Look, I've been with Scarpetta since Desert Storm was fresh news. Twenty-four books. That's commitment. So when I say book twenty-four feels like watching a decorated general who's been behind a desk too long try to lead a patrol - you know I'm not saying it lightly.
The premise hooked me immediately. Woman killed by apparent lightning strike on a clear day? That's the kind of impossible crime scene that made me fall for this series in the first place. Cornwell still knows how to set up a mystery that makes you lean forward. The forensic details are solid, the Cambridge setting feels authentic, and there's a genuinely creepy cyberstalker angle with this "Tailend Charlie" character sending bizarre poems. Good bones for a thriller.
But here's where the mission goes sideways.
When the Briefing Becomes the Mission
Scarpetta spends an enormous amount of time in her own head. And not productive tactical thinking - more like circular worry loops about her marriage, her niece Lucy, media criticism, office politics. I get it. Real people ruminate. But I'm eight hours into a thirteen-hour audiobook and we're still processing feelings about the same three problems.
The pacing reminded me of those interminable PowerPoint briefings where the colonel keeps adding slides. 20th Victim had some of the same bloat issues - too much setup, not enough payoff. You've got a dead woman, a mysterious weapon, a stalker who somehow has access to private information - and we're discussing Benton's emotional availability? Move out, Doc.
I listened to most of this during a drive to Houston for a client meeting. Plenty of windshield time. Even Ranger looked bored, and he usually perks up during the tense parts.
Susan Ericksen Behind the Mic
Ericksen's been narrating Scarpetta for years, and she knows these characters cold. Her Boston accents are credible - I've worked with enough guys from Southie to know the difference between real and Hollywood Boston. She handles the medical terminology without stumbling, which matters when you're dealing with electrocution pathology and trace evidence analysis.
But something's off this time around. The delivery feels... confrontational. Almost every character sounds irritated. Scarpetta's annoyed. Marino's angry. Lucy's defensive. Benton's terse. After a few hours, it gave me the same feeling as being stuck in a conference room where everyone's had too much coffee and not enough sleep.
One reviewer nailed it - "the narrator reads as though almost every character is angry, which gave me heartburn." That's exactly right. Even during quieter moments, there's this edge that never quite relaxes. By hour ten, I was exhausted.
Now, is that Ericksen's choice or is she just faithfully rendering what's on the page? Honestly, I think it's the source material. Cornwell's written Scarpetta into a perpetual state of siege - attacked by media, doubted by colleagues, threatened by anonymous stalkers. The character herself seems worn down. Ericksen's just delivering what's there.
Tactical Assessment
The mystery itself? Actually pretty clever once it finally unfolds. The weapon used is genuinely innovative (no spoilers, but the author clearly did her homework on some exotic tech). The resolution makes sense and ties together threads I'd almost forgotten about during all the relationship processing.
But getting there felt like a forced march through terrain that should've been covered in half the time. Cornwell's early Scarpetta books were lean. Efficient. This one needs a ruthless editor with a red pen.
The cyberstalker subplot works well - creepy without being cartoonish, and the poems are genuinely unsettling. Lucy's frustration at being unable to track Tailend Charlie rings true in an era where even brilliant hackers can be outmaneuvered by someone who knows what they're doing.
Mission Debrief: Who's This For?
If you're a longtime Scarpetta fan, you'll probably listen anyway. And honestly, there's enough here to reward your loyalty - the forensic details remain top-notch, the core mystery is solid, and the resolution satisfies. But if you're new to the series? Don't start here. Go back to "Postmortem" and work your way forward. Same advice I'd give someone starting the Women's Murder Club series - 5th Horseman works better when you've got the earlier books for context.
Skip this one if you need tight pacing or can't handle thirteen hours of characters who all sound like they need a vacation. Come aboard if you're invested in Scarpetta's world and can tolerate some bloat for a genuinely clever forensic mystery.
For the committed fans doing the full thirteen hours: consider 1.25x speed. Ericksen's delivery is clear enough to handle it, and frankly, tightening the pace helps. Ranger and I made it through, but we both needed a palate cleanser afterward.
Mission accomplished, but just barely.
