Scarpetta's winter table cover

Scarpetta's winter table

by Patricia Cornwell

This engaging novelette provides an intimate look into the personal lives of Kay Scarpetta, Pete Marino, and Lucy Farinelli as they celebrate the week between Christmas and New Year's. Virginia's intrepid chief medical examiner, her detective sidekick, and her niece (a special agent with ATF) get together for some holiday food and drink - and the unexpected joy of befriending a lonely boy. In the kitchen, this tenacious trio put together such delightful and wicked concoctions as Marino's "cause-of-death eggnog," Lucy's "felonious cookies," and Scarpetta's famous pizza and stew, guaranteed to clean out any freezer and pantry. This is not a book for serious cooks, but a delicious and heartwarming tale for readers who want to test their wits - and their culinary skills - against this indomitable crime team.

More by Patricia Cornwell

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?