The Front

Frankly, I had a hard time getting into this book. It begins dreadfully slowly. But, the last half is some of the best Cornwell in a while -- right up until it wraps up in too few pages, without a real finish.
Coupla points: This book is short -- like someone finished it just to be done with it, like, ya know, before a deadline (that one has perhaps received a generous advance for?!). And, the frantic second half of the book has numerous direct and indirect references to the housing-bubble burst, which didn't really take off until Winter 2008.
Thus, I suspect Cornwall contracted for this book some time ago, let it simmer until it was almost too late to finish it, then rattled off enough pages to call it 'done' in the last 2-3 months before deadline. The interesting thing is, she seems to have worked well under pressure, but just ran out of time to turn it in a truly good Cornwell work.
I bought the book-club edition this time instead of a First Edition, because it was cheaper. I'd skipped the last couple until they hit the remainders pile because I'd felt cheated too often in recent years. Thus, note to author: if you don't have the passion about pleasing your readers any more, STOP WRITING! While this was a good effort compared to the recent past, it's also obvious it was thrown together. You now risk losing the respect you spent the earlier part of your career gaining.

All of Patricia Cornwell Books are for great reading. There isn’t one book I’ve come across that wasn’t great. I’m a Crime Scene Investigator and these books are great for individuals that maybe one day would get into Crime Scene Analysis. You can’t go wrong with a Patricia Cornwell Book. Thanks A Million!

Loved her books from day one, however the last few... What is Patricia THINKING?? My first thought of this was dang this is a skinny book, the next thought was she just threw this one together and threw it out there. This one I could not even get into it, it did not hold my interest at all. I hardly ever start a book and not finish it, but this one, I closed it and could not pick it back up again. The last couple of her books "Book of the Dead" I finished that one, but wasn't jumping up and down over it, "Predator" was better but still nothing like her older work. Hopefully her next book will change my thoughts about her.. I hope.

Well, I read (sort of) this book quite awhile ago, and I'm not at all surprised to see that this and "At Risk" are appearing as Lifetime movies. Lifetime couldn't handle Kay Scarpetta without screwing it up, so they went with this. I'm disappointed in Ms. Cornwell, (who has been one of my favorite authors since...what...the mid 80's?) for selling out this nonsense to make even MORE money for made-for-tv movies. I agree that these are not up to her standards (and I even STILL read Kay Scarpetta since she did the weirdest thing I've ever, as a writer myself, seen--changing mid-series from writing in FIRST person to writing in THIRD person. Huh? I dont like Lucy THAT much)...Well.

Very very disappointed. I've read the other low rated reviews and agree with every one of them, adding that to push this book as a novel is to do a disservice to all continuing great authers who turn out full length books with full fledged plots. I also will never buy another Patricia Cornwell book. I feel totally taken advantage of to put $$ in her coffers with no reciprocal value. So many other good books out there...do not waste your time or money on this.

I just finished "The Front" and I am still wondering why this was published. It felt like an outline that needed to be fleshed out.
I liked the characters so I gave it two stars instead of one but I felt cheated and wanted more information about everything: the people, the plot, the setting...
I hope that someday there is a full-blown novel with all of these characters, I would like to visit them again. And when I pay for a book I expect to get an actual story.
The only thing that I know for sure after reading this book is that Ms. Cornwell hates republicans, patriots and apple pie...

The failings of this latest effort by Cornwell have been well-documented, and rather than going over the same territory, I'll just include a passage from the book as additional evidence of the author's obvious brain-freeze:

"The Governor is a pure conservative Republican. White, early 60s, a pleasant, beatific face that belies the heartless hypocrite behind it. Balding, portly, avuncular enough so as to not appear overbearing or dishonest...unlike Lamont, who is assumed to be ball-breaking and deceitful because she's beautiful, brilliant, enlightened, exquisitely dressed, strong and quite vocal about her support and even tolerance of those less fortunate than herself. Simply put, she looks and sounds like a Democrat."

(The Governor's Republican wife on the other hand was described as a stay-at-home mom who was a "dumpy old housewife with the IQ of a clam.")

Stereotypical and sophomoric doesn't begin to describe those banal characterizations. SHAME ON CORNWELL FOR MAILING THIS ONE IN. After the awful Isle of Dogs, I gave her a second chance, but this piece of garbage was just too much. SHE'S PERMANENTLY LOST THIS LONG-TIME FAN.

