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    Postmortem
    Postmortem
    Postmortem
    Audiobook11 hours

    Postmortem

    Written by Patricia Cornwell

    Narrated by C. J. Critt

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Four young women have been found murdered-tortured and strangled in their own beds-all victims of the same brilliant monster. Using a skilled hand and the latest technology in forensic medicine, Kay Scarpetta begins the process of gathering the microscopic clues the latest battered body has to give.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMar 4, 2011
    ISBN9781456124465
    Author

    Patricia Cornwell

    Patricia Cornwell is recognized as one of the world’s top bestselling crime authors with novels translated into thirty-six languages in more than 120 countries. Her novels have won numerous prestigious awards including the Edgar, the Creasey, the Anthony, the Macavity, and the Prix du Roman d’Aventure. Beyond the Scarpetta series, Patricia has written a definitive book about Jack the Ripper, a biography, and three more fiction series among others. Cornwell, a licensed helicopter pilot and scuba diver, actively researches the forensic technologies that inform her work. She was born in Miami, grew up in Montreat, North Carolina, and now lives and works in Boston. 

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    Reviews for Postmortem

    3.5/5

    1,760 ratings57 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this audiobook! C.J. Critt did a fantastic job performing this story! I thoroughly enjoyed her narration.

      Kay Scarpetta caught the murderer when he targeted her! Although, it was actually a cop (can't remember his name) who shot him!

      I read this book on June 18th, 2022.
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed the book and give it a 5 star rating.
      I give SCRIBD a -D- rating, however. I love SCRIBD, the selections, the ease of borrowing books, and the price. The low rating is because the recordings are riddled with periods of dead air. When narration begins again, it is further along so I’ve missed part of the story. Annoying.
      I am looking forward to a time when SCRIBD is able to fix this problem so I can give it an -A- rating. What they are selling is an excellent concept. Audio books are a delight to me, as I can’t see to read a book.
    • 4/5
      Postmortem was Patricia Cornwell's first novel featuring Kay Scarpetta, the fierce coroner with a lion's share of beauty, intelligence, skill, and a mental bent for solving puzzles: how did this person die?, and who is killing women in Richmond? That's what's happening this year: a monster of a murderer is ritualistically slaying powerful women in the Richmond, VA area, and is doing so with careful calculation and the ability to remove all the clues of his presence. DNA evidence is in its early days, so Scarpetta and her team need to use all their talents to put a net around the killer. Of course, Scarpetta's involvement, and her resemblance to the other murdered women puts her in the killer's sights.Postmortem was an excellent first novel, and I think that it's the finest one that Cornwell ever wrote, which is why this is probably my third or fourth reading of the book.
    • 4/5
      Good story. Several edge of seat moments. Easy to follow
    • 4/5
      It was neat to hear a story from one of the trailblazers in female-driven forensic fiction. Not the best or most smooth crime fiction I’ve read or heard, but it was still compelling and I’m sure I’ll continue with the series.
    • 3/5
      I used to listen to Cornwell's books in the '90s when I commuted to graduate school. Listening was a better experience than reading this one with my eyes. That may be because of the passage of time. Ok thriller with only moments of thrill.
    • 4/5
      It must be almost thirty years since I first read this novel, which introduced the world to Dr Kay Scarpetta, Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Virginia. For a while, Cornwell was one of my favourite crime writers, and I looked forward to the latest instalment in the career of Dr Scarpetta, along with her colleagues: surly detective Pete Marino (rather like an American John Rebus), and the suave FBI profiler Benton Wesley. The early novels were very powerful, involving gritty plots, generally arising from the work of evil serial killers, with justice being delivered through a balance of solid detection work, insightful profiling and deft application of forensic techniques. But then something went wrong, and I found that the plots became almost laughable, and the characters dwindled to hollow echoes of their former self. I think that part of the problem lay in the rise to prominence within the books of Lucy Farinelli, Kay’s young niece, who rapidly became one of the fictional characters who most irritated me.Still, after a conversation with a close friend about our tastes in crime fiction, I thought it would be interesting to revisit this book, to see if it still seemed as good as it had when I first encountered it/ The good news is that it did. Obviously, in the intervening decades, technology has moved on almost beyond measure, and a lot of the descriptions of what were then cutting-edge processes now seem commonplace. We have all become used to television programmes such as CSI, and probably all think of ourselves as pretty savvy in crime scene investigation. Similarly, the rather cumbersome steps that Dr Scarpetta has to go through in order to log on to her office computer system from home was once a source of awe to me, and I wondered whether I could ever partake of such magic myself.The key point is that this remains a well constructed novel, with very plausible characters, and a substantial plot. The technology that the police and FBI might deploy in the investigation may be different, but (worryingly) everything else remains entirely credible. Sadly, that even extends to the political context against which the novel is set. Dr Scarpetta is a an accomplished and highly qualified practitioner, but while she has achieved a lot, she is still cooped in by the glass ceiling of inequal opportunities. I was also struck by the manner in which so many of the top civil positions in local government are electoral appointments, with incumbents always having to bear in mind the implications for re-election of any actions they take (or don’t take) in pursuit of their investigations. That is something that is, fortunately, alien to the British reader, although I suppose with growing numbers of Police and Crime Commissioners in post, even that is changing.I was very glad to find that this novel still seemed as gripping and convincing as it had first time around.
    • 4/5
      A well crafted debut crime novel.
      I liked the fact that all the medical and forensic details I looked up were true.
      She keeps the suspense going to the end.
    • 3/5
      I really did enjoy reading this book so much that I couldn't wait to get back to it and finish it but once it was over I kept thinking did I really like it that much or was I just ready for it to be over. I am torn on this one. I just can't make up mind on this one which is why I gave it 3 stars.

