Body of Evidence: Amazon.ca: Patricia Cornwell: Books

Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

This second commanding thriller by the Edgar Award-winning author of Postmortem and featuring forensic sleuth Dr. Kay Scarpetta was a Mystery Guild main selection as well as a Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club alternate in cloth. $250,000 ad/promo.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From Library Journal

Kay Scarpetta, chief medical examiner of Virginia and heroine of Postmortem , gets involved in the case of a brutal stabbing death in Richmond of romance writer Beryl Madison. Now Madison's greedy lawyer accuses Scarpetta of losing his client's latest manuscript, an autobiographical expose of Beryl's early life as protege of a legendary novelist. As more deaths occur and the killer closes in on her, Kay suffers palpitations over the sudden and devious reappearance of long-lost lover Mark but still finds time to provide forensic details. Despite its foregone conclusion, a swift-moving, thrilling, and provocative second novel.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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First Sentence
RETURNING THE KEY WEST LETTERS TO THEIR MANILA folder, I got out a packet of surgical gloves, tucked it inside my black medical bag, and took the elevator down one floor to the morgue. Read the first page

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Customer Reviews

35 Reviews

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

4.0 out of 5 stars (35 customer reviews)

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3.0 out of 5 stars Random Murders by a Madman, July 13 2004

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Acute Observer (Egress XI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Body of Evidence (Mass Market Paperback)

This is an interesting, if flawed, novel of suspense. A budding writer is found stabbed to death in her home. The 27 cuts were done in a frenzy of hatred, or by a crazed madman. But how did he enter the home of a frightened woman? [Readers of G. K. Chesterton's "The Invisible Man" can guess.] Soon afterwards a Pulitzer Prize winning novelist, who had befriended Beryl years earlier, is also found murdered outside his home. His sister, who lived with him, soon died afterwards under questionable circumstances. A strange NY lawyer seeks the missing manuscript of Beryl. Medical Examiner Scarpetta begins to investigate the background of Beryl. This takes up most of the book until the killer is caught.

Cornwell describes various scenes within official agencies; she had been a police reporter, employee of the Medical Examiner office, and a volunteer police officer. She uses this experience to provide background facts for her story. My opinion is that Cornwell spent a lot of words describing Dr. Scarpetta. Cornwell describes her heroine as amoral in an amoral world (is she headed for a nervous breakdown?). The motive of the killer seems contrived, almost as an afterthought. It could have happened that way, but it seems like a deus ex machina ending. Would a real ME spend all that time to investigate Beryl's murder? There are many gay characters in this book as background. Is this some sort of message?

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5.0 out of 5 stars Scarpetta rules~, Jun 10 2004

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- Kasia S. (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Body of Evidence (Mass Market Paperback)

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.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Don't miss this one, Mar 29 2004

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Patty Philbrook (Stratham, NH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Body of Evidence (Mass Market Paperback)

Kay Scarpetta fans will thoroughly enjoy this one. In looking for a good mystery this book will satisfy that desire. A page-turner that doesn't dissappoint. Good reading!

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!
After reading the first book in Patricia Cornwell's series Postmortem, I knew that I was going to want to read the next book. Read more

Published on Jan 9 2004 by Alyssa

5.0 out of 5 stars Cornwells Second Novel is a Blockbuster too
The savage murder of a young female novelist, who'd asked for protection from the police, because she was being watched and harassed, and didn't get it, angers Chief Medical... Read more

Published on Sep 29 2003 by Vesta Irene