This book was terrible. Her writing is sloppy, her plot line is so thin it is non-existent, there is no character development - other than they are all angry with one another (or is this Patricia's anger coming out?) and I have no clue how she pulled it altogether for a completely hazy and incredibly confusing story end. Jeez. She needs to regroup and write because she has a good story to tell and not because she has to produce a certain number of books. Lousy, lousy, lousy. Last one I read without spectacular reviews. Her last several books have been huge disappointments.

I have given up on Patricia Cornwall's, Kay Scarpetta series awhile ago because I just didn't find them exciting any more, and they all seemed rushed and contrived. I did read her Win Garano book At Risk when it came out and I rather enjoyed it and the new characters. So I was looking forward to this one. I was disappointed. The book was rushed and not believable to me. I didn't find that the book kept my interest quite frankly. Maybe the books are just too short and there is no time to really develop a plot. I'm not sure, but I am officially done with this author. Sorry Patricia.

I thoroughly enjoyed Patricia Cornwell's most recent novella, The Front. The story is fast-paced and has more than a few twists and turns. The characters were introduced in At Risk and I particulary liked the personality of the quirky character, Nana and her unusual way of communicating with her grandson, Win. Win is a Massachusett state police officer, and his position in the story will easily lead to more stories that will peak our curiosity--specifically, why is Monique Lamont so dastardly, and what makes Nana tick. A good, fast read; and I plan to read the future books in this series. F. Miner

While passing through the airport a few weeks ago, I picked up a copy of The Front. Having read nearly everything Cornwell has written, and having loved most -- but not all -- of the Scarpetta books, I was hoping against hope that she had gotten back her edge after publishing some really lousy novels over the last few years. Alas, I was disappointed again. The Front was really just a short story; the seeds of a great story were there, but they were poorly developed. The language and detail were sloppy, and the book was even published in a larger font in order to take up plenty of space and attempt to justify the price I paid for it. Some airport bookstores allow you to return a lightly used book for a portion of the price, but I didn't even bother to bring it from the hotel when I was done. I don't know if the problem is the writing or the editing; I do know it's unlikely I'll waste the time and money again.

As long as the author continues to campaign for positive reviews from friends and readers (see 5-star reviews with empty raves and excess exclamation points, like Cornwell Does It Again!!), I will NOT waste my time with a thoughtful review.

Let's just put it this way. Without her recent manipulations her average rating is two stars or less. What kind of person wants a grade that she hasn't earned? I don't know if she's still capable of writing quality works, like Postmortem or Cruel and Unusual, but if she ever produces something along those lines again, I'll gladly give her more stars. Didn't her mother teach her there are no shortcuts in life?

This book continues the story of characters from At Risk. They are still interesting characters, with a poorly developed story. D.A. Monique Lamont sends Win Garano to a declining neighborhood to bring attention to the DA's office by solving an old case. The case becomes more complicated because the neighborhood is also the home for the Front, a group of law enforcement agencies working together. Win becomes friend with one of these cops. He solves the old mystery, but by then you really don't care.

I am a Patricia Cornwell fan, but am finding myself questioning as of late WHY???!!! The Front was slow to start and when it did pick up speed, it faltered once again.

Though there were limited pages, it didn't captivate; forcing one to wonder if it was a rushed publication.

Nevertheless, I'm going to give Ms. Cornwell another chance with "Scarpetta" and hopefully it will allow me to continue as a fan and if not, its one less book purchased in the future.

Ms Cornwell must have written this book in an afternoon. Fair reading but more in the category of a simple short, short story. Simply not much to the book. Very little character development. Very disappointing story line and ending. Don't bother spending your money on this "mini" book. I can't understand why some of her books are great and some I suspect she is plowing out just to make a buck on her otherwise good reputation. She is losing me as a reader after the "dog book". Is she "pulling a Patterson" and pumping them out through a ghost writer. I would be embarrased to have my name attached to this book.

This book was really really bad. Occasionally, I could see Cornwell's talent come through in a description, but for the most part it was not worth my time to read and certainly not worth paying full price for. Thank goodness I got it through a book club.

The plot was confusing, I'd even say non-sensical. None of the characters were sufficiently developed to make me give a hoot about them or what they do, and she never really explains why they do things in a reasonable way. More than once, I found myself thinking "WTF?" as events in the book took one silly or bizarre turn or another.

