Customer Reviews

Body of Evidence (G K Hall Large Print Book Series)

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The Kay Scarpetta series is best read in chronological sequence, as each new novel builds on developments from the previous ones, and knowledge of this history is to some degree assumed. Thus, if you're going to read one of the series, this is the one.

Some reviewers here criticize the lack of non-stop action. To the contrary, I think the style is highly effective. Cornwell indulges in her well-developed, diverse characters with introspection and dialog. Furthermore, investigations are not a linear progression -- everything isn't always wrapped up in a tidy little package, every piece of evidence isn't used, and every fact isn't explained. But that's life.

The series has also been criticized for being a bit "nerdy". But that's appropriate -- it's strength. The use of evidence and the examination of the crime scene reminds me of my favorite crime author, Canon Doyle. The magnifying glass is replaced by a substantially more expensive apparatus, but the attention paid to analytic methods and thinking is quite enjoyable.

The combination of rich character development and intellectual analysis makes this a really enjoyable book, and worthwhile series. I really highly recommend it. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is I reserve that for the highest tier of fiction, and I'm not sure this is quite there. But it's certainly some of the best work I've read in a long time.

After reading the first book in the series, I felt good enough to want to read the second book sooner rather than later. Book two is fashioned out of some of the basic framework as the first but with enough changes to the facade that it really doesn't detract too much from the story.

Most of the same characters are back for this installment with some new players thrown in. The forensics play along and provide physical clues to go along with the psychological clues. Like the first book, we are given plenty of clues to figure out the twist and don't feel like we've been cheated when it is revealed. As with the first book, I like that we only see what Kay sees and nothing more or less.

Kay Scarpetta, we learn, will always be very *involved* with her work and that will always play havoc with her personal life. Even this early in the series, that thread is obvious. Fortunately, even though this running thread is becoming concrete and will remain in future books, it doesn't overwhelm the main story.

The plot of this one is a little more convoluted than the first. There are several interweaving plots that connect or seem to connect and they provide us with quite a bit of depth in the mystery. What starts out fairly straightforward quickly becomes messy and confusing (on purpose) but comes together fairly nicely at the end.

For a second novel, this one does well and doesn't fall into many of the traps and pitfalls that are out there and because of that, I'll be reading the third.

This book, really went into nice character development. By the middle of it, I felt like Beryl Madison, the first victim, was a real person, and I too wanted to know how she died, why and who did it.

I had a very hard time putting it down, when it was 4am, its a page turner. The evidence and clues are amazing, and they really make u think.

Overall, an excellnt medical thriller mystery....And despite what anyone says, I like Scarpetta, shes not harsh or feministic. She's just perfect.

This is not Patricia Cornwell's best book. I have read two others by her, a little out of order, `Body Farm,' which is a magnificent mystery/thriller achievement and `Postmortem' was a grand opening to what is turning out to be a wholly engrossing series I hope. But `Body of Evidence' felt like an unsure sophomore effort on the part of Cornwell. Not that it was bad, I have no real glaring complaints about this book, but on the other hand the plot was a bit clunky. I think that if you do read the entire series, which is my plan, this is an adequate book that won't leave you terribly disappointed. It just felt a little unnecessary, as if you were renting the 14th James Bond flick. The book was fun, but predictable and pretty much the same as its predecessor. All of that aside, having started in the middle of the series with `Body Farm', I know in advance that Scarpetta will undergo a series of personal upheavals that I will enjoy encountering I am sure as the novels progress.

My main complaint here (and this could be a spoiler) is that the ending is almost identical to `Postmortem'. Not only that, but it was a fair stretch to pull Scarpetta in as the victim here. I just did not buy it. Also, as she travels around, the descriptions of place were a little underwhelming as others have pointed out. I felt like the first half of the book; Cornwell was attempting to imitate some of Agatha Christie's work here. The second half of the book became a mish mash of styles that set up a wholly new genre; only it was done here unclearly and ultimately unsatisfactorily.

If you like Cornwells books, I would recommend two other authors that don't go way over the top. Denis Lehane, who wrote `Mystic River,' (perhaps the best thriller I have ever come across) also wrote a series of five books that were fun to read about a pair of detectives in Boston. Harlan Coben wrote a series of books that he is well known for (Myron Bolitar) but they are just ok. If you check out Coben's stand alone, more recent novels you will be in for a treat.

Unlike Post-Mortem, Body Of Evidence lays itself out like a roadmap with many blind curves. Kay Scarpetta knows her stuff but is a little out of touch as far as police work goes. (I don't know many people who maintain constant dialogue with the FBI to help out with their case-load.) That's the only down-side to the character. The one thing I appreciated was that the "Who-Dun-It" was introduced in the series of fact-finding points throughout the story. So, at the end, when they caught the person, you as the reader could say, "OK. I remember how this fit earlier." Post-Mortem pulled the killer out of a proverbial hat, as if the author suddenly needed to end the book. But Body of Evidence was a good read with mystery, a twisted love-interest, and Detective Marino. (I think Marino secretly likes Kay.) Enjoy.

