Point of Origin (Kay Scarpetta) | Patricia Daniels Cornwell

Point of Origin (Kay Scarpetta) | Patricia Daniels Cornwell | Fire and Forensics

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Point of Origin (K...

	Point of Origin (Kay Scarpetta) Patricia Daniels Cornwell Berkley, 1999 - 416 pages average customer review:based on 507 reviews view larger image
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8 cassettes / approx. 11 hours
Unabridged

"Cornwell proves yet again that she's one of America's most gifted and compelling writers.  The mistress of psychological thrillers has dished up one of her scariest, darkest, most diabolical stories yet." --Booklist

Kay Scarpetta is back

From New York Times #1 bestselling author of Unnatural Exposure and Cause of Death comes a white-hot new Kay Scarpetta novel that pits Virginia's chief medical examiner against an audacious and wily killer who uses fire to mask his crimes.  And when Scarpetta learns that her old nemesis, Carrie Grethen, is somehow involved, the investigation gets personal and tragedy strikes closer to home.

In Point of Origin, America's leading crime writer combines literary talent and style with a fierce commitment to justice in this thrilling and complex novel.  Point of Origin will stand out as one of Cornwell's best, a gripping story that transcends the genre to examine the dark side of the human soul.

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Stunning!

Wow! I read this in 4 days! This starts with a casual feeling of vacation and ends in tradegy for Dr Kay. The web she is weaved into while unraveling this story is amazing and she is Cornwell portrays her as a strong woman, ready to seek revenge.
Cornwell's description of the scene's made me feel as if I was watching them work the case.

It's only been 8 hours and I am starting the next novel!

Fire and Forensics

I liked this installment in the Kay Scarpetta series. The forensics are detailed and graphic, and by now I feel I know her characters well, both their good aspects and their faults. The only issue I have with the series is that they skip major changes in the character's lives. For example, in the last book, Benton was still at the FBI, and when this one opens, he is retired. We don't get to know what led up to that decision and how he feels about it. Lucy was last with the FBI and in the process of having her career ruined. In this book, all of a sudden that is over and she is with the ATF.

Regardless of those deficits, I still enjoy the series. Carrie Grethen is back and the book starts with a poem she writes to Kay. I won't give away spoilers, but this one has an ending that shocks, and is a heartbreaker.

If you plan to read more of the Kay Scarpetta series, don't skip this one. It is needed in my opinion to fully understand at least the next two books. (that is as far as I've gotten in the series)

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A Great Book

Although I wouldn't go as far as to say that this is the best I've read in the Scarpetta series, it is just as good as the others.

I wouldn't recommend it to those who have not read the other books though - because it refers to cases in which torsos are found (from the book before this one) & a character introduced much earlier, Carrie Grethen, plays a much bigger part in this.

There is a lot of character development in this one - especially at the begining of the book. As usual, a lot of it is about Lucy. Benton also plays a huge part.

I wont go over the plot much - because really, a lot happens. But in the end they do find thier killer, along with Carrie, who escapes from the assylum earlier on. The modus operandi is especially terrible in this case, making it all the more intriging. It isn't really spelled out in the end exactly what happened when the victims were killed - because everybody's too busy chasing the killer. But what they find in his house is what makes it all clear - although by now it's a little late. He & Carrie knew they would find it.

What's really sad in this one is the death of Benton. You feel like you knew him, & the funeral is so deppressing! But if you read the next book you'll get a surprise..

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Has Cornwell ever been on a horse farm?

The large number of reviews previously posted for Point of Origin sum up the majority of my disappointments with the book. Scarpetta is a basket case throughout the book, is totally obsessed with her niece and whines constantly about her job (why does she do it). In addition, multiple threads surface unexpectedly or are dropped without any attempt at resolution. A point that I struggled with constantly was Cornwell's apparent total lack of comprehension of how a horse farm works. With over 20 high priced horses, the farm only had one old caretaker who quit an unstated amount of time prior to the fire. The owner (an extremely busy man) has supposedly been taking care of these horses himself, but decides to take off for a few days without making any arrangements for their care. Anyone with any basic knowledge of horses would also be aware that this is as likely as leaving an infant in a crib while the parents leave for a getaway weekend. The credibility of the investigation rang totally hollow for me with this lack of research.

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