Patricia Cornwell has written electrifying novels. She must be getting lazy and trading on her fame because this book is TERRIBLE! It has a poorly constructed and confusing plot, undeveloped and unsympathetic characters, and none of the thrills we have come to expect from her. She left a lot of unresolved questions, or maybe I just didn't get it... Instead of not being able to put it down, it put me to sleep every night quicker than Ambien. The end fizzles like a wet sparkler (and I am being kind here).
Where is the REAL Patricia Cornwell? Will you please stand up? Come back to us!!!

This is by far the weakest book Cornwell has written. The characters are flat and undeveloped, the plot takes meaningless tangents, all the while with gratuitous political comments that date the book too closely to now to make it have any type of re-readability.

If this had been the first book I had read by her (and I've read all of them) I would have never picked up another book.

Something is wrong and I have no idea what it is, but I will be quite cautious about spending money on her next book. I don't like wasting money.

"The Front" Patricia Cornwell's 2nd thriller in the serie's with the new team of Garano,Lamont,Stump and Nana is a story full of twist's and turn's that take you this way and that just when you think you are getting a handle on the plot.The main character is Win Garano, nicknamed "Geronimo". His nemisis is the politically ambitious D.A. Monique Lamont.Independantly wealthy and although Win saved her life she seem's to relish in trying to humiliate him, as with this latest project of her's, the unsolved sexual homicide of a british citizen in 1962 which she think's could be the work of the Boston Strangler.Lamont he enlist's the help of a cop nicknamed "Stump", who's nickname has nothing to do with the fact that she lost a leg below the knee in an accident.Win seem's to be fascinated with her,with her mind and with her beauty more than she is with him.Although the story is a brief one you can feel the emotional tension building betweem them, where's that going to lead to? While this is going on they also have to deal with a series of bank heist's and a possible case of blackmail.All this in a short story but this is Cornwell at her best. A fantastic read and I hope this team will develop to be around as long as Scarpetta's team.
Frank J. O'keeffe

This was my first Cornwell novel, and most likely my last. Glad this was a Library book, I wouldn't have wanted to waste money on such a disappointing novel. I thought the end would tie things neatly together, but it was over so quickly I found the end very confusing. Although I could have gone back and re-read the last chapter, I couldn't put myself through it.

This book is just awful. Did Cornwell write this on her Blackberry? It just seems like something written for the text-messaging crowd. Her prose is anemic, her characters rehashed from the Scarpetta series, the story line is flat, and the sharp, detailed writing she has given us in the past is as stale as yesterday's Starbucks. And how many cops ride Ducati motorcycles? Honestly... Cornwell phoned this one in. She's just writing for retirement money now.

The Front was awesome! I loved the character's, Win Garano, Monique Lamont. I think it is good to have a change from Scarpette, Marino, Lucy and Benton even though I love these character's and will always read Ms. Cornwells novels on them, but the Front was great. It was hard to put down, you find yourself so in to this book being so serious and then you start laughing at one of the character's like Faronk and lets not forget Nana and Stump. If you haven't read The Front you need to get it, it is a very enjoyable read by Patricia Cornwell. Thank you for another great book, PLEASE keep them coming!!! Actually I enjoyed it so much I am going to read it again. She made this one different and I mean in a great way, I just can't say enough about The Front.

The Front
Cornwell has lost it. I borrowed this book from the library and am glad I didn't buy it. From the start of this book I couldn't find an interest in any of the charactors. The plot was not interesting. I don't know what has happened to Patricia Cornwell's writing but I have noticed her anger has begun to show through.

I purchased "The Front" to read on a roadtrip. I was totally disappointed. The book itself was in a larger print than I am used to and therefore it was a quick read, more like a hastily written short story than a book. The character development seemed poor and the story itself leaved a lot to be desired. I learned my lesson. Even my favorite writer doesn't always produce quality work.

I hesitated to read this book as her recent novels were so boring, and I was right. I really couldn't get past the first few chapters. Characters are uninteresting, plot(?) is boring, and I couln't figure out where the book was going. Ms. Cornwell is just relying on her name to sell her recent books, if indeed she's really writing them. Save your money, don't buy this book and borrow it from the library like I did.

I purchased "The Front" to read on a roadtrip. I was totally disappointed. The book itself was in a larger print than I am used to and therefore it was a quick read, more like a hastily written short story than a book. The character development seemed poor and the story itself leaved a lot to be desired. I learned my lesson. Even my favorite writer doesn't always produce quality work.

I hesitated to read this book as her recent novels were so boring, and I was right. I really couldn't get past the first few chapters. Characters are uninteresting, plot(?) is boring, and I couln't figure out where the book was going. Ms. Cornwell is just relying on her name to sell her recent books, if indeed she's really writing them. Save your money, don't buy this book and borrow it from the library like I did.

