Body of Evidence: A Scarpetta Novel (Kay Scarpetta #2)
by
Patricia Cornwell (Goodreads Author)
Now in a new premium edition, #1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Cornwell’s suspense fiction classic, featuring gutsy medical examiner Kay Scarpetta.
A reclusive author, Beryl Madison finds no safe haven from months of menacing phone calls—or the tormented feeling that her every move is being watched. When the writer is found slain in her own home, Kay Scarpetta...more
A reclusive author, Beryl Madison finds no safe haven from months of menacing phone calls—or the tormented feeling that her every move is being watched. When the writer is found slain in her own home, Kay Scarpetta...more
ebook, 496 pages
Published
December 1st 2009
by Scribner
(first published 1991)
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Dec 06, 2008
Eric_W
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mysteries-and-thrillers
The heroine is Dr. Kay Scarpetta, the Chief Medical Examiner in Virginia. Oh, no, you say, another Ouincv. Wrong, corpse-breath. Scarpetta is intelligent, short, (we don't know whether she is attractive or not, a relief) and she doesn't swoon over each drooling Sylvester Stallone imitation that happens by. (That's something I've always wondered about: How does Travis McGee, the blue-Rolls-Royce-truck-driving hero of John MacDonald's colored-titled novels avoid AIDS, since he seems to have the se...more
This series is what I call a "guilty pleasure". Not at all high-brow, but easy to read thrillers with some mystery, and I have to admit that I enjoy the gruesome details about forensic pathology. Being an engineering type, I like to know the details behind things, how things work, in particular when it comes to problem solving or investigative techniques.
I do love the character of Kay Scarpetta; she's a strong, smart woman who is also attractive. She makes me nuts sometimes when she does risky t...more
I do love the character of Kay Scarpetta; she's a strong, smart woman who is also attractive. She makes me nuts sometimes when she does risky t...more
This was my first Patricia Cornwall and I enjoyed the quality of writing but overall I think the detail was overwhelming and I'm not sure I will be reading another PC just yet. I have to acknowledge that the story did lead you down certain routes and the truth was revealed. There was a lot of dialogue and protracted evidence and technical descriptions which I found a little laborious.
Feb 23, 2007
smalls
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
mystery lovers
I like this series of Dr. Scarpetta. This one was not as edge of your seat as Post Mortem, but it was a good mystery. I kept saying, he is the culprit, and then I would change my mind as they introduced new characters. It was fun. I released it at the pool of the resort I was staying at, and it got caught before I got to journal. That was exciting! I hope they enjoy it too! Hawaii is a great place to catch up on some reading while you are at the pool or the beach! First time there, and I loved i...more
I found this book in a book sale, for a very lowly price of Rs. 25. It was a well-kept copy, no torn pages and so on. I got intrigued on reading the back-cover. I love crime fiction. However, most of what I'd read was from the perspective of the detective, or investigating officer. However, this was the first one that put it across from the Medical Examiner's perspective. Plus, not only the writer was a woman, but she had been an M.E in real life as well.
However, once I got the book home, it re...more
However, once I got the book home, it re...more
An author receiving threatening phone calls decides to hide for a while down in Key West and work on her memoir. She’s murdered the very night she sets foot back in Richmond. Kay Scarpetta, Richmond Chief Medical Examiner, investigates the case along with the intensely dislikable Lieutenant Marino. It looks like a psycho stalker did the deed, but the missing manuscript has an unscrupulous and greedy agent complicating the investigation in order to get his hands on the valuable pages.
Cornwell’s w...more
Cornwell’s w...more
I'm trying to read the Kay Scarpetta novels more or less in order even though I've heard it's a series you don't really have to take sequentially. So this is the second--the first being Postmortem. So far I'm having a pretty consistent opinion of the books, even though I'm only two in.
Body of Evidence is a mystery novel. And the mystery part of the book is done very well. It had me guessing a new suspect, a new motive, etc. with each chapter. That, I think, is the strong point of this novel. It...more
Body of Evidence is a mystery novel. And the mystery part of the book is done very well. It had me guessing a new suspect, a new motive, etc. with each chapter. That, I think, is the strong point of this novel. It...more
Patricia Cornwell- Body of Evidence (Avon Books 1992) 3.25 Stars
Kay Scarpetta is a Chief Medical Examiner who has come across the murder of a noted novelist. As she becomes more involved she discovers people from the novelists past start to die as well. It doesn’t take long before the serial killer’s attention focuses on her. Can she solve the case and catch the killer before his attraction has the same fate as the novelist?
