Chaos: A Scarpetta Novel

The city of Boston is experiencing an unusual heat wave in September. This is where we find Dr. Kay Scarpetta, who is at Harvard to give a presentation on a Space Shuttle disaster with a former mentor when a dead body appears and consumes her every movement. Her mind had previously been occupied with her sister’s impending visit and harassment from an unknown source. The death of a young girl is mysterious, as the exact cause of death appears to have come from nowhere. Meanwhile, Scarpetta’s husband has been called away on a possible homeland security threat. Scarpetta is perplexed by a visit from her niece that leaves her with more questions than answers. As the hours pass and the body gets colder, Scarpetta senses dangers from a former enemy and puts all her time into solving the death of the young victim. But will she be successful?

The twenty-fifth book in Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta series is a pulse-racing tension-builder from the first page. The story is fast moving, original, and the medical speak is clear to understand. As a first time reader of this author, it was a pleasure to dive right into the saga of Kay Scarpetta.