Review: Chaos by Patricia Cornwell (Kay Scarpetta #24)

The long-running Kay Scarpetta series returns with Chaos, but does Patricia Cornwell’s latest hold up to the series standard?

Let this sink in for a moment. Kay Scarpetta has starred in 24 books now, stretching all the way back to 1990. 26 years on, she shows no signs of slowing down, if Chaos is any indication. This book’s case centers around the mysterious death of Elisa Vandersteel, a young woman who appears to have been electrocuted while riding her bike on a hot, humid night in Cambridge.

However, though the case itself is fascinating, the pacing seems thrown off by the multiple plots and the serious continuity that hits Chaos. Ultimately, we’ll give it 3/5 stars — not the worst Scarpetta novel, but not the best, either.

The Good

Reading a Kay Scarpetta novel, one can expect an interesting case. Elisa Vandersteel’s death doesn’t disappoint. Nor does the narration from our resident chief medical examiner, either, whose prose explains what she’s seeing, what it means, and even expresses some confusion about the idea of a random electrocution or lightning strike, which may have caused her victim’s death.

As a result, I found it easy to turn pages, and I did want to find out what exactly had happened to Elisa. The read is by no means a slow one — an afternoon for a fast reader, most likely. The book does work as a standalone, and yours truly can see why someone might pick this up and, after reading it, need to start from the very beginning of the series.

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To bring things back around to the heat wave, the atmosphere generally reflects everyone’s attitudes in this book. Nobody really is happy at any point in the book. Everyone, Scarpetta included, seems to be on a hair-trigger temper. She has some good reasons, though, including the imminent arrival of her sister and a looming presentation.

The Not-So-Good

Sometimes that easy page-turning was facilitated by trying to get past some wonky pacing. Scarpetta doesn’t arrive to the crime scene until about a quarter of the way through the book. In fact, the first hundred pages or so are choppier than usual, requiring you to pay close attention if you don’t remember all of the major plot points currently dominating the series.

Indeed, interruptions from greater issues, like a cyber-stalker and the threat of Carrie Grethen, keep horning in at very strange times. Of course, there’s a confrontation at the end of the book, but the tension doesn’t feel as well-built-up as it could have as a result of the pacing issues. Ultimately, a reader gets the sense that this book is just a transition, wrapping up some plot points to start off a new arc in the next book.

Cornwell’s research into technology and forensics has always stood out in the genre. However, sometimes that research results in quick repetitions. For example, a character will use an acronym, than immediately spell out the acronym to Scarpetta. It falls a bit into the as-you-know trope. (You’ll forgive me for linking to TVTropes. I apologize in advance if you fall into the trope hole. Don’t worry, though. We’ve all been there.)

The Recommendation

Do not start with this as your first Scarpetta novel. It can stand alone, yes, but a reader who doesn’t have knowledge of running plots may find themselves more locked out than not with this book. I know it might be tempting, because it’s new and shiny, but do try to resist. For a long-time reader, this will feel like coming home in some ways, only to find that someone’s changed the drapes while you were out. I certainly liked it, but I’ve liked other books in the same series more.

Next: Review: Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Chaos goes on sale November 15th from William Morrow.

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