I enjoyed this one, having been to Paris

Not my favorite scarpetta book... though looking forward to the next one!

I think after about book 5 in this series, there was a noticeable decrease in quality, although the stories were still readable. This is one of the better ones that came later in the series. I didn't mind Kay's rumination over Benton- seemed entirely natural, and I didn't mind the fling she had at the end of the book, although I found it hard to believe her depth of feelings over the fling. Very abrupt ending, as if the author suddenly sickened of the story, but I will keep reading the series.

Scarpetta on Marino:

“I thought if I did not have even a few moments away from him I might become violent.”

Same.

Scarpetta books come in three (3) particular flavors:

1. Serial Killers Are Super-Violent, Yo.
2. Scarpetta's Co-Workers All Want to Destroy Her Career (Because She's So Awesome)
3. Scarpetta's Terrible Family & Friends

Books of the first stripe have always been the most interesting to me, so much so that it's been tolerable / interesting when they stray into the second area. While I completely understand that there's an appreciative audience for the third kind, they leave me cold: Scarpetta is a deeply unpleasant person, and so is her best friend, Pete Marino, and it turns out that the niece she raised as her own daughter is likewise terrible.

These people do not a fun time make.

This book is an equal mix of all three kinds. First it's unhappy families time, but with Scarpetta finally losing it at some of Lucy's shenanigans, then doing absolutely nothing to intervene as the shenanigans continue. Then just like clockwork, a third of the way through the book, everyone hates Scarpetta and are trying to destroy her professional reputation.

At the -- no kidding -- THREE HUNDRED PAGE MARK, we turn to serial killing.

Oy vey.

With so many competing plot elements, no one wins. Least of all the reader.

That said, with the book before this, [b:Point of Origin|6531|Point of Origin (Kay Scarpetta, #9)|Patricia Cornwell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1399629118l/6531._SY75_.jpg|1827446], there's at least some hint that Scarpetta's starting to understand the impact of keeping her sense of moral indignation running on high, 24 / 7:

"You're awfully straight and narrow, aren't you, Kay?" McGovern stated. "Unlike the rest of us, you never seem to use poor judgment or do anything wrong. You probably never overeat or get drunk. And to be honest, it makes the rest of us schleps feel afraid to be around you, afraid you'll look at us and disapprove."

"Good Lord, what an awful image," I exclaimed. "I hope that's not how I'm perceived."

She said nothing.

Will Scarpetta begin to grasp the impact of her belt-sander personality sometime soon? Let's stay tuned.

Because that's the kicker: as unpleasant as these characters are and as predictable as the plots go (oh, you and your unpleasant family have attracted yet another psychopath? Some might call that a clue, Kay!) there's something very easy and readable about the whole mess.

On to Book 11.