It has been many years since I last read a Kay Scarpetta book and I was so excited to get stuck into this one. As soon as I started reading all my past memories of previous books and the characters in them came flooding back and it was like there hadn't been a gap.
There was plenty of tension and suspense in this book with enough twists and turns to keep me reading just a few more pages until I realised I had read it in one sitting.
I highly recommend Autopsy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC.

Previously I read and enjoyed many of the books featuring Dr Kay Scarpetta but this is the first in many years and it was like meeting old friends! There is quite a complicated plot going on here... a murder with no killer, a death that looks to have been murder but covered up, as well as an incident in space! Some of characters from previous books are in here and there are some new ones... some are really horrible! I really enjoyed the story but the end seemed to come really quickly - blink and you'll miss it!

There is a sense in this book that Dr Kay is tired, fed up and always fighting everyone. She is a great character with so much skill and integrity but I just felt she was unhappy and exhausted. Its hard being the Chief Medical Examiner.

Overall I really enjoyed this but the end was a bit quick and I found it a little repetitive in places. I'm also not sure what was added to the storyline about the wine.

Autopsy is the twenty fifth book in the Kay Scarpetta series, but my first by this author. That didn’t prove to be a problem – the story is self-contained and I found myself able to differentiate and engage with all of the characters.

That said, this book was a bit of a struggle for me. I don’t think read a crime novel written in first person present tense before; this meant it took me some time to engage with the writing style. I also thought this was quite an unevenly-paced book. About halfway through, the plot veered off in a direction that, whilst entertaining, distinctly stretched incredulity and ultimately proved to be rather irrelevant. The denouement, when it arrived, felt really abrupt to me, without sufficient set up.

That isn’t to say that the book as a whole is without merit. Autopsy is clearly written by an experienced author and the writing style (once you get used to the tense) flows well. I also think a strong female lead is always something to be savoured.

A solid crime novel that fans of Patricia Cornwell will enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dr Kay Scarpetta , chief medical examiner returns in this book

We have two cases:

the murder of two women and the murder of two "astronauts"

Two different women are murdered in the same area the first one is a bio medical engineer who was going from various medical company jobs stealing top secret government project information and selling it for high prices..

The second murdered woman was out jogging and appeared at first to have suffered a seizure and accidentally drowned as a result., however upon closer examination by Dr Scarpetta she was a murder victim
and appeared to have been killed by the same person..

The "astronauts" were .killed by another astronaut who escaped after killing them. The murders took place in space inside a top secret space obiter lab.. The murderer was working with the first female murder victim.

Dr Scarpetta oversees an autopsy on the two murdered "astronauts" which is performed by the crew ofa space station.

The murderer of the two females is a local construction worker who is killed by Dr Scarpetta's niece when he tries to break into Scarpetta's house

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

wow its been a few years since i last read a book by this author and i have to say i thoroughly enjoyed this one...catching up with kay, marino, lucy and benson and seeing how their lives have panned out....

kay is starting over back in her old haunt of virginia... its not going well with a secretary that undermines and questions her but also a lot of bad practises have been allowed at her place of work and she is hoping to stamp it all out....

but before long kay is called out to a scene at a railway tracks where a naked body is found, its a complicated scene

but also kay is called to the white house with benson about another case and this one will test kay to her limits...

wow its been a while but i really enjoyed this one and will be looking forward to more from this amazing author

Kay, Benton and co have moved en masse back to Virginia. She has taken the post of Chief Medical Examiner in North Virginia, a post vacated by Elvin Reddy, who she has had run ins with in the past. Unfortunately the role has gone to is the post above her role, effectively making him her boss. Unfortunately the state he las left her offices in, means that she is encountering a lot of difficulties with staff.
She is called to the scene where a body has been discovered with it's hands missing. The following investigations uncover connections with another crime that has happened many miles away and has attracted the attention of the President himself.
I liked this story having not read any Patricia Cornwell for a few years as I felt the paranoia factor was getting stupid.. My only criticism is that the ending was a bit plucked out of the air and felt rushed.

Many many moons ago I read the first 3 books in this series as they were released. My wife is a huge fan so thats where I picked up the early books.

Having not read any of the series since then, I was a little apprehensive going into book 25! Some of the later books got mixed reviews and I was worried the series may well have ran it course by now. My fears however were unfounded.