I thought the story and characters were interesting, the end was somewhat thrown together. The big thing for me was that i have never seen so much white space (blank pages) in a book. In addition to blank pages, it's doubled spaced. If printed as a book would normally be printed it would be about a 100 page book instead of 300.

If Cornwell is tired of writing books, she should stop writing them.

I used to love Cornwell...waited for her next one to come out. No more. Had to force my way through this hodge podge of writing. Glad the book was short, or I might not have made it. I should have read the reviews first.

Can we have a zero star option please? Books like this reinforce my decision to move on when an author (and Cornwell is in quite a crowd now) mindlessly throws in political views that are quotes from blog talking points and network news soundbites. This is the third book in a month that I've stopped reading, all from authors I previously enjoyed. One thing's for sure, none of these will stand the test of time!

I have read several of the Kay Scarpetts books and liked them. This book, however, is awful. I've tried to get interested in it, but just can't. I made it to page 80 and am calling it quits! Thank goodness I got the book from the library. I would never buy anything from this author.

Other reviewers have addressed the weakness of this book (& I feel some have been quite kind!)...nothing ultimately worked in this book, there were one or two promising parts but they came to nothing in the end, completely absurd conclusion.

I completely agree with the other reviewers! Ms. Cornwell does so much better in other novels! I bought this because of her name and I was very disappointed. Thank goodness it is only about 180 pages because I was getting really turned off that I was wasting my time! I RARELY don't like a book, but this was a real disappointment.

She blew it again.

I, the voracious reader, who can't stand to put a good book down until it's finished, have taken an entire week to read Cornwell's puny latest effort. The novel, The Front, may be her shortest one yet: a slim 120-pages of text. I wouldn't mind short if it at least had some substance. The Front, like her '06 book At Risk, centers around Win "Geronimo," an investigator in Massachusetts, and it's just as lame. Whatever happened to that writer who penned so many Scarpetta books? This adds more proof to my theory that Cornwell employed a ghost writer up till Isle of the Dogs. She's on her own now, and it ain't pretty.

My take: Don't waste the money on it. Heck, don't even waste your library card.

I was very disappointed with this book. I felt like I had wasted my money. It was not up to the author's usual quality of writing. I think she must have had a mortgage payment due or something and dashed off a quick sell, counting on her reader's loyalty to buy it. I'll keep buying her books but I sure feel ripped off with this one.

This was a quick read. Although I enjoyed the story, this is not even a close resemblance to the other Cornwell novels. The story gets confusing, and the background history of the characters is unclear. The background is important to the story, but is glossed over. Hopefully, the next Win Garano story will be better. Until then, bring Kay Scarpetta back!

Terrible book! What has happened to Patricia Cornwell? She hasn't written anything worth reading in years. The book is UNREADABLE. Couldn't get through it, and considering it is only 180 pages in faily large font on small pages, that is pretty bad. The story wanders aimlessly with no direction or plot. No one really knows any of the characters or really cares. Years ago I used to look foward to the release of a new Cornwell novel, now after her last few pieces of garbage I could care less.

The long awaited book makes it to the shelves and in one day it is read - cover to cover. Enough good plot lines to make 3 books, but for some reason she has chosen to wrap each one up with a bow and call it closed. Not GOOD!! No development of investigations at all and that has always been a selling point of her novels. Hope she does better with her upcoming "Scarpetta" or I will CEASE reading this author!!!

The Front is Cornwell's second novella with Win Garano as the protagonist. He's a clever, charismatic and caring detective who wears second hand clothes to dress with style on a dime and food shops, seemingly daily, for his quirky yet wonderful grandmother (who by the way, is mixing potions and practicing "the craft" at home). In many ways, he's a kinder, gentler character than Scarpetta. While Scarpetta has a hard edge and is accustomed to calling all the shots, this guy puts together the pieces of the puzzle while simultaneously appeasing, charming, caring for and/or simply dealing with an overly demanding boss, a reluctant associate, a pain-in-the-posterior reporter and others. Instead of autopsies, Win does some good old fashioned leg work, investigating and problem solving. Of course, one thing hasn't changed: there are the twists and turns that I've grown to expect from and love in of every Cornwell novel. I WANT MORE !

