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Summary: Another outstanding book from Patricia Cornwell
Review: This is another great book by a talented author. She just can't write a bad one. Her main character came across as a real person dealing with real issues -- the lose of the man she loved. She shared her innermost feelings with the reader and showed she could work through it all. Let's face it, no one can be a brick all the time -- she isn't supposed to be superwoman! I enjoy everything Patricia Cornwell writes and look forward to more -- very quickly!
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Summary: Best yet of the Scarpetta series
Review: Patricia Cornwell dishes up another dicey case for Dr. Scarpetta. With Marino and Lucy in tow. All three trying desparetly to deal with Benton Wesley's cruel end. This books was great. Dr. Scarpetta was at her most vulnerable and best. Once again Cornwell deals us a Dr. Scarpetta who has to deal with the threat of her position, the unwanted task of dealing with her lovers death, Marino's ill manners and Lucy's need to prove she's the baddest of them all. She doen't always sidestep these encounters with deftness as Cornwell so allows her to be a real character with real emotions which are tangled up most of the time. In this case the murder is secondary to the warring emotions within the central characters which makes for an excellent read that is hard to put down. Good work Patricia Cornwell. Keep the Scarpetta novels coming. Look foward to your next.
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Summary: A book for Scarpetta fans
Review: I recently reread the Scarpetta series, after reading this one. I think *Cruel and Unusual* is the best of the lot. While others complain about Scarpetta's emotional depths in BN, I didn't mind that, although I found the book picked up speed in the second half. I've become more aware that Cornwell can be a sloppy writer - introducing references that are erroneous intrinsically or make no sense, and this has been more marked as the series progressed. Black Notice is more tightly written than previous works. I would like to see a shift in protagonist from Kay to Lucy, as an interesting evoluton in this series. Cornwell still has the gift of smooth writing
Rating: 
Summary: Far too much space expended on Kay's personal problems.
Review: Kay is obsessed with the loss of Benton, acting as if it was just yesterday instead of a year ago, in fact, that pretty well is the main story. Cornwell needs to return to her action packed scenarios of previous titles and shy away from the psychological aspects.
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Summary: This book still delivers the Cornwell we've come to love
Review: I was expecting to hate this book after so many negative reviews. I think, as Patricia Cornwell is so superb a yarn-spinner, that we are holding her to a higher level than other authors. It would be hard to top herself, but the books are still fantastic. This was better than the Hornet's Nest and more imaginable than Point of Origin. I'm glad I disregarded the reviews...but I had to as I pre-ordered it!
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Summary: Not her best work and perhaps her worst
Review: Having read all of her books I must write to say how disapointed I was in her latest offering. The subplots are poor, the perp not believeable, and the ending awful. However, her writing about forensic medicine and the world of law enforcement is as good as ever but I think I have read it before. Maybe she has run out of fresh ideas and should take a break instead of tossing her readers a lean meatless bone.
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Summary: Hope this novel is not indicative...
Review: I'm a first time reader of Ms. Cornwell and this novel was very disapointing. The plot was fairly plausable, but there is were all reality stopped. Moreno appears in this book to be a stupid, blundering ass who's affiliation with anyone over an 80 IQ is totally unblieveable. I can't believe Kay's relationship with this dunderhead would last over five minutes in real life. Both her and Moreno's character wouldn't last over a day if their inputs to their supervisors were what went down in this novel. Example; Moreno's presence at a crime scene while on suspension. The police wouldn't let him anywhere near it. Since this is the first novel I've read by this author, I'm going to try one more to see if this one was just a fluke. Hope so, because the writing in this one is amateurish, with dumb dialog from every charater except the French doctor and the ATF Interpol liason agent. Well...we'll see.
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Summary: I found this book almost flat compared with previous books.
Review: The underlying feeling when reading this book was pull yourself to together and stick to a story, not the harping on Scarpetta's innermost feelings. Most of all I wish she would drop the character of her niece. Lucy is an unlikeable, petulant nothing. I have no interest in her at all and her constant moodiness. Cut away from her and the story line is okay. Winds up too fast and I ended the book feeling like the author suddenly tired of the whole thing - as did I.Think Cornwell is churning them out too fast and not lavishing the attention on the plot as she used to. I would advise others to skip this one.
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Summary: Forensic pathology at its best
Review: I had to put this book on hold at our library and the waiting list for 68 people ahead of me and the loan period was only two weeks. Once I got it, I didn't stop reading and it took me 10 hours to read this book. My mum, who usual takes about three to four weeks to read a book, finished this one within a week and had it back at the library before the end of the two week period. Once again, Patricia Cornwell keeps you in suspense until the last page and then leaves you wanting more. Is Benton "Dead or Alive", wait and found out? At times you have to feel sorry for Marino, for all his hard nose attitude, he is a pussycat underneath that tough exterior. Lucy is once again doing her usual I don't give damn routine, but you have to love her. Kay has once again had us all behind her, waiting for her next move. There was one part of the book, that had my so confused, that I had to read it twice just to get the gist of it, but I did. She makes you want to the read end first and work you way back, but DON'T DO THIS. Keep up the good work Patricia Cornwell. When is next Dr Scarpetta adventure coming out, don't keep us all in suspense?
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Summary: PLEASE DR. SCARPETTA GO TO AN A.A. MEETING.
Review: IF DR. SCARPETTA SPENT AS MUCH TIME WORKING IN HER MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE AS SHE DOES DRINKING, SMOKING, AND LUSTING OF MEN AND HER NIECES LOVERS MAYBE SHE WOULD ACTUALLY SOLVE A CRIME. WHEN THE BAD GUY COMES RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR, DON'T ANSWER UNLESS YOUR DESPARATE FOR A DRINKING BUDDY. IT'S HORRIBLE WRITING AND TERRIBLE STORY BUT I READ ALL OF MS. CORNWELL'S BOOKS AND WILL PROBALY READ THE NEXT ONE. MS. CORNWELL PLEASE SOBER UP YOU AND YOUR EDITOR.
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