The Last Precinct (Kay Scarpetta) (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "I KNOW FROM LUCY'S VOICE THAT SHE IS SCARED..." (more)
Key Phrases: chipping hammer, special grand jury, butt pack, New York, Diane Bray, Jay Talley (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com 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

From Publishers Weekly

"My central nervous system spikes and surges, my pulse pounds. I am sweating.... " If only readers would share this response with Cornwell's immensely popular Kay Scarpetta, Virginia's chief medical examiner. But most won't. Kay has plenty of reason to be upset. She's standing in a room in a shabby motel where a body has been found, severely tortured. She's under official suspicion of having murdered maleficent ?ber-cop Diane Bray (in Kay's last outing, Black Notice). She's suspected of trumping up charges against accused serial killer Jean-Baptiste Chandonne, also introduced in Black Notice. She's reeling from the aftershock of Chandonne's murderous attack on her; she mightily misses her slain FBI agent/lover Dan Belson; she's learned that her gay niece, Lucy, is quitting law enforcement for a private PI firm called the Last PrecinctAand it's Christmas time. Kay has a lot of support in the midst of this law-and-disorder soap opera, from, among others, Lucy, tough cop/sidekick Pete Marino and Kay's aged friend, psychiatrist Anna ZennerAand that's part of the problem with this novel. Excessive emoting and way too much talk (including long therapeutic sessions between Kay and Anna) derail momentum time and again; the pages feel soggy with tears. Cornwell does provide intense intrigue, but it's a strain to follow as she connects events and loose ends from several novels. Within this narrative swamp, there's one new and very memorable gator, thoughANew York prosecutor Jaime Berger, obviously modeled on real-life ADA (and novelist) Linda Fairstein, to whom Cornwell dedicates the novel; she's sharply drawn and charismatic. Cornwell will win few if any new fans with this overlong, sluggish offering, but her giant readership is so hardcore and so enamored of Kay that the publisher's first printing of one million seems, if anything, conservative. $800,000 ad/promo; Literary Guild, Mystery Guild and Doubleday Book Club main selections; national satellite tour; foreign rights sold in the U.K., Germany, Italy, France, Holland, Japan, Finland, Turkey and Spain. (One-day laydown, Oct. 16)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 449 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; 1 edition (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399146253
• ISBN-13: 978-0399146251
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.5 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (393 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #169,482 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 11 in The Kay Scarpetta Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

80 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Subtract A Star If You Are Not A Fan Of The Series, October 16, 2000

By	michael luciano (Riverview, fl USA) - See all my reviews

Lately Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series has lost some of it's luster. Her last effort Black Notice, was without question the worst entry in the series. This book is a nice bounce back, but it doesn't quite live up to the potential it shows at first. After the first few chapters of The Last Precinct, I was convinced that Cornwell was going to reinvent Kay and take a new and fresh approach to the series. Unfortunatley, the soul searching that Scarpetta goes through in the first few chapters does not lead to the resounding change I was hoping for. Yes, it does seem that Cornwell is going to shake things up a bit just not as much as I hoped. The plot of this book picks up right were Black Notice left off. Somehow, the plot that seemed unrealistic and contrived in the previous book actually picks up some life. It almost feels like Cornwell recognizes how badly conceived Black Notice's plot was and is using this book to flesh it out. Being a fan of Cornwell's work, I really wanted to like this book, and I have to say that I did. It is an improvement over the last couple of efforts. However, it is still not as good as the earliest entries in this series and if this plot was connected with a book that was not part of a series that I liked, I'm not so sure that I would have enjoyed it as much as I did. If you have never read a Kay Scarpetta book before, do not start with this one. If you are a Cornwell fan that vowed you would never read her again after Black Notice, give her another try. The Last Precinct could be a fresh start for Kay Scarpetta, let's hope it continues.

64 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A new Kay Scarpetta, October 18, 2000

By	B. Walker (Wisconsin, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

By the time I had read The Last Precinct, I had already seen Patricia Cornwell give several interviews about it, so I had a certain expectation about what kind of book this would be. For the most part, her descriptions were accurate, which is unfortunate.

From the beginning, this is a completely different Kay Scarpetta than we've read about before. Cornwell claimed in her interviews that this could be a stand-alone book, that it wasn't necessary to read the previous books to understand this one, but I disagree strongly. It literally picks up where the last one left off, and if you didn't read Black Notice, chances are you won't have a clue what's going on. There are half-hearted attempts to bring the reader up to speed on the various characters, but they seem forced and uncomfortable.

The storyline is much the same as in previous books, despite Cornwell's assertion that this is the first time we see Kay in professional jeopardy. There's a bad guy, Kay gets personally involved, Lucy goes off on some weird tangent, Kay's professional judgement is called into question..the bare bones of this story are the same as the others. What bothered me most about this book was the extremely sudden and startling change in the way we see Kay, and through her, all the other characters. She suddenly analyzes every thought, every emotion; we see all of the characters in a new light, and it is almost without exception, unflattering. Suddenly we are literally forced to consider Kay's sexual orientation, Marino's weird attraction to her; even the deceased Benton is re-examined and somehow comes off looking the worse for it.

Cornwell said in the interviews I saw that she doesn't model Kay after herself, but there are several aspects of this book that almost feel voyeuristic. The forensic and investigational parts of the book almost seem like an afterthought. The main purpose of this entry in the Scarpetta series seems mainly to explore her psyche; at the end of it all, I've lost my respect for the character.

I had a hard time deciding how many stars to give this book. Taken alone, simply judging this book's writing style, plot and character development, I would have given it 4 stars; as part of the Scarpetta series, comparing it to past books, I would have rated this one a 2, so I split the difference and gave it a 3. Fans of the first books in the Scarpetta series who were upset after Black Notice probably won't be any more thrilled with this entry; fans that haven't read the first few books in the series and liked Black Notice probably would find this an interesting follow-up.

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good comeback, October 19, 2000

By A Customer

Kay Scarpetta does not kill Le Loup-Garou, as evidenced by his continual presence throught The Last Precinct. I would suggest that only readers familiar with the revisited cast read this book. You will not understand the dynamics of the realtionships played out in this novel. While Black Notice was not her best book, it took us through the dark places we expect people to visit after murder touches their lives, along with the introduction of new, hateful characters that I'm sure will pop up time and again as did Carrie Grethren. The Last Precint shows the mending of the souls of our familiar cast. It is not as entertaining as her previous books but it was necessary for Cornwell to create closure for her characters. I am pleased with the turn Cornwell is alowing Kay Scarpetta to take in her career. With her realization of her own damaged psyche and her practice of creating angst ridden relationships she will no doubt be a more compelling character in the next book. I do hope with all my heart that Pete Marino, by far the most likeable character in her series, will not get lost in the shuffle. I feel this book was a gift to fans of the series. We previously have been privy to every nuance of the two main characters. They were 'profiled' for us as we knew every move they would take. We are now left wondering if there will be a change in Kays and Petes relationship, will there be a change of venue? My interest is already piqued. The Last Precint was a book that I could simply not put down as each page brought a new plot twist. Was it her best work? No. But it was a good read, especially for series fans. I am certainly looking forward to the next installment. I am sure that Patricia Cornwell will hit her stride and give us a good time getting to know the new Kay Scarpetta.