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impyFinished Scarpetta over the weekend. I think I finished it Friday, when I was home sick, because it's a pretty decent climb in bed, pull the covers up, and pray for redemption book.
Let's clear the history first: A good friend of mine suggested the series waaaaaay back when. I read the most recent [at that time] book first and then went back to play catchup and burn through to the newest [again, at the time] book, and truthfully, I think in a lot of ways I should have stopped once I hit the book I first read in it's proper order. Twas Black Notice if memory serves, and I read it so fast I ended up with paper cuts. By the time I swung around to the next book, I... yeah. If LKH [particularly Anita] has that line of "Before = Good, After = Bad", so does Patricia Cornwell. I'd say it's the Scarpetta series itself, but I can't really call myself a fan of some of her other series and I think they kind of poisoned the other books. I couldn't tell you which book it was that finally made me wonder if perhaps PC had snapped and I just missed the memo. I figured, with Isle of Dogs, she was just messing with me. Talking crabs? Totally, dude. Also, Tangier Fucking Island. So I was fine with that, although the story, well... I only remember those two elements, so that should tell you something.
Blah, blah, blah, she'd been on a downward spiral for awhile. The last few books, Scarpetta or otherwise, had shown promise, but then she went and fucked things all to hell with Book of the Dead. I blocked so much of that book from memory that all I remember is rage at what she'd done to one of her characters. Just arm flailing, senseless, noiseless rage. Namely, she had Marino attempt to rape Kay. And she was killing Rose off, but it was the Marino thing that did me in. Well, that and you don't bill a book as taking place in Charleston and then not give me something good, damn it. I demand better.
Um, ranting and raving aside, I figured Scarpetta was the last stop before I just went full blown crazy. Also, it was there. I am weak. Picked it up. Got confused as the first few chapters run in riddles and circles and everyone but possibly Benton is confused so why should you be any different? Exactly. But you push through that because you've gotta know. Is the little person crazy, or is he actually screwed six ways to Sunday? So you read. And you realize you're halfway through, and yeah, you know damn well who did the damn crime [and you truly wonder how anyone else could possibly not see this one coming because it's in fucking neon lights], and yet... you're not sure why, or how exactly, and the characters are spinning their wheels and are all being directed towards one big clusterfuck.
You expect explosions when Benton's sneaky plots have aligned by accident, forcing Kay, Marino, Lucy, and Benton himself to interact, particularly once word gets out that Marino lost his damn mind in Charleston.
Doesn't happen. Oh, Benton and Marino, and a few other people as well, worry that sparks will fly. But they don't. Kay handles things all too well and we won't even go into how well adjusted she is now.
Why? Why won't we go into that?
Because for once Lucy isn't in-fucking-sane. It's been so long that I almost didn't recognize her without her perma-sulk going on. And she is the reason the book gets that extra fourth star. While I don't truly buy that she'd let Marino off without at least attempting to kick his ass, I do admire her growing up. Finally. Since we're knee-deep in spoiler land, I'll tell you that just when she's happy, like super happy Tara/Willow just made up happy, some maniac with a guy comes waltzing on in and shoots her.
And I freaked. Just a little. So that extra star? Is because you only freak if you actually still care, and hey, I do. Yay!
So I will accept the weaseling out of previous actions because it's been eons since anyone reacted completely normally around here, so why should I expect them to begin again now? Not as good as the best, but definitely better than the last few offerings.
Also finished Revelations, the latest [I think?] of the Blue Bloods series, because what Gossip Girl was missing was so obviously fangs and a religious backstory, right? RIGHT. I don't give a damn about Schuyler. I don't. I like Oliver just fine, but Sky there bores me. Tis my beef with most of your heroines. Wah, wah, wah, so perfectly lovely and unable to see it. Zzzzzzzz. I like Bliss. So, yeah, I kind of knew they were going to make her Lucifer spawn, but still. This means she won't make it out alive, and damn it, it's not right!
Also, the book is choppy, and not just because I read it out of order for kicks.
I'm in the mood to read something, but I don't know what. I want something different. I want something familiar. I want fangs and darkness and a sense of humor, but nothing too self-mocking. I want a hero/ine who isn't just average but unaware that she/he isn't actually, or I want one who is actually average and it's their ability to surround themselves with people/things that aren't that sets them apart, not some birthright or fantastic special powers, or the love of someone that bores me to tears. I want average to be a bad word unless it's actually meant. And if they are, in fact, average, I don't want them to be fantastically mopey about it. Accept. Dwell every so often, but for the most part move on. I want a body count, but only in that way where you know that any time your favorite character could die. They don't have to stay dead, but having their resurrection used against someone would be nice, too.
