Patricia Cornwell
Putnam Adult
Release date: May 22, 2007
List price: $22.95 (192p)
ISBN: 978-0399154188
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Review - "The Front"
Reviewer: Kim Langcake
Rating:
The Front is the second of Patricia Cornwell's books based on the characters introduced in At Risk (2006). It's a short, sharp offering — more of a series of vignettes rather than a cohesive novel — and this may prove challenging for those Cornwell readers who like to sink deep into the usual detailed characterisation of her protagonists.
From At Risk, we are reacquainted with Win Garano, a Massachusetts State homicide investigator who was raised by his beloved psychic grandmother, known to us simply as Nana. Win is asked to solve a particularly nasty murder which took place over forty years ago. Janie Brolin, a sight-impaired Brit, was raped and strangled in his precinct, and some people believe that she may have been the Boston Strangler's first victim. Win is given the task of re-opening this case — which is basically a PR exercise in "taking back our neighborhoods" — by the objectionable District Attorney Monique Lamont, who twists the knife by having a hidden agenda which has the potential to skew everything that Win uncovers.
It's a good story, but I found it hard to enjoy a tale which, with the exception of the beguiling Nana, has such an unlovely and unlovable cast of characters, and the loose structure of the book didn't encourage a feeling of engagement. There is a lot of bickering and bantering between characters, but it's nowhere near the whip-smart caliber of Cornwell's lovingly-created Kay Scarpetta, and the work suffers as a result.
If the lives of Win, Monique, and Nana held you captive in At Risk, then the next installment found here should not disappoint. The story hits the ground running from the first sentence, and the pace does not let up. There is suspense aplenty and enough "I didn’t see that coming" moments to satisfy the most exacting twist seeker.
If, however, you like some depth to your homicidal page-turner, you may find that The Front is light on with the characterisation which Cornwell usually takes such care with. It's a fun, airport sort of read, but not something which will really get the gray matter working, and not something you'll find yourself thinking about the next day. If this series is to survive, Cornwell is going to have to make us care about its players a whole lot more.
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