Scarpetta: Scarpetta (Book 16)
Written by Patricia Cornwell
Narrated by Kate Reading
3.5/5
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Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
From America's #1 bestselling crime writers comes the extraordinary new Kay Scarpetta novel.
Leaving behind her private forensic pathology practice in Charleston, South Carolina, Kay Scarpetta accepts an assignment in New York City, where the NYPD has asked her to examine an injured man on Bellevue Hospital's psychiatric prison ward. The handcuffed and chained patient, Oscar Bane, has specifically asked for her, and when she literally has her gloved hands on him, he begins to talk-and the story he has to tell turns out to be one of the most bizarre she has ever heard.
The injuries, he says, were sustained in the course of a murder . . . that he did not commit. Is Bane a criminally insane stalker who has fixed on Scarpetta? Or is his paranoid tale true, and it is he who is being spied on, followed and stalked by the actual killer? The one thing Scarpetta knows for certain is that a woman has been tortured and murdered-and more violent deaths will follow. Gradually, an inexplicable and horrifying truth emerges: Whoever is committing the crimes knows where his prey is at all times. Is it a person, a government? And what is the connection between the victims?
In the days that follow, Scarpetta; her forensic psychologist husband, Benton Wesley; and her niece, Lucy, who has recently formed her own forensic computer investigation firm in New York, will undertake a harrowing chase through cyberspace and the all-too-real streets of the city-an odyssey that will take them at once to places they never knew, and much, much too close to home.
Throughout, Cornwell delivers shocking twists and turns, and the kind of cutting-edge technology that only she can provide. Once again, she proves her exceptional ability to entertain and enthrall.
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Patricia Cornwell
Patricia Cornwell is recognized as one of the world’s top bestselling crime writers and the author of the Scarpetta series. Her novels have been translated into thirty-six languages in more than 120 countries and won numerous prestigious awards, including the Edgar, Creasey, Anthony, Macavity, and the French Prix du Roman d’Aventure prize. Cornwell, a licensed helicopter pilot and scuba diver, actively researches the cutting-edge forensic technologies that inform her work.
More audiobooks from Patricia Cornwell
Chaos: A Scarpetta Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Ripper: The Secret Life of Walter Sickert Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Depraved Heart: A Scarpetta Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
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Reviews for Scarpetta
519 ratings43 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I liked the fact that little people were central to the mystery this time. When the bad guy was revealed, it seemed a little out of the blue. The book was interesting, but it took me awhile to read it, so I can't say that it was great.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5i really enjoyed this book. it seemed to have a bit of everything. i think i have read scarpetta books in the past but don't remember for sure. this one is further down the chain and i didn't realize i had cruel and unusual too or i would have read that first because now i'll be prequeling and unless i've read an entire series, not my favorite thing. definently a good read and if you like mystery or me type books it's well worth it.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Five days a week I have a two hour commute to school and have been listening to audio books. I loved the early Scarpetta novels but lost a little steam with the last few, but with this this novel I'm a born-again Cornwell junkie!
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Too technical.. WHO CARES ... just trying for entertainment!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Scarpetta is summoned to NYC to do a personal favor for the DA and probably only accepted because it was Benton that asked her to come. She was to interview a suspect in a murder crime that refused to speak with anyone but Kay Scarpetta. His claim was that she could protect him and could prove his innocence. She came and was instantly and completely involved in a situation that she would have preferred not to be apart of. To top it all off, there were many surprises awaiting her, not the least of which was Mario's new job at the DA's office after disappearing out of her life. The four super sleuths of Benton, Scarpetta, Lucy and Marino are reunited in New York City.
After her last few books, I was on the verge of swearing off Cornwell for good. This one - "Scarpetta" - is much improved. Still not up to the quality of her earlier books, but she has toned down the infernal whining of her characters' inner thoughts somewhat and focused more on the story. She started down the path of undoing the almost irreparable damage she did in the last book to Scarpetta's sidekick Pete Marino, and gave the irritating Lucy more of a back seat. She would do well to focus more on the detective work and the forensics and give her books a lighter tone.1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/52.5 stars -- the forensic aspect of this series continues to be its best feature. The characters, on the other hand, are mostly two-dimensional, and I'm finding it difficult to care very much what happens to any of them.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5For me this was significantly better than Cornwell's average - deeper and more interesting characterisation and a plot with much to think about.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Not the most interesting book I have listening to...however, it was far from the worst. Scarpetta seemed disjointed and I find that happens occasionally with audio books. This, I think, is often caused by the narrator chosen to read the book. Scarpetta's plot and story line were good, but a great deal of time was spent interviewing one character and then he seemed to disappear never to be heard of again. and then suddenly, as I was thinking there would be several more chapters it was "The End". So I'm not sure if it was the Butler, in the kitchen with the ice pick...or the mid in her parlour with the mallet...who dunnit.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Good read by Cornwell. The characters develop and we begin to wonder if Cornwell is a Scarpetta wannabe? Maybe? It took me 17 books to figure that out and I'm slow? Again, the whodunit is mired in the minutiae of the character's lives and the story drones on until the final exciting conclusion...just like it was designed...and I couldn't put it down. I thought this one was an average work by the author--but now I'm hooked and onto the next one!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5i really enjoyed this book. it seemed to have a bit of everything. i think i have read scarpetta books in the past but don't remember for sure. this one is further down the chain and i didn't realize i had cruel and unusual too or i would have read that first because now i'll be prequeling and unless i've read an entire series, not my favorite thing. definently a good read and if you like mystery or me type books it's well worth it.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I used to like Patricia Cornwell's books, and I'm not sure if her storytelling skills are "off", or if it's just that the OTHER authors I've been reading have told more exciting stories. I read more than half of this book, and just could not care about the characters or the murder being solved. With so many interesting books out there to read, why bother with this one??
