Port Mortuary (Kay Scarpetta)

by Patricia Cornwell

2011

Status

Available

Publication

Berkley (2011), 512 pages

Description

When Scarpetta examines a young man's body, she discovers stunning indications that he may have been alive when he was zipped inside a pouch and locked inside the cooler of her new Cambridge Forensic Center in Massachusetts. Various 3-D radiology scans reveal more shocking details about internal injuries unlike any Scarpetta has ever seen. These suggest the possibility of a conspiracy to cause mass casualties, and she races against time to discover who and why before more people die.

User reviews

LibraryThing member labwriter
One of the risks of an author publishing novels that don't live up to past efforts is that she can lose her good readers, which seems to be what's happened in pretty good measure to Cornwell, if the LT and Amazon citizen "reviews" for this book are any indication. Plus, no less that three people
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here at LT whose opinions I respect very highly have said that they too have stopped reading her.

The readers who are left, at least some of the ones commenting, have some rather odd things to say about this book:

1. "Too focused on technology." / Since these books are about a forensic pathologist, if they didn't focus on "technology" or the science of forensics, then they would be rather superficial. Cornwell's ability to write about the science involved in her plots has always been a strong point.

2. This goes to the same point as #1 above: "Used jargon that I didn't understand." / One of the reasons I read--anything, be it novels or anything else--is to learn new things. I guess a person is either interested enough in the subject a writer is writing about, or they're not. If someone isn't moved to look up the things they don't understand, one can hardly fault the author or the book for that, and perhaps instead of writing a negative review, that reader ought to choose something else.

3. "No passion between Scarpetta and Benton." / Try a romance novel. I thought the back-and-forth between Scarpetta and her husband Wesley Benton was realistic and probably the best that Cornwell has done with these two characters for awhile. They work together, so they have to maintain a professional relationship as well as personal. The "passion" is there, it's just not the fall-into-bed "passion" of a couple of 20-year-olds.

4. "The fractured plot was too difficult to follow; the story had strange twists." / Huh? I don't know how to judge the exact reading level of a book, but I would say that if a reader can't follow this plot, then they either aren't interested in the forensic thriller genre, or they might need to practice on something less complex. An Alex Cross book by James Patterson comes to mind.

What I liked about the book:

Cornwell has gone back to writing in the first person from the point of view of Kay Scarpetta. I think that's a good choice for her, since she seems to be more solidly in control of her material when she's writing from inside of Kay's head.

Addtionally, Cornwell has some great scenes in this thing, including some wonderful business with a new young male assistant that is screamingly funny. There's another scene where Scarpetta is on a phone call with a patrician Boston mother of a young man with Asperger's; the mother's son is accused of murdering a six-year-old with a nail gun. Scarpetta is responding to this woman who is becoming increasingly voluable and agitated while at the same time Benton is listening to the conversation, responding to Kay. The scene demonstrates the narrative assurance of a pro.

Another thing I liked is that at the end of the book, Kay adopts a new dog named Sock, a rescue greyhound. I love it when writers include pets in their books, if they really do love animals, that is, and what Cornwell does between Scarpetta and this dog is very nice--very sweet--and has the effect of humanizing Kay a little bit. And she can use it.

And I guess finally the plot--I liked it; the story was good. If I find myself stealing time from things I should be doing in order to read a novel, then that's a pretty good indication the book is not only holding my attention, but it's also entertaining or throught-provoking or something beyond the run-of-the-mill.
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LibraryThing member davybhoy
This book is utter drivel and it will be the last Cornwell book that I read. I have nearly all Cornwells books and have read all the Scarpetta novels in sequence. They have beome progressively worse, to the point where they are barely readable.

This novel takes place over a 36 hour period during
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which much is made of the fact that Scarpetta and her husband dont sleep but she still manages to perform an autopsy and solve a complex series of crimes. It is absurd. Scarpetta's relationships with her husband, her niece & acquaintance are completely unrealistic. None of them answer the others questions directly, they are secretive about simple things and they hide behind technology....

