Rating: 
Summary: Continues the long decline of the author's talent
Review: Not as bad as 1 star, but if you compare it to the first few Scarpetta books then it truly stinks.The author now has the James Patterson method of writing - short chapters (one chapter is a single page!). There are several chapters in a row take place at the same place with the same characters. If you put lots of chapters in you get all that lovely white space and the end and start of a chapter where you don't have to do any work - like writing something. Even worse, the author just re-cycles old characters instead of coming up with new ones - one even has a unbelievable prison escape. There are a number of plot holes, like it never occurs to "The Last Precinct" that they are listening to a recording? Lots of leaps of logic too - like who would fly a chopper from NYC to the LA Gulf Coast? Well, if you NEED the chopper later in the book then Lucy would fly it down for you. Then there is the "secret" mission Lucy goes on to Europe - the day she returns everyone know what she did - what a joke. Lucy is also even more nuts than before - gee why would anyone trust a helicopter or a gun to someone as unstable as she is? If she had not quit every job she had with the government they would have fired her - or stuck her in the loony bin. Of course, everyone has lots of money for fine things - this name-dropping comes from the author having made so much money off her books, she no longer knows how it was before she was rich - so her alter-egos in the book (Lucy and Scarpetta) have to be rolling in the bucks as well. The author decided she wants to write adventure or spy novels, when what made her famous was the forensic pathology. The worth of her novels is in direct ratio to the amount of forensic worth the characters do (do NOT even try to read a non-Scarpetta book by the author, they really stink). Cornwell should go back and read the first couple of books and realize how far she has strayed. Heck, she should just read the blurb on the Blow Fly jacket about how great the author is because of the forensic details - then realize there is about none of this detail IN the book. Only for die-hard Scarpetta fans and even then wait for the paperback or get it from the library.
Rating:
Summary: What a let-down!
Review: I patiently worked my way through the book, hoping that the other negative reviewers were wrong. Unfortunately, they were correct. And the ending... what a total let-down! Thank goodness I borrowed it from the library.
Rating: 
Summary: Let down
Review: This was one of the first Cornwell books that falls flat. It is poorly written and not the quality that we have come to expect from Ms. Cornwell. The story line is not well developed. The chapters are short and dis-jointed. The ending doesn't end. You get the feeling Ms. Cornwell was under a publisher's deadline and rushed (with disasterous results) to complete a novel that was only a partial rough draft. Greatly disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Wait for the paperback
Review: Even though this book wasn't what I'd been waiting for; I WANTED SCARPETTA! it was a compelling but simple read. To many questions were answered to quickly and others left you hanging. Ms. Cornwell what were you thinking? This book isn't one of your better Dr Kay books. If you are preparing us for a Last Precint series just make a public anouncement. Yes, you do need to read this book if you're a fan. No, you don't need it in hard cover, unless you buy it used. When the sequel comes out I'm waiting a year for the paperback edition. Disappointed
Rating:
Summary: WHO WROTE THIS BOOK???!!!
Review: I haven't even completed 10 chapters in this book... I'm not sure I can finish it. DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK. I am so glad that I got it from the library. The first thing I noticed and it is HUGE, HUGE, HUGE... Why did Cromwell go from writing Scarpetta in first person singular to third person? Very, very disturbing... I'm having a hard time reading this book for that alone. Did she really write this book, why the sudden change? And I know they BIG SECRET (I was told), what utter and complete TRASH. I haven't like the last few books. The themes have been off the wall, unrealistic, and sometimes downright unreadable. What happened to the much honored author of yesterday? Is she gone forever? Will she be forever ill with the fatal "New York Times Best Seller" disease, which seems to affect most good writers? Why do authors listen to editors and/or publishing houses and forget their loyal fan?
Rating: 
Summary: Scarpetta rides again! Awesome characterization, plot
Review: I guess I'm in the minority in just loving this book, looking at a lot of reviews on amazon. I'm stumped. I was jumping for joy when I saw the new Patricia Cornwell/Scarpetta book on the shelf, as I always am. Kay Scarpetta is just my all-time favorite heroine, and I love all the gory, medical investigator detail in Cornwell's books. I remember when Point of Origin came out and the readers' reviews all echoed the same thought -- the Scarpetta series was over. But no! And I knew "he" (not wanting to give away too much of the book) was still alive! I just didn't think it would be three books later until he resurfaced. I agree with some of the reviewers that Jean-Baptist Chandonne is getting a little used up as a villain, and this ending sets up yet another book on the man. Then again, how many serial killers are out there realistically in the world that Scarpetta can run into as savage as the Wolfman? Sure, all serial killers are savage, but some books on the market and movies make ya wonder how some characters just HAPPEN to attract serial killers like -- flies? There are surely more out there than people know of, but not as many as books and Hollywood would like you to think. I was glad for a couple reuniting and just loved the ending. Finally! I've been waiting and waiting for this reunion. The foreshadowing was right there at the beginning of Black Notice. Pooh on the other reviewers, this is another great Scarpetta book by the queen of forensic thrillers. A fast read building lots of suspense in the way the chapters moved back and forth from character to character. Getting inside the mind of the other killers, a couple, also was a treat. Readers also get into the mind of some of the victims, who don't believe a drop-dead gorgeous man could be a killer! When's the next one coming out, Patricia? Hurry! Your Scarpetta fans are waiting.
Rating:
Summary: Blow Fly
Review: I was bamboozled, I was hookwinked, I was cheated out of a character that I loved. After reading this book I realized that the author was just trying to get some thoughts out of her mind. This book was not up to the usual excellent writing skills and imagination of Ms. Cornwell. It jumped around as if she lost her place, things were left out and did not ever seem to fit a pattern. I hope that she can redeem herself with the next one.
I refuse to let anyone else purchase it.
Rating:
Summary: Blow Fly
Review: After considerable thought, I have come to the conclusion that Cornwell did not write this book. I can't fathom how as good an author as she, who has written so many very good books in this series, could come up with such a dog. This book plain stinks!
It has no flowing continuity, but jumps back and forth and around to too many different unimportant characters. All her previous books of this series I found I had much difficulty in putting it down; this book, when I put it down, I wanted to leave it there. I read about 40% of the book and floored it. Patricia, write your own books!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Surprised
Review: I was really surprised, after reading the book, and then reading the reviews.......I loved the book...was one I could not put down after beginning. The only negative I found was that there was an awful lot of graphic, gory stuff that I could have done without. But, all in all, I am really glad I read it before reading the reviews.
Rating:
Summary: I'm so relieved
Review: I'm relieved that I finally finshed this book and also relieved that others felt the same way about it. I'm so disappointed in this book------I want to scream. All the time I wasted------picking it up, putting it down, picking it up again and finally able to finish it. I don't like to put books away without reading it until the end. But I was so disappointed with the ending of this book that I wish I had put it away without reaching that last page. I thought I was missing something----something was wrong with me. Then I read the other reviews and realized---I'm not alone.
I love Cornwell novels and especially enjoy the Scarpetta stories. I couldn't wait to read her newest book. I was surprised at how difficult it was to get "into" the story. I think I finally was able to follow it about 3/4 of the way through it----and by then I just plugged along to finish it. Then the ending------come on, Patricia, can't you do better than that??? All that time wasted, all that eagerness to see that saga finally end----all loose ends tied up nice and neat. And now to think there might be another sequel-----to not buy.
A real disappointing read------from an author who was at the top of her career. I'm so sorry she fell so low.
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