Book Reviews of Black Notice (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 10)

For the most part, this book is a page turner and I can't believe Scarpetta took so long in realizing that the killer had hypertrichosis after finding out the long hairs were human. I had to restrain myself from flipping to the end to take a peak to see if I was right, which was a first in the series. However, I'm glad I didn't, because the same old redundant, annoying ending happens in the book. It ends too fast and the common sense is completely non-existent.

I also found the author's views (through Scarpetta) of why people get tattoos to be ridiculous and innacurate. As well as her opinion of pitbull terriers. I was really disappointed in the misinformation preached in this book about the species, making them seem to be child-killers.

And then there's Lucy. She's got to be the most annoying character in the book, hands down. How many times is she going to keep having an affair with a co-worker before her unprofessional attitude catches up with her? Of course the same could be said for her aunt, so maybe she really does take after Kay.

Overall, it's unbelievable how I am so hooked on a series even though I keep finding so many flaws in it. I guess it's like watching Jerry Springer or something. You don't want to waste your time, but you can't help it.

Patricia Cornwell is not one of my favorite thriller authors: but the forensic approach is interesting as is the international flavor. The killer is too savage, her view of the world too cynical, corrupt and I don't care for the demonic stuff.

Great Patricia Cornwell book. This one is outstanding. I couldn't put it down. Very suspenseful and scary.

Intense and thrilling - good characters and gripping story.

once again did not know I was in the middle of a series but that worked this book is awesome even by itself...

Intrigue and fast moving storyline. I liked it very much.

All of the Patricia Cornwell books are great. This one has action, adventure, & murder.
Kay Scarpetta is a great character. Any of you that like Forensic Files will love these books.

Part of the Kay Scarpetta, Chief Medical Examiner of VA, series. Several of the CSI episodes on TV are based on this series. I say, start at the beginning... check patriciacornwell.com for a list of all the books in the series.

intense

Remanis were all that was left of a stowaway on a cargo ship.He arrived on a ship from Belgium.Who was this mysterious skeleten? Good Mystery.

Great book

Good mystery that makes you want to keep on reading.

I just finished this book, and I loved it. It was so different and suspenseful.

Kay Scarpetta novel--can't get enough

The postmortem is in--Black Notice, the 10th in Patricia Cornwell's Scarpetta series, is a gore-splattered, intensely exciting read. As winter grips Richmond, Virginia, an air of somberness pervades chief medical examiner Kay Scarpetta's world. Her beloved niece Lucy is involved in a dangerous undercover police operation in Miami, and auntie fears for her life. A tyrannical new deputy chief, Diane Bray, wants to get Kay's department under her jurisdiction. Meanwhile, back at the office, someone has tinkered with the e-mail system, stealing Kay's identity, and sending off slanderous and hurtful messages. Emotionally battered, Scarpetta fears she is going insane. Or, could it be that someone is deliberately sowing this harvest of sorrow?
Despite her personal problems, Scarpetta is still the reigning diva at the department of death. She is sent to investigate the putrefied remains of a man found inside a container ship, "eyes bulged froglike, and the scalp and beard were sloughing off with the outer layer of darkening skin." Kay finds strange, animal-like hairs on the man's clothing--the same hairs that she discovers on a murdered store clerk a few days later. In actuality, the bizarre killings extend well beyond Virginia; whoever killed the Richmond victims also butchered people in France. Kay and police captain Pete Marino are whisked off to Paris where they must collect top-secret information from a Paris morgue, and avoid becoming victims themselves.

This macabre tome is the stuff that classic Scarpetta tales are made of: creepy but compulsive autopsy scenes, plentiful plot twists, and the compelling, if slightly more vulnerable chief medical examiner herself.

Another good title in the Kay Scarpetta series.

Very good!

Great read - loved it!

Loved all of the Kay Scarpetta books.

Patricia Cornwell is a great author... or so I've been told. I have read several of her books and I just don't think they are that great. However, Many other people like her and she's selling more books than I am, so I don't feel I have room to complain.

Great author, great read

I love Cornwell's books as well as John Grishman's.

Very Good. Remains were all that was left of the stowaway. He arrived in Richmond's Deep Water Terminal-the ghastly cargo of a ship from Belgium. The decomposed body gave chief Medical Examiner Dr.Kay Scarpetta no clues to its identity or the cause of death.

a great scarpetta mystery!

Ms. Cornwell has jumped the shark.

She had been noted as an excellent researcher, giving Dr. Scarpetta a "suspension of disbelief" factor nearly equal to that of Dr, Reich's Temperance Brennan. But, I put this book down in disappointment and disbelief when Dr Scarpetta remarked that a character got his AOL software from work, because he was too cheap to pay for it.

