From Potter’s Field by Patricia Cornwell (1995)

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From Potter’s Field by Patricia Cornwell



                From Potter’s Field is the 6th book in a crime series revolving around forensic pathologist Dr. Kay Scarpetta. In this novel an old foe by the name of Temple Gaunt is back to haunt and terrorize Scarpetta. The first body is found in Central Park on Christmas Eve. From there the bodies continue to add up and the connection between the case, Gaunt and Scarpetta continues to add up. Not only his her life in danger, but that of her niece who developed an artificial intelligence computer system known as CAIN. Scarpetta must work quickly to catch Gaunt before she finds herself or her niece in harms way.
                This started off really strong. Scarpetta was in a high powered position, well respected, good at her job and was a character with a lot of wit and humor. I instantly liked her. The action started off right away and I was instantly intrigued. As the story progressed I found my interest waning. The action stayed constant and the plot kept progressing but Scarpetta lost some of her personality. Few of the other characters were very well fleshed out and I’m not sure how many of them I even liked. The Gaunt case was the goal but there were little facts and entries that were made that served as only distraction. Then the ending happened and it all seemed very rushed.

                The one thing I truly liked about this novel was that it felt like a stand-alone novel. I didn’t feel like I was missing anything by not having read the previous novels. I felt like enough information was alluded to and provided so that readers could enjoy it as is. I wish the ending hadn’t been rushed. I wish Scarpetta’s voice and character had continued to shine throughout the book like it had in the beginning of the novel. The ending in my opinion could have been so much better. I’m not sure if I would read any of the other novels in this series. I give this 3 out of 5 stars. Could have been a lot better but it had its interesting and exciting moments and a character who could really shine if allowed. 

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