Book of the Dead (Kay Scarpetta Series #15)

I Quit

I have read all Cornwell's Scarpetta novels and with each one I found myself liking the books less and less. Now I quit! I don't think I can endure Cornwell's writing or the character,Kay Scarpetta. Scarpetta, with each novel, becomes more and more self-centered and arrogant. It is apparent in each novel that she thinks she is better than everyone else. She constantly puts Pete down because of his lack of education, his grammer, and his appearance. (When he does lose weight, it is weeks before she even mentions noticing it to him.) Eventually, the only character I was left liking was Pete, and with this novel she even makes him unlikable. As I read 'Book of the Dead,' I felt like I was reading a first draft because each chapter began with an incomplete sentence stating the location and time. There were many, many places in the book where Cromwell did this. She also kept repeating, word for word, from previous chapters and from her previous books as though she didn't have enough new material for this book, or just didn't care enough to come up with something new. I usually read her books in one or two days, but this one took me almost two weeks to finish. I started reading and became angry with the characters. The story was confusing and I got bored with. I would put the book away for a while, soometimes even days, then would try reading it again. I kept doing this for the duration of the book. When I finally finished it, I felt drained. I have never liked the abrupt endings to her books, and this one didn't stray from that. It seems like even Cornwell gets bored and just wants the story to end so she rushes through to get it over with.

5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

Good book

I was saddened by the problems Marino and Dr Scarpetta ran into. I feel like they should have ended up together, Marino has been there for the Dr and it seems in the storys as shes more snotty or to good for him and it makes it harder for me to like her as a character.

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Poor

We have read alot of her books but this is the last one, It was so bad that we could not finnish it.And have gotten rid of it. We will never buy another.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Oh, Patricia, what happened to your fine writing

I think Patricia Cornwell needs to go back and re-read her first book. I used to love her books. She was kind to Martino even though he drove her nuts and she loved her niece. She loved cooking for them. I miss the life they used to share.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Outstaning Book

You go Patricia, this is a great book! All my friends love it and they are buying it for their family members for Christmas. We just can't wait to see what Dr. Kay has going next. We like Lucy too, she is something else. What a wonderful writer you are. All we can say is you go Girl keep up the great work. I think what makes you such a good writer is that you live in the world you write about.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Worst in the Scarpetta series by far.

Poorly conceived and executed. The author, usually one of my favorites, had a really bad book.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

this will be my last Scarpetta novel!

I used to really like the characters, but in this book, everything seemed to fall apart. The characters, plot, setting, everything about this book seemed contrived. The plot was outlandish and the author couldn't seem to hold it all together. I was very disappointed!! I'm glad I bought the book on clearance and didn't spend a lot of money on it!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Big Disappointment

All this book offered was thousands of dull, boring conversations. Very little action and I could have cared less about the characters. The relationship (?) between Benton and Kay was dull. The off the wall Lucy was not even remotely likable. She's a spoiled brat. Marino went nutso and nobody really cared...including this reader. And Dr. Self was a self-inflicted bore. I am just sorry I spent so much time trying to get something out of this awful book.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

I Give Up!

Kept hoping Cornwell would return to her earlier good reads. Was a fan for years. But Wesley's a Wuss...Lucy's nuts...and Kay's turned to jelly. I'm like Marino....I'm outa here!

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

very disappointed

i've read her book of jack the ripper and was impressed with her writing style. i had high hopes for this book as i love a good psychologicla thriller. boy, was i wrong. the prologue grabs you, but then the rest of the book just dddrrrrrrraaaaaggggsss. there are characters introduced but for aboslutely no reason i can figure out, and the entire thing seems to be written so she can show off her understanding of the process behind forensic science. i wish she had focused more on the serial murders and the reason for them instead of building the characters then not taking them anywhere. i don't think i'll read any of her books again. honestly, i'm surprised it made the new york times bestseller list.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Giving this author up for good

I used to love reading these books early in this series when Kay Scarpetta solved murders using forensic science. I gave them up when they became more about the disfunctional charaters in Kay's life than solving murders. I had not read one in a few years so I thought I would give them another try. Big mistake! This book is more wierd psychology than forensic investigation. All of the same charaters are still around and more messed up than ever. I won't try again.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Not the best Scarpetta ever!

