotlight. As her personal and professional lives come under suspicion, she discovers that the so-called Werewolf murders may have extended to New York City and into the darkest corners of her past. A formidable prosecutor, a female assistant district attorney from New York, is brought into the case and Scarpetta must struggle to make what she knows to be the truth prevail against mounting and unnerving evidence to the contrary. Tested in every way, she turns inward to ask, Where do you go when there is nowhere left?
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - Werewolf Murders
Cornwell always writes in vivid color. Some of her books have been my favorites. However. I think her plots are strong enough that she does not need to have such descriptive details. I find myself skipping these descriptions. Marino has become my favorite character ahead of Scarpetta. If you like violence this is the book for you. By Ruth Thompson author of "The Bluegrass Dream" and "Natchez Above The River"
Writing as a Small BusinessQualifying Laps: A Brewster County NovelSins of the ... Read More
Rating:  - Time not well spent
I recently read(listened to on CD) Black Notice, The Last Precinct and Blow Fly all one after the other on my two-hour daily commute. The Last Precinct was a very disappointing, almost time-wasting, read. I see that others felt the same way. It spends a lot of time inside Kay's head with few revelations and even less plot. After a while, I found Anna to be a pain in the butt. The interaction between the two was fake and contrived. And I hate to say this about a Cornewell novel, but it was boring, even. ... Read More
Rating:  - It's About Change..
Like the last book in the series, this one seems to get a lot of criticism. I don't understand. This book starts to tie some things together from the previous two books. Kay, and the other characters as well are not one dimensional, they have many layers. This book shows us that losing a loved one is not something that just happens and you get over it. It continues to touch every part of our lives, as Benton's death does for Kay, Lucy, Marino and even the staff of the morgue. This book moves at a slower ... Read More
Rating:  - Boooooring!
Most of the major writers of crime fiction get away with sloppy plotlines and mailed-in characterizations just as long as their base readership gets to see the same characters as in the book before. The Last Precinct is no exception. I was so bored that I simply could not slog through the whole thing. Too bad; if this one has even been remotely readable I might have moved on to Cornwell's other work. If you want to read a thriller with a little heart, pick up any of Michael Connelly's work, or one of relative ... Read More
Rating: - The Last Precinct
While thoroughly enjoying all Patricia Cornwell`s work and being an avid fan of Dr.Scarpetta I feel The Last Precinct is my favourite. It is a riveting story and we get a really great insight into what makes the Doctor tick following her time with her friend Dr. Anna Zenner who as a Psychiatrist knows how to lead her friend into telling what troubles her .Having followed her through nine earlier stories we begin to understand what she really feels, how she looks upon various times in her life and begin to know ... Read More
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