Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I gave up on Cornwell's latest effort at less than halfway through. At my age, there is no point in spending time reading a book that has absolutely nothing to offer. Like many others, I suppose, I was first drawn to the Scarpetta series because of the fascinating mysteries that were being solved by forensics. And I do enjoy reading books that are published in a series. Most books that are written as a series are interesting because of character development: the Three Pines series by Louise Penny is a good example. When I pick up a new Louise Penny book, I feel like I am greeting old friends. When I began reading Flesh and Blood, I could only think of how very elitist, arrogant and egotistical Scarpetta has become.And how Lucy and Benton have both grown so very elusive and taciturn. And I grew so weary of the petty feud between Marino and Machado that I finally just gave up. As authors become more established, their editors must back off. The first one-third of this book is so repetitive, with Scarpetta commenting (to herself or the reader) that Marino is not aware of what is going on. Over and over. I cannot believe a competent editor would pass on it. And Marino's bullish incompetence stretches credulity. Why would anyone employ such an idiot? Yet she praises his investigative skill while she portrays him as a dunderhead. Cornwell often uses a present tense narrative device as means to create tension and immediacy. In this book, it only creates boredom and confusion. I surely will not buy another Scarpetta/Cornwell novel.