The Body Farm

**Possible Spoilers**

Firstly again Scarpetta has undergone a major personal change since the last book that doesn't seem to be totally covered. At the end of the previous book, Cruel and Unusual, she was planning to work more closely with FBI Profiler Benton Wesley and then this books starts with her not only working with him but embarking on an affair with him also. Whilst I don't question the possibility of this happening it would have been nice to have had longer to see the relationship develop, not see them jump into bed in the opening chapters. Secondly the book centres on the happenings of Lucy, Dr Scarpetta's niece, who was never my favourite character in the books. Whilst trying to explain Lucy's insecurities and anger at her own mother I've always found her character comes over as spoilt and ungrateful rather than sad and tragic. At first I was dreading reading so much about her, but actually by the time of finishing the book I have warmed slightly to her character, not least because the books describes the first face to face meeting of Dr Kay and Lucy's mother, her sister, Dorothy. A wonderful self-centred bitchy character that is great fun to read.

The actually "thriller" storyline in the book is good, but again not maybe as good as some of those that have gone before. Scarpetta, who is forever reminding everyone else that evidence and proof is needed to suspect someone of a crime, seems to leap on the eventual suspect in this murder very early on and pursues her on what seemed to me to be very flimsy clues.

Not the strongest book in the series, but I will definitely return for more.


The best Scarpetta Novel by far   January 28, 2004
3 out of 6 found this review helpful

I loved this book more than any of the other Scarpetta novels. It is just so fast paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat all the way through wondering who's the goody / baddy and you learn a lot about forensic science along the way. Very informative and a fab you won't be able to put it down read.