      I found the bad guy very amazing up until the end and then I found him to be very underwhelming. I did love the science (well my idea of science) on both sides -- the computer side and the medical side. I also found her niece very annoying and felt they were tiptoeing around her about everything so she wouldn't get upset.
    • 5/5
      this was my first book ever read by Patricia Cornwell, but won't be my last. I love medical mysteries and this was a good one. character development was good, the deeper into the book the harder it was to put down.
    • 3/5
      Spoller Alert!!!!!

      This novel is the first in the Dr. Kay Scarpetta series. The story opens as Dr. Scarpetta, Chief Medical Examiner for the state of Virginia, receives an early-morning call from Sergeant Pete Marino, a homicide detective at the Richmond Police Department with whom Scarpetta has a tense working relationship. They meet at the scene of a woman's gruesome strangling, the latest in a string of unsolved serial killings in Richmond.

      The killer leaves behind a few clues; among them are a mysterious substance which sparkles and glows under laser light, traces of semen, and in the vicinity of the last murder, an unusual smell, sort of mapely. Scarpetta and Marino work with FBI profiler, Benton Wesley to attempt to piece together a profile of the killer. Initial evidence appears to point to the fourth victim's husband, (the husband is always the first suspect), but Scarpetta suspects otherwise despite Marino's insistence. The book references DNA profiling a relatively new technique, (book was published in 2003.) the characters briefly bemoan the lack of a criminal DNA database which could provide better leads to suspects, given available evidence.

      Meanwhile in her personal life, Scarpetta must deal with the presence of her extremely precocious ten-year-old niece, Lucy, as well as an uncertain romantic relationship with the local Commonwealth's attorney.

      During the investigation, a series of news leaks about the murders appear to be coming from a source within the medical examiner's office. The leaks threaten Scarpetta's position, especially after she is forced to admit that her office database has been compromised.

      Believing that the killer thrives on media attention and hoping to flush him out by provoking his ego, Scarpetta, Wesley, and local investigative reporter Abby Turnbull (whose sister was the fifth victim), conspire to release a news story which suggests that the killer has a distinctive body odor due to a rare metabolic disease and implies that the killer may be mentally disordered.

