Another great Scarpetta novel from Patricia Cornwell.
In addition to the usual cast of heroes and villains, she throws in a robot dog and a hologram.
The ending was tense and unexpected, and she always leaves me eager for the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central for the opportunity to read this ARC,

As someone who’s dipped into the Scarpetta series before, I found Sharp Force a respectable return, even if it doesn’t quite reach the heights of Cornwell’s earlier work. The forensic detail is, as ever, well done—precise without being overwhelming—and there’s an underlying tension that builds nicely as the story unfolds.

The opening is a bit slow, and there are moments where the pace wavers, particularly with the heavy focus on internal dialogue and technical explanation. That said, once the plot begins to gather steam, there’s plenty to keep you turning the pages.

Scarpetta remains a strong lead—measured, intuitive, and very much in command of her world. Some of the secondary characters could have used more depth, but the central mystery is layered and satisfying by the end.

It’s probably not the best starting point for newcomers, but for fans of the series or those who enjoy their thrillers with a cerebral edge, this is a solid addition to Cornwell’s long-running saga.

A psychological thriller in modern times set near Quantico. This book is one of many in a series based on medical examiner Kay Scarpetto and the only one I’ve read. It’s a very well written plot with interesting characters. Good luck trying to determine whodunnit! I was given a complimentary copy of this book and the opinions are my own.

When I first picked up a Kay Scarpetta books (many years ago), I didn’t realize it was a series. I never did go back and start with book one, but I have read several books over the years. These books can definitely be read as a stand alone novel, though you won’t understand the people and their relationships.

It starts with Kay doing an autopsy that appears to be a drowning. And another doctor is looking at a body that was dug up when they relocated a cemetery. And everyone is on alert because a serial killer is on the loose. Seems to be random, but it’s fiction, so of course they are all related.

There was a lot of AI and asking Google or Wikipedia, along with drones and robotic dogs.

The ending was abrupt, and kind of came from left field. But I did enjoy the book and plan to read more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC in return for my honest review of the book.

I probably began reading the Scarpetta series when it first began, in 1990, with a large gap in the volumes after 2005. So it is a delight to be reunited with Kay, her relatives, her husband Benton and detective Pete. It's even great to be back in the morgue amidst the gory details of murders and postmortems. My memories from the 1990s are of extremely suspenseful books that were difficult to read at bedtime. I may have given up the series simply because I'm a wimp and they were too edge-of-my-seat scary. SPOILER AHEAD, sort of. "Sharp Force" surprised me in that I wasn't terrified, although the volume begins with a premise that is mighty frightening. The extensive Cornwell details are still there (sometimes a little more than I'd like), but just when the novel could have had me shaking.... it comes to a quick resolution, with less violence than the crimes themselves. Personally, I didn't mind so much because, again, I'm a wimp. But, if you want your pants scared off - you might be disappointed. I gave it four stars because Cornwell's writing is excellent and because of the nostalgia.

Kay Scarpetta has been with me a long time. I have always enjoyed following her medical investigations as she put her life in the crosshairs of many killers. I was a little dismayed at the last 2 titles in the series and I was fearful that Patricia Cornwell had lost her touch with providing the reader with a thriller you could not put down. I felt there was too much time spent on feelings and dysfunction and not on the skills and insight of the main character--Kay Scarpetta.

I am happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised Sharp Force--it not only brought in forensics but also the technology that is omnipresent in the news today--technology, specifically the negative use of Artificial Intelligence and drones. Ms Cornwell kept the story moving and provided thrills that made the reader hold their breath to find out what happens.

Glad to have Kay Scarpetta back in her outstanding role of investigative medical examiner!

As a forever fan of the Kay Scarpetta series, I was thrilled to read this novel. Cornwell has masterfully written this with just the right amount of familiar and new characters. Sometimes the storyline becomes too convoluted but Sharp Force is a gem. I felt like I spent the holidays with Kay and Benton as they again found a serial killer with the help of Lucy, Marino, and even AI Janet. Very cleverly tied up in a very neat bow for New Year’s Eve. Loved it!

