Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Search - Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1)

Postmortem  (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1)
Postmortem - Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1
Author: Patricia Cornwell
Under cover of night in Richmond, Virginia, a human monster strikes, leaving a gruesome trail of stranglings that has paralyzed the city. Medical examiner Kay Scarpetta suspects the worst: a deliberate campaign by a brilliant serial killer whose signature offers precious few clues. With an unerring eye, she calls on the latest advances in forens...  more »
Info icon
ISBN-13: 9780743477154
ISBN-10: 0743477154
Publication Date: 1998
Pages: 342
Rating:
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 355

3.9 stars, based on 355 ratings
Publisher: Pocket
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1) on + 54 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
Convincing mystery that is thrilling right to the end. This is the first in the Kay Scarpetta series and I will be sure to read the others.
daedelys avatar reviewed Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1) on + 1218 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
The book started out a bit light and slow, in my opinion, but it did give us a feel for who the characters are in the story. Sometimes I felt that a little too much drama happens to the lead character all at one time, but it did make for a good story.

It was also fascinating reading a book written about a time before DNA was as well-developed as it is today in forensic science.

You're also kept guessing until the end who the killer is, but I was still surprised at who it was in the end. I'm a bit hooked now on these books and plan to continue reading more of the series since I have quite a few of them on my TBR shelf.
goddesslovingbookworm avatar reviewed Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1) on + 170 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
First in the series and a wonderful beginning--Kay is business-like but not so harsh as to be a harpie. A plot with just enough twists that I never thought I was being "talked-down to". This was my first Cornwell, and I don't intend for it to be my last.
reviewed Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1) on + 60 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
To date my favorite book of Cornwell's series of forensic novels and her first. "A serial killer is on the loose in Richmond Virginia, three women have died...there is no pattern and the killer appears to strike at random..."

"An excellent chiller with pace and tension"--Sunday Telegraph
reviewed Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1) on + 65 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
A brilliant human monster-A"mr. Nobody"-moves undetected through a paralyzed city, leaving behind a gruesome trail of carnage...but few clues. With an unerring eye and the latest advances in forensic research, medical examiner Kay Scarpetta sets out to unmask a maniac. But someone os trying to sabotasge Kasy's investigation from the inside. And someome wants her dead...
Read All 140 Book Reviews of "Postmortem Kay Scarpetta Bk 1"

Please Log in to Rate these Book Reviews

robinmy avatar reviewed Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1) on + 2038 more book reviews
Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta investigates a series of murders in the Richmond area. Four women have been viciously murdered. Forensics show that they were killed by the same person. Dr. Scarpetta works with Detective Pete Marino and FBI Special Agent Benton Wesley to catch a serial killer.

This is Patricia Cornwell's debut novel. It's a solid story which is heavy on forensics. I thought the long conversations about blood types and DNA slowed down the story. There wasn't much action until the end when the identity of the killer was uncovered. It's the first book in the Kay Scarpetta series and a must if you wish to read more in the series. My rating: 4 Stars.
Cycle304 avatar reviewed Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1) on + 135 more book reviews
Very good - she makes you want to grow up to be just like Kay Scarpetta! (although it's a little too late for that!)
reviewed Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1) on + 46 more book reviews
This is the first Kay Scarpetta novel. VERY interesting .. particularly in how things have changed - in this one, the ME's office has one shared computer, DNA is not a big factor, etc. Good storyline and fascinating to read if you want to start from the beginning. Lucy is in it, but she's 10 years old (a computer whiz though!)
momdoc5 avatar reviewed Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1) on + 8 more book reviews
The first and very best from P. Cornwell! This is based loosely on a real situation we had in Richmond with the Southside Strangler in the early 90s and it brought back chilling memories for me!
justreadingabook avatar reviewed Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1) on + 1707 more book reviews
I throughly enjoy reading the Scarpetta books, they are so well written with a excellent storyline that keeps you turning the pages as quick as you can. The realism in the writing is what keeps you coming back for more.
reviewed Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1) on
This is my first Patricia Cornwell book - can't wait to read the rest in the series. Already have a copy of Body of Evidence which is, I think, the second in the series. This one kept me guessing right up to the last chapter.
reviewed Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1) on + 7 more book reviews
I liked this book because I had read "Blowfly" first so wasn't up to speed on how characters and incidents began. I'm not sure I'd buy another of her books, however.
reviewed Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1) on + 61 more book reviews
Good Scarpetta book.
reviewed Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1) on + 6 more book reviews
After having this author recommended to me several times by friends, I purchased Patricia Cornwell's entire Kay Scarpetta series on Ebay. This is the first book in the series, and although I highly enjoyed it, I was a bit disappointed in the ending--mostly, I think, because I was expecting the serial killer to be a major character of the book. Now that I know Cornwell's books are like that, I will not be disappointed in future reads.

Postmortem is a tale of a serial killer who preys upon women. His victims seem to have nothing in common, therefore baffling all who are attempting to profile and/or catch him. Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta is a brilliant heroine, and one to be admired. I would definitely recommend reading this book first as it introduces characters to appear in later books of the Kay Scarpetta series.
reviewed Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1) on + 145 more book reviews
Start this one and you will be hooked to read the rest of the series!
reviewed Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1) on
Great book! Fast paced, suspenseful, and smart. Can't wait to read the next one in the series.
cmcav04 avatar reviewed Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1) on + 25 more book reviews
This is the one that got me hooked!
reviewed Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1) on
My 15 year old daughter and I both read this book in just a few days! It has a good plot and was a real page turner.
reviewed Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1) on + 12 more book reviews
Really good. As good as all of Kay Scarpetta's books.
Mouse7088 avatar reviewed Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1) on + 21 more book reviews
(I never had a dust jacket w/ my copy)

I LOVE PATRICIA CORNWELL! It has been a long time since I have read this one, but it rates highly as with all of the Kay Scarpetta books.
reviewed Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 1) on + 3 more book reviews
Good book to read if you like crime scene investigation.


Genres: