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Scarpetta

by: Patricia Cornwell

October 07, 2008

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The Front

by: Patricia Cornwell

May 15, 2008
This is the 1st Patricia Cornwell book I have read and most probably the last - this is the most, boring and disappointing book I have read in a very long time. Was determined to finish it, feel totally cheated as MY reading time is precious to me, will be choosing other authors in the future.

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Book of the Dead

by: Patricia Cornwell

April 17, 2008
i am a best selling author. i can write any old rubbish and people will buy it. sadly i did. never again. this is just nonsense produced by a writer who seems to have an enormous chip on her shoulder. to quote a carry on film "they've all got it in for me"

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Cruel and Unusual (A Dr. Kay Scarpetta mystery)

by: Patricia Cornwell

April 13, 2000
This is Patricia Cornwell's 4th installment of the highly acclaimed Kay Scarpetta series. It's a good enough read but im starting to find the whole 'Kay is to blame' route a bit boring and repetative. It's worked so far but I feel if Cornwell continues this idea in further books then it will start to become boring. Also I have to admit that I find the character of Kay's neice, Lucy, highly annoying, although i like her as a character and I am glad she's in teh book she really is an annoying young woman and I don't know how Kay puts up with her.
The best part about this book, I thought, was the setting, Cornwell really builds the setting of the holidays and Christmas and it really makes it a cozy read, aside from the murders of course.
I've ... Read More:

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Body of Evidence (A Dr. Kay Scarpetta mystery)

by: Patricia Cornwell

April 13, 2000
Having read Post Mortem and picked up more mistakes in sloppy writing than I care to think about (as both writer and editor) I hoped for better from a second attempt at crime writing from Ms Cornwell. Unfortunately, the only reason I could find for the 'Head-under-the-bedclothes tension' quote from The Times was how long the sorry saga could be dragged out.
Chapter 1, line 1.
Returning the Key West letters to their manilla folder, I got out a packet of surgical gloves - exactly the sort of writing I complained of in book 1. Ms Cornwell needs to learn the word 'After' as in "After I returned the Key West letters to their manilla folder" as it is impossible to do the two things simultaneously.
And we have these dreadful coincidences going ... Read More:

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All That Remains (A Dr. Kay Scarpetta mystery)

by: Patricia Cornwell

April 13, 2000
Since May this year I have been following the Kay Scarpetta series and have found them to be a bit of a dissapointment. However with this one I feel Patricia Cornwell takes a giant step forward with her characters making Kay Scarpetta one of my favorite fictional characters i've ever had the pleasure of reading. And the pace was much improved from the previous 2 books in the series. Unfortunately all this good work is lost a bit from due to the story line of this one. I just wasnt really captivated by the whole idea of it which I wont go in to incase someone reads this who is yet to read the book. However when I get around to reading the next in the series 'Cruel and Unusual' I'm hoping Cornwell can bring forward both a great story line and maintain the great ... Read More:

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Black Notice

by: Patricia Cornwell

May 04, 2000
The discovery of a decomposed body in a locked container on a cargo ship is going to set Dr. Kay Scarpetta against the most dangerous killer she has ever faced. The container came from France and the killer calls himself le loup-garou which is French for werewolf. Now he's on the loose in Virginia and Kay winds up on the case and the killer winds up putting Kay in his sights.

Like the best of Cornwell's books we get insight into the characters we've come to care so much about. Kay is still numb from the lose of Benton Wesley. Someone is trying to ruin her reputation by sending e-mails from her address and she has to deal with that. Marino has been suspended and niece Lucy is doing undercover work that Kay believes is dangerous. Events set these friends against each ... Read More:

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Postmortem (Dr Kay Scarpetta)

by: Patricia Cornwell

April 13, 2000
I know Patricia Cornwell has her fans, many of them, and it says much about their devotion that despite the bad writing and depressed heroine, the unbelievable coincidences and stereotypical detectives, that she went on to sell a stack of other books. I am hoping they will improve, as the entire series waits to be read ... a gift from a friend! But to return to details, those dangling participles are evident and her editor should have returned the book to the author and asked her to sort them out, so she didn't make the same mistakes in future. As in 'Rubbing a dollop of the lotion onto his hands, Bander pulled on a pair of white cotton gloves.'You can't do both at exactly the same time. The word 'after' needed to be dropped in at the start of that sentence. My current favourite from this ... Read More:

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The Body Farm

by: Patricia Cornwell

April 13, 2000
This is the 5th in Cornwell's acclaimed Kay Scarpetta series and it is just as good as the first 4 amazing books in the series.
Scarpetta is investigating the death of school girl Emily Steiner and she begins to think that her old nemisis Temple Gault may have struck again. Meanwhile she has to deal with her neice Lucy being accused of stealing highly classified information from the FBI.
Cornwell is a master in the genre and binds the threads of her characters tightly and keeps the reader hooked.
I'll definately be reading the next book in the series and I hope Cornwell keeps up this high standard.

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At Risk

by: Patricia Cornwell

March 08, 2007
Having been a huge fan in the past, it was unfortunate that her novels (plots) just started going downhill. I used to enjoy Scarpetta in the beginning but not anymore (and for a few years at least).

A friend lent me "At Risk" - and it confirms my poor opinion of her later work.

"At Risk" is absolute rubbish. Cornwell appears to now favour the present tense which makes reading the story so distracting (and annoying). The plot is ridiculous and the characters are worse!

Purchase at your own risk...