Body Farm (Kay Scarpetta Series #5)

Summer Reading I actually enjoyed!

This summer I was assigned to read and do a report on my reading. I assumed that I would pick a girly book that I can relate to. Those books I usually read and go through them like there is no tomorrow. However, this year I went outside the box and chose something I usually do not read...a horror. I always loved horror films and figured I would love a horror book. The Body Farm by Particia Cornwell is a fantastic read. Now the book I have was published in 1994 and I was worried it would be outdated; the minute I sat down to read, it jumps right into the plot. The plot is of an eleven year old girl named Emily Steiner who went missing in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Dr. Kay Scarpetta is assigned to this case through the FBI, where she finds herself doing more than examining for the cause of death. Everyone in the case thinks the famous serial killer Gault is the one responsible for the disappearance and murder of the little girl. As Dr. Scarpetta gets more into the case she realizes this is not the one who abolished the perfectly innocent eleven years old. This is when the novel takes a turn and gets very interesting. This book is not your ordinary novel for it has more than one plot in it including the one of Dr. Scarpetta's rebellious niece and she pulls you into the book even more. You cannot put this down until you figure out the evil behind everything. I highly would recommend this book even if it isn't your usual read. Enjoy!

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Kay Scarpetta Series

I recommend reading the whole series starting with book #1 [postmortem] I loved all the characters the twist and turn of the plots and am know patiently waiting for the next book. enjoy!!! Here's the titles in order
#2 Body of Evidence #3 All that remains #4 Cruel and unusual #5 The body farm #6 From potter's field #7 Cause of death #8 Unnatural exposure #9 Point of origin #10 Black notice #11 The last precinct #12 Blow fly #13 Trace #14 Predator #15 Scarpetta.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

I LOVED this book!

What a fantastic book...couldn't put it down! Kudos for a great book.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Highly Recommend!

Another great book in the Cornwell series. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND anyone who loves mysteries to read these books!

Excellent!

** spoiler alert ** This was my second time reading The Body Farm. I read it several years ago on a whim without reading any of the prior books. This time I am reading the Scarpetta series in order. Although The Body Farm was excellent the first time around, it was even better after reading Cruel and Unusual. I highly recommend reading Cruel and Unusual first. I feel like you get more out of The Body Farm by doing so.

A lot of unexpected things happened in this book that I would have not suspected. Kay Scarpetta has an affair with Benton Wesley. Pete Marino has an affair with the mother with the mother of the little girl who was murdered. I did not expect those things out of those characters.

Gault is suspected in the crimes that occur in the little town of Black Mountain, North Carolina. All the pieces seem to fit the puzzle. Lucy is almost killed in Virginia. Without the excellent detective skills of Dr. Scarpetta, the real killer would have never been caught. Her excellent intuition is what solves the case, saves Marino's life, and possibly her own life.

I read other reviews and someone mentioned that they were disappointed at the title of the book, The Body Farm, because the book was not about that. Actually, the experiment on The Body Farm is what gave the clue that sealed the deal in the end. In fact, without that piece of evidence, I don't know that Scarpetta could have proven who the killer was.

The Body Farm is my favorite so far in The Scarpetta Series. I am excited to start reading From Potters Field.

Wow...

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

michigan

great book! I love it!

good read recommend

great book but isn't this the same book that was released in 2005 with a new cover?

Body Farm

¿There is no other in the world, mine was the only one¿ - Emily Dickinson Nothing ever happens in the small rural town of Black Mountain, nothing until the shocking murder of eleven-year-old Emily Steiner. Patricia Cornwell, a New York Times Best Seller, reintroduces Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a forensic scientist who plays the lead role in most of Cornwell¿s works, in the exhilarating novel, The Body Farm. The suspense o this novel will keep you on the edge of your seat and the mystery concealed within its pages will ensure that you stay hooked from the very beginning. Emily Steiner¿s case becomes increasingly difficult with the introduction of several peculiar pieces of evidence, such as: the mysterious mark found on Emily¿s body, the custom made fluorescent orange duct tape, the skin samples found in a dead sheriff¿s freezer and the unusual residue discovered lingering on the girls body. This evidence leads to several new suspects in the crime and makes the truth of the case more difficult to decipher. The hysterical, attention-seeking, mother of the victim is a major setback to the case, and ends up attracting the attention of the lead investigator in her daughter¿s murder. In attempting to find justice for Emily Steiner, Dr. Scarpetta finds her personal life growing in difficulty. While working on the case, she is introduced to many people who lead to several new interesting relationships, and a scandal at the high security facility where she works involving her niece, who later on nearly gets killed in a car crash, has her more than occupied. Yet Kay finds herself deeply embedded in this convoluted path of leads, dead ends, incriminating evidence, suspects, and criminals. Only one combination can be right, but the question is, can Kay figure it all out before time is up? There is only one way to tell. This story line¿s many twists and turns are sure to have your mind racing with questions and possible theories. It is guaranteed, however, that most of your theories will be wrong. This story will keep your nose in the book its several twists are intriguing, but the ending is the most shocking of all.

Good Book

Not as 'on the edge of your seat' as her other Scarpetta novels, but certaintly a very good read. I really liked the story plot & the forensics in this book, but the book only took you into the 'Body Farm' for one chapter! I wish she could have taken us deeper into the science there.

She Did It Again!

Patricia Cornwell shows once again why she is a bestselling author. Her details and knowledge of the world of Dr. Scarpetta is one reason her books are causing so many people sleepless nights.

Scarpetta Rules!!!!!!

This was a really good book! Scarpetta is by far the most interesting character of any book I've ever read!

'great Story '

This is the second book I've read from this author, and it was as good as the first one. I strongly recommend this book.It's fast-paced, with a great plot.Kay Scarpetta rules...

Well done

Certainly not on par with THE LAST PRECINCT or ALL THAT REMAINS, this novel still plants seeds of suspense as you inch page by page to the thrilling climax. The end leaves you breathless and wanting more. Highly recommended.

The Body Farm fails to produce.

The Body Farm lacks from suspense and the story tends to jump around and the clues do not always add up in the end. This is not one of her better books, and even though she spent some time doing her research. she should have spent more time developing the story and provided more suspense. It is not one of the books you cannot put down and I feel a certain lack of suspense.

Best of her Kind

Patricia Cornwell is without a doubt the leader of her style of writing. although sometimes graphic, every book in her kay scarpetta series, all of which i have read numerous times, are captivating, compelling, intriguing and completely unbeatable. A must to anybody interested in murder mysteries, particularly if you are interested in forensics. The book is further benefited by more in depth charatcerization, and intimate conflicts, than in her earlier books.

KelZ ReViEw

This was a really good book it was well worth it!!!

One of her Best

I always enjoy a good Patricia Cornwell book, this one was even better than her previous books.

Unbelievable!

I have read Ms. Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series sequentially and this is another "can't put it down" read! I can't wait to get "From Potter's Field" and the rest of the series!!