All That Remains is the third book in Patricia Cornwell’s series about Virginia Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta. First published in 1992, the book is an early glimpse into the field of forensics before there were so many television shows about forensic investigations on the air. It also harkens back to a time before everyone had cell phones and computers werereally only available in desktop models. There was no world of information at your fingertips any time you wanted it.

Kay Scarpetta is the chief medical examiner for Virginia. Along with Detective Pete Marino, a former New York City detective now working in Virginia, they are following a potential serial killer. There have been several couples who seem to disappear without a trace, only to have their decomposed remains found months later. Kay has been unable to ascertain cause of death in the cases as the condition of the bodies is so poor. There are few clues, with the exception of a playing card that the killer leaves with the victims as a calling card.

The most recent case involves the daughter of Patricia Harvey, the President’s Drug Czar. Her daughter, Deborah, and her boyfriend, Fred, were on their way to join the family at the summer house on the Outer Banks when they disappeared. Scarpetta and Marino are trying to keep details on the case close to the vest, but that’s blown out of the water when Patricia Harvey calls a press conference. Frustrated by what she perceives as inter-agency bickering stalling the investigation, she turns to the press to try to break the deadlock.

At the same time, Kay’s reporter friend Abby Turnbull turns up on her doorstep. She’s interested in the case as well and hopes to use it to rebuild her career. Marino cautions Kay about trusting Abby, but Kay doesn’t listen to him.

Kay is caught in the middle of a lot of bickering. Patricia Harvey accuses the medical examiner’s office of incompetence. At this time, though, forensics wasn’t as advanced as it is today, and the fact that she’s working with bodies and evidence that have been out in the elements for so long really limits what she can glean from them. She does her best, and it’s in excruciating detail that was likely new information to people back when this was published.

Marino isn’t as developed as I would have liked. He’s pretty much a caricature of an aging police detective with Columbo-like qualities in both his method of investigation and his habits. Kay is finding that she likes him despite the many times he seems to purposely yank her chain with off-color remarks that would likely get him fired now. Kay is distancing herself from her most recent relationship and spends some time fretting about that. As much as she seems to crave companionship, Kay seems to be an independent woman who really struggles with letting someone into her personal life. When Abby somewhat betrays the trust Kay has put in her, it just seems to reinforce the walls she has up. Abby’s choices have consequences, and Kay is left with mixed feelings about her friend in the end.

The investigation has a lot of twists and turns. I reiterate my one objection I had in one of Cornwell’s earlier books, where I wonder why the medical examiner is getting into the investigation part of the case so much. Usually, they make their findings and turn it over to law enforcement without being so completely involved in the investigation. However, Kay seems to be the only one who can cut through all of the political wrangling and actually solve the case. I did enjoy it, although there really wasn’t any way to figure out who the killer was and their motive ahead of time. The story itself is thrilling to follow.

The audiobook is narrated by C.J. Critt. I’ve enjoyed her so far, but in All That Remains, she voices one of the characters, Wesley Benton, in a very distracting way. It doesn’t seem to suit the character as presented. Other than that, I do enjoy her narration and think she does a pretty good job. She’s toned down a bit on Marino’s harsh New York accent here. Maybe being in Virginia is rubbing off on him.

I’m enjoying this series as it’s a little different from many other murder-mystery series I’ve read. The central character is a strong woman who is still a product of the era she was raised in, and I can relate to her personal conflicts. All of the characters are pretty detailed. There’s a lot more of the political side of solving a crime in All That Remains than there was in previous books. I could see how there were issues between the FBI and others back in the day that caused problems with processing intelligence if this is what goes on.

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