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It was o.k. but not so good as others from the Scarpetta serie. It was very fast obvious that the evil one has to be found amongst the inner circle of the investigating team. But in the end there weren't many clues why he has done it. Anyway, I hope the next sequel will be better.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The story starts in the middle of a murder investigation. The preliminaries seemed to go on for quite a bit with the reader gathering snippets here and there of what transpired -- I don't enjoy this method of piecing details together. In my opinion, that first bit was quite draggy and didn't really start getting into gear till about the middle of the book. There was a lot of character development for the central players of the story, but at the end, although the investigation was wrapped up -- means and opportunity (of the perpetrator) explained, the motive was never really addressed.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ahhhhh! This was definitely more like the early Scarpettas. Thank goodness Cornwell has seemingly recovered from that preachy, naggy, bitchy funk of hers. This installment filled in the gaps appropriately, and gave Benton some human qualities instead of having him be the supersized superman he’s always been portrayed as. Marino gets a personality change as well, amazing what sobering someone up does. And Lucy—well, some are just late bloomers and shegives us a righteous scare at the end.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sleezy petshops. Online college. Little people. Obsessive compulsive disorder. Celebrity gossip column. Kay Scarpetta impersonator. Dermatologist. Paranoia. Only Patricia Cornwell can tie these seemingly unrelated topics into one of the best Kay Scarpetta novels yet.After disliking Trace, the last Kay Scarpetta novel I read, Cornwell won back my belief in this series with this book. Everything that Trace was lacking was perfectly executed in Scarpetta. The trail of clues were confusing but relevant. All of the characters (both the main cast and supporting) were completely developed and their histories well defined.Since 1990 Patricia Cornwell has come out with 18 mystery novels staring Kay Scarpetta. Scarpetta is the 16th installment in this series. From first book to the most recent, we follow Kay Scarpetta through her life, and that of her on-again off-again boyfriend, then husband, Benton Wesley; homicide detective turned death investigator for Kay’s team, Pete Marino; and tomboy niece, Lucy Farinelli. Of the main cast, Lucy is my favorite character, at least in the later additions to the series. When we were first introduced to her she was just a 10 year old girl, but she grows to be a strong, intelligent computer genius that worked for most of the major government organizations at one time or another before creating a search engine that she sells to those government organizations to monitor criminals.I look forward to my next adventure in Patricia Cornwell’s world of murder and mystery.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hmmm I started this book and it took off rather well but then I got sick and haven't finished yet...and still tried to get back into it and finally this 2nd week of February I forced myself to finish lthe book. Its was a good story but for some reason I was just stuck in the middle for so long! So happy I finished cause now I could start onthe next book from Kathy Reichs sorry cornwell but Kathy writes better!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This is the last Patricia D. Cornwell I'll read, but she may be someone else's cup of tea. In this story, Scarpetta is called upon to evaluate a Little Person, who may or may not be a murderer. The people around her, those whom she supposedly cares about (I find her personality to be that of a paper doll), are pushing and pulling her all over the place physically and emotionally. The narrator, Kate Reading, is excellent.I find these books to be full of ick, with no humor or characters to whom I am drawn. I simply don't like them and would probably avoid them if they were real, so why seek their company out in a book? The end of Cornwell's mysteries are usually a let down for me, having spotted the bad guys from the beginning, but hoping I was wrong because that would make the mystery not a mystery at all. Turns out it isn't a mystery, more a way to explore deviation and sadism.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The story line is interesting about dwarfish people and their illnesses and problems. The situation with Lucy, Kay, and Pete reuniting is a little awkward. The study facility where Benton works is disturbing to me in that dangerous criminals are examined and not really incarcerated. I also feel that Cornwell dwells too much on Lucy's sexual preference. I still enjoy reading Cornwell's novels.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Plot - tick. Interesting forensic facts - tick. Characters - half a tick. Dialogue - big negative. Well edited - no. Literature - absolutely not.I believe there is a genre of fiction - the airport novel. Big blatant, often embossed, covers. Relatively mindless plot and/or characters, that you don't need to devote a lot of brainpower to in order to vacuum it up.This, I believe, firmly fits into that category. I read it with a nasty head cold and it fitted the bill perfectly. Needless to say I won't be racing out to read more by Cornwell... until I'm next bedridden.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Much better well developed Scarpetta novel. In this novel, Scarpetta is called to NYC to help investigate the murder of a dwarf when the prime suspect, the dwarf's boyfriend, requests her to do the an interview after he admits himself to a criminal psych ward. This novel is much more like Scarpetta's earlier novels. The main characters, Scarpetta, Lucy, her niece, Wesley, her husband, Marino, the detective have grown some are are extremely less annoying. For once, the characters are developed into real people you might care about. The plot is about a serial killer who manages to manipulate not only the investigation but the people involved in it as well. So, the story unfolds slowly and is much more complicated making for a long novel. I've been following this series since the beginning and I actually enjoy this move to NYC although I still miss the Virginia settings.