This novel was definitely not the best Cornwell has ever written. The blatant airing of her political point-of-view about Bush and the war was unnecessary and distracting. People who say she needs to reread her first Scarpetta novels are right on. I used to love all these characters and I found that I had no sympathy toward any of them, except possibly Marino. The relationships between all the main characters has become so disfunctional it takes away from the story and you can't help thinking they would be better off apart from each other as opposed to working as the team they are supposed to be. Kay used to be someone who was looked up to, a wiser women who was both intelligent and warm. Now she comes off as distant and a bit out of touch. I will continue to read PC's books, but am disappointed.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Don't loose your old fans!

I have read every book in the Kay Scarpetta series. I fell in love with the characters on the first read....and grew to love them more with each book.....loved their vulnerabilty, their weakness, strengths, and demons. They each had such power and depth as individuals. This book is so disjointed and so technical...I'm a crime buff...but it seems more about the technology than the characters....and nothing feels connected. I don't feel like I'm reading about the characters I know. I'm 3/4 of the way through...and I will finish it....but the only person who's feeling I understand are Marinos. Lucy and Kay are closed up....and Benton.....have long wondered what he is about.....and this book makes it worse...are we supposed to dislike him? Love your writing...and I'm always waiting at the bookstore for your next book...think now I'll wait for some reviews.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Dead loser....................

I first want to say that I had a hard time staying awake to read this one. I had to reread several pages over and over, and it took a long time to make it through. I love Pete Marino, and I HATED what she did to his character.I have read everthing this woman has written but my question is who wrote this book? I started Double Cross by Patterson, and finished it in a week.This book delivers.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Cornwell needs to change direction

I was a huge Cornwell fan for years, but her last four or five books have been disappointing. Her characters, especially Kay Scarpetta, have become caricatures, and not particularly likeable ones. Marino is the only likeable regular character in the series at this point. No one ever seems really dead, and the situations become more and more unreal. Cornwell needs to go back to where she was when she began this series to save it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

great crime thriller

Dr. Kay Scarpetta and her long time lover Benton Wesley are called to Rome to work with a team investigating the death of sixteen-year-old tennis star Drew Martin. Her body was left in a prominent location so that her mutilated corpse would be found quickly huge chunks were cut out of her body and her eyes are gouged out and sand was placed in them before they were glued shut. The killer who will come to be known as the Sandman thinks he is doing the victim a favor by putting her out of her misery. Before they fly home Benton gives Scarpetta a ring and then she returns home to South Carolina where she has opened up her own pathology practice Coastal Forensic Pathology Associates. ---- The Sandman is also in Charlotte where he is scoping out his next victim a woman who, like Drew, also appeared on Dr. Marilyn Self¿s talk show. Dr. Self has volunteered to be a patient in Benton¿s study coordinated at McLean University in Massachusetts because the Sandman is e-mailing her pictures of his handiwork. Kay is involved in the case and is also trying to deal with the fact that someone is trying to run her out of town, Marino¿s angry moods, Lucy¿s snooping into her personal life and a nosy neighbor who likes to make trouble for her. ---- Patricia Cornwell always writes crime thrillers that are fantastic but BOOK OF THE DEAD, though superb, is a bit of a departure for her. The author concentrates more on the relationship between Kay and those she cares about and their feelings some revelations are revealed as well as a shocking act that nobody who knows those characters could ever see coming. The cast comes alive in a way they have never done before and readers will feel connected to them in a way they have never done before. Ms. Cornwell admits to being proud of BOOK OF THE DEAD and she should be. ---- Harriet Klausner

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Love Patricia C.!

I really don't understand how readers are complaining about how Scarpetta has changed and she has a huge chip on her shoulder. If you haven't noticed the gal has been through a lot! There is nothing worse than a stagnant book series ( a la Stephanie Plum-girl, at some point you've got to pick-up some skills and not act like an unprepared idiot ) Scarpetta can't stay the same! Hello, unrealistic. And, p.s. are you kidding me Pete Marino supporters??? That man is one step up from a pig.

Good good book

My mommy loves this book

Shame on you Patricia

I have read all of Patricia's novels up until this one. I started reading and discovered the most filthy language she's ever used. I started to throw it out, but decided to give it a chance. When she told of the attempted rape by Marino, of all people, that was it for me! She must have been having some type of repressed anger going on in her personal life. Go read Postmortam Patricia! Now there was a good book! Shame on you for this one! No more for me!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Recommend

Its a good story line, like the series, but the writing style was off. I like it better when she writes from Kay Scarpetta's point of view instead of third person like this one. It made it seem less charged.