Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Last year I read the last Sue Grafton in the alphabet series and was disappointed. Turns out she had a terminal illness so I feel bad for my critical review. I don’t think Cornwell has that excuse. It’s been a long time since I read a Patricia Cornwell mystery, but I remember them as fast-paced with interesting characters. Quantum has none of those qualities. This story centers on a pair of twin sisters, narrated by one of them, both of whom are clearly on the autism spectrum. The whole book is a mishmash of technobabble and paranoia with a few mysteries that barely kept my interest. The narrator’s suspicions and traumas from her past are offered as very poor substitutes for social interaction. Every single character was either hostile and damaged or else totally lacking in any distinguishing characteristics. Maybe Cornwell was trying to show off what she had learned in her 2 years of research, but she could surely have gotten the number of calories in a doughnut right (200, not 100) Meanwhile she portrayed the winter temperatures in the Langley/ Wallops Island region of Virginia as if it were Saskatchewan. She may have needed frigid temperatures to advance her plot, but it made the whole story suspect. All in all, this book had no redeeming qualities. I can see why it was offered for free. To add insult to injury, the underlying mystery wasn’t even solved, but if you think I am coming back for the conclusion in Book 2, you are mistaken. Even for free.