I really enjoyed this! This book was set more in the "action" of the case rather than the medical examiner's pov. Very good.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I have read every one of Patricia Cornwell’s books and I am never disappointed! This one was a bit different as it was very “family” then in the past, but her family is always a big piece of all her books. This was a bit different ”spooky “ and I got spooked more then once by the predator in the book. Wonderful twists and an interesting time frame made this a great read.

Really enjoyed this latest Kay Scarpetta novel. Lots of action and intrigue. Having said that, I much preferred her earlier works in this series where more of the content was centered around the medical examiner/pathology. Ad a worker in the health field I love that part and feel like her last few in this series are trending more toward just mystery.

Sharp Force is an excellent addition to Scarpetta’s story. After reading Cornwell’s books for over 20 years Scarpetta’s storylines, family and friends are like a warm blanket. I enjoyed the usual twists and turns Cornwells story took. Looking forward to more!

Patricia Cornwell does it again! I’ve read this entire series and in recent years, it just keeps getting better! I fell in love with the characters many years ago, and love how they have evolved. The plot maintains the normal mystery and suspense until the very end. You might think you have it all figured out, then it takes an unexpected twist!

I would like to thank Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm going to be honest I've never read a Cornwell novel before never mind a Kay Scarpetta novel before - but do you know what? It didn't matter. Don't be put off if you've never read any in the series because you don't truly feel like you've missed out on anything. Anything that's happened previously is explained to you briefly.

To say this book is the 29th in the series and it is as strong as it was is highly commendable. Its fast action, high stakes and deeply complex characters. My only downside is that I wished the ending wasn't as solved as quickly, I would have preferred a little bit more...However, Cornwell has found themselves a new fan. Sign me up for book #30.

Even though I have been toying with breaking up with this series when I saw that the next instalment (#29) is out later this year, I decided to request an ARC thinking I will get rejected like I always have in the past for this author but if approved I will give it a go. Since you are reading this you likely have deduced I was approved (finally!) for this ARC.

I plowed through the story in a day, I have seen other reviewers reference a digital uncorrected ARC being 400 pages, my version was 311. Also, the description of the novel on the Goodreads landing page says the story takes place in July, on Kay Scapetta's birthday, that is incorrect. This story takes place over the Christmas Holidays.

So, without any spoilers to ruin anything for other readers, I am pleased to report I gave the series another chance. Is it as good as the earlier books in the series that I loved? No, it isn't but it is significantly better than the last two books in the series. I worried heading into this one whether there would be some silly vampire or werewolf storyline given we had Bigfoot and Aliens feature prominently in those last 2 books. Happily, those worries were unfounded.

With #29, we tag along with Kay, Marino and Benton as they deal with the latest victim of a serial murderer. Lucy and Dorothy also make appearances, albeit brief ones, in this tale. Janet, the annoying AI introduced several book back, is now ever present. The storyline is compressed over a couple of days so the book has a good amount of filler detailing the longest thunder-snowstorm that's likely ever occurred and long winded descriptions of bougie home decor. But nestled in there is the type of thriller-mystery that makes me enjoy these books and I did not figure out who the murderer was before the reveal despite the breadcrumbs there for super-sleuths, which is always much appreciated in a good mystery.

This book does work as a stand alone novel for first time readers and long-time fans of the series will appreciate the ongoing evolution of the characters we love to love and hate. At this point I think the only character I like 100% is Lucy's cat Merlin, everyone else is hate-able in varying degrees, but in a good way (except for Marino, he is just gross and I think the author is also tired of him at this point given how douchey she has made him). I hope future books will continue on this upward trend and for now, me and this series are back together again.

Disclosure: Received an uncorrected ARC of this book from NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group Inc. (Thank you!) in exchange for an honest review.

Scarpetta is back…and thank the heavens for that! Sharp Force brings the same strong, bold characters we know and love from this series. While I am not a fan of AI personally, it was very realistic of the times. Great read!

