Finishing was difficult...
922476
I heard a very hard time finding this book. Chloe, the main character, drove me crazy. She was so shallow. I didn't actually start to like her until the last chapter or so. And if you like books that just end, then this is the book for you. I was really disappointed as I really thought this was going to be a great story.
2007348
This book was definitely a challenge...that is, it was a challenge to finish it. Let me start by saying that I am a fan of the Kay Scarpetta series, both the older books and the newer ones. I have defended the last few books in the series and really did like them. I glanced here at Amazon and saw that the overall rating for the book was up from her previous books and was looking forward to reading Book of the Dead. I knew nothing of the authors political views, her personal life or her sexual orientation. All I knew was that I admired the characters she had created, enjoyed reading the forensic detail, and liked the interactions between the characters. I grieved with Kay when Benton died, and during the books when she thought he really was dead.

I would discuss the plot here, if there was anything to discuss. It was so disjointed that it just made no sense. I was 2/3 of the way through the book before it could even hold my interest. Then, some of the scientific detail was too detailed, even for a Scarpetta book. (how much about an electron microscope do we need to know?) She continues to massacre her characters. Marino is just beyond belief. She shifts from present to past tense without warning and often in the same conversation.

The purpose of this book seemed to be to for the author to state her political views. As I said earlier, I didn't know her views before, but after reading this book, I don't think there is anything about her politics that the reader will not know. She hates the Iraq war, believes that George Bush is evil, that the people of Iraq are doomed, that the rest of the world hates Americans, she hates the FBI, is against the Patriot Act and is paranoid to the point she might need therapy. One might think she wrote a book of fiction, so these are not her views, but they are according to what the author says in multiple interviews. She doesn't just casually mention her views in the book, she hammers them into the reader's head.

This book opens and Scarpetta and her followers (Marino, Lucy and Rose) have moved to Charleston, South Carolina. We get no explanation as to why for a long time (I thought they were all doing well at the Academy) We finally learn that they moved because of Hurricane Wilma. I'm surprised the author didn't blame the hurricane on our government or Bush as well. I find her paranoia and hatred of the Patriot Act amusing, since computer genius Lucy thinks nothing of hacking into anyone's computer files, breaking in and placing camera's and microphones in peoples houses and monitoring them, even if it is someone she has known for twenty years. She says that's OK because it is for the greater good. This character is so paranoid that she will allow no record of her or her medical files to be stored electronically. She goes to the doctor under an alias and carries her files around with her.

I tried to like this book, really I did. In fact, I can't believe that I feel this way about a Patricia Cornwell book. It wasn't a matter of whether I agreed or disagreed with her politics, it was just that I don't like anyone's political views rammed down my throat, especially when I have paid money for the book and didn't know I was getting a political manifesto.

If you are reading Amazon reviews to decide whether or not you want to buy the book, be careful. It seems that the author has asked her fans to go to Amazon and post a favorable review to counter what she believes is a conspiracy against her. For more information, see: [...]. There are now many 5 star reviews from 1 time reviewers who have answered her plea.
1596963
I am struggling with this and will probably not finish it. The dialogue is difficult.
297499
I found the ending to be quite a let-down.  Seems like the author was in a hurry to finish the book and failed to wrap things up in an orderly manner.  It just kinda stopped.
131052
This is a hard book to review. First of all, the blurb was awesome, and I was interested in the premise. I didn't love that he was in a brothel... it was hard for me to grasp the "love story" when he had previously paid her for a bj. The rescue was way too easy, and I felt the author could have made it just a little bit more challenging. I was rolling my eyes at this point, but I was hooked again when the questions started popping up. and then everything moved at light speed! Everything moved wayyy too fast and I felt no closure with the ending. It does lead into book 2, but to be honest I'm not all that interested. This book had such promise, but ended up being a bit of a let down.
4477987
I always say ending a story is the hardest part of writing a novel! The premise of the book was plausible and compelling, but the author lost her way will hard-to-believe and outlandish plot twists. It seemed to me that Scottoline lost interest and focus. The writing even seemed more amateurish at the end. Hard to take!
3015492
It is a little difficult to close. Finishing is not that great! Anyway, it works.
2784902
The ending of a book have to be very hard to write. As I read the book and thought it entertaining I was concerned about the ending...how would it be wrapped up. For a first novel I thought out t was fine...not great...not bad but fine...if a little rushed. I do like that Henry was left open and will read the next book. There were some editing errors..I.e., Yoni having large brown eyes that in the next sentence were two small for his face....and the gang members attire being described twice with the exact same words in one paragraph. 3.5 stars and promising.
1948489
Hopefully the world created by Mr. Resistence never comes to pass. I liked the premise but the grammar, spelling and mechanics became so distracting it was a hard book to finish. I think it would be a better book if he had some beta readers on staff to point out these shortcomings. Keep trying to improve....you'll get better.
3576046
I really wanted to like this book, and I did like the storyline itself.  But I got very tired of interrupted and unfinished conversations and scenes.  It was beyond frustrating to read, and then the story just ended.  But like I said, it was a good storyline overall, and I did enjoy some of the characters.
4170638
I mean it was sweet and all with how they came together but it took a lot for me to actually finish it. It just had me questioning them and their actions to the point of frustration.
2487050
I had to force myself to slog through this novel.  I kept going because I felt guilty spending the money on a hard back book.  The ending wrapped up all the pieces of the mystery nicely, but it was a chore reading through the chapters that preceded the ending.
4120435
The story was ok but was difficult to read. Beyond numerous mistakes, it appeared rushed. There were areas left incomplete and made the reader wonder if the deadline was more important than the piece of work. If the goal is deadline and money or a well written story...select the story. Hopefully the next one is better or will be the last one I consider buying.
4161865
Long involved setup leads to a hurried conclusion.  It was as if the author suddenly realized, "Oh, I need to finish this quickly."
4368858
Challenging to complete, I could barely do the easy ones
3358423
I liked the author 's portrayal of the setting using both English and Spanish descriptive terms. However, I found it hard to follow the slowly developing story, especially with the excessive use of poor grammar and lack of punctuation. The ending featured unresolved internal turmoils that continued to torment John Grady, the main character.
4777714
I felt that it was challenging to read.  In other words the words didn't flow smoothly, like it didn't get proof read.