Rating: 
Summary: Black Notice
Review: Why does she need that angry, sullen neice in every book? I'm so tired of the Lucy character and that's the only thing that keeps me from giving this book 5 stars. But the police work and the camaraderie between Scarpetta and Marino is wonderful to read. The Wolfman from France story was really scary to read over Halloween.
Rating: 
Summary: Black Notice
Review: I have never read a Patricia Cornwell book before and was very "unimpressed" with it. First, she deals more with character interaction than the problem at hand. Second, she portrays men as pot-bellied, t-shirt wearing, foul-mouth men who care more about their social life than their job. All women are "olive skin beauties", with perfect bodies, and ALWAYS in authority over men. The language was sickening, and way overdone to get the point across. I suffered through the first chapter and ended up throwing the book away. I assume it is now in the landfill where it belongs...
Rating:
Summary: Let's put it together
Review: Over 300 reviews so far, let's summarize the half of them (although I found many very funny): Cornwell's first 3-4 Scarpetta novels were, without a doubt, excellent. These books had a good storyline and believable characters, but in the meantime the series has hit rock bottom and started digging. I am so fed up with Kay's constantly miserable life! Lucy is a spoiled brat and she should have been killed instead of Benton (although he was pretty boring too). What happened to Marino? Come Ms Cornwell, you owe your readers more than this poor little effort. I agree with another reader that Cornwell should write a psychiatrist into her next novel and get her characters a therapy. If there's no other way then end the Scarpetta series and start something new. This is not the way to go! As far as I am concerned I won't waste money on another book. This is so depressing!
Rating: 
Summary: Average compared to her previous excellent work
Review: I have bought everyone of Cornwell's books and they have kept me glued to the pages. Black Notice however, is not one of her better books. It was a good story but Cornwell has set such a high standard, that I expect all her books to be outstanding and I am afraid this one was not. I do not regret buying this book, but maybe it is time for Cornwell to write a new series and let Kay Scarpetta rest in peace.
Rating:
Summary: Scarpetta needs a shrink
Review: While better than the last couple of Scarpetta novels, Black Notice does not get near the excitement and interest of the first couple of novels in the series. This character has gotten so strained, shrewish and neurotic that it is hard to identify with her feelings. I'm finding myself rooting for the bad guys - wishing both the good doctor and her selfish, obnoxious niece would get bumped off so Cornwell could get on to something more interesing. Also, while we understand that there are personal reasons why the FBI doesn't play a prominant place in her books anymore, am I the only one who feels that ATF is a step down?
Rating:
Summary: a damned good read
Review: this is my first go-round with ms. cornwell, and it won't be my last. i found this to be a real page-turner, and i looked foward to reading it in bed each night. i've read the complaints of those who have read her other books (that this is one of her lesser efforts,) but as an introduction to her work, i found it completely satisfying.
Rating:
Summary: Black Notice
Review: I have read all of Ms. Cornwell's works, and by far the Kay Scarpetta story line is one of her better "mystery tours". However, I found her recent work less than spellbinding, and her main character, Kay Scarpetta, came off as a weakened individual and that change in her deameanor was less than embracing as I read each chapter.
Rating:
Summary: Is Patricia Cornwell on a downhill slide?
Review: I was very disappointed with this book. I found this book's premise to be totally unbelieveable. The book got off to a good start and really captured my attention but the ending was very unsatisfactory. This book dwells too much on gory descriptions of murders and autopsies and spends way too little time developing the killer character. When you finish the last page of the book you know very little more than you did when it started. I am also getting pretty fed up with Cornwell's pre-occupation with Kay Scarpetta's brilliant, gay niece, Lucy, and her lesbian love affairs. This girl belongs in a mental hospital, not the FBI. And then to top it off, Kay is now embarking on a love affair of her own with someone young enough to be her son. Am I the only reader who would like to see Kay and Pete Marino as a couple? Of course, Cornwell keeps painting a picture of Marino as such a slob this would probably be an impossibility. I recommend reading Cornwell's earlier installments in this series - the characters and plots are much better and you won't come away feeling stupid for wasting your time reading them.
Rating:
Summary: Scarpetta is back!
Review: After being rather disappointed in the previous two Cornwell novels, I was pleased that this one brings back some of magic that was in the earlier Scarpetta books. I was glad to see Scarpetta dealing with the grief suffered over Benton's death in the last book. I just hope that Cornwell doesn't decide to kill off Marino in a future book. As always, Cornwell introduces some characters that we may expect to see in the next Scarpetta mystery. The story line kept me interested to the last page. Scarpetta will always be one of my favorite fictional characters. I'm glad that Cornwell presents story lines that have more depth and intrigue than the standard run of the mill fictional homicide.
Rating:
Summary: Scarpetta now as maturely written as 'Hornet's Nest'
Review: Wild and unmotivated emotional reactions! Loose ends! Illogical behavior! Now, you too can read a case study for a Jr. High 'criticism of literature' course. Wish I new who wrote the early Scarpetta novels. They were pretty good. Maybe this is a warning of what happens when you're successful.
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