Rating: 
Summary: lackluster and confusing
Review: I had not read any reviews before I got this book, but after I struggled through the first 1/3 of the book and was totally confused, I came back to Amazon and read reviews. I wish I had done that first, I would have saved time and money. Long a fan of PC, I thought I missed something--like a book or too. I didn't like the way she hopped back and forth in the story between characters--I couldn't stay focused. I hope that her next story is better.
Rating:
Summary: Reluctantly agree
Review: I read a lot of these reviews before I read the book itself (thanks for the spoilers, folks P~), but was astonished at the preponderance of negative feedback. Now that I've read the book, I can only agree. To begin with, for a while, I was convinced I'd skipped a book in the series. The rest of the book was so contrived, and it did indeed wrap up myriad ties in a moment, it seemed. I am very disappointed and I hope Cornwell shuts it down at this point, since she simply phoned this one in, anyway.
Rating:
Summary: Big Disappointment
Review: I had read the reviews on this site before getting the book mistakenly thinking that the book couldn't be all that bad. I was wrong. I have read all of PC's books and been a big fan for years however I couldn't stand this book. It was a complete waste of time. If you are reading this thinking, like I did, that such a gifted writer could not have failed on her latest attempt - believe me she did. Although I am starting to think, like others, that Ms. Cornwell couldn't have written such a terrible book. I am very disappointed. Don't buy it, borrow it, give it or check it out at the library. If is a waste of time too precious.
Rating: 
Summary: another page turner
Review: Blow Fly was an incredible novel. Although there were a few choppy chapters of this particular book it was still amazing & well written. Even with all the unfinished story plot, such as Jean Babtists' escape and Bentons return,This was still one of her best books. Cornwells next book will be just as intriging im positive of that. I do have to agree that there is quite a bit of animal torture in The last precicnt & Blow Fly that I could defenetly do without. I can't wait to read her next novel and once again be pulled into amazing world of Kay Scarpetta her friends, Family, her less than perfect love Benton, And of corse the WOLFMAN!!
Rating: 
Summary: Left hanging
Review: I feel like the entire plot was leading up to one shock for Kay Scarpetta. You kept waiting for the results of this shocking news, and you begin to panic when you realize that she becomes aware of this news on the last page, with no actual results. I felt like this book was just the prelude to the actual story. You can't drop a bomb and leave it hanging. Please, please, please hurry with the next chapter.
Rating: 
Summary: It doesn't appear to be written by the same author.
Review: I am a huge fan of Kay Scarpetta and have enjoyed the whole series up to this one. This book doesn't appear to be written by the same author. For one thing the book is written in a disembodied third person rather than the first person that all the other books are written in. This seems to make Kay into some bit player that sits on the sidelines watching all the action. Also, the violence in this book seems more graphic than in others, and that detracts from the storyline. And the storyline is hardly credible. There are more coincidences than are really believable and the story seems rushed and disjointed. The ending is really rushed, and hardly even makes sense. And fantastically, Jean-Baptiste has escaped from a maximum security death row prison and is still at large at the end of the book. I guess that means we will be treated to more of this "larger than life" monster who has an unexplained obsessison with Kay. I had to read this book because I love this series so much, but I wish I had given it a pass. It was a big disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: Big Fan is Disappointed
Review: This book was a let down. I've loved all of her other Scarpetta novels. When I got to the end of this one I felt a great sense of relief that it was finally over.
Rating:
Summary: Mourning Kay
Review: Wow. These are the universally worst reviews I've ever read for a single title. Usually among critics, it's possible to find some fans. Not with this one. Now I find myself in a pickle--after having waited a year for this title to become available at my public library (there were that many people wanting it!) I finally get my hands on a copy & settled down gleefully to catch up on Scarpetta's latest juicy installment. Immediately I sensed something amiss--Cornwell abandons her first-person narration in Kay's voice (a strong voice for a heretofore strong character) in favor of a weird disembodied third-person omniscent voice IN THE PRESENT TENSE.
('Scarpetta examines the maggot by her dinner plate.') What is THIS? It has the effect of totally distancing us from our protagonist. Instead of getting into Kay's psyche as we did in other books, we're examining her like one of her lab samples on a slide. I don't like this feeling--it's so jarring, I don't know if I can continue. After reading everyone's reviews here, I don't know that I WANT to continue past the couple chapters I've managed so far. What a shame. Kay does deserve better than this. But the last good book in this series was 1999's 'Point of Origin'. 'Black Notice' & 'Last Precinct' were weak efforts. But this one's full of maggots. I'm giving it 2 stars rather than one, only because it takes a considerable amount of effort to write 500 pages, even if they're bad pages. But what a waste of time and effort for everyone concerned--the writer, the editors (who obviously were out to lunch), the publisher, the bookstores and libraries that have to process and stock this title, and most of all, us the readers, who invest our time in it and don't receive any payback, certainly not a big fat royalty check! Patricia Cornwell--shame on you.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing to say the least!
Review: I was anxiously awaiting reading Blow Fly by Patricia Cornwell. I have always enjoyed her Scarpetta novels (not her other characters though). This book droned on with the various character's guilt complexes and didn't get to the point until the last 100 pages which seemed rushed and out of sync. The end seemed so contrived like she was ordered by the publisher to finish this novel in less than 500 pages. What could have been an excellent thriller turned out to be a real stinker!
Rating:
Summary: "Blow Fly" Big Disappointment
Review: I have no idea whether Patricia Cornwell simply became tired of writing this book or her publisher told her "times's up" for finishing it. Whichever, "Blow Fly" leaves the reader high and dry -- hardly the reward one hopes for after sticking with Cornwell on a plot line that's every bit as chopped up as the victims of one of her villains. This book starts with plenty of promise . . . a major new character introduced, the surprise that Benton is still alive, the promise that the evil Chandonne empire is about to be dismantled. Yet just when you expect a cogent explanation of all that's transpired (who actually sent the mysterious letters? how did Kay wind up on an airplane between two key characters? and why?) as well as a rousing finish, you realize there are only five pages left to read! There's no way Cornwell can possibly convey all this information in just five pages, and by gum, she doesn't. We are told that major players are dead. Who killed them? What were they doing in a cave? Why were they together? What's the connection between all of these people? What was the point of introducing the coins in the parking lot? Just as Benton went MIA a couple of books ago when faithful readers were told he had burned to death, Cornwell herself went MIA on about page 50 of this one. My recommendation: do not read this book unless you like feeling cheated.
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