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For decades, Patricia Cornwell has demonstrated her extraordinary ability not only to entertain and enthrall but to surprise as well. Beginning in January 2006, The New York Times Magazine will serialize a brand-new Cornwell thriller, a book filled with all the chilling suspense, rich characters, and trademark forensics that have made her an international phenomenon. But what she does with those ingredients is a revelation.
A Massachusetts state investigator is called home from Knoxville, Tennessee, where he is completing a course at the National Forensic Academy. His boss, the district attorney, attractive but hard-charging, is planning to run for governor, and as a showcase she's planning to use a new crime initiative called At Risk-its motto: "Any crime, any time." In particular, she's been looking for a way to employ cutting-edge DNA technology, and she thinks she's found the perfect subject in an unsolved twenty-year-old murder-in Tennessee. If her office solves the case, it ought to make them all look pretty good, right?
Her investigator is not so sure-not sure about anything to do with this woman, really-but before he can open his mouth, a shocking piece of violence intervenes, an act that shakes up not only both their lives but the lives of everyone around them. It's not a random event. Is it personal? Is it professional? Whatever it is, the implications are very, very bad indeed . . . and they're about to get much worse.
Sparks fly, traps spring, twists abound-this is the master working at the top of her game.
Before becoming one of the most widely recognized, respected, and read writers in contemporary crime fiction, she worked as a police reporter for The Charlotte Observer and as a computer analyst in the chief medical examiner's office in Virginia. During this period of her life, Cornwell observed literally hundreds of autopsies. While the vast majority of people would surely regard such work unsavory beyond belief, Cornwell was acquiring valuable information that would not only help her write the groundbreaking 2002 study Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper -- Case Closed but would also enrich her fiction with uncommon authenticity.
"Most of these crime scene shows... are what I call ‘Harry Potter' policing," she said in a candid, heated interview. "They're absolutely fantasy. And the problem is the general public watches these, 60 million people a week or whatever, and they think what they're seeing is true." If Cornwell comes off as a bit vehement in her criticism of television shows meant to simply entertain, that's just because she takes her work so seriously.
Not that Cornwell's novels are ever anything short of entertaining, even if their grisly details may require extra-strong stomachs of her readers. She has created a tremendously well-defined and complex character in her favorite fictional crime solver Dr. Kay Scarpetta. Cornwell introduced medical examiner Scarpetta in her first novel, Postmortem in 1990. Today, Scarpetta is still cracking cases and cracking open cadavers. (She has even inspired a cook book called Food to Die For: Secrets from Kay Scarpetta's Kitchen.) In addition, Cornwell writes more lighthearted cop capers in her Andy Brazil & Judy Hammer series.
Cornwell may be a former crime solver, but she shudders to think that her books could actually contribute to crime. In fact, she says she has received "thank you" notes from prisoners who claim they have gleaned information from her books that might help them cover their tracks while committing future crimes.
If parody is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, then Cornwell has a fan in Chris Elliott. The professional wisenheimer published a hilarious takeoff on her true crime book Portrait of a Killer called The Shroud of the Thwacker.
