Forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta has come almost full circle, returning to Virginia as the chief medical examiner, the state where she launched her storied career. Finding herself the new girl in town once again after being away for many years, she’s inherited not only an overbearing secretary, but also a legacy of neglect and potential corruption. She and her husband Benton Wesley, now a forensic psychologist with the US Secret Service, have relocated to Old Town Alexandria where she’s headquartered five miles from the Pentagon in a post-pandemic world that’s been torn by civil and political unrest. Just weeks on the job, she’s called to a scene by railroad tracks where a woman’s body has been shockingly displayed, her throat cut down to the spine, and as Scarpetta begins to follow the trail, it leads unnervingly close to her own historic neighborhood. At the same time, a catastrophe occurs in a top-secret laboratory in outer space, endangering at least two scientists aboard. Appointed to the highly classified Doomsday Commission that specialises in sensitive national security cases, Scarpetta is summoned to the White House and tasked with finding out exactly what happened. But even as she works the first potential crime scene in space remotely, an apparent serial killer strikes again very close to home.

Kay is back, finally!! As a long-time fan I was of course thrilled to get started on this. I will start with my negative and that is this is not the most thrilling of cases, it is quite laboured and, as you will see by reading this, politics comes to feature heavily which made it a heavy read. Putting this aside, I did enjoy the read and there were aspects of the plot I really enjoyed, it just needed a bit of fine tuning for me. The other aspect that I found a bit odd was the covid references, I know with new books we are going to start getting these but in this read it felt a bit like Cornwell just threw in covid every now and then, especially at the beginning. As the book went on, a plot thread developed around covid which was better and meant it fitted into the plot more.

The major positive of this read is that we are reunited with Scarpetta and co and honestly what could be better. I loved catching up with everyone and seeing what has happened to them and where they are in their lives. It is honestly like catching up with old friends and I treasured every moment. It was great to have this set in Virginia as well, it felt like coming home in a way.

Honestly, it was so fantastic to have a new Scarpetta read that it does not really matter what the book was like. 'Autopsy' is enjoyable however it is a bit too long but when you are catching up with beloved characters, how much of that really matters in the long run.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an advance copy.

Because Patricia Cornwell is so damn good at what she does and that's making me glued to my kindle and forgetting about life! The story grips you from the start and keeps you hanging on till the end.

So, we re back with Scarpetta, in a world that's opening up post covid. I thought I'd missed something or had memory loss with Janet and Desi not being around but all is quickly explained. Not a storyline I like btw! We re back in Virginia, everyone is together in one place but with Scarpetta now back in charge some people don't seem to be adapting to the change.
Theres alot going on - different cases floating around which may or may not be connected and someone might also be trying to poison our chief. It feels like everyones a little out of position and not got their usual swagger making this an interesting read - it feels less like a seasoned professional more like a rookie starting out which is a little refreshing. The more Scarpetta digs the more she finds wasnt handled too well by her predesessor and sadly it doesnt suprise her.
I ve always been a fan of Lucy, shes has so many trials over the books that I just want her to have a happy ending but it feels liek thats so far away, with Marino Im still on the fence after some of his historic behaviour - although thats all been forgotten by this group of characters it seems.
Overall I really enjoyed the book. It felt comforting to step back into Scarpettas world no matter the outcome. I must remember thought to not read her books on an empty stomach because they always make me crave homecooked Italian!

Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta doing what she does best - solving murders, hanging with Merino, and spending time with family. Enjoyable and readable with some gnarly twists and red herrings. Great holiday read.

This is the first day of Kay Scarpetta’s new job as chief medical examiner. The previous boss was known for sloppy shocking work but had been promoted up the chain. The workers around her seem to have their own agenda and she doesn't know who to trust. Kay brings in family in the shape of her brother in law to help when she lands her first case a woman found on the train tracks in horrific circumstances. This start will take her in many directions even international spying and all the way to the Whitehouse. Kay will have to watch her back as danger will come very close to home. The forensic side of Kay’s work is very interesting and absorbing and complements the story. The chapters zip along you don’t have time to take a breathe. Kay is a brilliant character who's family life is as absorbing as her case work and you will be taken on a thrilling ride. This character is part of a long running series this is my 1st book but will not be the last one.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

