Rating: 
Summary: Good, not great
Review: This was my first go at Cornwell. I hear her other books are much better. It kept my interest somewhat, but at times I felt myself not knowing what I had read in the previous page. There were a lot of holes in her plot and relationships in the book. I think I will give her another chance by reading one of her first novels to see if I like that a little better.
Rating: 
Summary: Dark, depressing, bitter and below par
Review: I've enjoyed nearly all of the Scarpetta books since Body Farm, which was the first I read. But what a letdown this book was! It is dark, brooding, angry, bitter and -- just in case you still think you'll like it -- boring. After Cornwell became disillusioned with the FBI (in Point of Origin) she lost her focus. Worse, she seems to have lost the enjoyment of writing, and passes that mood on to her readers. None of the characters seems true to form. Marino is angry, Lucy is spoiled and selfish, and even Scarpetta's colleagues seem to be tiring of the good doctor. Never mind the plot ... you know you're in trouble when Cornwell has to resolve the mystery by having the prime suspect literally walk up to Scarpetta's front door. (Don't worry, I haven't given anything away -- you'll see this coming from 50 pages away). If you're a dedicated Scarpetta fan, you may find this book too gloomy. If you're new to the series, start with one of the earlier books.
Rating: 
Summary: Zowie!
Review: This really IS a good book! From the very first page, when the letter from Benton arrives a year after his 'death', to the last page, when the murderer is identified, I was caught up in the characters, the plot, the background, and suspense of this novel. My personal taste in the mystery genre runs to novels which combine a richly textured setting with an intellectually teasing plot--with, of course, a little action mixed in. "Black Notice" has all of those elements along with Cornwell's evocative prose and psychological insight.In her immediately previous novels, I felt Cornwell faltered some, and I feared she was losing her edge--perhaps there were too many hastily written novels in a short period of time. But "Black Notice" is finely crafted and meticulously researched (except for the very bad gaffe about using AOL in a government setting)--Cornwell has returned to her previous fine form.
Rating:
Summary: mixed
Review: Read the Scarpetta books in sequence. Not only is it important for continuity of plot and character development, but the earlier entries in the series are better. This review assumes you have done so -- the rating is two stars as a standalone book. Black Notice opens strongly. Cornwell does the best crime-scene description of any author I've read. And, as virtually all reviewers point out, her description of forensic medicine is striking. However, as this book progresses, it becomes mired in Scarpetta's self-absorption. Cornwell tries to transcend the genre in which she demonstrated such skill in her early books, yet in so doing neglects it. This would be fine if the study in grief were especially believable or insightful, but it instead approaches being maudlin, excessive. As the book approaches its finish, the social developments seem better suited to pulp romance fiction. As the thread wears on, the remaining pages dwindle, leaving precious little space to conclude the principal plot. While the finish is certainly better than that of Point of Origin, it is nevertheless lacking. And as is the trend in her books, the end comes quite suddenly. Too suddenly. It's as if, during coverage of a baseball game, the screen goes blank the instant the winning home run ball crosses the threshold of the fence. Game over. Will I read the next book in the series? I've read them all, in order, to this point, so probably. But I have no problem waiting until the end of 2001, when it comes out in paperback.
Rating:
Summary: Great horror, disappointing characterization
Review: The serial killing was puzzling and interesting in this book until they got to the killer and also never explained any reasoning behind the killing. But any book in the Scarpetta series would be hard-pressed to beat Ms. Cornwell's last book, "Point of Origin," in terms of shock, tension, and characterization. In "Black Notice," the tension between Scarpetta and the new woman police chief who is trying to make her job more difficult (someone is always doing that to poor Dr. Kay), distracts readers from what the reader really wants to see -- how Kay is coping with death in her own life. The hint that Benton may still be alive definitely adds excitement to the reader, but if Ms. Cornwell brings him back from some hidden assignment, she'll have to do a good job piecing the puzzle together. The violence of Benton's death in "Point of Origin" fits perfectly with the violence he has seen in life. It is reminiscent of the death scene in the movie "Bonnie and Clyde." A reviewer described the way the stars and the director performed the ending, as the bodies were killed many times over by bullets, as a "ballet." The end to the robbers and killers was befitting the crime. Similarly, the end of Benton's life couldn't have been more fitting, although it just about killed ME to read it. I was yelling, "No, no, no! She can't do this to me!" Of course, when you like a character that much and dislike the method of death that much -- that's a sign of a great plot and a tribute to the author. To bring him back now would be difficult. One more thing troubling me about "Black Notice," is that when Dr. Scarpetta reads the autopsy report for Benton, it appears to only mention that his face has been burned off. In "Point of Origin," Scarpetta definitely sees his face before the end. I don't want to spoil either book for the reader, and I hope I haven't. If this is to be your first Cornwell book, I'd suggest reading "Point of Origin" first. Actually, I'd suggest reading all of her Scarpetta books first, because the relationship evolves throughout them all.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Book one more for a great series
Review: Ok I was reading the reviews and I think alot of peeps are giving this book a bad review. The book has twists and turns but also has a startling sense of reality. It shows that not everyone deals with things the same way. and if you think about it Kay has got a lot to deal with .... How many men in her life has she lost now 4-5 and the romances take a lot out of her because when she loves she loves with all her heart unless shes scared... and everything thats happening in the end just leads to a greater plot in the next Book I cant wait to read The Last Precient
Rating:
Summary: Reaching for storylines
Review: I love the Kay Scarpetta novels, and have read all of them. The last few (this one included) seem to be reaching for storylines. There's always a "bad guy", other than the murderer the heroine is after. Someone within Scarpetta's office or within the police department who's out to get her. And all of these "bad guys" are so jealous of the world-famous Dr. Scarpetta. Come on! These story lines have little or nothing to do with the main theme of the book and really detract from the story. I, for one, preferred the earlier Scarpetta novels.
Rating:
Summary: same o same o
Review: As I read this book, I kept having the feeling of I might have read it before but forgot the title and accidently bought it again. The office problem, Kay's threat from the criminal and the boss, etc. are almost the same as in the other books, and the ending was also very disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: Black Notice
Review: Black Notice is the second Cornwell novel I have read. Southern Cross was the first. I found Black Notice entertaining. I work in healthcare and I found her descriptions of the autopsies accurate. Her characters are real. The book moved along well with few "hurry past the pages reading". I'm vacationing in a couple of weeks and intend to tote a couple of Cornwell's books to the beach in Barbados. Invest a few dollars in some intriguing reading.
Rating:
Summary: Kay Scarpetta stumbles
Review: A 200 page story in a 415 page book. Enough with Lucy and her love life! Get back to science and medicine, elements that made the previous books so enjoyable. Please give us more than a 1 page climax in the next book. Worth reading in paperback, definitely not worth the hardcover price.
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