Sharp Force (Kay Scarpetta #29) by Patricia Cornwell
Publication Date: October 7th 2025 by Hachette Audio
Pages: 400
Audio Book Length: 10hrs 54min
Narrator: January LaVoy
Source: Publisher
Rating: ★★★★½
My
Thoughts:
Kay and Benton are called to investigate when two people have
been brutally attacked, one dead and the other severely injured. From the
descriptions it seems that it was another attack by The Phantom Slasher, a serial
killer who’s been terrorizing the area for the last year. The killer stalks, surveilling by high tech
means using a ghostly hologram to terrify his victims before closing in and killing
them.
It’s been fun getting back to the Kay Scarpetta series since
the reboot back in 2021! I’ve been reading every installment since then and
loving them! The usual relationships and reoccurring conflict are part of the draw:
Maggie Cutbush, the character we all love to hate, is infuriating as usual. The
governor is something else, too! Kay and Benton have acquired a new enemy with
connections in high places. Dorothy crossed a line I wouldn’t have easily
forgiven. Marino as usual was a lot of bluster, shooting his mouth off, but
this series wouldn’t be the same without him.
Fun every time Lucy foils Dana Deletti! Merlin, Lucy’s cat that Kay
seems to care for much of the time is one of my favorite kitty characters!
Sharp Force was suspenseful and spooky in places! The
serial killer’s MO was frightening, and I fear his methods utilizing tech might
be rooted in real life. It’s a frightening prospect if true! The conclusion was
clever and satisfying! I look forward to the next one!
I listened to the audio version with January LaVoy narrating.
She’s one of my favorites and I love her performance of Kay, easy and calm in
the face of all that comes at her. Her performances of all the characters,
Marino, Dorothy, Benton and Lucy are all spot on, too! I highly recommend the
audio version!
4.5 Stars
NO ONE IS SAFE FROM THE SERIAL KILLER
NOT EVEN SCARPETTA...
During the early hours of Christmas morning, chief medical examiner Dr Kay Scarpetta receives a chilling call. The Phantom Slasher has struck again.
The serial killer has terrorized Northern Virginia for months. His pattern is to stalk with a sophisticated technology that enables him to invade his victims' homes and watch their every move. They wake up to a ghost-like hologram before being murdered in their beds.
Scarpetta is summoned to Mercy Island, the site of a notorious psychiatric hospital where two people have been brutalized, one of them from Scarpetta's past. It soon becomes apparent that she could be next . . .
I like this type of story. This sounds like a good one.
ReplyDeleteIt was!
DeleteOh my ghostly holograms, yes, that and the ability to use tech surveillance to plot out killings is a chilling thought.
ReplyDeleteIt is a terrifying thought!
DeleteI want to get back into this series. This last ones sound so good.
ReplyDeleteThey are really good! I recommend them!
DeleteSounds like a good one for you. So did you start at the first book or when it rebooted?
ReplyDeleteI had read a lot of the series at the beginning, but years ago. I stopped reading after losing interest and I think she stopped writing them for a while. There's several I haven't read from the past. When I heard she was doing a reboot I was interested and picked the books up from 2021. I've been loving the series ever since!
DeleteWow book 29! That is a lot
ReplyDeleteIt is, but I skipped a lot in between. :)
DeleteWonderful review, Rachel. I read an earlier one a bit ago, trying to finish this series, but am still only on #23. Your comment about the reboot has me wanting to read or listen to the next 2 soon so I can get to the newer ones and see what is coming.
ReplyDeleteI think you'll enjoy the reboot, Carla. You could almost skip right over to it. Looking forward to seeing what you think!
DeleteHmmm I might have to look at them since the reboot. They went off the edge after I read about 20 of them. Maybe I'd enjoy the newer ones.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Books of My Heart
Yep, it did go off the rails and I lost interest for a while. I think you'd love the newer books!
DeleteI love that you sound like you are talking about people you really know. That's the great thing about series like this.
ReplyDeleteYes! I've been with these characters for a long time!
DeleteI'm happy to see you enjoyed this one! I've really liked the direction these books took after the soft reboot, so this one has been high on my TBR. Reading it now!
ReplyDeleteIt's been nice to get a refresh! I'm looking forward to your thoughts, Ethan! This was a spooky one!
DeletePatricial Cornwell is good, though I don't enjoy serial killer novels. It seems most seem to lack a real motive, just a psychological one, unless the book is really good with complex motives for this type of killer.
ReplyDeleteYes, some are better than others. I like this series a lot.
DeleteI like a good serial killer story. This sounds good.
ReplyDeleteMe too! It was good!
Delete