      While attempting to find another link between the five murders, Scarpetta stumbles on the fact that that all five victims had recently called 911. Might the killer be a 911 operator, Kay Wonder's. Could he have chosen his victims based on their voices?

      Scarpetta is awakened in the middle of the night by a presence in her bedroom. Lucy is also asleep in the house. It is the killer who has broken into her home. As she attempts to reach for a gun she has under her pillow for protection, Marino bursts into her bedroom and shoots the intruder, having realized that the news article would make Scarpetta a likely target. Scarpetta's suspicion proves to be correct; the killer was a 911 dispatcher.
    • 4/5
      Solid start to this series though a little predictable.
    • 4/5
      Well done police procedural, although I wonder if real medical examiners get so involved in solving cases.---at least on the TV series I've seen, they don't. Dr. Scarpetta also has to deal with sexism, office politics, and her sister, a children's book writer who elopes with her illustrator instead of paying attention to her daughter, Lucy. Lucy, a ten-year-old genius, is able to help with computer problems in a time of floppy disks and modems. I was convinced that I had solved whodunit early on, but then characters in the book began suspecting him and I was, once again, completely wrong. The solution was quite reasonable, even if it didn't follow the traditional rules of a mystery book.(N.B.: The author changed her name to Patricia Cornwell to later books.)
    • 4/5
      Quick read that gives all the goods of a classic mystery. If you like Patterson and Reichs you're sure to enjoy Cornwell.
    • 4/5
      Good story for a first in series. Technology is dated but that's to be expected as it's been awhile since it was written. Interesting to read the beginning in the Scarpetta series.
    • 4/5
      Very similar to Kathy Reichs "Bones" books but this one predates them by enough to be noticable. Decent story, well written. Just old enough for the electronic lingo end equipment to be dated but not old enough to make it a period piece.
    • 3/5
      I have read all Scapetta's books, this is one I like more.
    • 5/5
      The author Patricia Cornwell, has created an amazing ongoing series of novels based on a brilliant forensic medical examiner by the name of Kay Scarpetta. It this wonderful book of twists and turns she ( Dr Scarpetta) is to find a crazed killer that has been on the down low evaiding arrest. Patricia Cornwell Truely knows how to keep you on edge and unable to put her book down. It's a Mystery thriller that'll keep you guessing to the very end, with a lot of very interesting characters. I would recommend this book to anyone else who would enjoy a refreshing change to the predictable.
    • 4/5
      Post Mortem is a brilliant book that crosses paced and thrilling description with functioning science and thoroughly believable characters all together.
      At first, the first person narrative was a downer because I'm not inclined to like certain books with that narrative. I was wrong to think this: the first person narrative, voiced from Dr Kay Scarpetta, makes the story a completely intense and thoroughly enjoyable read. The scientific jargon is there but it is explained completely in a non condescending manner which gives the impression that you understand everything scientific that occurs. It is explain through the clever first person narrative choice and does not completely overwhelm you into putting the book down. Instead it draws you along with the protagonist and other characters involved and altogether it is a fantastic read. The characters are intrinsic enough for you to get to know them as you should, but they're also not put bare in front of you as I have experienced in some first person narratives.
      This also being the first book of this genre I have ever read, having not been completely interested (or able to pull myself away from fantasy and sci-fi), I have found a new genre to add to my large collection and will be following up with a review of all Cornwell's other books, too.
    • 4/5
      A very human heroine in Kay Scarpetta -- she smokes, drinks more than she should, juggles personal relationships badly, handles workplace conflicts less than diplomatically. She reminds me of me in that, despite her faults, she is good at her job and manages to muddle through on the other fronts. The book was a very quick read, no great surprises and limited suspensefullness, but enjoyable nonetheless.
    • 4/5
      Patrica Cornwell is one of my go to favorites. I am always amazed at the quantity of forensic fact she manages to put in her novels. This was before the CSI's of the world. I do have to suspend my disbelief about some things such as the level of involvement with investigations as she is the chief medical examiner???
    • 5/5
      This is the first book I've read by Patricia Cornwell and I LOVED it!! Very fast reading and couldn't put it down. Now I'm on the her next...Body of Evidence!!
    • 5/5
      I recently finished reading Post-Mortem by Patricia Cornwell, a book I borrowed from the library. Following is the synopsis from the back of the book and my thoughts about it.

