"Another great thriller by Patricia Cornwell. Niece Lucy is back and working for the FBI. This one will keep you guessing until the end. "
Carol Patton, Resident Scholar
"Once again Marino, Scarpetta, and Benson team up to thwart a killer after finding the nude body of a young girl. The murderer is thought to be that of Scarpetta's nemisis which motivates the team to question the clues they've found. Lucy, Scarpetta's neice, fits into a complex, but equally inticate parallel criminal plot.
Kay must put two and two together quickly if she is to save Marino after he has been rendered helpless."
Tracey Ray, Resident Scholar
"Chief medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta, the super sleuth of Patricia Cornwell's series of forensic-based crime novels, has returned for another difficult murder mystery needing her special skills and insights to flush out the perpetrator and solve the case. Scarpetta is joined by unit chief Benton Wesley, her prodigy niece Lucy, and homicide detective Captain Pete Marino and together they try to find the killer of a little girl. Cornwell introduces the reader to the FBI's creepy "Body Farm" facility in Tennessee. "
David Fletcher, Resident Scholar
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Review Analysis of The Body Farm
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 - 30% Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30% How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story:
- 1980's-1999
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 90%
Special suspect?
- relative
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- Big focus on forensic evidence
- Big focus on autopsies
Kind of investigator
- skilled citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- feelings towards lover
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- doctor
Age:
- 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How much violence does he/she use?
- just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- 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
- Female
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- killer
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a little/some
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Southeast
- Midwest
- Mid-Atlantic states
City?
Yes
City:
- Chicago
Misc setting
- scientific labs
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
Person
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
- very gorey descriptions deaths/dead bodies
Sex
Yes
What kind of sex:
- lesbians!
A lot of techno jargon?
Yes
Kind of jargon?
- biology/medical
Unusual forms of death
- asphyxiation
- perforation--swords/knives
Unusual form of death?
Yes
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
