From America’s #1 bestselling crime writers comes the extraordinary new Kay Scarpetta novel.

Leaving behind her private forensic pathology practice in Charleston, South Carolina, Kay Scarpetta accepts an assignment in New York City, where the NYPD has asked her to examine an injured man on Bellevue Hospital’s psychiatric prison ward. The handcuffed and chained patient, Oscar Bane, has specifically asked for her, and when she literally has her gloved hands on him, he begins to talk—and the story he has to tell turns out to be one of the most bizarre she has ever heard.

The injuries, he says, were sustained in the course of a murder . . . that he did not commit. Is Bane a criminally insane stalker who has fixed on Scarpetta? Or is his paranoid tale true, and it is he who is being spied on, followed and stalked by the actual killer? The one thing Scarpetta knows for certain is that a woman has been tortured and murdered—and more violent deaths will follow. Gradually, an inexplicable and horrifying truth emerges: Whoever is committing the crimes knows where his prey is at all times. Is it a person, a government? And what is the connection between the victims?

In the days that follow, Scarpetta; her forensic psychologist husband, Benton Wesley; and her niece, Lucy, who has recently formed her own forensic computer investigation firm in New York, will undertake a harrowing chase through cyberspace and the all-too-real streets of the city—an odyssey that will take them at once to places they never knew, and much, much too close to home.

Throughout, Cornwell delivers shocking twists and turns, and the kind of cutting-edge technology that only she can provide. Once again, she proves her exceptional ability to entertain and enthrall.

Customer Rating:
Summary: "Scarpetta" is an Ace
Comment: "Scarpetta" is Patricia Cornwell at the top of her game. The excellent character development the attention to the smallest detail is what separates Cornwell from the others. This book is right up there with some of the authors best, once I started reading it I couldn't wait to figure out who did it, and how all the pieces tied together. Oscar Bane is a most memorable character, and it was good to see the characters move on in their lives. An excellent gift to all Cornwell fans this holiday season.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: This one ties it all together!!!!
Comment: WOW!!!! This was a great read. I was able to actually sit down and enjoy a "great book." Scarpetta tells a story that uses real forensic crime scene procedures in combination with "good old fashioned police work." I loved this book from the story to how alot of unanswered questions over the years were certainly answered. I gotta tell you, wait till the end...but don't cheat and read the last chapter first because you will really be cheating yourself...You know what....this is just a really great book!!!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Scarpetta is fantastic
Comment: Wow, what a great book. I loved Scarpetta,it was well worth the wait. Ms Cornwell has written yet another winner. In Scarpetta, she brought back some old faces, which I thought was wonderful, and I really like the way it is character driven with just the right amount gory scenes. Not to mention it is 500 pages, which is awsome. I wish all of her book could be that long. I have read all of Ms Cornwell's books & I have loved each and every one of them. This lady is in league of her own.
Can't wait for the next one.
LeAnn

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Scarpetta
Comment: Patricia Cornwell at her best! Scarpetta is a fast pace read full of suspense that will keep you guessing right to the end. If you're a die hard Cornwell fan as I am or a newcomer you'll love this book! Scarpetta fans get some answers we've been wondering about and our favorites, Marino, Lucy and Benton are all there! I couldn't put it down! It's worth your time and money to purchase....you won't be diappointed.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: This reviewer's favorite crime thriller author.
Comment:
Kay Scarpetta and Benton Wesley are married and for the first time in their long relationship, they are not only in the same state, they share the same house. She is the medical examiner for the Northeastern District of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and both are guest lecturers at NYC's John Jay College of Criminal Justice. They also provide free consulting services for agencies to include NYPD.

Oscar Bane, a little person, checks himself into Bellevue after seeing his lover, also a little person, dead; a homicide victim. Benton does a pre evaluation and Oscar reveals he will not talk to anyone except Scarpetta. When she arrives Oscar tells her that "they" are watching him and know every move he makes. He also tells her to find a disc hidden in his apartment so she will know he is not paranoid. The police believe Bone killed his significant other, but Scarpetta based on forensics does not even believe he warrants a warrant. Further research reveals other people were killed in a similar fashion; each wearing an ankle bracelet. Kay, Lucy, prosecutor Jaime Berger, and investigator Pete Marino begin to seek a serial killer who enjoys torture and murder.

It has been two decades since Scarpetta was introduced and over that time the characters have changed and grown. Bonds have formed and others broken; now Kay and Benton take the next step in their relationship. However as always in this great series, SCARPETTA is first and foremost a superb crime thriller filled with action though character driven. Readers will fully enjoy the heroine and her horde's latest adventures as Patricia Cornwell affirms why she is this reviewer's favorite crime thriller author.

Harriet Klausner

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