Customer Reviews

Front

5 star:		(83)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(23)
2 star:		(37)
1 star:		(109)

 

 

I thought Cornwell could do no worse than Isle of Dogs - The Front was as bad (if not as vulger). The author sells her books because of her name. It seems you can turn out any ridiculous piece of trash and make money, if at one point in your career you were a legitimate author. I believed that James Patterson was the master in this regard, but even he has not produced anything so ridiculous and nonsensical as this book. The positive reviewers who are quoted here must have entirely different standards than I, or have read a different book. I give it 0 stars and resent the time wasted reading it - fortunately however, it was so "cut to the bone" that even with thick paper and big print, there was nothing much to read. Last Cornwell book for me - Renee Wadler

This book is just awful. Did Cornwell write this on her Blackberry? It just seems like something written for the text-messaging crowd. Her prose is anemic, her characters rehashed from the Scarpetta series, the story line is flat, and the sharp, detailed writing she has given us in the past is as stale as yesterday's Starbucks. And how many cops ride Ducati motorcycles? Honestly... Cornwell phoned this one in. She's just writing for retirement money now.

This is by far one of the worst books I've ever read. Lackluster boring characters, no strong plot/plots. Belive me when I say "this is not a spoiler"...this book does not address the title of the book "The Front". What exactly was this book about, anybody, anybody.....

The Front

Cornwell has lost it. I borrowed this book from the library and am glad I didn't buy it. From the start of this book I couldn't find an interest in any of the charactors. The plot was not interesting. I don't know what has happened to Patricia Cornwell's writing but I have noticed her anger has begun to show through.

Patricia Cornwell's "The Front" is the second in a series featuring thirty-four year old Massachusetts state homicide investigator Win (Gernimo) Garano. Win's nemesis is egocentric and obnoxious Middlesex County District Attorney Monique Lamont. She relishes every opportunity to manipulate and humiliate Win, in spite of the fact that he once saved her life. Lamont comes up with a preposterous project for Win, as part of a public relations ploy "to take back our neighborhoods" and "to create a model that will be studied everywhere." Garano's task is to unearth information on an unsolved sexual homicide that took place in 1962: A blind British citizen named Janie Brolin was raped and strangled in Watertown, Massachusetts. Could she have been the Boston strangler's first victim? Win resents Lamont for expecting him to reopen a forty-five year old case. To make matters worse, Lamont has invited New Scotland Yard's Detective Superintendent to get involved.

Lamont further suggests that Win enlist the aid of a Watertown cop nicknamed Stump (her nickname is unrelated to the fact that she has worn a prosthesis since her leg was amputated below the knee). Stump wants no part of the Brolin case, and she tells Win to do his own dirty work for Lamont. It seems that Lamont and Stump detest one another and Stump has not found it in her heart to forgive Monique for her past transgressions. Stump also fears that Monique wants to destroy a growing coalition called FRONT (Friends, Resources, Officers Networking Together), consisting of sixty police departments cooperating and pooling their resources. Stump urges Win to find a way to get out from under Lamont's thumb.

This book is irritating in so many ways: Cornwell's artificial use of the present tense is grating. The loosely constructed plot is lame and nonsensical. The story wanders down different paths that never fully converge, and none of the characters are satisfactorily developed. As in the first novel of the series, "At Risk," Win is devoted to his eccentric Nana, the charming and superstitious psychic who raised him. Stump is a hard-bitten and tough cop who may have secret feelings for Win. In spite of her efforts to make him angry, Win is turned on by Stump's mind and physical beauty. Unfortunately, Cornwell does not establish a believable relationship between these two. They constantly exchange insults and juvenile banter, like a pair of squabbling siblings. In addition, a story line that has Lamont under suspicion for aiding terrorists is nothing short of outlandish. Adding to the absurdity, Win experiences a brainstorm that enables him to solve the Brolin case as if by magic. It is almost as if he has inherited Nana's second sight. "The Front" is a weak effort by Cornwell; it is insubstantial, lacks cohesion and pace, and never picks up enough steam to hold the reader's interest.

It seems that once Ms. Cornwell made it big she now has to let her political leanings infiltrate every book she writes. There was once a time her crime novels were about crime and using forensics to solve such crimes. She developed characters, some we liked and some we hated. Now, she has to make is all about her how political leanings. Not even half way into this book we have to hear her own voice again and again speaking through the characters, most often in a non sequitor manner. I wished I had read the reviews here before I purchased the book. It would have saved me some money that I could have used to donate to the political party she seems to hate so much.

This will be the last book I waste my money on that has been written by such Ms. Cornwell.

I, too, received an advanced copy of Patricia Cornwell's latest novel, "The Front". As an avid reader of her Scarpetta novels, I looked forward to reading another of her series books. "The Front" is the follow-up book to "At Risk". Though I had not read "At Risk", I found this storyline easy to follow and the characters well-written.

"The Front" is an excellent who-done-it... you are not even sure at some turns what the "it" is exactly. The plot twists keep the pages turning in this novel. The main characters - Win Garano, a Massachussetts State Police detective, and Monique Lamont, the Boston area Distict Attorney, have an interesting relationship that was established in the book "At Risk" but you are privy to the basics of it in this novel. They are characters with whom the reader can associate. The D.A. that appears hard due to a rape occurring the year before, and the detective that has the appearances of living the "good life" but really shops EBay, thrift stores, and finds ways to get discounts for off-duty work.

The story goes from Boston to London, involving Scotland Yard, appearing to try to solve a 40+ year old murder of a Bristish citizen that could possibly be attributed to the Boston Strangler. Scotland Yard isn't interested in Lamont's murder -- they want Lamont. Believing her to be funding terrorist activities, the Yard, as well as the FBI, investigate Lamont and use her interest in the Boston Strangler theory as a way in. Is Lamont funding terrorism, or the victim of a bad investment move?

Thriller fans, pick this one up! It does not dissapoint!

Thankfully this was given to me, I am glad I did not bother with spending money on this. I agree that one star is maybe too much. I fell in love with Ms. Cornwell years ago and have been an avid reader since. Scarpetta was a character I enjoyed until the last few books which have been less than her best. I tried Southern Cross, did not finish it, forced my way through At Risk, but find myself once again not being able to finish The Front. Maybe the strain of bringing out too many books in too many areas too quickly has lowered her standards but they just have not been the enjoyable all night read they used to be. The Front has been relegated to the bathroom for the very rare times I get to soak and don't care what I read as long as I wouldn't be saddened if it gets wet. Ten years ago Cornwell would never be an I don't care book, now she is.

I have read several of the Kay Scarpetts books and liked them. This book, however, is awful. I've tried to get interested in it, but just can't. I made it to page 80 and am calling it quits! Thank goodness I got the book from the library. I would never buy anything from this author.

Once you start to read this book, you won't be able to put it down until you're finished reading. Although a quick read, there are plenty of twists and turns to fully capture your attention. Although I love reading the Kay Scarpetta series, I look forward to more books about Win, Monique, Nana and hopefully Stump.