Helpful Score: 3
I bought this book because I'm a die-hard Kay Scarpetta fan. I never even glanced at the premise but after reading the reviews here at GRs, I wasn't even sure I wanted to read it. I'm very glad that I ignored these reviews and read it anyway. This series hasn't been as good since Kay Scarpetta left the Medical Examiner's Office in Virginia. Our beloved characters fight too much and have way to many personal issues. Before the stories were mainly about investigating unexplained deaths with some personal interactions between them but it was never the focus of the books. Now it is more a series of interpersonal issues instead of investigation. It's still enjoyable but nowhere near as before. I used to wait for the next installment and devour it upon receipt. Now I have to work way way up to the task of reading it. I'm hoping this new endeavor (The CFC) will bring us back to when Marino, Lucy, Kay and Benton actualy worked together as a team and did impressive investigative work.
I love Kay and her crew (Marino, Lucy and Benton) and to hear that they barely played a roll in this one was disturbing...and not true. They feature throughout the entire book. This is Kay's point of view but Benton, Lucy and Marino are keeping her in the dark as to what is going on but they are certainly there.
Also Kay is such a strong-willed, independent and determined woman that the comments about her continued angst throughout the book was shocking. Scarpetta's angst is real as she's started this new business and as the Chief, she's ultimately responsible for everything that happens, she's been unavailable at Dover Air Force Base while unimaginable things have been occurring. She's kept on personnel that should have been fired long ago and now it's coming back to bite her in the butt. Of course, she's second guessing herself and everything she's done because her house of cards is crumbling and there is absolutely nothing she can do to stop it as she's been kept in the dark and Benton has taken over.
I do understand where a lot of the complaints about this book are coming from. From the extreme descriptions of how to fly a plane, I almost expected Kay to have to do this at some point. I found this section and information completely unnecessary and basically filler. It was a section that could have been trimmed down without any detriment to the storyline. Also lots and lots of medical speak which I completely skip over because Kay will eventually dumb it down and put it in plain English for us non-medical people. I know some of this is needed to give it a real-feel but definitely not to the extent presented. All in all, not a bad book. The mystery was new and definitely unusual and though the evidence was presented strangely (out of sequence and all mixed up), I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I love Kay and her crew (Marino, Lucy and Benton) and to hear that they barely played a roll in this one was disturbing...and not true. They feature throughout the entire book. This is Kay's point of view but Benton, Lucy and Marino are keeping her in the dark as to what is going on but they are certainly there.
Also Kay is such a strong-willed, independent and determined woman that the comments about her continued angst throughout the book was shocking. Scarpetta's angst is real as she's started this new business and as the Chief, she's ultimately responsible for everything that happens, she's been unavailable at Dover Air Force Base while unimaginable things have been occurring. She's kept on personnel that should have been fired long ago and now it's coming back to bite her in the butt. Of course, she's second guessing herself and everything she's done because her house of cards is crumbling and there is absolutely nothing she can do to stop it as she's been kept in the dark and Benton has taken over.
I do understand where a lot of the complaints about this book are coming from. From the extreme descriptions of how to fly a plane, I almost expected Kay to have to do this at some point. I found this section and information completely unnecessary and basically filler. It was a section that could have been trimmed down without any detriment to the storyline. Also lots and lots of medical speak which I completely skip over because Kay will eventually dumb it down and put it in plain English for us non-medical people. I know some of this is needed to give it a real-feel but definitely not to the extent presented. All in all, not a bad book. The mystery was new and definitely unusual and though the evidence was presented strangely (out of sequence and all mixed up), I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Helpful Score: 2
I have read every Scarpetta novel and a few of Cornwell's others (loved, loved, loved the Jack the Ripper non-fiction!) In Cornwell's books it's the interpersonal relationships and the techno-jargon that I find make her books so entertaining. What keeps me coming back are the forensic details and the mystery. I didn't see as much of that in Port Mortuary and frankly felt that the disjointed withholding and revealing of information to Kay was contrived and uncomfortable.
There were times during the reading of this book that I wondered whether I had fallen asleep and missed whole parts of the book. I usually love to read stories that jump around and play with time and knowledge to keep you guessing. In Port Mortuary felt that there were many pieces that Cornwell never went back and completed and the reader was left wondering/hanging. There were emotional moments that seemed to be missing dialog and were cut short before conversations came to any natural conclusions.
Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that the gang is back together at the CFC and I enjoyed Kay's recovering relationship with both Marino and Lucy, but her estrangement from Benton just made me sad. Hopefully these relationships will continue to thrive in the next novel and we'll get to see them working TOGETHER and solving crimes with serious forensic detail! (My vote is on a more linear plot development!)
There were times during the reading of this book that I wondered whether I had fallen asleep and missed whole parts of the book. I usually love to read stories that jump around and play with time and knowledge to keep you guessing. In Port Mortuary felt that there were many pieces that Cornwell never went back and completed and the reader was left wondering/hanging. There were emotional moments that seemed to be missing dialog and were cut short before conversations came to any natural conclusions.
Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that the gang is back together at the CFC and I enjoyed Kay's recovering relationship with both Marino and Lucy, but her estrangement from Benton just made me sad. Hopefully these relationships will continue to thrive in the next novel and we'll get to see them working TOGETHER and solving crimes with serious forensic detail! (My vote is on a more linear plot development!)
Helpful Score: 1
This book was a disappointment to me. There was too much technical jargon and not enough character interaction. I feel as though I wasted two hours of my life.
Helpful Score: 1
This books have 2 of my fave things, author & character. But both were alittle disappointing this time. The Scarpetta series, up until last few books, has been very character driven. This one focused more on Technology. At times it felt like I was reading Popular Science. As much as I didnt care whole heartedly for this book, I will be excited for the next Scarpetta book.
Port Mortuary is literally a port for the dead--and the deaths are mounting, as a treacherous path from Scarpetta's past merges with the high-tech highway on which she now finds herself. At the beginning of her professional career, when she accepted a scholarship from the Air Force to pay off her medical school debt, Scarpetta found herself ensnared in a gruesome case of what seemed to be vicious, racially motivated hate crimes against two americans in South Africa. Now more than twenty years and many career successes later, her secret military ties have drawn her to Dover Air Force Base, where she has been immersed in a training fellowship to master the art of CT-assisted virtual autopsy a procedure the White House has mandated that she introduce into the private sector.
Jeanne G. (IlliniAlum83) -
A good detective story but hated the convoluted dialogue between Dr Kay and hubby Benton-- it was like they were talking to walls when they were discussing his case and problems with the new lab with each other. Pages and pages of dialogue between them asking each other questions and they never replied to each other, like they were in 2 different conversations! 2 highly educated people in their fields of specialty would never carry on conversations like that without them confronting each other about non-responsiveness!
Marino and Lucy are acting their normal selves in this one which made me like them again, just not how story was told. Cornwell tells story from viewpoint that Dr Kay is in the dark about what's been going on at her new lab/business while away for 6 months on military duty at Dover AFB, Delaware where military casualties come in from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East to be autopsied. This keeps us in the dark too but, is such a twisted way to tell the story, I think there must be a better way it could have been written.
Marino and Lucy are acting their normal selves in this one which made me like them again, just not how story was told. Cornwell tells story from viewpoint that Dr Kay is in the dark about what's been going on at her new lab/business while away for 6 months on military duty at Dover AFB, Delaware where military casualties come in from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East to be autopsied. This keeps us in the dark too but, is such a twisted way to tell the story, I think there must be a better way it could have been written.
I've read a lot of Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta's books...and I believe this was one of her top two. The Flybot being a very believable scarey high tech creation with of-course government knowledge. Past characters are given more depth. Fast moving. I really enjoyed this!
Big disapointment! I love all of the Scarpetta series, but this one was a snooze!
I think that Ms. Cornwell may have gotten tired of writing about these characters, but this was still an enjoyable read
3.0 out of 5 stars Nanobots: good vs evil..., March 27, 2011
This is the 18th Patricia Cornwell novel featuring Kay Scarpetta that I've read. I've also read her Andy Brazil series. I must say that I have to agree with other reviewers who are longing for this author to resurrect the thrills and suspense that were hallmarks of the first books she published over 20 years ago! The evil perpetrators, the gory crime scenes, the forensic science, the likable characters, the passion, and the basic storyline of previous books are all missing here.
