American crime fiction supremo Patricia Cornwell’s latest book Livid is a wonderful combination of mystery and drama, with just the right amount of jargon to allow a layperson to feel included in this world of courtroom and police procedural. It opens at the scene of a murder trial, where Kay Scarpetta – seasoned medical examiner and Cornwell’s best-known character – is an expert witness.
Not only is she being treated as if she’s a guilty party, but in the course of the trial, the judge’s sister is founded murdered. (Fair warning: there’s gore in store here, albeit deployed well.)
Throughout Livid, Cornwell conjures atmospheres of discomfort, from mentions of an imminent threat to the President to the strained relationship between Scarpetta and her sister; conversely, there’s recourse in the protagonist’s loving marriage and unlikely partnership with volatile detective Pete Marino. This recurring cast feels inclusive, a bond between author and reader.
The way the characters meld together in Livid is necessary and compelling, yet one can treat it as a standalone novel without having read any of the other Kay Scarpetta plotlines – even if, at times, I felt as if I was awaiting another storyline to kick off.
Livid, Patricia Cornwell (Sphere)
Price: £22. Info: here
words BILLIE INGRAM SOFOKLEOUS