Scarpetta (Kay Scarpetta) (Hardcover)

by Patricia Cornwell (Author)
Key Phrases: asylum doctor, crime scene case, vet tech, Terri Bridges, New York, Gotham Gotcha (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
At the start of bestseller Cornwell's plodding 16th thriller to feature Dr. Kay Scarpetta (after Book of the Dead), the forensic pathologist—who recently relocated to Belmont, Mass., with her forensic psychologist husband—is called to Manhattan's Bellevue Hospital for reasons that don't become clear until she gets there. Oscar Bane, who voluntarily committed himself to Bellevue while denying he brutally murdered his girlfriend, refuses to speak to anyone except the high-profile Scarpetta. Bane, Scarpetta discovers, is obsessed with her. Meanwhile, someone masquerading as Scarpetta is lurking in cyberspace and supplying an online gossip site with dirty secrets about the doctor. For help on the murder case, Scarpetta turns to her computer whiz niece and a macho former colleague whose shocking actions in Book of the Dead severely damaged his relationship with Scarpetta. With a plot full of holes and frustrating red herrings, this entry falls short of the high standard set by earlier volumes in this iconic series. (Dec.)
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From Bookmarks Magazine
Critics agreed that readers familiar with Cornwell's series will find Scarpetta a weak addition; novice audiences will certainly want to skip over this one and start with Postmortem (1990), Cornwell's award-winning debut. Although Scarpetta is not one of the better entries to date, the thriller contains Cornwell's meticulous attention to detail (from autopsies to investigations) and edge-of-your-seat plotting. However, reviewers cited too much backstory, overly complex twists, and only mediocre characterization. The Rocky Mountain Newseven accused Scarpetta of becoming "something of a cipher," while the Guardianfound nothing to like at all. The bright spot? A thrilling, unpredictable ending.
Copyright 2009 Bookmarks Publishing LLC

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition edition (December 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399155163
• ISBN-13: 978-0399155161
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (295 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,129 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #2 in	Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Authors, A-Z > ( C ) > Cornwell, Patricia
  #2 in	Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers > Medical
  #31 in	Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery > Women Sleuths

• This is item 16 in The Kay Scarpetta Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

94 of 107 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Detailed, exciting and well told story, December 3, 2008

By	California Girl "BB (Books on the beach)" (LA) - See all my reviews

Compelling story of an "innocent" man being set up as a killer. Oscar Bane, a new character insists on speaking only to Kay Scarpetta and Benton when he is suspected in his girl friend, Terri's murder. He is obviously a disturbed person as the reader hears Kay interview him. It is unclear if he is indeed guilty. Kay, being the kind hearted hero that she is, wants to believe this deranged "little person" and since she has seen him as a patient, can not discuss the interview with Benton or anyone else unless Oscar is formally charged with murder. This makes the story more complex as the reader is privy to information that none of the other investigators have knowledge of. The usual twists and turns that Cornwell uses to weave a story abound and all the characters that have become known to Scarpetta readers are part of the investigative team. This is Cornwell's best story yet. It isn't as dark as others and it is refreshing to see her characters grow and change.

52 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Patricia Cornwell should be ashamed, February 3, 2009

By	K. Grimes "Karen Grimes" (North Providence, RI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have always been a big fan of Patricia Cornwell, and have read all of her books. I was so excited when Scarpetta came out--I ordered it immediately. What a disappointment!!! I'm sure she is laughing all the way to the bank, but I have to say--if this was the first novel I'd ever picked up by Cornwell, it would be the last. It was initially boring, but I kept figuring it would get better. I managed to actually finish it after putting it down several times. Boring, boring, boring. What happened to the old Patricia?? Her first books were her best books. Now it's just blah blah blah, and very pretentious. The best character is Marino. Scarpetta has always been a snob, and frankly, I'm tired of her.

63 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprising and superlative creation, December 3, 2008

By	James C. Philips "Birder" (Florida) - See all my reviews

This is a superlative creation that both thrilled and educated me. I enjoyed reading each and every line that was cleverly crafted to draw the reader completely into this book. As the title implies, this book is really built around Scarpetta. Her brilliance, beauty and soul are apparent in every line. She is summoned to NYC to do a personal favor for the DA and probably only accepted because it was Benton that asked her to come. She was to interview a suspect in a murder crime that refused to speak with anyone but Kay Scarpetta. His claim was that she could protect him and could prove his innocence. She came and was instantly and completely involved in a situation that she would have preferred not to be apart of. To top it all off, there were many surprises awaiting her, not the least of which was Mario's new job at the DA's office after disappearing out of her life. The four super sleuths of Benton, Scarpetta, Lucy and Marino are reunited in NYC and do some terrific crime solving as a team. The real treat is the ride the reader enjoys through all the twists and turns the plot takes, ending in a very real surprise.
I rate this as one of Corwell's best efforts, don't miss it.