Rating: 
Summary: The Life of the Chief Medical Examiner?
Review: I am currently taking a murder mystery class at my college. I have not read many murder mysteries before this class. We have read a variety of novels for this class, with the most number of novels by one author being three. The one Patricia Cornwell novel our class read is "From Potter's Field." I very much enjoyed this novel, though I think it should be considered a thriller instead of a murder mystery. The novel also had some hard to believe aspects about it, which were difficult for the members of my class to look beyond.Why should this novel be labeled a thriller and not a murder mystery? Well, the reader clearly knows who the murder is. Dr. Kay Scarpetta, the Chief Medical Examiner, has the feeling the murderer is her "nemesis," Temple Gault with plenty of reason. The only mysteries are for her to prove Gault is the murder, identify the first body of the girl, "Jane" and of course to find Gault, before he finds her. A thriller is also more appropriate because it had several moments that were extremely suspenseful, the kind that makes the hairs on your neck stand up. There is a section of the novel where there is a murder in Kay's office building and she believes the killer is still in the building. As she walks around the building, you expect Gault to jump out at any moment. There is also another section in which a trap is set for Gault in NYC's subway system. Not knowing whether or not he'll show up had me on the edge of my proverbial seat. As much as I liked this novel, there were several things that irked me about it. A Chief Medical Examiner seems more like an office, administrative position than a really, REALLY hands on job. Kay almost takes on the role of a detective. I could almost believe her occasional tasks of doing autopsies, but to travel to see a suspect's family seems over the top. Cornwell tried to combine too many types of people into just one character. Kay is the Chief Medical Examiner, technician, administrator, loving aunt and family member (sister and daughter), mistress, detective, seemingly EVERYONE'S friend, CIA/FBI associate, and still has time to be the nemesis of a serial killer. How the woman has time to eat is beyond me. Cornwell also did not take the time to really develop Kay as a character. It is far more difficult for a writer to show you what someone is like opposed to telling you information. Cornwell clearly is a teller, hence the really wordy and winded sections of the novel. This writing style is not as affective in writing a believable novel. I did find a unique aspect of the novel for me, personally. I'm from NYC and grew up there. I really could visualize the sections of the novel that described Central Park, the Museum of Natural History and the subway area at the end. It just added a realistic element to the novel that initially bought my interest in it. Overall, the novel's plot flowed for me, even with the occasional extremely unrealistic sections and poor writing. The ending was a big let down for me, but decide for yourself. If you're looking for a thriller with entertaining potential, give this Cornwell novel a try.
Rating: 
Summary: You have GOT to be kidding
Review: This could be the worst novel I have ever read. It is also the first and last Patricia Cornwell novel I will ever read. There are so many problems with this book that they cannot be listed here, so here are but three points: 1) The main character, Kay Scarpetta, is an insufferable, humorless snob. I'd never before read a novel where I hated the main character. Great job, Pat! 2) About 90% of the novel is dialogue. Very bad dialogue. But this is understandable since Cornwell cannot write prose. 3) The story is predictable and boring, and the ending is utterly ridiculous. I'm astonished that this book was ever published, let alone made the bestseller lists.
Rating: 
Summary: Gripping from start to finish
Review: I am currently set to read the next Kay Scarpetta novel, "Cause of Death" and I can't wait. After reading the previous novels and enjoying them, I must say that "From Potter's Field" ranks among three of my favourite Scarpetta novels along with "Body of Evidence" and "The Body Farm". As with every novel in the series, Patricia Cornwell's writing is crisp and entertaining, even if the ending of this book is quite silly. If you want an entertaining, gripping read, try "From Potter's Field" and every novel in the Kay Scarpetta series.
Rating:
Summary: A Pleaser
Review: Cornwell continues to keep me gripped into her novels and this one is no exception...Although the ending is a bit of a shock.
Rating: 
Summary: First Cornwell read, entertaining and fast paced
Review: This was my first Cornwell book. I enjoyed the characters in this story and I look forward to reading more about Scarpetta, Marino, Benton and company. The action was fluid and I was never sure where Gault, our killer, was going to turn up next. Cornwell is detailed and this lends credibility to the plot and circumstances. The events are gruesome, but this is a coroner we are reading about, so that is to be expected. Cornwell does not exhaust the reader with gore and that made the subject matter easier to handle. The one criticism I do have is that the story moved so fast that I felt I was sometimes missing something. I think I just have to get used to Cornwell's writing style, and I maybe should have started the series in a chronological order. Nonetheless, a satisfying read, and I would recommend the Cornwell series to others, worthy of 4 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Cornwell's "From Potter's Field"
Review: The first 90% of the story held my interest. In the last 50 pages it seemed that Miss Cornwell ran out of steam. It had a let's-get-this-done anti-climatic aire. I expected a thrilling pursuit through the subways of New York, complete with frustrating near misses and near successes. Instead, we get bad guy just comes straight to the heroine, temporarily captures heroine #2, is thwarted by heroine and disabled, all in 20 or so pages.
Rating:
Summary: a let down
Review: This books just didn't do it for me. I enjoy PC but this book. Seemed too easy. Things just happend, people just called. In fact, I think this books had some bad editing. I felt as though all what was needed was there, and that someone just yanked out the big sections for no reason. I am still a fan, but this one is a skipper. The doc just happens, to see the resturante that the killer was using. The polices offer in charge is left in the subway with two people who are not police. Just does not at add.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best in the Scarpetta Series
Review: Kay Scarpetta seems to be a very unhappy person at times, but she does get involved in some dandy murder mysteries--and this book is one the best in the series! Temple Gault is still on the loose, focusing this time on Kay and her niece, Lucy. Temple likes to kill just for the thrill of it and never leaves any clues. He centers in now on Kay Scarpetta, and it is up to her to stop him in matter what. This book defines "thriller" and I could not put it down - especially the scene late one night in the morgue. What happens? Read and find out. You won't be sorry.
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Summary: Thanks Patricia Cornwell!
Review: Thanks to Patricia Cornwell! Before reading "From Potter's Field" I was afraid that I couldn't make it as a professional writer. But now I know that if she can sell books, so can I. With the build-up this writer has received, I expected a better read. The first person narration makes Dr. Scarpetta sound like an egotist. A character who is always right like our good doctor needs someone besides herself to narrate her exploits. Sherlock Holmes would be an insufferable boor had his creator not had the sense to tell us of his superiority through the eyes of faithful Dr. Watson. How many times can you use the word "I" in a 412 page book? How about using the third person, Ms. Cornwell? Then we'd know what characters other than Dr. Scarpetta are thinking. Another gripe--too much information. Ms. Cornwell substitutes technical jargon and unneeded facts for solid characterization and plot. And I realize this may seem picayune, but does the writer, her editor or her proofreader use spell check? The hard-cover book has a number of spelling and grammar errors--amazing! If you are a fledgling writer like me and want a little motivation to begin submitting queries for manuscripts, read this book--you'll find encouragement here! If you are a reader in search of quality fiction, you might want to keep looking...
Rating:
Summary: Patricia Cornwell did it again!
Review: Patricia Cornwell did it again. This is the best of hers that I have read so far. It only took me two days to read the entire book, which usually says a lot for me.
It will be a bit hard to really say much about the story without giving anything away, but let's just say Temple Gault is at it again and he is worse than you have ever imagined. If you do not know who Temple Gault is, he is a serial killer that was introduced in the last two books, Cruel and Unusual and The Body Farm. You will want to read those before you jump into From Potter's Field.
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