The Woman In The Window by A. J. Finn: A Review

A woman confined to her home who watches her neighbors through her windows witnesses a murder. To be honest, this whole scenario wreaked of same-old same-old at first glance. But, I was wrong and it didn't take long for me to become engrossed in this expertly conceived plot. NO SPOILERS HERE! So, suffice it to say there's a reason The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn wound up on multiple best reads lists.

Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta Novels in Order

What invariably happens when someone reads one of Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta novels is that they suddenly develop a strong desire to read them all. For those of you who find yourselves in this predicament, I have listed below all of Ms. Cornwell's novels to date along with a link to a convenient checklist so you can mark your progress as you fly through the list. Good reading!

The Kay Scarpetta Novels In Order

1. Postmortem (1990)

2. Body of Evidence (1991)

3. All That Remains (1992)

4. Cruel and Unusual (1993)

5. The Body Farm (1994)

6. From Potter's Field (1995)

7. Cause of Death (1996)

8. Unnatural Exposure (1997)

9. Point of Origin (1998)

10. Black Notice (1999)

11. The Last Precinct (2000)

12. Blow Fly (2003)

13. Trace (2004)

14. Predator (2005)

15. Book of the Dead (2007)

16. Scarpetta (2008)

17. The Scarpetta Factor (2009)

18. Port Mortuary (2010)

19. Red Mist (2011)

20. The Bone Bed (2012)

21. Dust (2013)

22. Flesh and Blood (2014)

Scarpetta fans, for your convenience, a link to the Printable Scarpetta Series Checklist.

Ace's Book Club: Ten Novels I'm Meaning to Read

They crossed my radar. I made note of them, but haven't gotten around to reading them yet. Here they are:


1. The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock
2. The Art of Fielding: A Novel by Chad Harbach
3. Open City: A Novel by Teju Cole
4. The Tiger's Wife: A Novel by Téa Obreht
5. The Marriage Plot: A Novel by Jeffrey Eugenides
6. The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta
7. The End of Everything: A Novel by Megan Abbott
8. Started Early, Took My Dog: A Novel by Kate Atkinson
9. Hurt Machine by Reed Farrell Coleman
10. A Simple Act of Violence: A Thriller by R.J. Ellory
11. The Submission: A Novel by Amy Waldman

If you read them before me, let me know what you think in a comment.

Patricia Cornwell Goes To The Movies

On July 20, 2009 Variety reported that two telepics based on Patricia Cornwell's crime novels, "At Risk" and "The Front," will air as Lifetime originals. These novels feature Investigator Winston Garano and his boss D.A. Monique Lamont.

Slated to star in these productions are Daniel Sunjata (Garano), Andie MacDowell (Lamont), Diahann Carroll (Garano's grandmother), Annabeth Gish (Garano's partner), and Ashley Williams (Garano's love interest).

Marking the first time Ms. Cornwell's novels will hit the screen, the announcement comes on the heels of the April 21st report that Twentieth Century Fox has acquired the rights to all 16 Kay Scarpetta novels. Slated to play the good-looking, intelligent, strong-willed-yet-vulnerable and sophisticated Scarpetta is superstar actress and poster girl Angelina Jolie.

The first movie, a thriller, will not be tied to a specific novel but will feature Dr. Scarpetta in her role as Medical Examiner.

The choice of Jolie has sparked an internet debate over her suitability for the role. Some have cited Jodie Foster as a better choice. Let's face it, they're both Oscar winners and great actors, but Angelina is more of a box office draw and, in the end, it all comes down to the money. BTW, more than one source reports that several years ago Foster was approached by Cornwell in regards to the Scarpetta role but Foster declined.