The Last Precinct (novel)
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| Author | Patricia Cornwell |
|---|---|
| Country | United States of America |
| Language | English |
| Series | Kay Scarpetta |
| Genre(s) | Crime fiction |
| Publisher | Scribner |
| Released | 2000 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover, paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-399-14625-3 |
| Preceded by | Black Notice |
| Followed by | Blow Fly |
The Last Precinct is a crime fiction novel by Patricia Cornwell.
Contents |
[edit] Plot introduction
The Last Precinct is the eleventh book of the Dr. Kay Scarpetta series by author Patricia Cornwell.
[edit] Plot summary
Following the death of Diane Bray in Black Notice, Kay finds herself the target of a corrupt police investigation that will dredge her darkest secrets from the deepest corners of her past. Torn between a desire to clear her name and the instinct of a wounded animal to turn against even its would-be rescuers, Kay sifts through the forensic evidence that seems to link Chandonne to other horrific events in her past, up to and including the murder of her lover, Benton Wesley. Physical analysis, however, will not be enough to right her up-ended world. Instead, Kay must rely on the strategic support of her niece, cofounder of the Last Precinct, and on her willingness to examine her own fears, misconceptions, and anything-but-altruistic motives.
[edit] Characters in "The Last Precinct"
- Kay Scarpetta - Chief Medical Examiner
- Anne Zenner - Psychiatrist
- Jaime Berger - Prosecutor
- Lucy - Kay's niece and co-founder of the Last Precinct
- Pete Marino - Captain in the Richmond Police Department
[edit] Major themes
- The police investigation into Kay's secrets
- Kay's own investigation into the so-called Werewolf murderer, Jean-Baptiste Chandonne
[edit] Litigation surrounding The Last Precinct
Dr. Leslie Sachs, author of The Virginia Ghost Murders (1998), claimed to see similarities between his novel and Cornwell's novel The Last Precinct. In 2000 he sent letters to Cornwell's publisher, started a page on the World Wide Web, and placed stickers on his novel in order to claim that Cornwell was committing plagiarism. Cornwell successfully obtained a preliminary injunction against Sachs. The court ruled that his claims were baseless, and he was prevented from placing the stickers on his book. The court also shut his website down for false advertising and required booksellers to remove the stickers that were already on books.[1]
Sachs left the country so that he could escape the injunction. He continues to charge that Cornwell plagiarized his work and used her influence to subvert justice.