Kay has returned to Virginia to take up the role of chief medical examiner. As the new girl in a system that has been run into the ground by her predecessor, she has a lot to fix but also faces a lot of resistance, not least from her secretary, who is loyal to a tee to her old boss.

Soon she finds herself called to a murder scene near a railroad track. A young woman has had her throat cut, her head nearly decapitated.
We are led into a world of corruption, big pharma, the White House and even outer space!(I kid you not.)

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Kay is a fantastic central character. Quietly determined but hugely reserved, she has a lot more self control and patience than I would have with some of the characters.

The story moves along at its own pace throughout. Its fairly evenly paced and takes its time which the book is all the better for. Its a mixture of the investigation and also the professional and personal relationships Kay has. I was engrossed in the world created by Patricia Cornwell and felt totally satisfied by the end.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

I was really chuffed to request and be given this book. There was a time when I read all of Patricia Cornwell's books and couldn't wait to buy them as soon as they were published It was good to be reunited with familiar characters, and I was able to get into the book straight away. However, I soon found myself losing interest, and the story didn't really grab me. Maybe there was a reason I stopped reading these books faithfully, and started reading lots of other writers. I don't want to be too harsh because I still think fondly of my previous books and rate Ms Cornwell as a writer. Maybe it is me who has changed, and moved on. I do think the earlier books were much more gripping, and I certainly enjoyed them more ,I haven't enjoyed writing this review, but it is just my opinion, and I hope other readers will enjoy the book more.

So glad that Kay Scarpetta is back in Virginia, and that the books themselves have returned to their best form. I had gone off the series for a while but am so glad that it has returned to form!

New job, old city, and a new old foe! Add in a came-with-the-job secretary who is still loyal to the corrupt former ME and Kay has a lot on her hands. The whole clan is back including Pete and Dorothy (totally have missed all of that relationship drama) and Lucy (reeling from tragedy).

Possible linked murders, espionage and an out-of-this-world double murder (no, really!) There really is enough to get stuck into plot-wise. I must admit though that I did feel the ending was a wee bit rushed and I felt that the "big bad" hadn't really been seen very much. I loved the way that COVID was threaded through the book, it made it feel very much like a real life murder.

I was provided an advanced reader copy from the publishers via NetGalley and I have left this review of my own volition.

I was so happy to be gifted this book before publication, I am a huge Patricia Cornwell fan and actually did a little dance. Scarpetta has been a part of my library for a very long time, and although I enjoy the stand alone works very much, the chance to revist Scarpetta was exciting. My first problem though, was trying to remember what had happened at the end of her last story! The narrative dives straight in, so be warned. It may be helpful to reread the last book or search for a summary before beginning.
This may have dampened my enthusium at first as it seemed to take a while to hit the fast pace we are used to.
The beginning, for me, went on forever before the context of the story got going. It hit its stride and then ends quite suddenly. This was a problem I found with "Quantum". Again, this may just have been my brain trying to adjust to the scenario. I don't want to say too much to give away spoilers but some of the story is a bit far fetched. I actually said "What!" out loud.
All the regular characters are there, with a few tradgies thrown in to boot. New faces are introduced that may promise a new line of stories that I can't wait to read in the hope that it is me who has not felt fulfilled in the return of a much loved character.

She is back! This book is in the classic Scarpetta style , and a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Kay Scarpetta is back in Virginia and once again the Chief Medical officer, but not everyone is happy about this and there are plenty of office politics in play.
The usually characters are back and it’s like meeting up with old friends. There are two crimes being investigated through the story and due to the high calibre of writing from Cornwell it flows perfectly .
I’m glad she’s back and can’t wait for the next instalment in the Scarpetta series.
A must read for Scarpetta fans !

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK.

I read so many books of this series years ago as there was nothing quite like it then, the books were exciting and the science part of it was fascinating. I stopped reading them and I remembered why when I started reading this one. While we are now inundated with books and TV shows like this now, this series brings nothing new, it feels flat and I cannot feel any connection to the main character. I find her unlikeable which isn't always an issue when you have characters you wouldn't necessarily like in real life but enjoy reading about, I find her irritating and I can't shake it while reading. The story also felt disjointed, it was almost like three different unrelated stories added together and it got to the point I was glad to finish it. I do think fans of the series would love it as its exactly what you would expect of it but some previous fans of the series will have moved on.