      Synopsis:

      Under cover of night in Richmond, Virginia, a human monster strikes, leaving a gruesome trail of stranglings that has paralyzed the city. Medical examiner Kay Scarpetta suspects the worst: a deliberate campaign by a brilliant serial killer whose signature offers precious few clues. With an unerring eye, she calls on the latest advances in forensic research to unmask the madman. But this investigation will test Kay like no other, because it’s being sabotaged from within—and someone wants her dead.

      My Thoughts:

      Patricia Cornwell’s book Post-Mortem was fast paced read. It propelled me along wanting to reach the conclusion and find out who the killer was. The story did include some characters who could have been the serial killer. The character of Kay Scarpetta was quite likeable and gutsy.

      Kay works diligently to find out who has been murdering women in Richmond and in the process discovers that someone in her own lab could be hindering the investigation. She tries to fight the idea that the serial killer may be someone close to her and her lab.

      Post-Mortem was well-written although some of the medical terms I had to look up to find out what they actually were, especially when it came to a genetic disorder that Dr. Scarpetta and her team believed the murderer suffered from. This was a good thing though because I felt like I had actually learned something while reading this book. Patricia Cornwell has woven a story in which forensic research really does help to unmask a madman. The twist is in how this research is used to catch the killer, in my opinion anyway.

      Conclusion and Rating:

      This was an excellent story, one that I am pleased to give 5 ***** to. This rating is because Post-Mortem was an amazingly interesting story! This is a story that pulled at my emotions in a major way. I truly loved this book and would highly recommend it.
    • 3/5
      “Postmortem” was nothing like what I thought it was going to be but then, I had never read a Cornwell novel before. I had thought that this was going to be your typical murder mystery with a female doctor who solves the crime, however that is not the case with Patricia Cornwell. Her novel is filled with science from the processes of a forensic pathologist to the machines used to catalog and process evidence. The incredible details from timelines of processing evidence, to how crime scenes are managed and the various parties that are involved is amazing. Kay Scarpetta is a likeable, smart heroine and the perfect lead character for a novel like this.

      When a serial rapist/murderer starts killing women in Richmond, Virginia Kay Scarpetta (the forensic pathologist) and the local police are on the case. When the media starts to include specific unreleased details of the crimes, suspicions are that there is either a leak within the PD or medical examiner’s office or that it is an inside person that is committing the crimes. With Scarpetta’s help the rapist/murderer will be found and exposed.