Not usually a fan of Cornwell, I decided to give Body of Evidence a try...more
Kay Scarpetta is a Chief Medical Examiner who has come across the murder of a noted novelist. As she becomes more involved she discovers people from the novelists past start to die as well. It doesn’t take long before the serial killer’s attention focuses on her. Can she solve the case and catch the killer before his attraction has the same fate as the novelist?
Not usually a fan of Cornwell, I decided to give Body of Evidence a try...more
Second in the Kay Scarpetta series takes place a year after the close of Postmortem. Kay is well ensconced in her job as chief Medical Examiner, there has been a change in management and her new boss is much easier to work with. The brutally murdered body of a well known writer comes into the morgue, in her personal effects are two "xeroxed" personal letters written to a mysterious "M" written in Key West where she was in hiding from a stalker who threatened her life. But it's never what it seem...more
A major problem for Ms Cornwell is often to figure out how the perpetrator does things, for example, gaining access to premises where the potential victims are already on their guard. This problem is solved very cleverly in this book, and the narrative and forensics are as well thought out as usual.
For all that, it is not so involving as the first book in the Scarpetta series. For me the reason lies in the relationships between the characters being less intense and also less credible. I felt thi...more
For all that, it is not so involving as the first book in the Scarpetta series. For me the reason lies in the relationships between the characters being less intense and also less credible. I felt thi...more
I read Patricia cornwell's novel " Book of the dead " two years back and I still can remember the craze it became for me that weekend to finish it and reach the end. After months ( probably the 2nd or 3rd time this year ) , i felt the same obsession in me.
The book follows the life of a writer Beryl who for some reasons writes under different names for each of her book and was on a run days before she is killed in her own home. The book engages you from the beginning with the letters she writes t...more
The book follows the life of a writer Beryl who for some reasons writes under different names for each of her book and was on a run days before she is killed in her own home. The book engages you from the beginning with the letters she writes t...more
Hace poco me dí un paseo por el centro de Málaga recorriendo todas las librerías de viejo que hallé por el camino. Es lo malo de leer rápido, que hay que hacer peripecias para conseguir todos los libros que quieres y adaptarlos a tu presupuesto.
Desempolvando la sección de novela negra de una de ellas; encontré una edición en bolsillo del año 98 de El Cuerpo del Delito, de Patricia Cornwell, que me fascinó desde el momento en el que cayó en mis manos. Cierto es que cuando hablamos de libros lo im...more
Desempolvando la sección de novela negra de una de ellas; encontré una edición en bolsillo del año 98 de El Cuerpo del Delito, de Patricia Cornwell, que me fascinó desde el momento en el que cayó en mis manos. Cierto es que cuando hablamos de libros lo im...more
A good murder mystery needs three key components: a sympathetic victim, a fast pace, and an intricately woven web of clues for the reader to unravel right along with the book's crime solving entities. Cornwell's Body of Evidence meets these standards. Right out of the gate, she introduces the victim, Beryl Madison, through the woman's own words – sharing with readers letters written by Beryl to the mysterious 'M,' a moniker later revealed to be a red herring. As more characters are introduced, t...more
Cornwell's stories are interesting. She obviously knows her forensics and related protocols. Her character, Kay Scarpetta is the holier than though, smarter than though, success in the family - and yet her focus is on her lacking areas. She's a renowned doctor and an attorney - yet she invariably finds her position in jeopardy because of the perfect work she does. Some of her books are wonderful - and some go too far with the ghoulish details. Kay is likable - but sometimes her superiority is of...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Even though you don't have to read the Kay Scarpetta novels in the order they were written, I've chosen to do so. Body of Evidence is the second novel presented in the Scarpetta series, and follows Richmond, Virginia resident and current ME, Kay Scarpetta through a twisting plot of scandal, life-threatening circumstances, and of course, murder.
