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Post Mortem
Patricia Cornwell Book Review

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Plot Summary of Post Mortem
"this was the first cornwell book i read. i came to respect Kay Scarpetta as a professional and a woman. we get to be involved in her work as chief medical examiner, and learn much about this side of police work etc. I was "hooked""
Carolyn Brown, Resident Scholar

"Post Mortem was the first crime novel I read and I've been hooked on Patrica Cornwell ever since. It introduced me to the genre and have enjoyed many more since. I don't think Cornwell has topped Post Mortem for plot, intrigue and forensics, but once you start reading her Scarpetta novels, you're an addict and you'll hang out for the next novel. "
Donna Maroz, Resident Scholar

"Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta is embroiled in a series of murders that have terrorized Richmond, Virginia. The female victims are seemingly chosen at random, they had no relationship with eachother prior to death. Using her skill in forensic pathology, Scarpetta must help find the killer before he strikes again, and he will. All the while she must ward off threats of deception from inside her own office. "
LaPierre, Resident Scholar

"Dr. Scarpetta is looking into the deaths of four young women who all seem to be killed the same way- she suspects a serial killer and the whole town is in fear. The killer has a similar pattern- he looks for women who live alone, always climbing through a window, raping the victim before he brutally kills her. He has no known pattern in choosing his/her victims. But one small detail in the latest murder of a surgeon triggers the solution to the case. But, this is not before she herself is attacked by the killer. There are other subplots including her niece's visit, her romance involving the DA and the politics involved with being chief medical examiner."
Evert Borgia, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Post Mortem
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story: - present (2000-2010)
Medical Thriller Yes
Medical Plotlets: - bad docs cutting corners
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 50%
Special suspect? - chronically deranged person
Murder of certain profession? - businessmen
Misc. Murder Plotlets - character killed during/after sexing - Big focus on forensic evidence - Big focus on autopsies
Kind of investigator - police procedural, American
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - feelings towards family/friends
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - doctor
Age: - 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use? - none
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - power
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Northeast - Mid-Atlantic states
Small town? Yes
Small town people: - nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
Misc setting - scientific labs

Style
Part of a series? Yes
Person - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - very gorey descriptions deaths/dead bodies
How many deaths? - 3-4
A lot of techno jargon? Yes
Kind of jargon? - biology/medical
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to Post Mortem
The Big Gamble by Michael McGarrity
3rd Degree by James Patterson and Andrew Gross
Brainwaves by Leonard Goldberg
Hindsight by Barbara Rogan
Squeeze Play by R.J. Kaiser


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Patricia Cornwell Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Tracey Ray  

SCHOLARS:
LaPierre  Carol Patton  David Fletcher  Ally  Troy Buerger  Sherry Chen  Shanna Christiansen  danzel  Marianna  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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