Dust

Still reeling from her work at a mass murder, medical examiner Kay Scarpetta is thrust into the sick world of a possible serial killer. Along with her former partner Pete Marino, her FBI profiler husband, and her tech-savvy niece, she works to solve crimes that someone in high places wants forgotten. While the mystery itself holds potential for intrigue, the plot suffers from the continuous and often monotonous forays into the characters' motivations. Scarpetta's arrogance and Marino's spiteful behavior in the middle of an investigation are indefensible. The constant reiteration of thoughts and explanations will quickly irritate even the most avid Scarpetta fans. Narrator Kate Reading perfectly captures Scarpetta's clinical mind-set and direct attitude. Many of the other characters, especially males with accents, are not so expertly realized.