Scarpetta going deeper
347103
Patricia Cornwell is exceeding expectations! In this book, we have the finest details of the forensics world, and as usual,an excellent plot that permeates the story of the characters. Makes me anxious for the next one.
101114
I liked this Scarpetta novel a lot better than the last few. After reading those, or starting and not being able to continue, I promised myself no more but the story line on Flesh and Blood looked good, so I borrowed it from the library.

It took me quite a while longer to read this than usual but I put that down to holiday busyness.  After reading some of the reviews I think I can share the blame with some of the writing.

Marino does seem to be getting more angry. Lucy and Benton's secretiveness is getting a bit old. Kay seems a little too detached.

All in all, though, I did enjoy reading this one. And I look forward to the next one which I know will happen (I hope soon before I forget this one) because Flesh and Blood ended in a cliffhanger in the last sentence. I hated that part, but I guess it's job security.
1996146
I've read most of the Scarpetta books and have enjoyed the first 6 or 7 the most. The story lines are complex and the details into the life of a medical examiner fascinated me. I love Marino because he is a breath of fresh air. The plot and the content of how evidenc is uncovered from policework and the analysis of the dead is really compelling. I'd suggst doing the "read inside" preview to see if it's your kind of book. I skim over the grizzly parts-but I'm kind of a wimp.<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/My-Husband-Ran-Off-with-the-Nanny-and-God-Do-I-Miss-Her/dp/1439217041/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">My Husband Ran Off with the Nanny and God Do I Miss Her</a>
1876446
I enjoyed this Scarpetta novel because it seemed more like the older books by Cornwell. I haven't liked the more recent books as much because they were getting more into IT than the forensics. In Trace, she is back to being a medical examiner and even back to Richmond.
1171606
It's here.....the latest installment of the life of Patricia Cornwell's best character, Kay Scarpetta. Port Mortuary is the 18th novel featuring our beloved Kay and her close associates, Benton, niece Lucy and Marino. The book is hard to put down, and you keep turning the pages to find out more, and yet when you immerse yourself in Kay's world, you want to stay and follow the day to day cases in her life. We enter Scarpetta's world in a very intimate way, the book is told from her point of view. The sights, smells, fears and reactions are all hers, showing an even deeper and darker world of thoughts than I thought existed for her. The book brings her back to her early professional career and the dual purpose she has in serving her country. Scarpetta is in my home state of Massachusetts, with a new Forensic Center, and a man is brought in after dropping dead, but could he have been left to die alone in the Center's cooler by mistake? This is Patricia Cornwell at her best, but with a unique look into a character you only thought you knew....don't miss this latest book.....it will leave you wanting even more from this author.... I want to fill out a job application at the new center, a world so real when seen through Kay's eyes you almost believe you can!
2574698
I have read Melvyn Sobel's review of this CD, and absolutely agree with what he says. So what can I say?
 This is a very refined CD. It is very quiet. All you hear is the music sung on a keyboard with little or no pedal. The playing brings to mind some early Horowitz live Scarlatti performances where he was able to bring out with utter clarity a muted, quiet sound without trying to copy  the harpsichord.
One exception to this is the magnificent  G major sonata (K13 / L486) where our player just plain romps. I feel this sonata ranks with music's greatest keybord works for its wit, brevity, beauty, and joie de vivre.
Another super-plus for this CD is the table of contents: note that out of 17 tracks, 12 are in the K number range over K400; i.e., music written in the last years of Scarlatti's life Would that other CD's might follow this pattern.
I hope that Ms.  Andjaparidze keeps her eye on the ball, and does the complete  Scarlatti before she chases other pursuits a la Rachmaninoff
248878
In their gaiety, lyricism, lightness, and eccentricity, the 550-odd keyboard sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757) are among the joys of music.  Scarlatti composed them during his old age while in the service of the royal family of Spain and Portugal.

There have been complete recordings of the sonatas on the harpsichord (by Scott Ross and Fernando Valenti), but this CD is part of a project on the Naxos label to record the sonatas in their entirety for the piano. (I don't think there is an earlier complete set of the sonatas on the piano.)  Each CD is performed by a different pianist, and each sells at a budget price.  The series will probably be of most interest to those listeners who already know Scarlatti and want to explore his music in detail.

This CD volume 6 in the Naxos series is performed by the Russian pianist, Evgeny Zarafiants.  I wasn't familiar with Mr. Zarafiants before, but I know he has recorded works by Scriabin for Naxos.  The disk includes 16 sonatas of widely varying types such as long, slow lyrical sonatas, (the sonata in D major, K.478), and lively, short virtuosic pieces (the sonata in F sharp minor, K.67 and the sonata in B flat major, K. 112.)  The CD exemplifies many aspects of Scarlatti's art: the trills and ornamentation, the repeated notes, dance-like melodies, guitar-like strumming, showy passages played cross-handed, sudden changes of mood, and much more.