I need a new drug.
Let's clear the history first: A good friend of mine suggested the series waaaaaay back when. I read the most recent [at that time] book first and then went back to play catchup and burn through to the newest [again, at the time] book, and truthfully, I think in a lot of ways I should have stopped once I hit the book I first read in it's proper order. Twas Black Notice if memory serves, and I read it so fast I ended up with paper cuts. By the time I swung around to the next book, I... yeah. If LKH [particularly Anita] has that line of "Before = Good, After = Bad", so does Patricia Cornwell. I'd say it's the Scarpetta series itself, but I can't really call myself a fan of some of her other series and I think they kind of poisoned the other books. I couldn't tell you which book it was that finally made me wonder if perhaps PC had snapped and I just missed the memo. I figured, with Isle of Dogs, she was just messing with me. Talking crabs? Totally, dude. Also, Tangier Fucking Island. So I was fine with that, although the story, well... I only remember those two elements, so that should tell you something.
Blah, blah, blah, she'd been on a downward spiral for awhile. The last few books, Scarpetta or otherwise, had shown promise, but then she went and fucked things all to hell with Book of the Dead. I blocked so much of that book from memory that all I remember is rage at what she'd done to one of her characters. Just arm flailing, senseless, noiseless rage. Namely, she had Marino attempt to rape Kay. And she was killing Rose off, but it was the Marino thing that did me in. Well, that and you don't bill a book as taking place in Charleston and then not give me something good, damn it. I demand better.
Um, ranting and raving aside, I figured Scarpetta was the last stop before I just went full blown crazy. Also, it was there. I am weak. Picked it up. Got confused as the first few chapters run in riddles and circles and everyone but possibly Benton is confused so why should you be any different? Exactly. But you push through that because you've gotta know. Is the little person crazy, or is he actually screwed six ways to Sunday? So you read. And you realize you're halfway through, and yeah, you know damn well who did the damn crime [and you truly wonder how anyone else could possibly not see this one coming because it's in fucking neon lights], and yet... you're not sure why, or how exactly, and the characters are spinning their wheels and are all being directed towards one big clusterfuck.
You expect explosions when Benton's sneaky plots have aligned by accident, forcing Kay, Marino, Lucy, and Benton himself to interact, particularly once word gets out that Marino lost his damn mind in Charleston.
Doesn't happen. Oh, Benton and Marino, and a few other people as well, worry that sparks will fly. But they don't. Kay handles things all too well and we won't even go into how well adjusted she is now.
Why? Why won't we go into that?
Because for once Lucy isn't in-fucking-sane. It's been so long that I almost didn't recognize her without her perma-sulk going on. And she is the reason the book gets that extra fourth star. While I don't truly buy that she'd let Marino off without at least attempting to kick his ass, I do admire her growing up. Finally. Since we're knee-deep in spoiler land, I'll tell you that just when she's happy, like super happy Tara/Willow just made up happy, some maniac with a guy comes waltzing on in and shoots her.
And I freaked. Just a little. So that extra star? Is because you only freak if you actually still care, and hey, I do. Yay!
So I will accept the weaseling out of previous actions because it's been eons since anyone reacted completely normally around here, so why should I expect them to begin again now? Not as good as the best, but definitely better than the last few offerings.
Also finished Revelations, the latest [I think?] of the Blue Bloods series, because what Gossip Girl was missing was so obviously fangs and a religious backstory, right? RIGHT. I don't give a damn about Schuyler. I don't. I like Oliver just fine, but Sky there bores me. Tis my beef with most of your heroines. Wah, wah, wah, so perfectly lovely and unable to see it. Zzzzzzzz. I like Bliss. So, yeah, I kind of knew they were going to make her Lucifer spawn, but still. This means she won't make it out alive, and damn it, it's not right!
Also, the book is choppy, and not just because I read it out of order for kicks.
I'm in the mood to read something, but I don't know what. I want something different. I want something familiar. I want fangs and darkness and a sense of humor, but nothing too self-mocking. I want a hero/ine who isn't just average but unaware that she/he isn't actually, or I want one who is actually average and it's their ability to surround themselves with people/things that aren't that sets them apart, not some birthright or fantastic special powers, or the love of someone that bores me to tears. I want average to be a bad word unless it's actually meant. And if they are, in fact, average, I don't want them to be fantastically mopey about it. Accept. Dwell every so often, but for the most part move on. I want a body count, but only in that way where you know that any time your favorite character could die. They don't have to stay dead, but having their resurrection used against someone would be nice, too.
I need a new drug.