By: Patricia Cornwell
Synopsis
Quantum
On the eve of a top secret space mission, Captain Calli Chase detects a tripped alarm in the tunnels deep below a NASA research center. A NASA pilot, quantum physicist, and cybercrime investigator, Calli knows that a looming blizzard and government shutdown could provide the perfect cover for sabotage, with deadly consequences.
As it turns out, the danger is worse than she thought. A spatter of dried blood, a missing security badge, a suspicious sucicide – a series of disturbing clues point to Calli’s twin sister, Carme, who’s been MIA for days.
Desperate to halt the countdown to disaster and to clear her sister’s name, Captain Chase digs deep into her vast cyber security knowledge and her painful past, probing for answers to her twin’s erratic conduct. As time is running out, she realizes that failure means catastrophe – not just for the space program, but for the safety of the whole nation.
Spin
In the aftermath of a NASA rocket launch gone terribly wrong, Captain Calli Chase comes face-to-face with her missing twin sister – as well as the startling truth of who they really are. Now, a top secret program put in motion years ago has spun out of control, and only Calli can redirect its course.
Aided by cutting-edge technologies, the NASA investigator and scientist turned Space Force pilot sets out on a frantic search for the missing link between the sabotaged rocket launch and her predetermined destiny…a search that someone else seems very interested in stopping.
From NASA to the Chase family farm, to the White House to distant orbits of space, Calli plays a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek with a cunning and ruthless adversary. One wrong move will unleash cataclysmic consequences reaching far beyond the boundaries of Earth.
My Thoughts
Okay, this is going to be long. Sorry. This is my first foray into Patricia Cornwell. Quantum started off great. I was immediately hooked. But what began as interesting quickly became cumbersome. Spin was about the same. I appreciate all the research that must have gone into these novels, and it is evident that she did her homework. However, I have many problems with both of these books. I didn’t like that the first book left so much unresolved. For example, there were lots of hints into Calli’s past that point at an interesting mystery that never gets solved. Some scenes felt drug out simply for page count. Calli’s job(s) did not seem consistent with her level of intelligence. She appeared to be a glorified security guard. As such, I had a hard time with Calli interrogating a minor without his grandmother present. That would not happen. I also had a hard time with Calli being left to figure out her bionics on her own and never knowing when her twin sister would be impersonating her. Neither of these two things make sense if the people behind her bionics want it to be a success and also kept secret. How is Calli supposed to keep her sister’s presence a secret if the sister is masquerading as her, but not telling Calli when she has interacted with people as Calli? Too much of a chance for Calli to inadvertently give it away. Why is Calli’s sister’s presence supposed to be kept secret in the first place? And leaving her to figure out her bionics on her own could lead to serious problems, possibly revealing the existence of those bionics. The whole “Calli cut her hand and it was traumatic” made no sense. It gave the impression of being a major formative event, but we never learn why. None of the characters were especially endearing, and some were often insufferable. Even after the second book, too much was left unanswered. I enjoy ongoing themes in a series, but prefer when the main conflict or mystery in each individual book is resolved and headway made on any ongoing mysteries/themes. There was great potential here, but it just fell flat for me. With that said, I am still looking forward to reading Post Mortem as soon as it becomes available at my local library (where I happen to work). It is currently checked out and I am waiting for it to come back in. Hopefully, that series will be better.
I was really surprised when I found out that she was publishing “science fiction” books. She had not come out with a book in the Scarpetta series for a long time, and I felt she would alienate some of her many fans (no pun intended). I learned more about the first book from the blurb but decided it wasn’t for me, and that I would just enjoy the Scarpetta books!
I am about to start the 3rd Scarpetta book, and I am really enjoying them. I think she is a great writer, and I thought the concept of these two books was really interesting. It’s disappointing that they didn’t turn out so well.