      This novel reads like a step-by-step case study and is without a doubt a fascinating read.
    • 4/5
      The first book in the Kay Scarpetta series this one introduces us to the characters and the world she works in . Scarpetta is the Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia, with her niece visiting her she's investigating a serial killer who is hunting women and spreading fear. The story starts with several already dead, so we're in the middle of the action, Scarpetta is an interesting character and the cast of characters around her are quite interesting. The ending felt a little rushed but everything was well wrapped up at the end.A series I want to continue with but I'm in no real rush to read.
    • 4/5
      I recently re-read this book after first reading it 10+ years ago. Though I remembered some of the main plot points, I had forgotten enough of it that it felt fresh again. This is definitely a graphic book with some grisly descriptions, but in my opinion it's not gratuitous and instead reflects the nature of some rather grisly work. There are a few predictable plot turns but still enough surprises and twists to make it suspenseful. Word of caution- not the best book to read alone late at night (as I did) unless you're not in need of much sleep. More than once I found myself actually jump in response to noises outside. But that's also a testament to the effectiveness of her writing. As an aside, the book was written in 1990 and her descriptions of the latest advances in computers for that time brought back some fond memories.
    • 4/5
      The first time I heard about Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta mysteries was on BBC World Book Club and when the hefty tome containing the first three Scarpetta novels caught my eye at the used book shop I immediately snatched it off the shelf. It waited its turn until this year when I finally settled in to read Postmortem. One of the first things that struck me, even distracted me somewhat, was how much technology playing a major part in the story dated the novel. Scarpetta talked about diskettes, bringing up information through Basic commands, dialing in to computers via modem and I could hardly believe the time Cornwell was writing about was just over 20 years ago. Seems like much longer considering the leaps and bounds by which technology has advanced since 1990s. Once I adjusted to the idea of computer systems being a novelty and DNA testing being so new that it was barely used and took forever I was able to appreciate this book for what it is. Did you know it received the Edgar, Creasey, Anthony and Macavity Awards and the French Prix du Roman d'Adventure in a single year? It was revolutionary back then to put a woman in the center of a crime novel and Cornwell did it wonderfully. Kay Scarpetta is intelligent and strong, but at the same time she's vulnerable and sensitive. We see her as the tough Chief Medical Examiner and a loving aunt who makes pizza from scratch, we see her doing her best and feeling insecure because she's one of the few women in a man-dominated world. Things have changed some since then but not all that much and it was refreshing to see a woman who isn't all iron lady. The supporting cast complemented Scarpetta nicely - a rough around the edges detective with both great instincts and integrity to bring to the table, a little girl so smart she beat the adults at their own game, the perfect suspect or two who... well, I'll leave you to figure that one out on your own. The characters really made the book for me but the writing was great as well. This is one of those cases where the writer breaks the rules we've heard time and time again (limit adverbs, show don't tell, etc.) and does it in a way that works and actually makes the novel better. As they say, break the rules the right way! Last but not least when it came time for the big reveal I was just as suprised as everyone else. Cornwell revealed the clues so gradually that I actually felt like I was figuring things out with Scarpetta and Marino and the fact that there wasn't a big explanation at the end and neither was the culprit one of the characters who already made an appearance at the scene made the story much more satisfying. Needless to say I look forward to reading the next book in the volume.
    • 5/5
      I have been wanting to read the Scarpetta books for a long time because I love the Bones novels and another series that is similar so I figured I would like these as well. Being OCD about the way I read books of course I had to read them from the start. After I got back into the mindframe of pre-computers on every surface of my house and a cell phone in my pocket, I was able to appreciate the story because the old style computers really play a part in the story. I am hooked on Scarpetta and just got the second in the series. This story is well told and I really enjoyed it all the way through. Sometimes with this type of novel it is easy to get bogged down by too many details but this book has a perfect balance of information vs. story. I can see that I will be a Patricia Cornwell fan from now on.
    • 4/5
      For all the crime books I've read, I'd never read Cornwell until last summer when an audio book was on in a car I was riding in. I liked it and vaguely intended to read more. Didn't happen until I loaded some onto my nook and spent the holiday weekend enjoying brain candy. I decided to read from the beginning as much as possible. I enjoyed meeting Marino and Lucy. It's amazing to set this book, technology wise re: DNA, email, dot matrix printing and cell phones. Not to mention smoking everywhere. I liked this, although the perp coming after Doc was somewhat predictable. As was the boyfriend du book. Do all crime authors pick from the same elements? All in all a good read.
    • 5/5
      When women in Virginia keep coming up brutally strangled to death. It is up to Chief Medical officer Dr Kay Scarpetta to use forensic evidence to solve the crimes and the only clue she has to go on is a lingering smell of maple syrup at the crime scene. This is good book that keeps you guessing until the very last page. It is well worth the read and I would recommend it to anyone who likes crime dramas. I acquired this copy from a used book shop.