It is valuable to follow the Naxos series and to hear the manner in which different performers interpret Scarlatti. Zarafiants's readings make use of the full characteristics of the piano; he makes no attempt at imitating the musical idiom of the harpsichord.  Thus, he plays with full tone and use of the pedal and with great dynamic variety.  He plays with a marked stacatto in those sonatas with repeated notes and with a much softer, lyrical touch in the longer, meditative works.  He changes tempos frequently within a single work and changes moods and styles effectively.  He plays with imagination and versatility. It is an effective way to hear Scarlatti on the piano.

Some of the works on this CD I particularly enjoyed are the opening sonata in E major, K. 135, a quirky work with many changes in moods and dynamics and with trills, the sonata in C major, K.502, a broad work full of octaves and trills, the sonata in F major, K.419, a light,lyrical work which works down from the upper register of the instrument, and the sonata in E flat major, K. 123, a virtuosic piece with a loud opening followed by runs and ornaments with contrasting legato and stacatto passages.  This is the sort of disk in which I found different works that appealed at each hearing.

Music-lovers who want to explore Scarlatti's sonatas in detail (and who are comfortable hearing these works on the piano) will enjoy this CD and its companions in the Naxos series.
122619
Can't miss with a book written by Patricia Cornwell.  Have read the entire Scarpetta Series in two months and can't wait for the new release coming in late October.  Must read from the first book through the entire series to appreciate each character and what they do.  You will feel like you know them personally and will learn so much about the field the lead character is in.  Also, follow the progression of the computer age from 1990 to the present.  These are a must read!
3371373
This is the 10th in the Kay Scarpetta series, and has much of what I have come to expect (exasperation with her mother, fights with her sister, troubles with her niece, coworkers plotting to destroy her credibility, and Pete Marino survives more beer and fatty foods - all Cornwell trademarks).  Don't get me wrong - she may repeat certain tones in her stories, but I have grown to enjoy the characters and their familiar relations.  Still, the story was less compelling than other Scarpetta novels I have read.
In the beginning, there was the body - a highly ripe one from Europe.  Who he is, why he was stashed aboard a freighter, and why he is covered with animal hairs are the questions of the hour.  If this doesn't cause enough trouble for chief medical examiner Kay Scarpetta, an incompetent homicide investigator, a treacherous forensic assistant, and an overbearing new deputy chief are willing to lend a hand.  To top it all off, her niece Lucy is involved in a dangerous undercover operation about to go down in Miami.
This is the first Scarpetta novel I read (I have since read two others).  Although it is a good story, I felt it contained some excessive autopsy details (not gruesome, just a little drawn out).  That, an abrupt ending immediately after the climax, and an excess of people trying to undermine Scarpetta without real cause prevents me from rating this a 4.
3382811
Patricia Cornell has been ripe more and more in her writing style. Depraved Heart is her best work so far, which shows her dexterity in story construction skill. Almost of all volumes are dedicated to happenings in only one day. Has August 15, the two month anniversary of when Carrie Grethen shot Kay Scarpetta, an important meaning? The story develops with Scarpettas teetering thoughts. Cornwell depicts Scarpettas mind situation marvelously through Scarpettas observations of her surroundings. Cornwell expresses an uneasy feelings of Scarpetta as they're coming in waves when trees rock and thrash in the wind and rain, and she turns off the wipers and the headlights, and the front glass is flooded. Carrie keeps her invisibility throughout the book. Is Lucy a really harmful psychopath? Is Carrie a Lucys conjured genie? For what purpose did Benton and Janet create and send the video link to Scarpetta? The timing of the text landing in Scarpettas phone is not seemed to be selected randomly at all. Is Benton helping to save Lucy and his family? If Chanel Gilbert was a person who saved Scarpetta when she was shot, why has Benton always said he helped her to the surface? How much does Lucy know the details of every events? Accusing Benton of his and Janets doing, Scarpetta is strangely relieved at the same time. Cornwell writes a soupy grayness blurs lights and obliterates the tops of tall trees and and buildings. However, we are almost deserted and shrouded in fogs. We see Marinos braveness when he approaches a bomb suspected car. Cornwells well-mellowed style is as if seeing an action movie. Marino turns around and looks back at Scarpetta and Benton as the rain smacks and splashes more slowly. But it seems louder, it seems more ominous. When Scarpetta feels Benton stands on her side, she is grateful seeing the rain is on its way to stopping and the wind becomes calmer. Thunder beaten a distant retreat. The climax comes when Scarpetta steps in front of Benton, who is going to save Troy, and shorts out the electrocution trap. Was FBIs raid on Lucys property a result of Carries data fiction? Has FBI become to believe Carries existence finally? We need to wait Cornells next writings.
3474393
I am so glad to see the Scarpette book(s) back again.  I have missed them for a couple of years.

Being a Patricia Cornwell fan, it was about time.  I had read one of her short stories and they just don't compare to the Scarpetta series.  It takes me awhile to get into the book because there are so many twists and turns in the beginning, but once you sink your teeth into you can't put it down.

