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125 of 130 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
SCARPETTA AND THE WOLF..., August 3, 2000
A cargo ship containing the remains of a stowaway arrives in Virginia's waterway. Kay Scarpetta is called to examine the remains. Why would this man hide in a shipping container, and what does the strange tattoo on his back symbolize? These questions, as well as the identity of the man are a mystery to Scarpetta.Kay's neice, Lucy, has a new lover, Jo. Lucy and Jo are working in Miami, and their latest mission has gone terribly wrong, leaving two criminals dead, and Jo, fighting for her life in the hospital. Another body is found, this time, a young woman, brutally attacked, with strange bite marks on her body. Kay and Marino, end up in France, working with Interpol on the cases of victims who have also been brutally attacked, with strange bite marks left on the bodies. Once there, the two will have to solve the bizzare puzzle of the strange killings, and make connection to the mystery man in the container. "Black Notice" is one of the better entries in the Scarpetta series (it takes a while to get steam, about 250 pages before things start to move, and the plot involving the wolf-like killings comes into play). Long time readers of the series will notice each new novel is taking the series in a new direction; with less time being spent on the thrill a minute plot twists, and more time being spent on various sub-plots, and character development. Patricia Cornwell is the leading practicioner of the forensic crime thriller, but over the years she has lost her knack of creating "up all night" reads, she is trying to balance too much in each novel, and at times it takes away from the main theme of the book. The story line is interesting in this new book, and the characters are all likable, but we want more page-turning plot twists. If you are a fan of the series, you will enjoy this book, new readers should start off with one of her earlier novels, such as "All That Remains", "Cruel And Unusual", "The Body Farm", etc. Nick Gonnella
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