It is not a long book at all but frankly it was a chore to finish. The Cornwell of today is far far removed from the Cornwell of 10 years ago and that is sad - she was once an exciting author. I suppose the writing was on the wall when she did a "Dallas" and brought Benton back after previously killing him off.

No stars. :-(
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LibraryThing member v4758
Bit of history first. I loved the Scarpetta novels, I mean really loved them - had them all - hardbacks the minute they came out. Brilliant plots, watching Lucy grow up, loving every minute of her slowly-slowly relationship with Benton. Living every agonising second of her complete and utter grief
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at his appalling death and then...he comes back to life...just like that. Big emotional event?...nah...if memory serves she passes him on the stairs - no big deal. That is the moment I fell out with Cornwell. I distinctly remember sitting there just open mouthed, re-reading the same bit over and over.

So, it was with some trepidation that I bought Port Mortuary. Thought for old times sake I'd give her another go.

Dear God - how completely and utterly boring is this book? The interminable car journey where Benton and Scarpetta talk to each other as if (a) they barely know each other and (b) English is their third language. I continued reading purely because I wanted to find out what had caused the victims injuries as they seemed so bizarre. Page after page after page of Scarpetta whining on about she's in charge and the paranoia of everyone is hiding stuff from her got very very wearing. When she finally gets to her office, its *I* personally chose my eco elevator, *I* got this *I* arranged that. *My* titanium coated building (what???)

The never-ending disjointed conversation drove me up the wall "I realize I'm perserverating" Now there's a sentence you'll never hear spoken aloud!

Finally - Marino - relegated to the role of a giant labrador, always in the background, a bit dim and tends to jump up and put his muddy paws all over your white trousers.

I wish I'd kept the receipt - there is a sticker on the front saying I can have my money back if I don't love it!
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LibraryThing member bitsy08
Wow! I've read some of the other reviews of this same book and can't figure out who was reading what. I was on page 278 and kept thinking - when is this story going to start? I also kept thinking - blah, blah, blah - cut to the chase. I kept skipping over passages because there were just TOO MANY
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WORDS. The relationships Dr. Scarpetta has with her husband and her niece in this book would drive me crazy. She doesn't answer any questions with a direct answer and neither do they. How can you sustain relationships like that? And Merino. If I was his boss and he went over my head as many times as he did in this book, he'd be the next one fired. Dr. Scarpetta came away as weak and lacking confidence. If I had read this book first in the series, I wouldn't have read any others. In my opinion, poorly done.
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LibraryThing member ATechwreck
Scarpetta returns from Dover where she's been working on military forensics to a mess at her Boston lab. Several mysterious deaths have apparently been mishandled.

Problem is that no one is telling her (or us, the reader) anything, just allowing cryptic comments. The vagueness of the plot and
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passivity of Scarpetta make this a frustrating read.
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LibraryThing member LizARees
The previous two Scarpetta books were something of a return to form but I found this one unsatisfactory. Some of the characters (Marino, Benton and Scarpetta herself) seem to have changed out of all recognition, Scarpetta's career has taken an unexplained turn, and there's a South African back
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story we've heard nothing about before.
Every time a new book in the series is published I tell myself I'm not going to bother again, but this time I think I really mrean it.
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LibraryThing member bohemiangirl35
I stopped reading the Kay Scarpetta series years ago when Marino transformed from a friend and partner with some insecurities into a self-destructive, off-the-wall cop who breaks the rules and disrespects his and Kay's friendship and work relationship. And Kay allowed it. I wish I had not picked
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this one up. The back of the book says, "In Port Mortuary, Patricia Cornwell brings Scarpetta together with Marino, Benton, and Lucy in an intimate way that is reminiscent of the early novels..." This book is NOTHING like the early Scarpetta novels.

Kay, whom I absolutely loved in the beginning of the series, has turned into a weak, indecisive, observer in her own life and career. I know that people can be strong in one area of their life and weak in others places in ways that seem incongruous, but Kay seems like she's been lobotomized. Why would everyone need to protect her and not tell her anything about a case that she is involved with? When did she get so fragile? I would never guess that Kay's staff would allow her office to become a dirty, disorganized mess because she takes a few months work at Dover Airforce Base. All of the main characters - Kay, Benton, Marino, Lucy - have turned into something worse than caricatures. They are not at all true to the personalities they were at the beginning of the series.