Apparently, Ms. Cromwell was in a coma during the late 90s and early 00s, and missed the daily avalanche of AOL CDs. If she blew that, what else is she missing?? It was also becoming more soap opera, and less mystery.

I'm done w/ this series. If you like this genre, stick w/ Bones. If you like soap opera novels, this will do. I would rate it zero stars, but I have to click at least one for this to post.

Leelu

Great!

I loved Cornwell's books but this one just stunk, only got to page 98 or so and just super ugh!

A page turner for sure

I always love Kay Scarpetta novels, and this one was no exception!

Some wear on the spine/creasing, but still a very good copy.

I loved the first five books of the series, but they became waaay to hit or miss, Scarpetta was less likeable, and Lucy was constantly being shoved more into the series. This books for me marks the area where the books moved from being forensic/csi type thrillers into the almost James Bond like, globe trotting adventures, with vast shady criminal armies, double dealing cops, characters coming back from the dead, and more far fetched cliches. Spoiler...don't ready past here.....................How many times can Cornwell have the villians attack her hero in her own house in the last chapter??? Book 1,2,3 all ended with villian attacks in her house, the only difference was who shot the bad guy...Marino/Scarpetta/ect......and then to repeat it again after 9 books???? It's almost like a Naked Gun type of gag with a long line of thugs/villians/assassins lined up to Scarpetta door awaiting there turn while a hugh neon sign flashes "Scarpetta Lives Here! Kill her Now, while she is making pasta!" It's Cornwell's default ending to 1/3 of these novels.

Patricia Cornwells Kay Scarpetta is a character who becomes addicting. Smart, Funny, brave, and tough she is a character who sticks with you, and you will find yourself wanting to read the whole series. Chapters are on the shorter side so the book is easier to digest.

I normally like these types of books, but schedule got to buxy, I it wasn't a big enough to draw me to it.

I have read the entire Scarpetta series and have loved them all. This one is no exception.

If you are a Kay fan like me. You have to read this. As always the story is interesting and Patricia Cornwell makes the book hard to put down until you finish. Barbara

In true Cornwell fashion, Black notice draws you in and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Kay Scarpetta has quickly become one of my top favorite characters!!!

Remains wre all that was left of the stowaway. He arrived in Richmond's
deep Water Terminal---the ghastly cargo of a ship from Belgium. The decomposed body gave Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta no clues to its idenity-or the cause of death. But an odd tattoo led her on an international search to interpol's headquarters in Lyon,France-and on a mission thaat would pull her in two opposite directions: toward protecting her career or toward the truth.

Interesting.

Another in the Kay Scarpetta series: the badly decomposed body held no clues to identity or cod. But an odd tattoo led her on an international search to Interpol's hq in Lyon, France. Follow the path she has to ...to find the truth/

The House of Special Purpose
This WWII story is filled with actual events historical figures atmosphere and intrigue.

Remains were all that was left of the stowaway. He arrived in Richmond's Deep Water terminal, the ghastly cargo of a ship from Belgium. The decomposed body gave Chief Medical examiner Kay Scarpetta no clues to it's identity or cause of death, but an odd tattoo led her on an International search.

Remains were all that was left of the stowaway. He arrived in Richmond's Deep Water Terminal--the ghastly cargo of a ship from Belgium. The decomposed body gave Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta no clues to its identity--or the cause of death. But an odd tattoo led her on an international search to Interpol's headquarters in Lyon, France--and on a mission that would pull her in two opposite directions: toward protecting her career or toward the truth....

Remains were all that was left of the stowaway. He arrived in Richmond's Deep Water Terminal--the ghastly cargo of a ship from Belgium. An odd tattoo led her on an international search to Interpol's headquarters in France--and on a mission that would pull her in 2 opposite directions--toward protecting her career or toward the truth.

From Publishers Weekly: "Commander Michel Danton, descendant of bickering restaurateurs and the detective-hero of Seventh Avenue author Bogner's welcome return to fiction after a long hiatus, resides in a Provence that Peter Mayle would have trouble recognizing. Amid the well-documented bucolic splendor and pastis, there are laptops and lattes as well as a serial killer on the loose. It falls to Danton?newly broken up with his crime reporter girlfriend and under departmental suspension?to nose out the killer, who has just murdered two Americans in particularly grisly fashion. The villain is identified early to the reader as Boy, a native Oklahoman and former child porn star who's left a trail of misery wherever he's lived. Helping the forces of evil is Boy's girlfriend, dumb, vulnerable Maddie Gold, daughter of an entertainment mogul. Among the novel's standout strengths are a richly detailed setting, psychologically accurate character portrayals and an attractive and engaging hero?and there's enough stomach-churning carnage to satisfy even the most sanguinary tastes. True, whenever Maddie talks, Yogi Berra might advise readers to put blinders on their ears, but the other female?Danton's hot-tempered American love interest?makes up for it." Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --

kay scarpetta is the medical examiner that must learn the identity and cause of death of the remains of a stowaway from a cargo ship from belgium. an odd tattoo leads her to an international search to interpols headquarters in france.

