Mystery author, Patricia Cornwell's latest mystery novel, At Risk is an easy read, but it doesn't live up to the standard set by her previous work.
Soon after Massachusetts state investigator, Winston Garano, gets called home from a forensics class in the opening chapter of At Risk, it becomes clear that solving a crime is not all that his boss, attractive and tough Monique Lamont has in mind. It seems she's planning a run for governor and has hatched a plan to solve old crimes as her ticket into office. So far, so good, but Cornwell's latest suspense novel doesn't deliver on its early promise.
At Risk, first published in serial form by the New York Times, still retains the jerky, half-developed style of a week-to-week drama. Characters are left one-dimensional and plot twists unexplained. Garano has the makings of an intriguing leading man. He's brilliant, largely self-educated, and handsome. Solid too is the plan to solve 20-year old murders using DNA testing and new other forensic tools is solid, but the details never come together. Ms. Cornwell has written some classics of mystery fiction. Readers will likely forgive her this one faux pas.
