• Trace

  • Kay Scarpetta Mysteries, Book 13
  • By: Patricia Cornwell
  • Narrated by: Kate Reading
  • Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (81 ratings)

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Trace  By  cover art

Trace

By: Patricia Cornwell
Narrated by: Kate Reading
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Publisher's summary

Trace is the heart-stopping new Dr. Kay Scarpetta thriller from America's #1 best-selling crime writer.

Dr. Kay Scarpetta, now freelancing from south Florida, returns to the city that turned its back on her five years ago.

In Trace, Scarpetta travels to Richmond, Virginia, at the odd behest of the recently appointed Chief Medical Examiner, who claims that he needs her help to solve a perplexing crime. When she arrives, however, Scarpetta finds that nothing is as she expected: her former lab is in the final stages of demolition; the inept chief isn't the one who requested her after all; her old assistant chief has developed personal problems that he won't reveal; and a glamorous FBI agent, whom Marino dislikes instantly, meddles with the case.

Deprived of assistance from colleagues Benton and Lucy, who are embroiled in what first appears to be an unrelated attempted rape by a stalker, Scarpetta is faced with investigating the death of a 14-year-old girl and working with the smallest pieces of evidence, traces that only the most thorough hunters can identify. She must follow the twisting leads and track the strange details in order to make the dead speak, and to reveal the sad truth that may be more than even she can bear.

©2004 Cornwell Entertainment, Inc. (P)2004 Penguin Audio

What listeners say about Trace

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Scarpetta

I like that the readers.try to change their voices to match the characters BUT sometimes it doesn't quite make it. I'd rather the voices be from different people, esp if the reader wants to act it out.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Scarpetta Moved On?

It's been five years since Scarpetta left the Richmond OME, but she returns as a consultant to assist with a case the FBI has an inexplicable interest in ... As she walks through the building observing the destruction of all the personal touches she had carefully curated when overseeing the construction of her new and improved building (the artwork in the halls, the dying plants throughout (which apparently, she herself watered too!), the furniture, the appliances, etc. etc.) we get more and more irritated. But at least her relationship with her niece has improved by leaps and bounds! Psych - No it hasn't!! If she had whined one more time in agony "I haven't seen Lucy since September!" I would have ripped out my earpiece and thrown my phone in the river! The fact that EVERYONE who meets Lucy falls in love (or obsesses over her like Kay) is exasperating. Poor Marino - he's still following them both to the ends of the earth trying to protect them from themselves, but at least this time he gets some credit for cracking part of the case. Kudos, buddy ... I'm still here for it all - on to the next book, but remember my caveat, read the books in order!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Better than the Last One

Theses last two books in the series seem to be written by a ghost writer. I’ve enjoyed this series but the characters, the writing has changed.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Same thing as the last book...

This was one of the best books in the series except for the rushed ending, same as her last book. It is infuriating to donate all your time to a book, then the last 20 minutes are a letdown. Why does she do this???

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Quick ending

Good vocals through the story, but the wrap up is contrived and too quick with no good reason.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

I love Kay and Marino

I really enjoyed this Scarpetta mystery. I am actually reading all the Scarpetta books in order for the second time. That is how great Patricia Cornwell writes!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Favorite series

I love this series with Kay Scarpeta, Moreno and hearing of more of their adventures.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Writing

I have noticed over the last couple books that the writing has changed. I don’t know if the author did that purposely to hear from each characters point of view, but it’s interesting to be able to understand how each character/thinks. One of my favorite series, I’m still chugging along through it!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Story was good

Narrator was good, I could recognize the characters by the readers voice. Story was interesting!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Not great

I’ve been reading these books in sequence and there seems to be more drama than mystery the longer it goes on. Too much drama and then a quick ending that is usually lackluster. Wish they would just stick to the mystery and lose all the drama…

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1 person found this helpful