The story itself seemed like it might be interesting at the start, but it was convoluted and twisted and Cornwell really had to stretch to make it all fit. I'm not even going to describe it.

This novel goes on my very short "hated it" list along with Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Dead and Alive and Iris Johansen's Deadlock.
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LibraryThing member rretzler
The latest in a long line of Kay Scarpetta novels- of the regulars are here - Kay, Benton, Lucy, Marino and even Jack Fielding. The Scarpetta novels in the past have been entertaining, interesting and easy to read.

Cornwell certainly keeps up on the latest in forensics and this book was no
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exception. However, I felt as though I were missing pieces of Kay's life, even though I have read all of the previous novels. Rather abruptly, Kay is now the Head of the new CFC which has ties to Harvard, MIT and the military, but there is not much explanation of how this happened, or how Jack Fielding became involved.

(Spoiler alert) Also, even though this is a lengthy book, I felt as though the ending were rather abrupt, and it was certainly no surprise - what do we expect to happen when the killer has not been caught, and Kay and Benton head home for a quiet evening.

This was certainly not one of Cornwell's better efforts, it felt as if she just wrote it to get another Scarpetta novel out. Let's hope the next one is better.
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LibraryThing member Cappa-books
I agree with some of the reviews here, I thought she went into way to much detail on the gadgets, places, peoples titles etc etc, I just kept thinking just get on with the story! I agree we need some information to follow the story but it seemed it was put in to fill the fact that there wasnt
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exactly much to the story. Its an okay read but nothing like the other Scarpetta novels. I would like to hear her talk a little more frankly with the other characters and just get some straight answers!
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LibraryThing member SuseGordon
big book and basically half of it was Scarpetta suffering from professional/personal angst... a bit much. It did move and it came together with actual "activity" in the last 50-100 pages... I actually thought about going back to the earlier books where stuff happens instead of all of the intense
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analytical thinking and over-thinking... not bad, not great
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LibraryThing member teri-jayne
Was EXTREMELY disappointed with this book! Over half the book covers a time period of 24hrs in which the lead character, Kay Scarpetta, doesnt actually leave the mortuary! If anything, this was just a rush by Patricia Cornwell to get something on the shelves this year. It was also extremely
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confusing. Slow, boring and pointless. I cannot believe I am actually writing this about one of my favourite authors! Thumbs down!
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LibraryThing member JosephLYoung
Convoluted story with lots of details glorifying equipment used by a state Medical Examiner as a Forensic Scientist. Lots of ghosts of the past haunted the story as the dead started to pile up. Kay Scarpetta agonized over real and imagined motivations of her mentors, peers, family and interns while
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corpses continue to pile up. A tie in with the Military and advanced technology at a Military Industrial Development Complex were red herrings thrown in obscure any trace of an actual story and any possible early solution to the "Who did it" question. The deaths didn't have a obvious common thread and the eventual Killer was not even introduced until late in the book, long after evidence linking other characters to the murders wad advanced. Not one of Patricia Cromwell's better works.
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LibraryThing member OneMorePage
Fractured plot, difficult to follow. I used to love Cornwell's work, but it gets worse and worse. I keep giving her another chance, but I think I have given her one too many. She's lost me, no more, I will spend my precious reading time on someone else.
LibraryThing member maureen61
I am a huge fan of Patricia Cornwell. I have read all of the Scarpetta books. This one is a disappointment. I was frustrated by the story that featured Scarpetta as an indecisive, troubled womanso unlike her other depictions in past novels. I felt she was disrespected by her husband, niece Lucy ahd
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Mariono - her gaithful companion. The story had strange twists and really stretched to make circumstances fit together. Many pages - not worth the read.
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LibraryThing member WeeziesBooks
This Scarpetta book Port Mortuary is a bit more convoluted than some of her books. Scarpetta had been reassigned to a new forensic center for 6 months and not in charge of her own lab. She left her long time friend Jack Fielding in charge of her lab. However, she was supposed to be cut off from all
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knowledge of was happening in own lab. It was being operated in disarray with misuse of her personal areas a regular part of the time she was gone.

