Wow.  Patricia Cornwell, what has become of you?  Your Scarpetta series might contain a few clunkers, but for the most part, the books are readable.  But this book --- The Front --- This book is just awful.  Really, really awful.

The story, such as it is, can be summarized in a sentence.  Ridiculous District Attorney dredges up a 40-year-old cold case, not because she's particularly interested in solving it, but purely for her political gain.  That's it.  Fascinating, huh?  Actually, it could have been, I suppose, if the cold case had ties to anything in the present day, or if there was a truly intriguing mystery to be solved.  But, in the end, it was all quite ho-hum.

Along the way, we are introduced to some of the worst characters I've ever had the misfortune to read about.  The DA is condescending, mean, and clearly has a heart of stone.  Even when we learn a crucial bit of her past, designed to make us feel some sympathy for her, the device falls flat.  Because even the tragic events from the past don't compensate for pure nastiness in the present.

Then there's a character named Stump.  Well, that's her nickname, one I, personally, would work to change, if I were her.  Especially given the fact that she has an artificial leg.  She explains that the nickname predates the loss of her leg, so it's an unfortunate coincidence.  Still, I think people would have understood, if she worked to get that nickname dropped.  In any case, she's just as nasty, and unpleasant to deal with as the DA.

Another character is nicknamed Raggedy Ann.  I know this is going to shock you, but this character is also nasty and unpleasant. 

The only decent character in this book is a man named Win, a police detective assigned to the cold case.  He's a nice enough fellow, and he's the only character who kept me at all interested in the book.  At least he cared about the victim in the old case, and tried to find out what happened - for the victim's sake - not for any political agenda.

There were a few subplots.  Some robberies are being committed.  And Scotland Yard is looking into some possible terrorist activity that could relate to our DA.  These stories held enough interest for me to keep reading the book, but that's about it.  There's nothing here worthy of any kind of recommendation except one - keep away.

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Recommended: No