Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell ( 1990). This the first of a long series of thriller/mystery novels where K. Scarpetta is the main character. However my favorite character in this novel is Sergeant Pete Marino. Marino is the typical hard core police investigator that pops up in your mind when you want to describe a Hollywood-type movie character. An insensitive and cerebral cop who dauntlessly cruises the streets 24 hours a day to catch the killers.
Marino comes with an uncertain background in which the guy’s only advantage in life is he’s big and white, so he makes himself bigger and whiter by carrying a gun and a badge. His rudeness and lack of sophistication collide against Dr. Scarpetta’s good manners and her almost snotty attitude, but in a good way. Their personalities are quite opposite as the day and night, and probably this is why it’s so entertaining to watch them interact with one another as the story develops.