The Bone Bed

October 10, 2013 - The Bone bed (Patricia Cornwell). Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta returns to her home base in Massachusetts, but things don't feel very homey for her. In fact, Scarpetta is filled with doubt about her co-workers, her husband and her own career.

As the book opens, Scarpetta receives an intriguing email. It begins with cell phone video of someone on some boat on some waterway somewhere and ends with a picture of what seems to be someone's severed ear. But, before we get too deep into that mystery, we're sucked into another one as a giant sea turtle tangles with a precariously positioned corpse. Kay must retrieve the body, which makes her late for her testimony in a high-profile murder case, which earns the dear doctor a royal reaming by the judge.

Once Kay gets out of the courtroom, she turns her attention to the body found in the bay and sets her sights on finding the woman's killer. It's not easy to focus, though, when your husband seems to question your every move. Or, when your chief investigator has been taken off the case because of some Tweets on Twitter. Or, when you're contemplating an affair with your handsome, young assistant.

Are you following this? There is a lot going on for Scarpetta, both personally and professionally. Even so, the action isn't too difficult to follow. Rather, it's too difficult to believe, and the ending leaves a lot to be desired, including why the title of this book is what it is.

I've read all 20 novels in the series so far, and what I've come to realize is that these books give me the equivalent of a sugar high. They're pretty sweet and tasty while I'm reading them, but once I'm finished, I wonder why I thought it was a good idea and I feel the need to read something more substantive. Still, I readily admit being a junk food junkie. So, bring on book 21.