It took me about a week to read the book, but it was well worth it.  I find that this is the type of book that you need to read totally uninterupted (no dog/kids, etc) around.  Once I am distracted, I have to go back into the book and find out what happed prior to where I am.

As a senior citizen, it is agreat brain teaser because you must follow the story line twists.

I just loved the book and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries and great writing.

the forensic part of it tends to be extremely graphic.  This book is not for the faint of heart although it is quite juicy when you get there.  I couldn't put it down.

I am not a big reader, but once I hooked onto the Dr. Scarpetta series I was hooked for good.

Patricia Cornwell is a one of a kind writer.  Thank God for her.

Corinne Loewy
Spring, Texas
1540005
Loyal Patricia Cornwell readers will perhaps be somewhat disappointed in Black Notice, the 10th release in the Kay Scarpetta series, but will nevertheless purchase a copy and savor each page as if reading the last words of a great world leader. In other words, Cornwell is such a superior writer it is doubtful she could produce a bad read and, indeed, she hasn't yet.
Scarpetta is a bit more fragile here than we've seen her in the past, dealing with the death of her lover, Benton Wesley, a year after the fact. It seems she has lost touch with what is going on around her, and must now begin to regain control of her surroundings and her life. Faced with problems within her office, political powers that seek to end her career, and, of course, a killer on the loose, she is forced to come to terms with the past and move forward. This includes reliving much of her relationship with Benton, accepting that he is not still alive and living out some elaborate plan concocted by the FBI for whatever reason, and finding passion in the arms of a living male counterpart abroad.
Enter disappointment. The patience of Cornwell's lesbian followers are wearing thin with Benton Wesley. While Cornwell obviously agrees it is time to either put him to rest or bring him back to life, this should have been done some time ago, freeing Black Notice to be the book it could have been. In recovery, Scarpetta engages in sexual activity with a virtual stranger, which seems forced and out of character for our favorite heroine. Maybe we're just jealous, but Talley's introduction seems sudden and intrusive.
Lucy, Scarpetta's openly lesbian niece, plays only a small role in the novel, which adds to further disappointment. Surely lesbian readers would have to admit they secretly hope Lucy will be the main focus, or at least a larger one, in upcoming Scarpetta tales. In this book Lucy is still dealing with the monsters that drive her to emotionally dangerous places, while readers wait to see the monsters for what they are, and how she might prevail and overcome her self destructive tendencies. Maybe in the next book.
Marino is strong in this installment, as Cornwell brings his unique personality to the forefront and lets the friendship he shares with Scarpetta express itself with humor and an obvious deep caring for one another. Readers have watched Marino's life change over the years, and now he must deal with aging and his shifting importance in the world of law enforcement.
The plot of Black Notice lacks the believability of earlier Cornwell novels. Gone are the strong, realistic killers of the early days, having been replaced with dramatic, almost super human qualities. Cornwell seems to be steering clear of the more forensically technical aspects of Scarpetta's work, and does not share as many interesting, if somewhat gory, details that once provided readers with clues and insight into the mind of the killer. The characters' lives and personal quandaries surpass anything the killer may or may not do in this book.
With a writing style that is clearly Cornwell, and a cast of characters we have known too long to turn our backs on, Black Notice is a continuation of the Scarpetta saga, and one that is well worth suffering a few disappointments. After all, Cornwell would be hard-pressed to outdo herself, with Potter's Field and Point of Origin tough acts to follow. While perhaps not her best, Black Notice is still worth curling up with on a dark, rainy night.
Sherry Stinson...
2881684
Yes, it's true.  It's not her best.  It drags a bit.  It's self-indulgent.  It's a bit long.  It retreads familiar territory.  But, you know what, it needed to be written.  We finally get inside Kay Scarpetta's head and maybe discover it's not necessarily a fun place to be.  Many loose ends are dealt with in this novel , some as far back as Body of Evidence (Cornwell's second Scarpetta novel).  My hope is that new life is breathed into the next book in the series.  For fans of Virgina's Chief Medical Examiner, it's a book that cannot be missed.  If you're not a fan, start with the first one, Postmortem, and make your way through the list (I did in a couple of months).  You will not be disappointed.
3203665
The Scarpetta Factor is yet another great novel by American writer Patricia Cornwell.  Delighted with my purchase on Amazon.com and recommend them for any book purchases you might consider making online.
455345
The life of Dr Kay Scarpetta is never dull. Point of Origin takes you deeper into her character and personal relationships. Her niece Lucy begins to show more maturity in dealing with the hardships that come her way.  Mariono continues to be both father and son to Kay.  I can't wait for the next adventures with these characters.
4222909
Patricia Cornwell does her magic again.  I have read all of her Scarpetta books and love them.  I anxiously await the new titles every time!
3459835
A little different and a lot of "remembering when", but interesting to the last page.  I recommend it to all Scarpetta fans.
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