PREDATOR

Mary Stuart Masterson is easily the best thing about Cornwell's latest. But all the fine performing in the world can't make an overly complex story enjoyable. Masterson ably outlines the soap opera life of former coroner Dr. Kay Scarpetta and those of her handsome lover and her lesbian niece, but it still falls flat. No amount of good delivery can disguise pointless action and a convoluted plot with multiple story lines and multiple locations that magically come together--at least they are supposed to come together. Sadly, they do not. Listeners will celebrate the day that Cornwell rediscovers the magic that used to make Kay Scarpetta mysteries a joy to hear. M.S. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 06]