This premise of this book was interesting enough -- the new cutting-edge technology of nanobots and virtual autopsy were fascinating and thought-provoking, but the plot lacked the magical ingredient of making me care about the case and I can't say that I was racing through the pages to a thrilling conclusion. Kay is given to long bouts of introspection and it seems that she can't get any answers or straight talk from any of her cohort -- including Benton, Lucy and Marino. It reads as if she were a weak tool of all the powerful men in her life and is no longer the strong, independent, powerful woman that I had come to admire over the years. The mystery in this case is complex and convoluted and limped to the end with a whimper though there was the obligatory "Kay almost dies" scene.
In conclusion, the book is one that true fans will read because they are vested in Kay and the other characters we've grown to know and care about. It's not one of those books that you can't put down or that will keep you up all night, but it's readable escapist crime fiction.
This is the 18th Patricia Cornwell novel featuring Kay Scarpetta that I've read. I've also read her Andy Brazil series. I must say that I have to agree with other reviewers who are longing for this author to resurrect the thrills and suspense that were hallmarks of the first books she published over 20 years ago! The evil perpetrators, the gory crime scenes, the forensic science, the likable characters, the passion, and the basic storyline of previous books are all missing here.
This premise of this book was interesting enough -- the new cutting-edge technology of nanobots and virtual autopsy were fascinating and thought-provoking, but the plot lacked the magical ingredient of making me care about the case and I can't say that I was racing through the pages to a thrilling conclusion. Kay is given to long bouts of introspection and it seems that she can't get any answers or straight talk from any of her cohort -- including Benton, Lucy and Marino. It reads as if she were a weak tool of all the powerful men in her life and is no longer the strong, independent, powerful woman that I had come to admire over the years. The mystery in this case is complex and convoluted and limped to the end with a whimper though there was the obligatory "Kay almost dies" scene.
In conclusion, the book is one that true fans will read because they are vested in Kay and the other characters we've grown to know and care about. It's not one of those books that you can't put down or that will keep you up all night, but it's readable escapist crime fiction.
I found this book to be difficult to read. Maybe it was all the medical terminology that I did not understand. The plot did not seem to flow smoothly.
Not her best effort. Tends to ramble. It is still a Patricia Cornwell book so is readable.
Worst of her books. Very tedious.
Although I wouldn't miss a Scarpetta story, I had to make myself finish this one. I've read the other reviews and, even though I agree that this novel isn't up to par, I disagree with the reason. There wasn't much substance to the story. It took over 100 pages for Kay to even get home to start on the mystery at hand, and no, there was not much in the way of character interaction. Our favorite characters were all in play, but much was Kay thinking about her life repeatedly, the same issues and thought processes chapter after chapter.
All that being said, I wouldn't have wanted to miss this part of the Scarpetta saga, but it was pretty boring.
All that being said, I wouldn't have wanted to miss this part of the Scarpetta saga, but it was pretty boring.
I was rather disappointed by this book. I found myself not caring about what happens. The last fifty or so pages I skimmed more than read just to get to the ending. The plot was somewhat scattered and went off track, and there was a lot of rambling, it seemed. Love the other Scarpetta books, still look forward to the next installment, but definitely the worst of the group.
As always another great Scarpetta book.
When did Kay Scarpetta become such a whiner? Too much self centered introspection. Not enough mystery. I have now lost interest in every main character. Plus the story was choppy at best. Done with this series.
I have been a huge Kay Scarpetta fan since her first book, but this one was very difficult to get through - until about two-thirds of the way in. There is just way too much technical jargon - way too many descriptions and not enough character interaction.
There is way too much stress between the characters and Kay didn't seem to really like anyone during this storyline, including her husband.
I have felt Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series has been changing as she gets into the higher numbered books and I'm starting to wonder if I want to continue reading her ones. I don't feel entertained anymore.
There is way too much stress between the characters and Kay didn't seem to really like anyone during this storyline, including her husband.
I have felt Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series has been changing as she gets into the higher numbered books and I'm starting to wonder if I want to continue reading her ones. I don't feel entertained anymore.
Okay, def not my favorite Scarpetta novel. At certain points, I felt like I was reading Clancy. I found myself skipping over a lot of the technical stuff that I just found boring. I did enjoy the story line & still love the characters, but had a hard time with this one. Glad I read it but it was just okay.
