The Front
by Patricia Cornwell
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Book Reviews of The Front
Book Review: I'd Like my Money Back, Please
Summary: 1 Stars
The Front is an affront to anyone who bought this short on words, short on plot, short on character development...I could go on forever, but you get the idea. Truly an insult to any reader who has considered themselves a fan of Cornwell's.
This book is an obvious attempt to cash in and create a need to cash in on the next installment of this lame developing series. The typeset of the paperback version reminds me of a college term paper - double spaced, large type, wide margins - in an attempt to create the illusion of length. Had this book been set in a more normal type, kern, and space, it would have been 75 pages max.
Even worse, the characters are ham-handed stereotypes. Not a glimpse or hint of any soul at all. The central character seems to borrow his "nana" from James Patterson. The other characters are cartoonish, broad brush swipes.
I'm really angry that I paid any money for this at all. Do yourself (especially if you are a Cornwell fan) a favor and ignore this sad little piece of garbage.
Book Review: Another Spectacular Read
Summary: 5 Stars
Another wonderful example of why, Patricia Cornwell is a New York Times best selling author. Win Garano, Nana and Monique Lamont are back in this fast paced novel. New characters like Stump and Raggedy Ann are so well defined that you hope they will spring up in another book and can't wait for that book to be published, while the classic characters gain more in depth personalities. The plot is well put together, everything from terrorism and bank robbers to a cold case murder and copper thieves. You cannot stop flipping the pages, and the conclusion comes out of nowhere. Writing at the top pf her game, Patricia Cornwell provides enough of a storyline and exciting energy to persuade you to finish the book in a single sitting. While finishing in at fewer than 200 pages, The Front leaves you more than satisfied and sad that it is over. Cornwell fans and those new to her craft will fall in love all over again.
Valerie Jones
mrsvaljones@netzero.net
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.
Book Review: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Summary: 2 Stars
The plot is engaging. I'll give her that. I was always wondering what was going to happen next; yet at the same time part of me already knew what was about to occur. The scenes played out like a typical murder-mystery TV show. It was engaging, but not page-turning.
The writing style is very juvenile. I felt like I was back in a creative writing workshop class reading a story submitted by a first or second time novelist. I almost got out a pen and started making suggestions of things I would change: the character's names so the sexes were easier to distinguish, erase the sentence fragments at the end of quotations, blah blah, etc. While most of my aggrivation with the author's voice may be strictly my opinion, it did keep me from enjoying the book.
It's a good book overall. Easy enough for anyone to read. However, most people with even the slightest bit of literary education will find it a little dull and annoying.
Book Review: The Front
Summary: 1 Stars
I was totally disappointed in this book. I felt the whole book was spent "getting in to the story" then boom it was over. I went back and reread parts to see if I had missed something. There was no thrill no excitement. No real story. I will not purchase any more of Cornwells books dealing with any other characters except for the Scarpetta Series. They too have been lacking but the last one The Book of the Dead was at least okay. Not as good as earlier but not as bad as some of the later ones. The other character books have all been very weak and uninteresting. I have been extremely disappointed in all of them. I have tried to be a true fan and kept giving her a chance but I wont be wasting anymore money. Cormwell is simply not capable of pulling it off when she steps outside of her Scarpetta Series. I think maybe the Scarpetta books would be better served if she quit wasting her time and mind on these other characters.