Patricia Cornwell does an excellent job with really describing her characters and setting. Dr. Scarpetta has an acute attention to detail, and as the book...more
Patricia Cornwell does an excellent job with really describing her characters and setting. Dr. Scarpetta has an acute attention to detail, and as the book...more
Misterija koja se obrađuje u knjizi "Telo kao dokaz" obuhvata niz smrtnih slučajeva, koji su svi povezani, mada nije jasno kako, jer ne postoji jasno osumnjičeni.
Zaplet uključuje mladu i aktraktivnu autorku Medison, koja biva praćena, maltretirana pozivima i na samom početku priče izbodena na smrt u svojoj kući. Ko ju je pratio? Zašto? Da li je ubica u pitanju ili neko drugi? Postoji mogućnost da je ona pisala svoju autobiografiju, koja obuhvata stvari koje su nekom smetale. Ovo bi mogao biti do...more
Zaplet uključuje mladu i aktraktivnu autorku Medison, koja biva praćena, maltretirana pozivima i na samom početku priče izbodena na smrt u svojoj kući. Ko ju je pratio? Zašto? Da li je ubica u pitanju ili neko drugi? Postoji mogućnost da je ona pisala svoju autobiografiju, koja obuhvata stvari koje su nekom smetale. Ovo bi mogao biti do...more
I've heard that the earlier books in this lengthy series are boring, but I didn't find this book or Postmortem (the first book) to be that way at all. Dr. Scarpetta's character can be a little too perfect at times (great taste in aged rums and makes her own pasta?), but her many flaws give the character relatability and depth, and she's certainly got courage to spare. Also, I liked the sparring between Kay and Detective Marino much more in this book than in the first one - they seem to have earn...more
Patricia Cornwell has a nice way with words. And her characters have distinctive language patterns and interesting personalities. Her plot was almost so convoluted that I had trouble following it, although that might be due more to the fact that I've was a distracted reader during this book. I should give the book more stars except that I don't like the Dr. Scarpetta main character, but oh the writing was good. Take for instance these two examples: "A significant portion of the human race has no...more
So it is in book two that you realize Cornwell is going to leave out a lot of background and just start running with personal stuff, making you wonder: did you miss a book - but no you did not! For example, her niece is a child in the first book, all of the sudden - only a year later in publication - she is a teenager. She is having a conversation with a man in her life that you begin to wonder, should I have known the background on this guy and the wtf is going on? Luckily, none of that is true...more
This book gets 5 stars for the interesting story, and 1 star for the *terrible* reading, for an average of 3 stars. (The version my library had was read by Donada Peters - there are, as far as I can tell, 3 different audio versions of this book that have been recorded by different readers.)
Anyway, I don't want to say that Ms Peters is a categorically bad ready, but she is an abysmal choice for this book. She is British (perhaps this recording was originally for the British market?) and does not...more
Anyway, I don't want to say that Ms Peters is a categorically bad ready, but she is an abysmal choice for this book. She is British (perhaps this recording was originally for the British market?) and does not...more
From the name I was expecting a lot, especially when The Times calls the book 'Head-under-bedclothes tension'. I was quite disappointed. Am I just too clever because, up to a point, I saw most of the plot coming and thus the tension turned to page stalling boredom. The chapters where extremely long too and the narrative wordy, so I didn't feel I ever really got into it. I read when I go to bed, like I expect most people do, therefore you need a cut off point before you fall asleep and totally lo...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Nov 18, 2012
LA Carlson
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
crime novel junkies
Shelves:
fiction
This book is much more detailed than Postmortem. It goes into greater detail with secondary characters. The core of the emerging Scarpetta series is Dr. Scarpetta-forensic pathologist, Pete Marino-Detective, Benton Wesley-Profiler, Lucy-Scarpetta's niece. The main victim in this book is a writer. There's a romantic relationship for Scarpetta, some interesting references to same sex relationships as if Cornwell is laying the foundation for something to come. I enjoyed the story and in her usual f...more
Sep 18, 2011
Daniel Reyes
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
detective-stories,
novela-negra
As always Cornwell delivers an exiting, well built, and above all, believable story. Her characters are very lifelike and detailed, even the ones that are not always on the limelight, or the ones very rarely mentioned, as the culprit, who I will refrain from mentioning here to avoid a spoiler.
