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Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta Series #1)
by Patricia Cornwell
Overview
With this novel, bestselling author Patricia Cornwell created one of crime fiction’s most compelling heroines: gutsy medical examiner Kay Scarpetta. Cornwell’s gift for combining cutting edge criminology with nerve-shattering suspense makes this book a true modern classic.
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 forensic research to unmask the madman. But this investigation will test Kay like no other, because it’s being sabotaged from within—and someone wants her dead.
To tie in with Cornwell's latest hardcover from Scribners, Cruel and Unusual, Avon reissues the chilling debut novel that won this author an Edgar Award for Best First Mystery. While working on a case of serial murders, gutsy forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta discovers that the killer is now after her. $2.00 consumer rebate. Reissue.
Synopsis
The novel that launched the Kay Scarpetta series from #1 bestselling author Patricia Cornwell is back and better than ever in a premium edition.
.. Los Angeles Times
Dazzling....Fascinating....A first-rate thriller.
About the Author, Patricia Cornwell
Readers of Patricia Cornwell's crime novels need a strong stomach, both for the gruesome details and the suspenseful turns of her plots. With medical examiner Kay Scarpetta, Cornwell created a cool and compelling heroine who repeatedly draws readers back for more.
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Editorials
.. Los Angeles Times
Dazzling....Fascinating....A first-rate thriller.
Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Cornwell, a former reporter who has worked in a medical examiner's office, sets her first mystery in Richmond, Virginia. Chief medical officer for the commonwealth of Virginia, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, the narrator, dwells on her efforts to identify "Mr. Nobody,'' the strangler of young women. The doctor devotes days and nights to gathering computer data and forensic clues to the killer, although she's hampered by male officials anxious to prove themselves superior to a woman. Predictably, Scarpetta's toil pays off, but not before the strangler attacks her; a reformed male chauvinist, conveniently nearby, saves her. Although readers may be naturally disposed to admire Scarpetta and find the novel's scientific aspect interesting, they are likely to be put off by her self-aggrandizement and interminable complaints, annoying flaws in an otherwise promising debut.
Book Details
Published
December 1, 2009
Publisher
Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
Format
Mass Market Paperback
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