I really enjoy Patricia Cornwell, period. I can't say that this is my favorite book by her, but it is still a great read! It is easy to go through and I have actually read it twice. So, I liked it at least that much. *grin* The ending is incredible and definitely not what you expect!

I love Patricia Cornwell. This is one of her best!

Remains were all that was left of the stowaway. He arrived in Richmond's Deep Water Terminal---the gastly cargo of a ship from Belgium. The decomposed body gave Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta no clues to its identy---or the cause of death. But an old tatto led her on an international search....

I have yet to read a Kay Scarpetta book that I didn't completely enjoy! This book is no exception!

One of her best!

Remains were all that was left of the stowaway. He arrived in Richmond's Deep Water Terminal- from Belgium. If you like Kay Scarpetta, Medical Director, you will enjoy this mystery.

One of Cornwell's darkest thrillers that has Scarpetta chasing a depraved murderer beyond this country, into France. Scarpetta also has to contend with colleagues who are seriously determined to undermine her so she can lose her job. A good fast-paced thriller!

well written. engaging main character.

Another Patricia Cornwell classic that I couldn't put down!! If you love suspense, you'll love her books!

This is the darkest of Cornwell's series of Kay Scarpetta, but it has a twist at the end.

Scarpetta is still the reigning diva at the department of death. She is sent to investigate the putrefied remains of a man found inside a container ship, "eyes bulged froglike, and the scalp and beard were sloughing off with the outer layer of darkening skin." Kay finds strange, animal-like hairs on the man's clothing--the same hairs that she discovers on a murdered store clerk a few days later. In actuality, the bizarre killings extend well beyond Virginia; whoever killed the Richmond victims also butchered people in France. Kay and police captain Pete Marino are whisked off to Paris where they must collect top-secret information from a Paris morgue, and avoid becoming victims themselves.

Kay rocks! Love the forensic anthropology, written before the days of CSI!

Kept me up late!

Another great Scarpetta mystery.

I love Patricia Cornwell - what can I say - another good one.

Usual Cornwell novel.

Love the forensics...

9th in Kay Scarpetta Medical Examiner series Good read

Incredible, just like all of the Scarpetta novels!

good bool for fans of Dr. Kay Scarpetta. Not as good as some of her others in her series, but still a good read

Good fast-paced thriller.

This was my first Patricia Cornwell mystery and I loved it! I understand why she is so popular!

A very intense mystery....a very hard book to put down...highly recomended.

One in a series of stories about Kay Scarpetta, forensic pathologist. Good details related to the actual process involved in forensic pathology. Cornwell does a good job of showing Scarpetta's professional excellence and personal vulnerability.

Very good book "fans will rejoice: It's classic Patricia Cornwell"
-Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Remains were all that was left of the stowaway. He arrived in Richmond's Deep Water Terminal-the ghastly cargo of a ship from Belgium. The decomposed body gave Chief Medical Examiner Dr.Kay Scarpetta no clues to its identity-or the cause of death. But an odd tattoo led her on an international search to Interpol's headquarters in Lyon France-and on a mission that would pull her in two opposite directions:toward protecting her career or toward the truth....

Great book - she just keeps getting better.

Love this author!

AWESOME READ!!!!!

Suspense/Mystery/Overall, I enjoyed this book-maybe started a little slow, but picked up momentum quickly - definately worth reading.

Patricia Cornwell is one of my favorite authors. I enjoyed this book as much as I have enjoyed the rest of her books. I like the detail of the crimes and the process to solve the crimes. I like the characters, and like the way some of the characters resurface in later books. I have found that questions I may have at the end of one book are often answered in later books.

intensly written

This is a book with multiple levels of emotion. Someone kay loves dies, someone in her office is sabotaging her, lucy is involved with bad people and theres a terrible killer on the loose.

Patrica Cornwell is back in fine form with Black notice-San Antonia express news

The 10th book in the series featuring Dr. Kay Scarpetta who is a chief medical examiner in Richmond, Virginia.

I LOVE this series. You will enjoy them more if you read them in order. I could not put the books down in the Kay Scarpetta series and wait each time for the new one to come out.

Patricia Cornwell is a great mystery murder writer! Once you start reading the kay Scarpetta mysteries, you cannot stop!

I never finished it! I've read 1 1/2 Kay Scarpetta books and just couldn't get into them.

you must read these books in order