Unnatural Exposure

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Summary: The title is perfect... read on
Review: Unnatural exposure is appropriate - reading this junk is "unnatural exposure." Cornwell continues to produce trash not worth your time. Yuk. Her first four books were wonderful, the rest don't qualify in any respect.

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Summary: Scarpetta's Bleak Return
Review: Patricia Cornwell drives us hard and fast into the world of forensic pathology, with the focus of this thriller being virology and biological terrorism. This is one of Kay Scarpetta's most bleak and moody adventures, with the heavy fall rain setting the tone early in the novel, and her terrible flu constantly promising to be the harbinger of something far worse. Cornwell's superb eye for detail, and blistering style has always blurred the border between Mystery and Techno-thriller. Unatural Exposure is no exception. In this novel Cornwell takes time to explore and develop the personalities and relationships of a number of the key characters, but Wesley Benton rides it out only in a peripheral half-light. A interesting tease is the link to an earlier character and case and the implications for Scarpetta's niece Lucy in the next novel. Awaiting it eagerly ...

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Summary: She swings for the fences and hustles out a triple.
Review: I was also disappointed by "Cause of Death" and was waiting for Cornwell to redeem herself. I think this book is a sign she's on her way back. I found the plot thoroughly believeable because the Maryland and Virginia coastline are now recovering from a mysterious fish bacteria that has stymied seafood sales in the area and threatened the economy of the fishermen. I also didn't mind her saving Lucy's court showdown until the next book. It will be interesting to see how that turns out. Yes, the villain was kind of obscure but I still enjoy Cornwell's melding of medical science and mystery. It's no "Cruel and Unusual" but, I'll continue to read her stories and appreciate the insightful forensic trivia that comes along with it.

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Summary: On-line excitement and murder with news means to kill...
Review: Kay Scarpetta, (and her now grown up niece Lucy), track a criminal who teases and taunts them online through AOL. It's timely and scary. A surprising and vengeful monster, uses terrifyingly plausible ways and means to inflict cruelty and death. A unique mystery thriller from favorite author Patricia Cornwell. Definitely a timely book, using new and fresh ideas, featuring our familiar and comfortable heroine.

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Summary: Unkept Promise: Cornwell is 'circling the drain'.
Review: At what point in a successful writer's career does she get bored with her own work or, worse,become so valuable a publising property that any evidence of editorial assistance disappears? If you were charting Cornwell's stock as a commercial endeavor: BUY, but as a developing work with tighter plot lines and more intricate personalities: SELL. The 'willing suspension of disbelief' is essential for any fiction:Cornwell's plot lines stretch the faith,and the endings are moving from fiction into fantasy. The fact that all her titles become bestsellers is akin to gulls following the garbage barge. It's a boat I have been on.............I'm getting off.

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Summary: Definitely not her best
Review: After the disappointment of Hornet's Nest, I rushed out to buy UE. I enjoyed the beginning, but got more and more disappointed. Like other reviewers, I did not remember the villain.Was this a rush job? Also, PLEASE, Scarpetta, stop whining all the time! Scarpetta has changed a lot from the strong woman she was in early books - maybe she should get rid of Benton - he seems to bring out the worst in her. Please no more Italian recipes - if I want them, I will by an Italian cookery book. Still, I am most probably going to by the next Scarpetta novel, to see whether things (plots) are improving. Susanne

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Summary: Call the medical examiner!
Review: This patient is DOA! I anxiously awaited the release of this book since Kay Scarpetta is one of my favorite fictional characters. Thank goodness I got it at the library. It was awful! The plot was old & tired. It was also a very easy read (large print and big margins). I hope Ms. Cornwell doesn't succumb to publisher pressure with her next Kay Scarpetta. Let's get back to the original plots and developed storylines.

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Summary: Unnatural Exposure is a Winner!
Review: Cornwell is back on top with Unnatural Exposure! The author who made it cool to be in forensics shows she's unafraid to take chances, and they all work brilliantly, from the opening in Ireland to the epilogue! Cornwell appears to be progressing and expanding the humanity of Scarpetta. Never before have we seen the good doctor portrayed in such a thought-provoking way! I look forward to Scarpetta #9!

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Summary: I thoroughly enjoyed Patricia Cornwell's latest work.
Review: I am a new fan of the Scarpetta series and have enjoyed all of them. This was certainly one of her better works, but Body Farm was by far the best because it personalized the good Doctor. I read Unatural Exposure over the course of a weekend because Cornwell always keeps you in suspense. Keep up the good work!

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Summary: Her Books Keep Getting Worse
Review: I think Patricia Cornwell hit her peak with "Cruel and Unusual" and it's been downhill ever since, particularly with Cause of Death and now Unnatural Exposure. I didn't read Hornet's Nest. It seems like all she does now is do research on the latest technology the FBI has access to and builds a story around it, filling as many pages as possible with boring details that don't advance the story at all. I remember reading Cruel and Unusual and All That Remains in a day or two. I read From Potter's Field quickly too. This book took me two months at least because there was no suspense, no interesting human elements. I was hoping she would develop the character of Wingo and the suspect Keith Pleasants (?) a lot more. When the two recognize each other early on in the book I was hoping something interesting would develop there, but it wasn't picked up again until near the end of the book and only dealt with in a sentence or two. There were some interesting things threatening to occur in Lucy's life but they never came to pass. It's as if Cornwell had a deadline to meet and decided she didn't have time follow through on any of the interesting possibilities she introduced.