I loved the ending! When it was finally revealed how the killer gained entrance, I was surprised. A real page turner, I really enjoyed the read and highly recommend this one as well as any Cornwell book. She really knows how to bring the characters to life. Can't wait to read the next one.

Once again, Detective Pete Marino teams up with the "Doc" as they investigate the murder of historical romance writer Beryl Madison. Along the way we meet a number of people connected to the murder victim including a powerful entertainment attorney who accuses Kay of stealing Beryl's current work - her tell-all autobiography. A love interest from Kay's past, Mark James, also makes a brief and unsettling appearance that sets into motion mixed feelings for Kay.

I thought this second installment in Patricia Cornwell's Dr. Kay Scarpetta series was much better than her first, Post Mortem. Ms. Cornwell developed Dr. Kay Scarpetta, into a more personable character making her likable and easier to relate to. As the plot began to unfold, I found this book difficult to put down.

If Patricia Daniels Cornwell were one of only a few mystery writers around, I would tell prospective readers sure, go ahead and read *Body of Evidence*, as it's basically a decent read. However, it's sufficiently flawed and uneven that it leads me toward recommending that people bypass this book in favor of others that are more worthy of attention.

The protagonist Dr. Kay Scarpetta is interesting enough and the insights into the work of a forensic pathologist are morbidly intriguing (yes, I used to watch "Quincy" on TV, too). But what makes or breaks a mystery novel is the way that the plot is structured and the characters relate to one another. In a first-rate mystery, there are slight *possible* clues offered early on that later turn out to be pivotal to how the case is resolved. Here, however, Cornwell commits one of the cardinal sins of mystery writing: she creates a virtually unrelated character as the primary villain, one who isn't even introduced until halfway through the book. This results in an almost deus-ex-machina feel to the resolution of the crime(s). She also presents an unbelievably hokey identity twist that serves to bring some rather banally presented romantic interest into the story.

I can say no more here, lest I act as a "spoiler," boo, hiss. Let me add, however, that her descriptions of places are not a strong point. Having spent time in Key West, I didn't particularly feel that the island "came alive" through her depiction of it.

Overall, this book seems to reveal a still inexperienced writer who simply is still feeling her way along within the difficult but also overcrowded mystery genre. I am hopeful that some of Cornwall's later books are more sophisticated and well thought-out in terms of their structure; this one is simply not a first-rate work.

For people looking for really well-done mysteries, I would recommend the work of the following authors: Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Harlan Coben (usually good, but not always), and Sue Grafton. I'm sure there are many, MANY more, but I hardly would claim to have digested them all.

Another terrific Cornwell novel. Holds your attention throughout the book. Even my "non-reader" husband loved it!

In Body of Evidence - the second of the series, a young female writer named Berryl Madison is stabbed to death in her own home, & nearly decapitated. It appears that she was being stalked before she died. She was recieving strange, threatening phone calls a few times a month prior to her death. Then when her stalker scratched a heart into the side of her car - that was the last straw. Terrified, Berryl fleed to Key West, where she stayed for a while before she decided that she had to go home. But on the night of her return; she inexplicably lets her killer into her home, switching off the burglar alarm, & leaving her gun. did Berryl know her killer? Was this the same person who was stalking her? Dr Kay Scarpetta, the Medical Examiner of Virginia, begins to piece this together.

The plot of this book is exellent. Everything seems to fit together as you read through it. At first everything is so unclear - why would she let him in?! But as Kay gathers more seemingly unrelated information, you get a better idea of what's going on. Once you're almost finished the book, you understand most of it. But there is still one mystery left. Who is the killer, & how did he get Berryl to let him in without causing suspision? Kay has also been recieving threating, obscene phone calls of late. She does the same as Berryl, packing her bags & heading off to Key West. When she returns, it is with the manuscript for Berryls autobiography, which she was working on when she died. But investigators had been unable to find it until now. When Kay arrives home, & soon after, goes to answer her door, she suddenly relises exactly what happened to Berryl Madison. But she has to live to tell the tale.

The answer to that 'Why did she let him in' question is very interesting, creative. It'll leave you thinking 'oooooh!'. I like the earlier novels in the series because the characters are less complex, & the story is much more about the murders than it is about Kay & the other main characters. In my opinion, this is just as good as the first novel, Postmortem. But if you havent read that yet - I suggest you read it before you go on to this one.

Not everyone will enjoy this book or the series as much as me, but I would recommend this book to anyone. I hope this review was helpful.