The Front
by Patricia Cornwell
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Book Reviews of The Front
Book Review: Disappointing
Summary: 2 Stars
I picked up this book without reading about it and thought it was a Kay Scarpetta book. It's not, so make sure you don't make the same mistake. I was disappointed in that but more disappointed as I read it. This book had promise. It has a good plot idea but just wasn't developed. I found a hardback at a bargain price, but it was still too much money for as short as the book is. It's less than 200 pages and the font is larger than normal. I felt this book was written in a rush and wasn't completely developed. The character are interesting with little to no depth. I was intrigued by Win Garrano, but felt like his character went nowhere. There's a lot of politics and political plays that don't really come together. Like some other reviewers have stated the Scotland Yard kinda just gets thrown into the mix without a serious reason why. I really was upset that this book has actual parts that could have made a promising book but were left to dangle and get wrapped up in less than 20 pages. Sad. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone other than someone interested in the series that wants to follow it on. Even then don't buy it just check it out from the library.Book Review: There she goes again!
Summary: 5 Stars
I had no idea what to expect when this advance galley copy arrived at my doorstep. I've read every Cornwell book that's been released and immensely enjoyed every single one, so enjoying this one was a given, but I was very curious as to what characters Ms. Cornwell would choose. Would I like new characters as they were introduced? Would they be believeable? Would I be disappointed in the choice of characters?
The Front exceeded all my expectations! Imagine my surprise to discover familiar characters in the first few pages! Readers are always comfortable and pleased when they can immediately relate to the storyline in such a way. I am a graduate student, so research and writing are second nature to me at this point and my eye for quality and excellence is spot on. Ms. Cornwell's latest release is quality and excellence without a doubt!
Familiar characters are incredibly fleshed out and new characters jump off the page, a talent few writers can truly pull off. Ms. Cornwell deserves tremendous praise as provides yet another amazing example of a furiously accomplished writer's ability to please her readers.
Bravo!
Book Review: A good read, but leaves you wanting more...
Summary: 4 Stars
This was my first book in this series. I am an avid Patricia Cornwell fan, and I love Kaye Scarpetta and friends. I enjoyed "The Front". It was light reading compared to the Scarpetta books. The characters are fresh, fun and interesting. I love the mysterious air about Win. Nana is so realistic, I wish I coud visit her. You can't help but love to hate Monique Lamont. Stump is a newcomer I'd like to get to know better. I liked the many twists and turns and the eventual wrap-up of all the story lines.
I think Ms. Cornwell could take some additional time (and pages) to develop the characters a little more. Win wrapped up the Janie Brolin murder a little too quickly. He speculated on the facts a bit too much, without proof. His Cal Tradd theory also lacked solid evidence. The McClure/Raggedy Ann storyline was a little confusing. I'd also like to read more about Monique's tragic past. More about her feelings. And more about Win's learning disability. Overall, "The Front" was a very good read. I'd like to go back and read "At Risk", and would like to see future episodes in this series.
Book Review: It left me wanting more...
Summary: 5 Stars
This latest book by Patricia Cornwell is hopefully an introduction to both characters and storylines we will have the priviledge of getting to know more deeply in later novels. The main characters are authentic and complex, and the sub-plots are plentiful. I believe this novel just scrapes the surface of some great reading ahead. I read it very quickly and was left definitely wanting more... Many of the minor characters are interesting and have a lot of potential as well (ie Stump, Raggedy Ann, etc...) While the book is brief, it is loaded with substance. Geronimo, the nickname of the main "good guy", is endearing and intelligent, and seems to have layers we have just caught glimpses of thus far. He seemed "real" in the same good way that Scarpetta has always been. This novel was different from many of Cornwell's novels in that it does not have that certain brutality and rawness for which the Scarpetta novels are famous. It was much more intellectual, as opposed to eliciting mental imagery that some readers cannot cope with. I enjoyed this book very much and can't wait for the next installment!Book Review: Falls flat on plot despite some good touches
Summary: 2 Stars
I've read numerous Cornwell books, including the predecessor, "At Risk," and liked most of them. The Front has some good characterization and a nice setting in the Boston/Cambridge area, and some interesting forensics (how could she not?). And it moves at an amazing pace. BUT what's a suspense story without a great plot, with intricate unraveling, foreshadowing, red herrings - well, you know what I mean - and this book just lacks all of these. There is supposed to be this shadow organization called "the front" ... but we never learn much about it. And there are no real suspects for the crimes in this book - until the rather unlikely guilty perp is, all of a sudden out of nowhere, practically thrown at us with zero build-up of evidence and zero motivation at all! Yeah, as a suspense novel this deserves less than a 1 - maybe an 0.5. Its good features make me raise it to a 2, but I cannot recommend this book at all to readers of suspense/mystery stories. Cornwell either forgot what makes a good story or had a ghost writer or .... who knows what?