THE FRONT is the second police procedural in Patricia Cornwell's new At Risk series. It stars Massachusetts state police officer Win Garano and his boss, District Attorney Monique Lamont, a megalomaniac who is always looking for a crisis or a mission that will propel her into the spotlight. Here, she wants to focus on what she perceives is the deterioration of the state's neighborhoods. And what better way to accomplish all of her goals than to solve a very cold case?

Since she has jurisdiction over all the homicides in Massachusetts, Lamont sends Garano to Watertown, where the rape and murder of a blind young British woman has never been solved. Not only does Lamont expect him to work the 45-year-old case, she wants him to prove her theory: that the Boston Strangler, Albert DeSalvo, killed Janie Brolin. Of course no one ever actually proved he was guilty of any of the murders he was suspected of committing, and while his DNA is available, the woman's is not. Nevertheless, he makes the trip and learns he will be working with "Stump," the lead detective in Watertown.

Garano often wonders why she works as a cop when she could retire and run her very successful imported cheese, wine and fresh food culinary boutique. That's where he finds her when he arrives in Watertown. Stump is furious because she doesn't want to work this case, much less with Garano, and hates Lamont. But she and Garano have a friendly adversarial relationship, and they retire to the back room of the shop to talk: "Why Watertown? That's what you should be curious about," she tells him. The case is "worth more than one thing. She has other agendas. It's also about the FRONT ... Friends, Resources, Officers, Networking Together ... a coalition [that is giving law enforcement communities the opportunity to rely] less and less [on] the state police." Lamont hates these people and figured out a way to diminish what they're trying to do by making it look as though they can't solve this or any other cold case.

A short time later at New Scotland Yard, Detective Superintendent Jeremy Killien is ruminating about why "the commissioner [has dropped] a bloody bomb on him. An unsolved forty-five year old murder that didn't even occur in the UK." Of course Lamont called London, spoke to the commissioner, and sold him on the idea of shining an international spotlight on the Brolin case. "She already has extravagant publicity planned, including a BBC special that she guarantees would air if [the Brits] participate." Killien is very skeptical.

In a discussion with his boss, he is told, "When she first approached the Yard ... I had the matter looked into, which included finding out something about her. Just the usual checks ... and we've come up with a disturbing bit of information --- not about the case ... but about Lamont herself and cash transactions and donations that have come to the attention of the U.S. Treasury Department. Turns out her name is in the Defense Intelligence Agency's database..."

While spinning her webs of intrigue from her ivory tower, Lamont is probably unaware that "she is on a no fly list ... [also] a sizeable contribution she ... made to a children's relief fund in Romania ... is suspected of trafficking in orphans, supplying them to Al-Qaeda so they can be used as suicide bombers," the commissioner tells Killien. He continues by saying that this is a great opportunity to investigate Lamont without her knowledge.

While these plans are coming to fruition, the investigation into Janie Brolin's murder is ongoing. Garano and Stump are brainstorming when Garano explains to Stump that the neighborhood where Brolin was killed used to be home to mobsters. He asks her if she ever thought about why no real crime, especially a murder, was committed on those streets. As he's trying to debunk Lamont's Boston Strangler theory, he impresses upon Stump that he believes a cover-up was put in place, "a team effort ... collusion" to hide the machinations of The Mob and protect their territory. He asks her if, knowing this, she believes that "some Boston Strangler lowlife [would've] dared step foot anywhere near Janie Brolin's apartment." If, he continues, DeSalvo was so incredibly stupid as to wander into that neighborhood, is it really possible that he would have gotten out in one piece?

As the narrative unfolds and Garano continues his task, he feels as if has entered a maze with no exit. Will he ever find what he is after? How will he know if he does? Nothing in this case seems to be what it appears. Patricia Cornwell, best known for her Kay Scarpetta novels, has turned a new corner in her writing career with these At Risk novellas --- stories scaled back a bit and focused on character as well as plot. She told an interviewer that "the Garano books, the stories, must have a lot of horsepower but be very tight ... no wasted space or weight and an intensely fun ride." And she's right. Fans and new readers will certainly enjoy this change of pace.

--- Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum

The Front is short but tight, twisting and an enjoyable read. The characters are tough and devoid of the charm of some of the characters in her other books but they are still real and it is not surprising they evoke different responses from the reader. As always imagery is strong. The apparent fly-away subplots all come together in the end. Cornwell is always fun to read and The Front is no exception.

Having been chosen to read this book before it came out. I have to say I was impressed. The story was well written and the characters drew me in right away. As with all of her other books I was immersed in the story from page one. Win is a character that you have to take time to know, he isn't see through but is very complex. All of the other characters take time to get to know as well. The only character I didn't like was Monique Lamont although I suspect I wasn't supposed to like her. I found her character unbelievable in this day and age. Overall I would highly recommend this book.