As a fan of the Scarpetta books I was excited to get a chance to read the new book early. It's always comforting to slip back into a world you're familiar with & characters you know well. There are many aspects of the book that I enjoyed however I found the narrative a bit disjointed (and far fetched) in some places. The resolution, when it came, didnt feel as smooth as in previous Cornwell books. I suspect that the next book, now Scarpetta is re-established in Virginia, may be stronger.
(Copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review)

Patricia Cornwall back to her 5 star best! I have read every single Scarpetta novel and a few non Scarpettas which I enjoyed less. Recent novels have gone off the boil for me rather with increasingly far fetched plots and references to futuristic technology. The plot here is fantastic but not beyond credulity. Scarpetta returns to Richmond and meets some old faces and some new. Marino is now married to her sister and Lucy is subdued. Good old fashioned forensics saves the day

3.5 stars


These books have been going a while,and I'm pretty sure I was on board from day one.
Now we hit book 25,I know I've missed a few,but not too many.
There were still a few surprises in there for me though in regards to where everyone was at.
Good to be back together with the gang,and the sacred trio of Kay,Marino and Lucy is always good.
But goodness how the mighty have risen....

Mostly this was a good read,I liked the new setting,the characters,a secretary that could feature a lot in coming books (and yes,I miss Rose too).
However,I wasn't so keen on the abrupt tying up of the story.
It felt too rushed.
Maybe to leave me wanting more... it did.

Love kay Scarpetta. Forensic pathologist at her best. Thank you Netgalley for this ARC can't wait to read more

This is business as usual from Patricia Cornwell’s later Scarpetta novels - Kay Scarpetta is rude and arrogant and better than everyone, all men are potential rapists and/or murderers, there is endless product placement padding out the narrative, and all the supporting characters have many annoying characteristics to make Scarpetta look better. Oh, and Scarpetta judges and looks down on practically everybody.
The book begins with a simple murder case and ends up bordering on science-fiction. The storyline is faintly ludicrous and makes me think that Cornwell had two separate but incomplete but incongruous storylines lying around the house and decided to mash them together to make a full-length book. Everything is connected, of course, but it is a slog getting there.
Cornwell makes sure to reference the zeitgeist with mentions of the pandemic and the inclusion of a female Vice President, the latter presumably included so Cornwell could highlight the fact that she isn’t the actual President. Yes, the President, because Scarpetta is eventually called to the White House to investigate an incident in space. I think Patricia has been reading a few too many James Patterson books; there is even a drawing of the White House on the frontispiece, and quite probably the cover.
If you’ve read earlier Scarpetta novels then you’ll be used to the first-person narrative and clinical tone. Whilst the book is competently written, the constant criticism of other characters from Scarpetta’s point of view grates after a while. I get the impression that Cornwell wants to turn Scarpetta into a world-saving heroine, which does not suit the character and actually does her a disservice. My mother’s rather more succinct review of the book declared it to be “a bit far-fetched”. It certainly is, and doesn’t match the quality of the early Scarpetta novels.

#Autopsy #NetGalley
Every sentence was a mystery.
Forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta has come almost full circle, returning to Virginia as the chief medical examiner, the state where she launched her storied career. Finding herself the new girl in town once again after being away for many years, she’s inherited not only an overbearing secretary, but also a legacy of neglect and potential corruption. She and her husband Benton Wesley, now a forensic psychologist with the US Secret Service, have relocated to Old Town Alexandria where she’s headquartered five miles from the Pentagon in a post-pandemic world that’s been torn by civil and political unrest. Just weeks on the job, she’s called to a scene by railroad tracks where a woman’s body has been shockingly displayed, her throat cut down to the spine, and as Scarpetta begins to follow the trail, it leads unnervingly close to her own historic neighborhood. At the same time, a catastrophe occurs in a top-secret laboratory in outer space, endangering at least two scientists aboard. Appointed to the highly classified Doomsday Commission that specialises in sensitive national security cases, Scarpetta is summoned to the White House and tasked with finding out exactly what happened. But even as she works the first potential crime scene in space remotely, an apparent serial killer strikes again very close to home.
I loved it totally.
Definitely recommend to everyone.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Harper Fiction for giving me an advance copy.