I have been a true Patricia Cornwell fan for years looking forward to every release. Not only was "At Risk" disappointing for it's lack of content it was disappointing to see Cornwell wrote it as a vehicle for an angry political agenda. As a fan I look forward to her well developed characters and plots and lately both have seemed tired. I will wait to see reviews before I buy her next novel.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I'll stick to Kay S.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.KK92
Posted January 25, 2011
I loved 'At Risk' and 'The Front'!! I thought some parts were boring as hell and dragged on, but I loved the characters, although the DA is quite the hardass but overall they're both really good!! lots of twists!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 5, 2010
Where is the other pages, i only received 121 pages of 304. WHY? Help
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 15, 2009
I find one character very interesting and weird, but I like the storytelling involved in this story.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 21, 2009
Whenever we travel we bring audiobooks to pass the time. The last Patricia Cornwell book I thought was a rehash of several others. I read most of her books and I enjoy her plots. I thought this book new and refreshing. I am looking forward to development of her character Win Garano. I will definitely buy the next book of this series
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 29, 2009
An interesting book and another hit by Cornwell.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 29, 2009
I've enjoyed Ms. Cromwell's Kay Scarpetta series. This series quality didn't even come close. Very disappointed. Plot and characters not developed well at all. No originality in this series at all.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Draghi
Posted August 25, 2009
This book was very disapointing. I was constantly waiting for something to happen and it never did.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 22, 2009
I Also Recommend:
I always read the latest Patricia Cornwell even if the circle of characters aren't as appealing as they used to be. It seems as if Dr. Scarpatta's personal life just isn't as interesting as before. But the storyline and plot are always worth the read.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.lucayaKC
Posted June 8, 2009
I felt the plot was uninteresting and did not feel it was developed the way the Scarpetta novels were.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.THe writing style of this novel leaves much to be desired. THe plot and characters don't seem to be very well developed either. It took a lot of determination to get through this book. I don't think I will be reading another book from this author.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.LouiseJH
Posted April 20, 2009
In the few pages of this book, I felt Ms. Cornwell gave real insight into the characters. The only disappointment here was the similarity of her Win Garano character to James Patterson's Alex Cross in the grandmother character. I think Ms. Cornwell could have been a tad more original there. Overall, though, I found the characters fresh and interesting. The plot also had originality and enough twists to keep the reader guessing.
Because of the brevity of the book, there was not a lot of the redundancy found in some of the longer volumes today. It was a good book for travel as it could be finished in a few hours. Without getting graphic, there was still sexual friction between several of the characters leading one to wonder where these relationships might go in a future novel with the same characters. (And I do see that this is #1 in the Win Garano Series.)
This book also skimmed over all the forensics which I found refreshing after so many books and television series getting overly (in my opinion) graphic in this area and concentrating on this aspect so much that there isn't much plot development.
I found this a welcome departure from so many of the books of this genre.
cabassa
Posted October 9, 2008
I Also Recommend:
I LOVE PATRCIA CORNWELL AND ALL HER BOOKS BUT THIS IN PATICULAR I DIDNT FIND THAT INTERESTING IT WAS HONESTLY A LIL BORING
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 28, 2008
Deciding to take some time to myself to read a good book, I looked forward to reading 'At Risk.' This proved to be a huge mistake. Cornwell's writing is not only pedestrian, it lacks any sort of style. Unless, of course, constant use of fragmented sentences is considered style. It is, in fact, the worst book she has written. In short, don't waste your money -- and, if you really choose to be bored senseless, check it out at the library.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 23, 2008
Loved At Risk and Win! What a hunk! Can't wait to read The Front. Characters have depth. Keep the series going!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 30, 2008
Probably on the best books I've ever read. So it's nothing like what you oldies are used to reading about Scarpetta, GET OVER IT. This book is exciting, interesting, and by far one of the best plots and intriguing characters of all time. Buy this book, you will be glad you didn't listen to the losers who do not know quality. Definitely Cornwell quality. Actually, I say Cornwell's best.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 16, 2008
This book does not even sound like Cornwell wrote it. I think she let someone else use her name! Do not waste your money.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 20, 2008
Unlike some of your readers, I loved 'Predator'. My husband I listed to the audio book when returning to Ohio from Florida. I've also been a big fan of the Kay Scarpetta books. I was tremendously disappointed with 'At Risk'. Not what I was expecting at all. Not interesting, not fun, not believeable, and either insipid or nasty characters.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 22, 2008
I have always enjoyed Patricia Cornwell's books but I cannot say the same about 'At Risk.' Not one of her best by far.
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Overview
For decades, Patricia Cornwell has demonstrated her extraordinary ability not only to entertain and enthrall but to surprise as well. Beginning in January 2006, The New York Times Magazine will serialize a brand-new Cornwell thriller, a book filled with all the chilling suspense, rich characters, and trademark forensics that have made her an international phenomenon. But what she does with those ingredients is a revelation.
A Massachusetts state investigator is called home from Knoxville, Tennessee, where he is completing a course at the National Forensic Academy. His boss, the district attorney, attractive but hard-charging, is planning to run for ...