I was extremely disappointed in this Scarpetta book. I picked it up expecting the usual Cornwell--engrossing story, good storytelling, and a quick intriguing read. Instead, I slogged my way through this bland tale until it was no longer renewable from the library; in fact, I skipped the last 1/8 of it and skimmed until I found the mystery's solution. The writing is so forced and stilted that I started to wonder if it was ghostwritten. There is more detail about the cars people drive than character development, with an overly-obvious attempt to bring in recent terrible newsworthy events. I can't say I won't ever read another Cornwell, but I do hope she is able to find her former voice in future writing efforts.