Sharp Force

Sharp Force by Patricia Cornwell
10/7/25; 400 pages
Grand Central 
Kay Scarpetta #29

Sharp Force by Patricia Cornwell is a very highly recommended investigative thriller. This is the 29th book featuring medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta but enough backstory is in the plot to allow readers to enjoy it as a standalone thriller. 

On Christmas Eve Virginia’s chief medical examiner, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, is finishing up the autopsy on Rowdy O’Leary hoping to give the family closure. Then she learns that celebrity TV reporter Dana Diletti has had the red-eyed ghost hologram from the serial killer given the moniker of the Slasher float through her home. The Slasher sends the hologram through the homes of women he is targeting. There have been three murders, all women, all alone, and all occurring on holidays. Diletti has the hologram on video floating through her house and Pete Marino, head of investigations for the medical examiner’s office, accompanies the responding officers to check it out. 

Scarpetta and her husband, Benton Wesley, a Secret Service forensic psychologist, have planned a two week European vacation but are woken up early on Christmas with a call informing them that the Slasher has struck again.  The victim is psychiatrist Georgine Duvall, who is living on Mercy Island, the site of a notorious psychiatric hospital. This time there is also someone who survived. Graduate student Zain Willard, who was staying at the house, was stabbed, but survived. He is also a White House intern and nephew of presidential candidate Sen. Calvin Willard, making the investigation potentially contentious.

I am very pleased to say that this time it felt like Scarpetti is back. I closely followed the series for years until the novels took a turn for the worse and became very uneven, as far as how much I liked them. Sharp Force was exactly what I wanted, interesting cases and investigations and an unpredictable final denouement. There were a few moments where descriptions of Scarpetti's home, became a bit too much, but overall I was quite satisfied. 

The plot flowed smoothly, it was well-written, interesting, and all the recurring characters were around, for good or worse. There was real tension, suspense, and a threatening sense of danger. The hologram used was intriguing, and there is even a robot dog. Cons are Janet's AI avatar. My highest recommendation may involve some hope and nostalgia.

Sharp Forces is a great choice for those who enjoy medical investigative thrillers and those who know the series. Thanks to Grand Central for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.