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I have been disappointed in the last few books in this series, but this one turned out to be a winner. Kay Scarpetta is now married to Benton Wesley and the usual gang is still amongst those helping her suss out the evil-doer. She is now solving a crime in New York leaving her private forensic practice in Charleston,South Carolina, behind for now. This time Scarpetta is working a case involving the murder of a "little person". Was her boyfriend her murderer? Why did this little person seem to be so interested in Scarpetta's life and career? Who is leaving nasty stories on the internet about Scarpetta? Are these events tied together. From the beginning of this novel, I felt that this was definitely going to be a good read. For me, it was.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5First time I've ever read a Scarpetta novel and I was not overly impressed. There were too many undefined pronouns making me guess at who was saying what, on top of the fact that I didn't find the character of Kay Scarpetta and supporting characters all that compelling. As far as the story goes, it was too over the top. Most interesting was cop Pete Marino and the drama surrounding his relationship with Scarpetta.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Another good book in the Scarpetta series with good guys, bad guys and "little people".
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Yet another excellent book from this fine author.Kay and Benton become involved with the murder of a young woman who has been corresponding with someone posing as Scarpetta. This is all tied in with a website which targets Kay viciously through malicious untrue gossip.When another woman is murdered and they find a link with two others across the country all the stops are pulled out to find the culprit. This brings the old gang back together again. Lucy, Kay, Benton, Jamie Berger (DA) and thank goodness Pete Marino.Although you can more or less guess who the perpertrator is, it is still an edge of the seat thrill with a superb ending.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Another Scarpetta novel. This one is a serial murder investigation in NYC. Scarpetta is together with the entire cast and are baffled by the murder of a small person.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Here’s another thriller involving Cornwell’s well known character Scarpetta; forensic MD extraordinaire. I’m not that familiar with the Scarpetta lore, and this is the second book I’ve read by her. But I’ve enjoyed reading her book. It’s a good forensic thriller and one does not have to be familiar with the main character or have read the other stories. What’s most interesting is her attention to detail dealing with the criminal forensic field; it's interesting to note that she does have a MD background. It’s a good book to read if you like forensic crime thrillers.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Way too much forensic and other technical information for me. It obscured the story line. Told in dialog. Seldom saw the emotions behind the actions.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This 16th installment of Cornwell’s series featuring forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta finds Scarpetta living in Massachusetts with an apartment in New York, both shared with her husband, former FBI forensic profiler Benton Wesley. Scarpetta’s called to Bellevue, where Oscar Bane, a man suspected of killing his girlfriend, is being held. Bane insists he will talk to no one but Scarpetta and is adamant that he did not murder his girlfriend, although all evidence points to him. Bane also claims he is being stalked by the actual killer. As Scarpetta collects DNA from Bane and listens to his declarations, she suspects he is infatuated with her. But Scarpetta is limited by doctor-patient confidentiality and cannot relay to Benton or the police her conversation with or suspicions about Bane. Pete Marino, once Scarpetta’s right-hand investigator, now employed by the NYPD, is pulled into the investigation by the prosecutor, as is Scarpetta’s niece, Lucy, due to her computer expertise. Someone claiming to be Scarpetta had been corresponding with the deceased via email and Scarpetta is being attacked by an online gossip column, all of which tie into the murder, linked to others of a similar nature.This series started strong, seemed to lag, and is, with this installment, on its way back. The reason: Scarpetta, Wesley, Marino and Lucy are together again, using their unique talents and collective intelligence in investigating cases that are twisting and complex. Although the revelation of the killer is unexpected, there are loose ends left dangling as to his ability to move around so easily without being detected and his motivation as to Scarpetta. However, this is a very good read, and this reviewer is happy to see the old crowd back together.
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Several people assured me that, with this book, the old Cornwell was back. WRONG! Thankfully, I got it from the library, rather than buying it. When I realized that I was reading it with the same amazed dislike I had for her other recent books, I returned it without finishing. Perhaps that will keep me from giving her yet another chance.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I don't know if it's the writing or the reading....I suspect a little of both. Will have to pick up the actual book to find out. The recording, however, is nothing short of annoying. I only made it through 4 CDs out of 12 and couldn't take it anymore.UPDATE: The book is up to Cornwell's usual high standards...something unusual in a log running series. The audio version is just plain annoying. Read it instead.