Under the leafy cover of night in Richmond, Virginia, a human monster moves undetected, leaving a gruesome trail of stranglings that has paralyzed the city. Medical examiner Kay Scarpetta senses the worst: a deliberate campaign by a brilliant serial killer— a "Mr.Nobody"—whose signatures offer precious few clues. With an unerring eye, she must call on the latest advances in forensic research to have a chance at unmasking the maniac. But this investigation will test Kay like no other, because it's being sabotaged from within—and someone wants her dead.
Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta Mysteries)
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From Publishers Weekly
Cornwell, a former reporter who has worked in a medical examiner's office, sets her first mystery in Richmond, Va. Chief medical officer for the commonwealth of Virginia, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, the narrator, dwells on her efforts to identify "Mr. Nobody," the strangler of young women. The doctor devotes days and nights to gathering computer data and forensic clues to the killer, although she's hampered by male officials anxious to prove themselves superior to a woman. Predictably, Scarpetta's toil pays off, but not before the strangler attacks her; a reformed male chauvinist, conveniently nearby, saves her. Although readers may be naturally disposed to admire Scarpetta and find the novel's scientific aspect interesting, they are likely to be put off by her self-aggrandizement and interminable complaints, annoying flaws in an otherwise promising debut.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Library Journal
This award-winning novel based on Richmond's real-life "South Side Strangler" case introduced Virginia's chief medical examiner, Kay Scarpetta, and launched Cornwell's career. Narrator Lorelei King generally has a pleasant reading voice and uses good pacing to build suspense. However, this is not a successful merger of book and reader for American ears. Listeners may be confused to hear that Kay wears "cocky" (khaki), for instance, and accenting the second syllable of such words as modem and condom distract the listener from the story. Furthermore, the voices of supporting characters (such as Marino, a "stoopid" New Jersey cop, and Lucy, a fussy Southern child) are stereotypical. Fortunately, an unabridged version of Postmortem is available from several other producers, including Recorded Books (Audio Reviews, LJ 2/15/94). Not recommended.?Juleigh Muirhead Clark, Williamsburg, Va.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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First Sentence
IT WAS RAINING IN RICHMOND ON FRIDAY, JUNE 6. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
IT WAS RAINING IN RICHMOND ON FRIDAY, JUNE 6. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By HeaLea
Format:Paperback
If you're looking for a light read, you could do worse than to get this book. It's entertaining and decently written. It wasn't boring but it wasn't particularly memorable. It's the celery of books.
Format:Library Binding
Postmortem is a great start to the Kay Scarpetta series. Read this and I'm sure you'll be hooked for the series. Good mystery reading and leaves you wanting more, and there is!
By General Pete
Format:Library Binding
Great book, wonderful literary creations with wonderful attention to forensic detail. Start here don't go zig-zagging all over the serise like I did. Just a wonderful point, one problem though in spite of the wonderful building up the climax they discovered who the bad guy was too easily.
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4.1 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Just so-so
It was a really great plot, very well detailed story, so interesting, and then had an anti-climactic ending. Could have been better.
Published on April 19 2009 by Backstreets
3.0 out of 5 stars
Forensic Mystery
Dr Kay Scarpetta, Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia, gets involved investigating a string of murders. However, while 911 was dialled, no one came. Read more
Published on Sep 25 2004 by Ez
5.0 out of 5 stars
brilliant debut
The women die on Saturday mornings. They die horrifically and seemingly randomly. They are brutalised and strangled in their bedrooms by an intruder. This is all that is known. Read more
Published on Jan 22 2004 by RachelWalker
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great forensics, great mystery, great tension
This is the book that introduces us to Kay Scarpetta, Virginia's first chief medical examiner. She is a tough cookie, a woman in a "man's world" and somebody who doesn't take no... Read more
Published on Nov 6 2003 by Andrew J. Platt
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic Cornwell
With this stellar novel, Patricia Cornwell introduced crime fiction's most winning Protagonist in Kay Scarpetta, Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Read more
Published on Nov 1 2003 by Pascal
3.0 out of 5 stars
It didn't stand the test of time
This novel was written un the begining of the 90s and won a lot of awards. But, that was then, and this is now. Read more
Published on Oct 10 2003 by Alexander Gitlits
5.0 out of 5 stars
I Couldn�t Put it Down
Richmond is terrorized by Mr. Nobody, a serial killer. He leaves hardly any evidence behind, but he hasn't reckoned on the abilities of Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Kay Scarpetta. Read more
Published on Sep 29 2003 by Laurel Whitehead
5.0 out of 5 stars
Couldn't put it down
What an exciting book! I absolutely could not put it down, and it left me guessing till the very end. Read more
Published on Sep 13 2003 by Suzanne Wilson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terrific!
This book was great. I can't wait to read the other of Ms Cornwell's books. I love her attention to detail and acuracy. Lots of surprises. Well crafted. Read more
Published on July 10 2003
3.0 out of 5 stars
a good first novel in the Scarpetta series
Cornwell introduces Kay Scarpetta, an interesting enough character, in Postmortem and tells a decently satisfying serial murder mystery. Read more
Published on July 10 2003 by mackattack9988
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