Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta Book 1)

This is not the first book I've read by Patricia Cornwell, but it is the first Kay Scarpetta book. I decided to read this series in order, though I've been told it's not necessary.I find the story well laid out with enough red herrings to keep you guessing and tension to keep you on edge until the end. I also like the attention to detail, but it doesn't drag the story down into long boring explanatory paragraphs.By the time the book was finished, I wanted more. I had gotten to know something about the character, Kay Scarpetta, and I look forward to the next book.

It’s not the most exciting book I have ever read, but it pretty good. If you don’t like scientific terms and computer jargon, you should steer clear of this series. I was curious about her books and will keep reading her books.

A good read. Carried you from one instance to another. The premise was believeable. The suspense kept you page turning.

Book was in great condition and delivered on time

Social habits were different in 1990 when Patricia Cornwell wrote her first Kay Scarpetta mystery, "Postmortem." Many people smoked cigarettes and writers used their smoking mannerisms as a way to show mood, boredom, fear, relaxation, anger, personal habits--the list is endless. These descriptions took up a lot of space and time in the novel, and today many readers find it tiring, especially when nearly every character lights up.This is not a criticism of "Postmortem" because it was used by many writers of the time. There are other distractions in the story, however, such as the ever popular fixing and drinking cups of steaming coffee, the changing weather patterns predicting or underlining the action, and the inevitable sidekick that is experienced but prejudiced and annoying.All of this said, Cornwell has developed a sophisticated, strong and educated character in Kay Scarpetta. As the newly appointed chief medical officer of Virginia, her autopsies are meticulous and she is relentless in finding the cause of death. Her appointed partner in the Richmond police force is detective Marino, who knows the beat but expresses stereotypical opinions of different types of people. He and Scarpetta annoy one another immediately. Annoying the reader is Marino's misuse of the most common verb in English. He always uses "was" whether the subject is singular or plural. It makes him look stupid which he is not, and he proves to be quite valuable to Scarpetta in the end.The mystery is well detailed and informative as Cornwell has experience both in the Virginia medical examiner's office and as a volunteer police officer. The plot is exciting, but slowed by lengthy red herrings, and the end is out of the blue

“Postmortem” is a pretty good debut novel authored by Patricia Cornwell. It is a crime mystery novel written and set in 1990s Richmond, Virginia. The protagonist is a female medical examiner. The story is clearly written and makes a good candidate for an audiobook. I read and listened simultaneously. I liked the novel and intend to read another by this author.There were times the novel seemed to proceed somewhat slowly. However it picked up momentum and by the end I was very interested and it became a page turner. I did not “solve” this mystery as I read it, however some of the storyline was predictable. I still liked the novel.In that this is a debut mystery novel with a female medical examiner as a protagonist, this novel called to mind “Deja Dead” by Kathy Reichs. I feel these two novels present an interesting opportunity to compare and contrast two debut mystery novels by modern American female authors with some similar story structure. If it matters, I liked both novels approximately the same.In summary I liked this novel and felt it was definitely above average. I fully intend to read more novels by this author. It is relatively easily followed and as such is a candidate for a good audiobook. Thank You for taking the time to read this review.

Awesome book well written

Such a great book! Definitely a page turner and you want to find out what is next and who did it! Dr Scarpetta is such a wonderful character!

Loved the writing ...the story was well developed..all in all a great read...plan to read more of this author

This is the first book that I have read a long time ago by the author and it still remains the best one till now. The plot of the book was good and the pace never slow down.

Okay folks, Stephen is very, very late to the party. Time and time again I overtake a Tesco lorry along the motorway and advertised along the side is their click & collect service with an image of a shopping basket containing some items including a paperback by Patricia Cornwell. I have not read any of her books but her name has been subliminally planted in my brain. So when her books were offered cheap as part of the Kindle Daily Deal, I snapped some of them up!Postmortem was written in 1990 but don’t let that put you off. Okay, so it features some generic double density IBM compatible diskettes (floppies) and operating a computer from the C: Prompt with typed commands! But back in 1990 that is how things were.The Kay Scarpetta series now runs to 25 novels and I thought I would start at the beginning. And boy, what a start it was! Oh, the old adage of write about what you know. Patricia Cornwell’s day job is a forensic pathologist, so yes, you’ve guessed it Kay Scarpetta is a female medical examiner in Virginia!Kay Scarpetta has to help catch the serial killer of 4 women who have nothing in common. Will her forensic pathology skills bring justice to the victims?I thoroughly enjoyed reading Postmortem and simply loved the forensic detail that was explained to the reader. Character development was spot on and this was not just solve the crimes but the daily lives of everyone involved. Postmortem is a fully fleshed novel with lots of interesting content thrown into the mix. Even British readers were included when Patricia writes…I couldn’t stand it, not tonight. I could be Maggie Thatcher and my mother would persist in treating me like a five-year-old who doesn’t have sense enough to come out of the rain.… I loved how Kay Scarpetta kept an open mind and considered all forensic possibilities. This made a thrilling read as you wondered if each new discovery would solve the 4 murders.I thought the writing was first class and I could find nothing wrong with this book. I am glad I took advantage of the cut-price deal and bought other books in this series. Her writing is very similar to books written by Kathy Reich that I have enjoyed in the past.I found Postmortem an OUTSTANDING 5 star read and look forward to reading other books in this series.

Primera novela de la colección. Muy entretenida, como también lo son las siguientes que tienen como protagonista a la forense. Empiezan a perfilarse los personajes fijos que luego aparecen en el resto de novelas que son todas buenísimas, aunque quizás las últimas un poco menos buenas.Recomendable

Apesar de ser novo lendo ficção, já li alguns livros desse gênero. Postmortem é muito bem escrito, desenvolve bem a trama e os personagens. Com a experiência da autora no ramo, ela consegue trazer detalhes técnicos que dão vida ao livro, parecendo quase documental! É possível ler somente 1, mas duvido que queira parar por ai.