This probably wasn't the best Scarpetta novel to cut my teeth on. Lol. But Cornwell does a good job of filling the reader in on all they've missed. Perhaps too much. The true action doesn't start until halfway through the book. I loved Scarpetta as a character. I wasn't impressed by Benton or Lucy. Having no background knowledge of either, I found them both narcissistic and emotionally aloof. The entire book I kept rooting for Scarpetta to leave their sorry butts in the dust. The mystery part of the book was good and suspenseful. I didn't guess what was going to happen next. And, in the end, reading this made me want to go back and read the first books in the series. So, mission accomplished. :)