"Killing me won't kill the beast" are the last words of rapist-murderer Ronnie Joe Waddell, written four days before his execution. But they can't explain how Dr. Kay Scarpetta finds Waddell's fingerprints on another crime scene -- after she'd performed his autopsy. If this is some sort of game, Scarpetta seems to be the target. And if the next victim is someone she knows, the punishment will be cruel and unusual...
Cruel and Unusual: A Kay Scarpetta Novel
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From Publishers Weekly
This fourth mystery to feature Virginia Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kay Scarpetta was a 12-week PW bestseller.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
YA-In this fourth Kay Scarpetta mystery, the chief medical examiner for the state of Virginia is once again challenged by gruesome murder and confusing evidence. How could the fingerprints of Ronnie Joe Waddell appear at the scene of a murdered psychic after Waddell was executed in the electric chair? In the midst of many puzzling matters come other difficult issues to confront Kay as she tries to do her job. She becomes the object of hysterical media attention, and finds that she herself might be indicted for the very crimes she is trying to solve. Someone is sabotaging her efforts by hacking into her computer files and leaking information. Exasperated, she calls upon her niece, Lucy, a 17-year-old computer whiz, whom readers will remember from earlier "Scarpetta" novels. Along with FBI agent Benton Wesley and police chum Pete Marino, Lucy helps Kay solve the murders and ferret out the traitor in her office. YAs will enjoy the teen's angst and the exciting twist at the book's end.
Carolyn E. Gecan, Thomas Jefferson Sci-Tech, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Carolyn E. Gecan, Thomas Jefferson Sci-Tech, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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It is two weeks before Christmas. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
It is two weeks before Christmas. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I really liked this book. It is a page turner for sure. I would read before I went to bed and have to force myself to find a stopping point. If the ending was written differently I would have given it 5 stars, but it was still fun to read.
Format:Mass Market Paperback
My mother and I are just hooked on reading Patricia Cornwell, we started somewhere in the middle with one book but since have gone back to the beginning. They are the only books I am currently seeking out to read.
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This is a darn good mystery read that certainly keeps you up at night turning the pages. Isn't that what we all want here? More enjoyable Kay Scarpetta for fans of this series. Well worth staying up late to read!
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4.2 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Mystery Worth Investigating
Kay Scarpetta is Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Virginia. As such she has the nasty job of processing the remains of murderer Ronnie Waddell, electrocuted after ten... Read more
Published on Mar 9 2004 by snalen
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must Read!
In CRUEL & UNSUAL by super-writer, Patricia Cornwell, Kay finds herself the prime suspect as she tries to make a connection between three murders! Read more
Published on Feb 4 2004 by Victoria Taylor Murray
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good mystery
If your looking for a suspensful thriller you'll find it with Cruel and Unusual by Patricia Cornwell. In it the main charicter, Dr. Read more
Published on Jan 27 2004 by Camilla Hartley
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting book to read during the holidays!
This is only the second of the author's "Kay Scarpetta" novels that I've read, and I wasn't all that impressed with _Postmortem,_ so I approached this fourth book in the... Read more
Published on Jan 6 2004 by Michael K. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars
AWESOME!!
This is awesome! Excellent plot! After reading this, you should read From Potter's Field!
Published on Dec 4 2003
5.0 out of 5 stars
Plenty of Twists and Turns
First off, let me say that although all of Cornwell's thrillers stand alone, it's better if you read them in the order they were written. Read more
Published on Sep 29 2003 by Laurel Whitehead
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best of the First Four in this series.
This is an awesome book. Kay just keeps getting better and better. It's also fun to see the characters develop more with each book - Kay herself as she seems to be always "one... Read more
Published on Sep 4 2003 by S. Schwartz
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great story, great heroine
Somehow as I became initiated into the world of Kay Scarpetta I missed this gem. It was great to backtrack and discover what has become one of my favorite books in the series. Read more
Published on May 3 2003
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unusual is Right!
Ah, the good old days of Dr. Scarpetta and her gang of crime solvers. This book represents one of the glory days of Cornwell's writing. Read more
Published on Jan 4 2003 by KaeLee Newton
3.0 out of 5 stars
Deja vu
The book is well written. However, the storyline has begun to be repititious, in that Kay is attacked in every book either by the criminal, or worse, her colleagues, over and over... Read more
Published on Dec 17 2002 by "miclunney"
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