That ability is enhanced, suddenly, when she manages to break out of the federal mental hospital, until then regarded as escape-proof. At which point, the battle between good and evil is fully and entertainingly joined. So there's the upside, and, for Scarpetta devotees, it's possible there is no downside. Cornwell is hardly an elegant writer, and cliches rarely give her pause. Eyes, for instance, have a way of burning with hate or revealing fathomless sadness.
Hearts hammer a lot or fill with dread and similar purplish things.
On the other hand, it has been a long time since elegance was a really bankable commodity. Since Jane Austen, maybe. And maybe not even then. David Delman, who writes the monthly mystery roundup for Books, is the author of more than a dozen mysteries. You can buy this book online at Barnes and Noble.