It's Christmastime and Kay Scarpetta is dealing with a case of a dead man who went missing while surprisingly fishing in frigid December, the powers that be trying to force her to close the case despite the fact she's not ready. Meanwhile, a bizarre serial killer is at large, using advanced technology to send a holographic ghost into victims' houses to scare and spy on them. As she and Benton prepare to go on vacation in England, a call comes in about the latest victim of the Phantom Slasher - a psychiatrist known to her an Lucy from years before. Complicating matters further are the Governor, a high-ranking Senator and the possibility that the Phantom Slasher is targeting her next.
As usual, the story is fast moving, the plot gripping, cryptic and unusual. The only factors I didn't care for were more of the over-the-top inclusion of the extremes of modern technology and the constant "everyone is out to get Scarpetta" of some of the characters in the book. However, in the end, the answer to the mystery was very surprising, albeit fairly out of left field, but it felt (happily) much, much more like the mysteries of the early days of the series. 4.5 of 5*

I've read all the other books in the Scarpetta series and I'm always looking forward to read the next one. This one was a bit odd- the mystery at the heart of it was actually quite interesting, and I thought much better paced than some of the other more recent books in the series. The incorporation of AI (Lucy's dead partner that she's brought back to "life" as AI) was interesting if a bit odd. It definitely raises questions in terms of how far AI can/should go and how it can impact us. The main characters have changed over the years (as one would expect) in terms of characterization - however in this one Benton seemed a bit out of character. The issues between Marino and Scarpetta (the former's unrequited love for the latter) have ebbed and flowed over the series and are now back with a vengeance. I wil say certain events that happened earlier in the series that would seem pertinent are not mentioned- at times it feels like the history of these characters has been altered. We're talking about a series that has spanned 30+ years at this point so that's understandable, but things like Scarpetta's sister's inclusion as a now somewhat major character is a bit jarring.
All in all worth reading and always enjoyable to check back in with Scarpetta. They're finally making a TV series based on these books it seems so I'll be interested to check that out a well.

Patricia Cornwall never disappoints. A fast paced great read for a weekend afternoon that keeps you turning the pages till the end. Thanks for the opportunity to read and good luck with the book

Many thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for this arc. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.

This book is perfect for the holiday season. Patricia Cornwall does it again with an action pact book from start to finish. The book starts with a bang with an autopsy of a man on Christmas Eve who had been found in the water after being reported missing. Then Kay is called to Mercy Island where a psychiatrist was murdered and a senator’s son was badly wounded. The Phantom Slasher is on the prowl having attacked two times previously with a projection of a ghost and a frequency jammer to cut off Wi-Fi and any way to communicate with anyone. And of course the two cases are connected in such a way that the author does a great job of and we get everything sorted out by the end of the book. I’m always eager to read Patricia Cornwall’s book as soon as I get them, this one did not disappoint. I can’t wait to get the physical copy as soon as it’s out.

Kay Scarpetta and her husband are planning to go away for the holidays leaving on Christmas morning but of course in true Scarpetta fashion she has to cancel her vacation. For Christmas Mariano decides to surprise Scarpetta with a spa visit at the hotel she is staying at and when his wife Dorothy finds out (who happens to be Scarpetta’s sister) she is upset and gets even more upset while talking to Jane the AI program that her daughter created and seems to be causing more problems the more sophisticated she gets the longer she communicates with people. And the house where a psychiatrist is killed also happens to be a house that Kay and her husband toured before purchasing their current home. A police officer pulls them over while going to the crime scene and even puts a disrupter under the Tesla that could have caused them to crash or anything else. This book has equal measure of funny and serious scenes but I loved every minute of it. There is more that happens of course but I don’t want to spoil all of it.

This is an outstanding installment in this long running
series ~ Book 29.
There are some completely fascinating storylines here
and no spoilers from me! Just enjoy every single thing
that happens knowing you have NO idea where we are
going to end up!
I highly recommend this book to not just long time fans,
but anyone who enjoys psychological and police thrillers.
Seriously, everything I’d try to say would result in HUGE
spoilers, so, just trust the process and enjoy!
My thanks to Grand Central Publishing for this
download copy of the book for review purposes.