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Summary: Dr. Kay Tries to Find a Killer Before he Strikes Again
Review: Dr. Kay Scarpetta has eight decomposed bodies with no known cause of death, couples, lovers, victims of the Couple Killer. When a fresh pair turns up, it looks like the girl is the daughter of a govt. official. Kay's boss wants the crimes solved before anymore bodies turn up, so Kay tries to find the serial killer before he does it again.There are times when this book gets a little weird, but it is intense, impossible to put down. I read it in one sitting, turning the pages as if they were scorching my fingers. However I did think the killer could have been fleshed out just a bit more, but that's probably just gruesome me, wanting to know every detail about why someone kills the way PC has her bad guys kill. Anyway this is surely a five star effort on PC's part. No one does this kind of stuff the way she does. Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne
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Summary: Awesome!
Review: I really enjoyed this book. The forensics were probably a little scarcer than usual in a Patricia Cornwell book, but I don't think the book suffered because of that. I find that I have to know that I'm going to set aside a day to read one of these books because I can't put it down, and want to finish it one sitting. In this book Dr. Scarpetta is up against a serial killer who is killing young couples. There's spooks (spies) and politics galore and we find Kay trying to do her job while working around all these outside pressures. These books are so genuine and so authentic that I am truly hooked.
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Summary: Terrific book!
Review: This was my third Patricia Cornwell book and I'll keep coming back for more!! I love the Kay Scarpetta series and highly recommend it to all mystery lovers!!
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Summary: One of Cormwells worst
Review: This book just dragged on and on. Endless pages that seemed to add nothing to the story. Too much of only Scarpetta. Needed more of the regular charactors Cromwell usually has in this series. I couldn't wait to be done with it.
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Summary: great read
Review: Very compelling, Scarpetta knows her job and still has a life outside of it. Barely, but she's hanging on to the ideal of work plus a life, and even trying to help out a friend while doing it. She is compassionate about her victims' families, and this adds to the complexity of the character. Of course, it also leads her down some false paths and to make a few mistakes, but that's realistic. The author has done a good job of keeping this a stand alone piece while it is obviously written about a central cast of characters, and I would highly recommend this one or any of them from this series.
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Summary: Gripping!
Review: A friend gave this book to me and suggested I read it, and boy was I glad I did. This is a wonderful book! It kept on the edge of my seat and guessing. I love the character developement, and was very pleased with the way all worked out. I can't wait to get my hands on a few more of Mrs. Cornwell's novels.
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Summary: Another Winner!
Review: I love the Kay Scarpetta novels and this is another winner! Patricia Cornwell has me hooked...FOREVER! Also recommend Leaves of Red and Gold by Scott Chapman
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Summary: Literary Velveeta
Review: One of the best ways to evaluate any work of art is first to figure out what the artist intends, and then to figure out how well that intention was realized. If Ms. Cornwell's intent was to use her knowledge of writing technique to make a fast buck in the genre of newsstand mystery, she has certainly succeeded. From a literary perspective, this book is [bad]. The plot would have made (actually, did make) a darned good X-Files episode, but really didn't need to become a book. BUT: The only reason I can't dismiss Cornwell completely is that she actually seems to have an excellent ear for dialogue. I wish she would use this talent on something with a little more integrity than a remarkably unoriginal murder mystery. If Scully were to write, under the pseudonym "Dr. Kay Scarpetta," about a mildly interesting case involving some low-level government conspiracy, this is probably what she'd come up with. It's okay. I'm not saying it's a bad book. I'm just saying that with so many better books out there, why waste a perfectly good afternoon on this one?
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Summary: A waste of time
Review: This book was DREADFUL. The writing is third rate (I'd quote a passage but I've already given the book away), the characters are completely unappealing (with the exception of Marino), and the conclusion is beyond anticlimactic. Truthfully, I don't understand this genre to begin with. When so many disturbing murders are taking place in the real world (e.g., Chandra Levy, Samantha Runnion) why do people want to read about people being hacked up by serial killers? Also, I don't belong to the temperance league, but these characters are constantly drinking -- hard liquor and a lot of it -- and smoking. I guess this proves that they're "tough guys with tough jobs," but I don't think the local coroner should be allowed to perform autopsies while she has a hangover. This book was about as intriguing as the manual to my DVD player. Do yourself a favor -- read something else -- like the manual to your DVD player.
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Summary: A Detailed Look Into the Case of a Serial Killer...
Review: Written in first person, I found myself engrossed in this story about a chief medical examiner that is desperately looking for the killer who has left 5 couples dead by rest stops in the past 5 or so years. Dr. Kay Scarpetta becomes almost obsessed with finding this skilled and cold-blooded killing machine that leaves no traces nor a clue to his identity. His victims are all young, teenagers mostly and all good-looking. He drags them all barefoot into an area of secluded woods and kills them methodically. Leaving them facedown and seeming to hold each other's hands in death a 'calling card' is placed somewhere on them to signify he had been there. The Jack of Hearts.
At times creepy, but mostly very intense, the story moves quickly and it's hard to put down. I have never read anything from a medical examiner's point of view and I thought it was excellent. Never were any clues revealed too soon or too late for us the reader to not be shocked or anxious. We felt all the acute frustration she was feeling in trying to dig up clues and evidence when people seemed determined to block her efforts. I felt almost like I was watching from some hidden camera as she went through the cases and tried to piece together information. The revelations were shocking and too horrible to imagine. This killer was cruel and determined to finish what he started, regardless of the FBI and police looking for him.
I also discovered that this character Dr. Kay Scarpetta is also in a few other books by this author (POST MORTEM, CRUEL AND UNUSUAL, BLACK NOTICE, ect)and now I am getting them all, I enjoyed this one so much. I really felt like I was witnessing a real detailed look into a non-fictional case, this author is extremely talented. Tracy Talley~@
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