‘Cause of Death’ by Patricia Cornwell

My Review (4 stars out of 5)

Kay Scarpetta finds herself quite literally in deep water when the body of an investigative reporter is found in the Elizabeth River. Digging into the reasons for the man’s death, Scarpetta is already suspicious about the odd phone call reporting the death before the police were notified. Along with Captain Marino, and her FBI colleagues Wesley Benton and her niece Lucy, the investigation takes a dark and dangerous turn as details emerge about a sinister cult.  

In this seventh outing for medical examiner Scarpetta, the story gets off to a great start with lots of weird events and ominous goings-on. Scarpetta’s stay at the house of one of her regional deputies has a creepy feel to it when the team discover footprints in the snow. An encounter with a so-called police officer whose motives leave Scarpetta with more questions than answers only deepens the mystery. On the minus side, I felt Ms Cornwell’s usually tight storytelling lost its grip a little as the plot headed towards a slightly silly denouement. The book is still entertaining but left me hoping book no eight will find the author back in the saddle as the undisputed queen of thrillers.

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