Postmortem (Scarpetta Book 1)
by Patricia Cornwellpublished
December 2003
(first published 1990)
by Pocket
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binding
Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
characters
setting
United States
literary awards
Edgar Award for Best First Novel (1991); Creasey; Anthony Award for Best First Novel (1991); Macavity Award for Best First Mystery Novel (1991); Prix du Roman d'Adventure
isbn
0743477154
(isbn13: 9780743477154)
description
Under cover of night in Richmond, Virginia, a human monster strikes, leaving a gruesome trail of stranglings that has paralyzed the city. Medical ...more
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Read in August, 2008
I decided to read Postmortem because of how often Cornwell and Kathy Reichs are compared. And I can see the reasons for the comparisons. Both are written in first person, the narrators are forty-something, divorced, blond and handsome professional woman, and they become personally involved with the death and mayhem that they work with day to day.
In terms of writing style, I prefer Reichs. Despite her overuse of similes, she has a nice light descriptive tone that softens the horrors...more
In terms of writing style, I prefer Reichs. Despite her overuse of similes, she has a nice light descriptive tone that softens the horrors...more
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Read in October, 2006
Is different from other mysteries I'm used too, which means that is different from Agatha Christie. Is more of a CSI kind, although with some differences due to the book, as I understood it, being written when forensic science (as we know from the CSI series) was still developing and getting more credibility and efficiency, in the early '90s.
The action has a very fast pace, almost against the clock, with the police trying to find the assassin and prevent more deaths. This is somehow hard to ...more
The action has a very fast pace, almost against the clock, with the police trying to find the assassin and prevent more deaths. This is somehow hard to ...more
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Read in February, 2008
I LOVED this book. Have no idea why it took me so long to discover Cornwell.
Cornwell has written a string of bestsellers featuring Kay Scarpetta, her detective sidekick Marino, and her volatile niece, Lucy: Body of Evidence (1991), All That Remains (1992), Cruel and Unusual (1993) [which won Britain’s prestigious Gold Dagger Award for the year’s best crime novel:], The Body Farm (1994), From Potter’s Field (1995), Cause of Death (1996), Unnatural Exposure (1997), Point of Origin (1998...more
Cornwell has written a string of bestsellers featuring Kay Scarpetta, her detective sidekick Marino, and her volatile niece, Lucy: Body of Evidence (1991), All That Remains (1992), Cruel and Unusual (1993) [which won Britain’s prestigious Gold Dagger Award for the year’s best crime novel:], The Body Farm (1994), From Potter’s Field (1995), Cause of Death (1996), Unnatural Exposure (1997), Point of Origin (1998...more
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
Fiction Crime Fans
A really great story, but not very captivating. It took me about 150 pages to really get into this one. Although, I will admit, it's only my second book by Cornwell.
This story follows Dr. Scarpetta, the medical examiner in Virginia. Being the only female medical examiner since...ever, she is, of course, a strong, but sypathetic character every woman can relate to. Dr. Scarpetta is the medical examiner during the reign of what is supposed to be Virginia's best serial killer yet. Using her inte...more
This story follows Dr. Scarpetta, the medical examiner in Virginia. Being the only female medical examiner since...ever, she is, of course, a strong, but sypathetic character every woman can relate to. Dr. Scarpetta is the medical examiner during the reign of what is supposed to be Virginia's best serial killer yet. Using her inte...more
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If you can handle scary, and can look past gory and profane, Patricia Cornwell's novels are AMAZING. Aside from good old J.K. and Harper Lee, Cornwell is my favorite author. I'm convinced that all the CSI-esque shows were spawned from her books, and if you like that kind of thing, you'll LOVE these. Gripping, intense, nightmare-inducing, and really well-written. Plus you might learn some new things.
Start with the older books in the series, her newer works aren't as good.
Start with the older books in the series, her newer works aren't as good.