Also the fact that this book was written 20 years ago, or close enough as to make no difference, and the world we are presented with is something we can perfectly remember, before cellular phones and e-mail...more
Also the fact that this book was written 20 years ago, or close enough as to make no difference, and the world we are presented with is something we can perfectly remember, before cellular phones and e-mail...more
This book was just as suspense-packed as the first. I think I even enjoyed it a bit more than Postmortem! There wasn't as much of the detailed methods or terminology of the forensic pathologist. I also thought the ending of this one came together a tad more satisfactorily than the first.
Once again, Kay finds herself in the midst of a murder, though this one adds up to multiple murders, it appears to be a crime of passion, not serial. While trying to do her job, Kay finds herself drawn in again i...more
Once again, Kay finds herself in the midst of a murder, though this one adds up to multiple murders, it appears to be a crime of passion, not serial. While trying to do her job, Kay finds herself drawn in again i...more
I read this book years ago and remember loving it, loving the whole series. Keep in mind that there was nothing out there like Patricia Cornwell, no CSI. It was captivating. I kept the books (through Blow Fly) and thought I would read them again to see if the warrant the shelf space.
This is still an entertaining read, but I did not remember the plot of this like I did Postmortem (that is not necessarily a bad thing when rereading), and I found it a bit tedious at times. Kay does what Kay does a...more
This is still an entertaining read, but I did not remember the plot of this like I did Postmortem (that is not necessarily a bad thing when rereading), and I found it a bit tedious at times. Kay does what Kay does a...more
3.5 STARS - Much like her first entry in the Scarpetta series, Cornwell does not disappoint; this is a solid book. The Scarpetta novels remind me of Kellerman's Alex Delaware stories, except one is a man, the other a woman, and they are in totally different fields, but still ... the feel is the same. Except maybe Scarpetta has the edge in that I feel her more acutely as a character than I do with Delaware.
ETA: (bit of a spoiler) Meant to add that the ending showdown was a bit sloppy. The high a...more
ETA: (bit of a spoiler) Meant to add that the ending showdown was a bit sloppy. The high a...more
It had been a while since I read Post Mortem but the characters still felt like friends. Marino had grown on me quite a bit in the course of PM but in Body of Evidence I did find it quite hard to like him at times. His grammar is so rough and his views quite black and white but I do think this is supposed to be a part of his charm. You know where you are with Marino. I loved Body of Evidence it was gripping and had a great plot and good pace. Plenty of heart stopping moments which had me on the...more
Corpus delict
Engels
Thriller
317 pagina's
Eerste druk: Macdonald, Londen (Verenigd Koninkrijk)
Iemand achtervolgt Beryl Madison. Iemand houdt haar in de gaten terwijl ze boodschappen doet en als ze thuis is. Ze wordt steeds vaker opgebeld en bedreigd. Doodsbang vlucht ze naar Key West. Maar eens moet ze terug naar huis. Die nacht wacht de onbekende haar op en om een onverklaarbare reden laat Beryl de moordenaar binnen. Zo begint voor pathaloog-anatoom Kay Scarpetta het onderzoek naar een even ingewi...more
Engels
Thriller
317 pagina's
Eerste druk: Macdonald, Londen (Verenigd Koninkrijk)
Iemand achtervolgt Beryl Madison. Iemand houdt haar in de gaten terwijl ze boodschappen doet en als ze thuis is. Ze wordt steeds vaker opgebeld en bedreigd. Doodsbang vlucht ze naar Key West. Maar eens moet ze terug naar huis. Die nacht wacht de onbekende haar op en om een onverklaarbare reden laat Beryl de moordenaar binnen. Zo begint voor pathaloog-anatoom Kay Scarpetta het onderzoek naar een even ingewi...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Women's Myste...: #2 Body of Evidence | 9 | 26 | Feb 02, 2013 02:08am |
Patricia Cornwell sold her first novel, Postmortem, while working as a computer analyst at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia. At her first signing, held during a lunch break from the morgue, Patricia sold no copies of Postmortem and fielded exactly one question – an elderly woman asked her where she could find the cookbooks.
Postmortem would go on to win the Edgar, Cre...more
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Postmortem would go on to win the Edgar, Cre...more
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“Has all the trappings of a mystery novel, doesn't it?”
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