Sharp Force

They’re out to get you.

You’re not into conspiracies, but that’s how you feel sometimes: one thing goes wrong, then another, and a cascade of awfulness makes you feel like somebody’s put a target on your back. Of course, that’s not true; it was just one of those days or, as in the new thriller, “Sharp Force” by Patricia Cornwell, it’s one of those holi-days.

Any time is a lousy time to lose a parent but Northern Virginia Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta knew that Christmas is particularly bad. That was why she was doing an autopsy on Rowdy O’Leary’s body on Christmas Eve: his family deserved to know why he drowned in the Potomac River a few days prior.

Also on her mind: a well-deserved upcoming vacation that would likely be canceled now. Not only was there work to do, but a freak Christmas Eve storm nearly shut the city down, and there was a killer on the loose. The pressure to catch him was heavy.

“Slasher” always murdered his victims on holidays – but first, he scared them with a ghostly hologram that eerily laughed. Of course, this “ghost” was technology-driven – but the killer

was real and so far, a handful of his victims had ended up on an autopsy table in Scarpetta’s department. Christmas was a lousy time for another one.

With snow and sleet blanketing Washington, D.C., Scarpetta’s team was trying to get a step ahead of the Slasher before he struck again, while also trying to be with their families for Christmas. Everyone’s nerves were on edge: homicide detective Peter Marino, Scarpetta’s brother-in-law, was arguing with her sister, Dorothy, over an AI program. The storm was vexing Scarpetta’s husband, Benton, who was driving in the mess. The remains of long-dead patients buried near a local mental hospital were piling up after a developer decided to move them to make room for a gymnasium. And arriving home, safe from the storm, Scarpetta saw that she was being followed by two glowing red eyes…

For the first 370 pages of “Sharp Force,” you’ll be chilled. It’s repetitive and a bit out-there, but the thrills exist, just where you’d expect them in a Scarpetta novel. Also, if you’re behind in the series or new to it, you’ll catch up quickly, which is another nice feature that author Patricia Cornwell gifts to her readers.

You’ll be happy with the book – until the end.

Without being a spoiler, something unethical happens, something improper happens – both of which are deep disappointments - and the story wraps up so fast, you’ll wonder if you might’ve missed something. Though these things don’t completely erase the chilly creepiness of the overall tale, they might change how you feel about the characters in this book.

So, if you’re new to the series, pick another as your first. If you’ve always liked the Scarpetta novels, go ahead, but be warned. You may dislike “Sharp Force,” you may not - but if you’re a fan, you’ll want to get it.