Patricia Cornwell on Lifetime

First, let me say, I love Patricia Cornwell’s novels. It was, primarily, her Kay Scarpetta novels that prompted a resurgence in my reading-for-pleasure several years back. That’s why I was particularly eager to see At Risk and The Front, the two movies based on her (non-Scarpetta) novels recently aired on Lifetime.

No problems with the cast. The usually loveable Andie MacDowell stars ably as the slutty, aggressive and ambitious DA, Monique “Money” Lamont, Daniel Sunjata as Win Garano, the still beautiful Diahann Carroll as Garano’s nana, and Ashley Williams as the amputee-detective Stump. Unfortunately, Detective Sykes played by Annabeth Gish was shot dead in At Risk. Such is life. In fact, Stump almost bought the farm in The Front but survived due to poor marksmanship and the heroic intervention of love-interest Garano.

Honestly speaking, I enjoyed both movies and will view anything else Ms. Cornwell (who, BTW, made cameo appearances as a waitress in each of the flicks) serves up. Still, I must say, I enjoyed At Risk the most. The perp, the unsub, the doer, etc. was revealed to us a little too soon in The Front, at least for me, and, though there still existed a bit of suspense, it’s not the same as wondering “who the hell did it?”

Still to come, on TV and at the Theatre, the Kay Scarpetta mysteries. I cannot wait.