All That Remains

By: Patricia Cornwell

Narrated by: C. J. Critt

Length: 12 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's Summary

A serial killer is stalking Virginia’s young lovers, taking their lives and taunting police with a single clue: a jack of hearts. For two years, the meaning of this card has eluded FBI investigators. But as Scarpetta begins searching the victims’ remains for microscopic clues, she begins to suspect that someone in the FBI knows more about the murderer.

Flesh and bone: investigate more of Kay Scarpetta's forensic cases.

©1992 Patricia D. Cornwell (P)1995 Recorded Books, LLC

Good early one...

It's good to remember how good these early Scarpetta books are, before the dreadful Lucy co-opted the series with her myriad of woes. "All That Remains" has Scarpetta at her best -- dedicated to her job, interesting with her cooking skills, open and friendly -- and most of all, being nice to Marino -- as compared to latter books, where she openly makes fun of him. I suppose Patricia Cornwell took a lot of heat from her feminist friends, for her early books like this that had Marino as a "good' character, in spite of his rough exterior. Too bad Cornwell caved in. I like Marino, always have. And in this book, you can see why.

Interesting, too, to hear this book read -- first time for me, although I've probably read it twice, maybe more. For Scarpetta fans, we know that Benton Wesley continues to play a major role throughout this series. In print, he seems like an okay-enough guy, maybe as good a counterpart for Kay as any man could be. But hearing how narrator C. J. Critt renders him, the voice she gives him, he comes across as a total loser as a human, friend or certainly love interest -- he sounds cold, nasty and self-absorbed. No criticism of Miz Critt intended -- her interpretation is just as valid as mine. It was just interesting to see this character in a very different way.

Good listen. I enjoyed it.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Glad I didn't skip this one!

Would you consider the audio edition of All That Remains to be better than the print version?

I didn't read the print version.

What was one of the most memorable moments of All That Remains?

Serious character development of peripheral characters- some cute Moreno moments.

What does C. J. Critt bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I enjoy her reading if Moreno and his New York accent.

Any additional comments?

I'm so glad I didn't let other reviews sway me from purchasing this book. I'm going through the Scarpetta series for the first time and other readers had me worried. I have no idea what they were talking about! This story is smart, twisty, and dark like the pervious Kay novels.

Abby Turnbull returns. Additionally, we learn a lot more about Moreno and Wesley in this installment.I enjoyed the whole story and it definitely kept me listening, waiting to see whodunit.

For anyone reading the whole series, I can't imagine not including this book in the lineup! Worth the listen.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Story was slow, anti-climatic - Critts destroys it

Would you try another book from Patricia Cornwell and/or C. J. Critt?

Cornwell - yes. Critt - NO

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Boring, predictable.

How could the performance have been better?

It could have been read by someone else. Critt takes pauses that are so long, I have checked numerous times to see if my device has died. Her voice for Benton is absurd - some snarky, angry-at-the-world jerk that snaps every word he says. Not Benton at all. And for god's sake, does she have the mic shoved in her mouth or does she breathe abnormally loud? Disgusting.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

SCARPETTA BOOK AT IT'S BEST

This book was very good, but then all the Scarpetta novels are good. They all have such twists and turns. Sometimes I do wonder though, about how all these weirdos get to her! ;o)

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

I always enjoy Kay Scarpetta and this no exception

What did you love best about All That Remains?

This was one of the earlier of the Kay series and it was one that I had not read so I enjoyed how the story developed and I felt like an observer watching the development of not only solving the case, but in the shifting each character's personal life.

What did you like best about this story?

The strategy and the plot and development of the case

Have you listened to any of C. J. Critt’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was my first time listening to C.J. , it took me about ten minutes into the story and then I was used to her voice and it seem to fit very well.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There was a lot of emotion in this book, not enough humor, but not sure if it was needed. I was guessing throughout trying to figure the case and the life of the characters and the ending left me wanting to go to the next book.

Any additional comments?

I always enjoy Patrica Cornwell's books, she is complicated but yet puts it all so simple and smooth. I even like the way she takes the time to describe the scenery, the weather, the color of hair, clothes, all the small but important details that bring the story to life.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

An early Kay Scarpetta novel

Scarpetta Book 3 was written before Patricia Cornwell started becoming repetitive. I highly recommend this and other earlier novels in the Kay Scarpetta series.

6 of 8 people found this review helpful

Typical mystery

Pretty standard fare, nice listening. Dragged in spots, you could skip sections and still be happy.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Good Read

Fun read...Kay Scarpetta, our heroine, hangs in there against entrenched bureaucracy and Washington DC favorite political appointees. But, her relationships go nowhere. Nobody reviews Pete Marino; in this book, she remakes him into a decent human being from a slob. One wonders if Cornwell knows somebody like that and does a virtual redo. Page turner that does not lag or sag. Show me the next book!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Don’t bother

If like Pat Cornwall, you will like this book. If you have never read her, don’t bother with this book. It is not a mystery, Rather it is a process of tracking down the one and only suspect. Quite boring. Some of the proceedural stuff is interesting. The narrator is simply awful. She reads very slowly as though she were reading to children. Additionally, she is very breathy, which is quite irritating. After a few chapters, I found the only way I could listen to this book was to increase the speed to 1.25 The only reason I finish this book is that I had lived in three of the cities that are involved in the story. Otherwise, I would’ve returned after chapter 3.

Loved this one too!!

There is always a twist in the storyline that I wasn't expecting. Held my attention to the very end. Love the narrator, not boring or dry and changes voice well so you can follow characters easily.