The Front by Patricia Cornwell Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Front
Book Review: A waste of (not much) time
Summary: 2 Stars
This book is a waste of time but fortunately you won't waste very much as it's only 180 pages long! Patricia Cornwell has often had absurd plots and surprise endings that only surprise because the solutions come completely out of left field with a last minute discovery but this book doesn't really have a plot or a solution. It starts off as a cold case investigation begun for political reasons then blends in a (supposedly) mysterious character who dresses like a Raggedy Ann doll only to be further muddied by an FBI terrorism investigation, the involvement of Scotland Yard, some bank robberies and the theft of copper from houses. Nothing makes sense and the ridiculous ending simply isn't credible especially as the FBI more or less says "oh" and walks away. What a mess!
Often sequels fail to explain various character issues leaving new readers at a loss and so does this one, the main character has a reading disability that is apparent only to those who remember it from the previous book until near the end when another character reveals she had figured it out from some of his behavior. The events in this book have their roots in it's predecessor that are barely touched on here once again leaving new readers somewhat at a loss as to what's happening.
The first book in this series, AT RISK, was actually one of Cornwell's better later books with an interesting lead character and a nicely drawn supporting cast but leave it to Cornwell to drop the ball with what can only be explained as lazy writing. AT RISK was originally published as a serial in the New York Times Magazine, given it's length I suspect that this was written for the same venue but was rejected as simply not good enough. And it's not good enough by a long shot.
Book Review: A waste of money
Summary: 1 Stars
This was obviously a book that was rushed to finish. There was little to no plot and it felt as if half of the book was missing. That is what my husband and I thought when we bought the electronic version for the Kindle. Much to our dismay, we discovered that we had purchased the hardback as well, and that confirmed that it was not an electronic glitch. It was just a bad book. I have been reading Patricia Cornwell faithfully over the years. This book, and the obvious inattention to quality, has soured me on her works.Book Review: A waste of money
Summary: 1 Stars
This book, like the last one, is a waste of money. Cornwell used to write really good police homicide mysteries but the last ones have been confusing and empty. Like a lot of successful mystery writers lately, she has gone off her original genre into para-psychologic, weak plots, power-hungry females,etc. I am disappointed once againBook Review: Amazing, you must read this
Summary: 5 Stars
Ms Cornwell has done it again, once you start reading this you don't want to put it down, the characters, the story, just a great book to read. Get your copy now and enjoy the excitement, if feels as though you are there seeing and hearing everything that is going on.Book Review: An interesting setup that just didn't play itself out.
Summary: 2 Stars
Patricia Cornwell is one of those rare authors who can get away with a lot. She has such a great body of work behind her that you would forgive her almost anything. And I almost forgive her for this book.
It's not that it doesn't read well, because it does, like all of her books. Her characters are interesting, if not fully developed. (I'm wondering if she is introducing a new cast of characters to see how they go over with her readers before fleshing them out more fully.) There are more twists and turns than on a drive up a steep mountain. Normally both the ride and the destination are a pleasure in Cornwell's books, but sad to say, not in this one. The ride was okay most of the time, but the destination was a huge disappointment, especially since I'm not exactly sure where we ended up. I'm hoping to see some of these characters again, with a much more detailed story line to help the reader get to know them a bit more.