Meanwhile, Scarpetta’s niece Lucy is trying to get to the bottom of her own mystery. Henri, Lucy’s friend and houseguest, was brutally attacked but cannot remember anything of the incident. It slowly becomes clear that the killer’s motives are part of a personal vendetta against Scarpetta and everyone she holds dear.
Cornwell’s thriller showcases her ability to make familiar characters exciting and new again even in their 13th incarnation. Plot twists and that irrefutable Scarpetta logic won’t leave fans disappointed.
Elwood Reid’s new novel is a fictional retelling of real-life skyjacker, D.B.Cooper. “D.B.” (Doubleday, $23.95), Reid’s third book of fiction, follows Cooper’s 1971 skyjacking, as well as his successful parachute escape with $200,000 in ransom.
The novel works in flashbacks beginning when Cooper first had the idea for his perfect crime. It follows Cooper’s actions after the heist. But besides Cooper’s riveting tale is the alternating storyline of dedicated FBI agent Frank Marshall, the man who spent the last half of his career trying to bring Cooper to justice. They are polar opposites: Cooper is the man who was able to pull off one great act and live happily ever after, while Marshall is haunted by 20 years of a career spent in drudgery and minutiae. The point-counterpoint that Reid creates between the two men crafts a hard-boiled epic manhunt that keeps the reader entranced. As the two narratives swing together, the showdown between predator and prey is riveting and unforgettable. S
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