It's been a while since I've read a Scarpetta novel. I loved Cornwell's early style, but got lost along the way when it changed. I was keen to try again, so was happy to get the chance to read Autopsy.

The characters did not disappoint - Kay has returned to Virginia, along with Benton, Lucy, Marino and Dorothy, all with the same quirks as before. The story includes mention of the pandemic, keeping it current, and the space storyline was interesting and gave an insight into the difficulties that would potentially be faced if a crime was committed miles above us. I was really invested in the story, and was keen to figure out the answers - but then it just ended. The individual story arcs in the book were tied up in a the space of 2 or 3 pages, and felt so rushed. A disappointing ending to a book I'd really enjoyed.

Autopsy by Patricia Cornwell

Great news! Dr Kay Scarpetta is back for a 25th outing! Returning as Chief Medical Examiner in Virginia, a role she filled a very, very long time ago!

This best selling thriller, forensic pathology series has retained its longevity given the beautifully written prose, great characters who’ve been developed with realistic ups and downs, perfectly paced story arc, intriguing serial killers together with the latest technology and science embedded in each book.

Scarpetta finds her role is made especially difficult due to the previous incumbent being more interested in his career which appears to have impacted on the legitimacy of the lab. Her secretary is still loyal to her predecessor causing real issues in managing the facility!

A shocking murder makes her suspicious that a serial killer is operating locally in the area she and her family are now based.

A must read and not just for existing Scarpetta fans!

I love a Kay Scarpetta novel and this was no exception. I must admit that some of the past novels in the series have been getting a bit technical for me, with too many long descriptions of weapons and cyber stuff, but this felt like a real return to form. It had all the hallmarks of a classic Patricia Cornwell with great characters, helicopters, lots of guns and a gripping story full of red herrings and corrupt officials.
The storylines were good. The space station crime has some fascinating insights into life within a shuttle, alongside a tricky case a bit closer to home. If I have one slight issue it’s that the ending felt a little rushed. Reading on a kindle meant I wasn’t aware of how close to the end I was, so it all came as a surprise how quickly everything finished. However that was only a very small complaint. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and it was a welcome return to what Scarpetta does best – solving murders

It has been a while since I have read any Cornwell novels but I have always enjoyed the Scarpetta stories. This was no exception but as Scarpetta has aged there is still the element of self-deprecation. Marion is still her sidekick and Lucy is ever-present. Cornwell has brought the story into the modern era with mention of the pandemic and in space murder.
Like all of the previous books, this one has many twists and turns, and several red herrings to keep a cat happy. Yes, there is a cat in this story and he is magic as his name suggests.
If you are a fan of Scarpetta then this is a must-read .

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. A solid Scarpetta read with the usual good writing and characterisation. It didn’t blow my mind but It held my attention to the end!

A wonderful return! I’ve been reading and following Scarpetta faithfully since the 1990s and I know the series has taken some twists and turns throughout but Autopsy is an example of everything Patricia Cornwell does so well - mixing intrigue, technology, suspense and atmosphere. I was so happy to receive an advance copy for review and thrilled to find it unputdownable at points, and I can’t say that about many of the books I’ve read lately! Here’s hoping for more Scarpetta very soon.

I suspect this latest Cornwell Scarpetta book will divide opinion. Die hard loyal fans will like it but those who feel Cornwell has lost her way will struggle with it. The space crime angle brings renewed interest but whether there is enough elsewhere to keep the reader interested very much depends on the reader's perspective. I wouldn't begin here if reading Cornwell's Scarpetta for the first time. I'd go way back to Postmortem and follow the catalogue through. The ending seems rushed and this isn't the first time this seems to have happened in a Scarpetta book. One wonders if the dreaded publisher's deadline approached too quickly. It's neither the best nor the worst in the series but worth a read, just don't expect to be blown away.

Kay Scarpetta is back in her 25th outing. She is also back as Chief Medical Examiner in Virginia.
Married to Benton who is now a forensic psychologist in the US Secret Service.
Marino and Lucy still featured in this book but would have liked more of them.
Set in current day with Covid and post Capitol Jan 6th attack I found some of the book disjointed.
I found the storyline where she had to do a remote autopsy in outer space distracted from the serial killer storyline.
The ending was rushed and didn’t really tie up all the many story threads.
I’ve been a great fan of Patricia Cornwell books for many years and this was not one of my favourites.
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair review.
3.5 Stars ⭐️