Patricia Cornwell's last few books have been disappointing, but I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt on this new series, since I so enjoyed her first several books. This one was a loser too. I think she's lost her muse. Ever since she began the werewolf nonsense, and then that awful book where Scarpetta is in Florida licking her wounds and totally out of the loop it has gone down hill. She is not being true to the character of Scarpetta, and she is not creating new characters with this series that are well rounded, likable, and interesting. I hate to see Cornwell turning out this pap, since I know from experience that she is capable of so much more. Very disappointing book. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, even the most die-hard Cornwell fan.

This book was definitely not one of Patricia Cornwell's best books. It was okay, and I had no trouble getting thru it, but I think I am just partial to her other characters. The DA in this book was so unlikeable that I almost didn't want to finish reading it. She wasn't a character that was easy to relate to, and you knew she had an agenda planned because she was a "user". On the other hand, that was what did keep me reading..trying to figure out her agenda....which was the main point of this book. So, if you can adjust to the characters, then you might like this book....But I just prefer Kay Scarpetta....she's just got the whole package!

Another reviewer described Book of the Dead as being a "boring diatribe of the author's phobias and hatreds." That sentiment applies to The Front as well. I miss Cornwell's earlier works where she managed to keep her political tirades from detracting from the storyline. Even if I agree with her views for the most part, they are a completely unnecessary addition and ruined the story for me.

It's pretty obvious what Cornwell was trying to preach, couldn't she at least have been a little subtle about it? I'm surprised she hasn't stepped in and said these negative reviews are a government conspiracy just like she did for Book of the Dead.

Once again, I was stupid enough to think that maybe she would write a decent book like she once did. Terrible.....It annoys me that I wasted even a second of my life on this. Entertainers need to understand that no one cares about their political views and I will make a point never to bother spending my money on her pathetic attempts at literature again.

Anyone who gives this book over one star (the minimum I could give) has apparently never read a good book. This book was bad.....bad.....bad.

Do you like poorly developed characters who have no reason or motive for their actions nor have any charm or depth whether good or bad? Do your prefer the relationships between your characters to be as deep, engaging and believable as Fred and Wilma?

Do you love it when cops do stuff that absolutely defies logic? (No I'm not cop protocol geek...I'm talking about stuff a 12 year old would know a cop would never do.)

Does it really satisfy you when the twist in a plot is simply there so a lazy author can wrap things up neatly without any level of cleverness whatsoever? Is it even better if that twist is totally puerile, childish and inconceivable?

Well then, you'll love this piece of excrement from an author who is now to crime novels what Eddie Murphy is to comedy....someone cashing in disgracefully on former glory. The only thing you could say is at least she's not James Patterson and has the decency to at least pen the rubbish herself.

I've read a lot of Cornwell's books and have really enjoyed them a lot with my only criticism being that they have tended to become repetitive. But that's a reasonable thing to occur when an author faithfully extends the life of such a successful character as Scarpetta. Cornwell's genuine talent at writing engaging characters into interesting plots is reason enough to give her new books a try and that is why it's so offensive to have forked out my cash for a piece of rubbish like The Front.

Is this the same Patricia Cornwell who gave us Kay Scarpetta? This book reads like a poorly crafted outline. The plot (is there really one?) is thin, the characters are weak, it's bits and pieces cobbled together in a way that barely qualifies it as a novel.
Bring back the real Cornwell -- it doesn't have to be Kay Scarpetta -- it just has to be well-written.....

As they say ........ Short, sweet and to the point. No wasted dialogue, no prolonged desciptive passage, no endless pages of inner turmoil by the characters. Just a very enjoyable read. This may be one of Cornwell's best since the early days of Kay Scarpetta. Enjoyed the new characters very much, and look forward to their return in a future novel. I'm not sure the title totally fits the book content, but highly recommended nonetheless. Well done!!!!

"The Front" following on from "At Risk"-- State Investigator Win Garano is at the beck and call of his boss ,rich,selfish and beautiful District Attorney Monique Lamont.
As in "At Risk" she again orders him to solve a case going back many years, putting both their lives in jeopardy to further her career, Win knowing he will get no thanks from her.
Interesting charactors along the way include Stump and Raggedy Anne.I enjoyed his Nana and Miss Dog again.Every page so full of action, twists and turns.Patricia Cornwell again in top form.