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Read in April, 1994
POSTMORTEM - Ex
Cornwell, Patricia - 1st in series
Four women with nothing in common, united only in death. Four brutalized victims of a brilliant monster - a "Mr. Nobody", moving undetected through a paralyzed city, leaving behind a gruesome trail of carnage . . . but few clues. With skilled hands, an unerring eye, and the latest advances in forensic research, an unrelenting female medical examiner - Kay Scarpetta - is determined to unmask a maniac. But someone is trying to sab...more
Cornwell, Patricia - 1st in series
Four women with nothing in common, united only in death. Four brutalized victims of a brilliant monster - a "Mr. Nobody", moving undetected through a paralyzed city, leaving behind a gruesome trail of carnage . . . but few clues. With skilled hands, an unerring eye, and the latest advances in forensic research, an unrelenting female medical examiner - Kay Scarpetta - is determined to unmask a maniac. But someone is trying to sab...more
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Read in May, 2008
This series must get better... so I'll hang in there. So far I'm not loving the characters. It's one of those types of mysteries where you would never get a fair shake at guessing "who done it". The forensic science... well let's just say we've come along way since this book was published. The technical stuff about hacking into computers was really boring and over explained (plus I still didn't get it). I did like that Cornwell used a lot of different vehicles to tell the story; t...more
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Read in January, 1990
Clearly I have a longterm bent for dark, moody, women-driven fiction. This book is the beginning of a long line of good mystery novels, but it's still the first and the best. How often do you get a 40-something, somewhat average but smart woman as your main hero? And this book was written quite a while ago. Great mystery is the classic tradition, but with bodies stacking up--literally. She is a coroner, after all. Love being in this woman's head. Totally realistic--none of that sill "...more
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Read in January, 1991
This mystery has extremely gruesome details, but for a long time, I kept reading anyway, even though I guess I generally like more soft boiled mysteries. I love the medical examiner aspect to this series; I find it fascinating. The graphic details in these books were always almost too much for me, but I kept reading through many books in this series. One thing that dos humanize them is the (main protagonist) medical examiner's relationship with her young niece, especially in the earlier books wh...more
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Read in January, 1991
recommends it for:
everyone
Cornwell got her Scarpetta series off to a good start in this novel. Along with decent character development, the forensics scenes were something completely different at the time, as well as being very accurate. I guess that how readers feel about a book series is kind of like a marriage. At first, all is roses, roses, followed by the hard work of keeping it together. If so, this is definitely from the honeymoon phase, and Cornwell delivers a taut, well-written detective story.
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Read in January, 1992
I began reading Patricia Cornwell in nursing school and really enjoyed the first several Dr Scarpetta books. The killer in the end is never anyone that has been suspected all along, which is a nice change from figuring out whodunit early in a story. However, as you see by the ratings on all the Cornwell books, I am finding that more recent Scarpetta books to not be as good as the originals. The voice has changed from first person and the story lines seem to ramble on a bit.
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Read in July, 2008
recommended to Cindy by:
Debbie C
A bit slow to start - she tries too hard to "set the stage" and it causes everything to bog down, without aiding the characters in becoming someone you feel you actually know or care about. Nevertheless, by the middle, the plot of intrigue starts to pick things up a bit, and it is ultimately, if only mildly, satisfying. I'll have to grant that I had never before heard of a metabolic disorder known as Maple Syrup Urine Disorder (MSUD), but apparently, it's legit.
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Read in May, 2008
I was worried about rereading this, since I plowed through all the Scarpetta mysteries in one summer six or seven years ago, but I was pleasantly surprised by how feminist this book is. Scarpetta is always fighting for respect in a man's world, and Cornwell fills the pages with professional and intelligent women, including Scarpetta's computer-genius niece. I think the rest of the series is probably worth a reread too (though I never read the last three or four).
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Like the forensic research she put into these books; and though the market is o'erwhelmed with this crap now, she was the first. On the other hand, Cornwall is SUCH a UMC wannabe--yikes. She can't write a book without a run down on the expensive, name brand products Scarpetta prefers in her private life.
Note: Three is the top mark I give to mysteries.
Note: Three is the top mark I give to mysteries.
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Read in December, 2007
This story has a bit of a drag to it which is exacerbated by the near reversal of all the emphasis after the last murder victim is found. Until that point the speed was much too slow and it hurt to find that almost everything was invalidated. I wish Kay's gay assistant, Wingo (or something like that, downside of audio books) would have had a larger role. Marino was actually a bigger ass than in the sequel which may show a form of character development.
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Read in September, 2007
This story follows Dr. Scarpetta, the medical examiner in Virginia. Being the only female medical examiner since...ever, she is, of course, a strong, but sypathetic character every woman can relate to. Dr. Scarpetta is the medical examiner during the reign of what is supposed to be Virginia's best serial killer yet. Using her intelligence, compassion,she pulls together the case, despite the forces working against her. Great crime investigative book.
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Normally, I read Mary Higgins Clark when I want to read mystery. However, a friend recommended Patricia Cornwell to me and told me about the Dr. Kay Scarpetta series. I really enjoyed Post Mortem. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I kept trying to figure out who the killer, but I was left guessing right up until the last minute. There's a little more language in this book than I like, but all in all, it's a good read.
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Patricia Cornwell is my favorite popular/pulp fiction author. Or, Kay Scarpetta is my favorite character and this is the first book she appears in. Kay Scarpetta is the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, VA and does gruesome things like autopsies, but she also solves a lot of murder cases. She's wicked smart and not particularly sunny natured, but I've totally fallen in love with her over the years. Let me know if you read her!
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Read in February, 2008
Patricia Cornwell- one of the leading crime novelists. Again, she has suspense and tension, gorey details without making you want to dash to the loo. Plus there are twists and turns all over; for the first half of the book she has you believing it is one person, then for the next half you believe it is this other person who was initially thought to be a loovely character. BUT the last few pages? I will let you read to find ;D...
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