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Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780743477154
ISBN number: 0743477154
Label: Pocket
Manufacturer: Pocket
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 352
Printing Date: 2003-12
Publishing house: Pocket
Release Date: December 30, 2003
Sale Popularity Level: 12298
Studio: Pocket
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Product Description:
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.
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Rated by buyers -
Reading "post Mortem" is like getting to know the Chief ME of the Commonwealth of Va., up close and personal. To know what ticks her off, what are her strengths, and her weaknesses, how she is at a glass ceiling where she must fight with male colleagues, out to prove her inadequate in more than one ways - all of that and much more.
This being the very first in the Scarpetta series, the book shows a lot of promise, by showing a gritty ME, who will not buckle under any pressure, may it be from the unidentifiable serial-killer lurking in the dark streets of Richmond, or the Police Squad officers, and more importantly, the bureaucracy that is out to prove her incapable of her job. Kay shows she's made of steel, and so is her determination to nab this killer, who proves as elusive as the proverbial needle-in-the-haystack.
Pete Marino, the Police Office who later goes on to become a regular feature in her investigations as a partner, makes a good appearance (if slightly cliched, at times!). A lot of the characters are introduced, including FBI profiler Benton Wesley, Scarpetta's sister Dorothy, her niece Lucy, and the headstrong Abby Turnbull. The introductions are enough for you to want to watch out for them in subsequent books in the series.
This being a story written many years ago, one has to give a wide margin for technology and CSI techniques that have over years become matured and some have even become outdated. But once you give that latitude, the story is in fact, written convincingly, and must've been a clincher of its times.
The only drawback I found in the book was that Cornwell's writing style was not yet perhaps mature enough to write less dramatic content. At times, the drama gets to you, but the suspense is retained well, and the mystery is revealed in an entirely convincing series of steps.
A good read for all Cornwell / Scarpetta fans.
Rated by buyers -
I just read this book for the very first time. This was a series that I just never got around to reading, so I figured I'd start with the very first book.
This certainly has an early 90s feel to it, which is not a bad thing. The descriptions of the computer database system in the Medical Examiner's office is pretty fun to read, if you remember the time when DOS was the main operating system.
I'm aware that many of these characters will develop throughout the series, and that's fine with me--they're interesting characters, especially Sergent Marino.
This is a suspense novel, not a mystery. I don't want to give too much away here, but if you think you'll be able to "solve" this one half way through it, you won't, at least not from any clues in the novel.
Rated by buyers 
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I paid full price for this book which was the most expensive copy listed on Amazon.
No where did it mention that it was coming without a dust jacket. Most of the others specifically mentioned that they did not have a dust jacket.
I feel very strongly that I was misled into paying more money for something than what I had too considering it was not what I wanted.
Rated by buyers -
I love most of the Kaye Scarpetta series. This is definately one of the better novels!!
Rated by buyers -
I enjoyed this book, even though it does show its age a bit with its simplistic descriptions of DNA testing and computer hacking. Another thing, I figured out who the killer was early in the book, something that is very unusual for me. Still, the book has some nice characterizations and the plot moves quickly. Scarpetta is a little whiney, especially for a woman in such an important position, so that didn't track as well. Overall, well worth reading.
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