There are the usual murders found in Scarpetta’s books and she finds there are robots possibly being used for unlawful and dark purposes. During this book she is at odds with her husband Benton, her boss Briggs, her friend Marino and almost every other person she meets. She appears to be a bit paranoid during this entire book. I did not identify with the characters but there are many twists and turns during the book.

I thought the idea of advanced science technologies was intriguing but that did not seem to be fully developed and was a bit of a red herring. It seems as if there were characters that really were not at all necessary to the story line. It was an average read but not one I would ever read again.
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LibraryThing member bacreads
I have been a Scarpetta fan for many years but the last few books have been disappointing and this one even more so. I either missed a book or two or can't remember the early ones to know that she was in the military and her over protection of Jack. I found Kay very whinny and the murder less than
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intriquing. Nothing really seemed to mesh. Cornwall seemed to be making it up as she went along. It was not a compelling read. I am a fan of Reichs and Fairstein and they seem to be able to keep their main characters fresh and interesting. These type of books are my escape and fun reading and I feel cheated when it is neither.
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LibraryThing member teamweasley
I've read better by her. It ran dry in some areas and at time didn't make itself clear. The plot line was good but the dialog seemed wooden and forced. Still worth a read...once.
LibraryThing member lrobe190
Port Mortuary, is literally a port for the dead. Kay Scarpetta, now the chief medical examiner of the new Cambridge Forensic Center in Massachusetts, is involved in a couple of cases: the mysterious sudden death of a man and the murder of a child (whose confessed killer seems to be innocent). Soon
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she begins to suspect the two cases are related—joined by a piece of high-tech hardware found in the first victim’s apartment—and before too long, she realizes she’s facing what could be her most clever foe yet. (Desc. Booklist)

I've read all of the Kay Scarpetta novels and always enjoy the forensics and the science behind solving the mystery. I found the pacing in this novel very slow. It's told in first-person, and
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LibraryThing member jancolsum
Oh,so tedious and repetitive. I listened to it on audio-book in the car, and when my son asked if we were going to be listening to "crazy, grumpy woman" again,I decided that I couldn't discribe it any better than that. I wouldn't suggest anyone subject themselves to 10+ hours of this.
LibraryThing member dragonflydee1
Halfway through this book I was banging my head against the wall--come on, get on with the story. Then, it dawned on me (duh) that we were supposed to be feeling Kay's angst, her confusion, guilt and fear and a premonition about the horrors to come. After I realized this, the book was better for
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me, but still not my favorite Cornwell novel.
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LibraryThing member FMRox
Medical examiner Kay Scarpetta returns from a year long educational tour with the United States medical examiner's office to find her Cambridge0based medical examiner office in utter confusion and complete disarray. It appears her second in command led the place near to the brink of disaster and
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she is left to pick up the pieces.
Cornwell's novels still aren't what they used to be. In this one she returns to her earlier format of first person, present tense. While present tense does not bother me, I no longer enjoy first person. The story once again hits close to home as the killer or killers is after one of her own. The ending isn't very satisfying. And it's too long for a novel.
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LibraryThing member cookiemo
I didn't really enjoy this latest book of Patricia Cornwell's. Most of the book was using jargon that I didn't really understand. eg nanobots and nano particles. Whilst I have a basic understanding of these it wasn't really enough. I found it quite disjointed and lots of it was simply reviewing her
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past 'adventures.' I did enjoy the last 50 or so pages.
Definitely not one of her better books.
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LibraryThing member exlibrismcp
The suspense and personal angst promised at the beginning of the book are quite a letdown to the reader. The setup leads one to believe that Scarpetta's mysterious past experience is somehow connected to her current case. Yet, upon completion of the book I am still scratching my head wondering why
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that part was even included in the novel. Another frustrating aspect was the stilted and disjointed dialogue. There were too many places where the characters were speaking to each other, yet carrying on their own conversations. Finally, perhaps because of the first person narrative, Cornwell repeated and reiterated phrases over and over for the apparent purpose of explaining the motivations of the other individuals. For the most part, these things only needed to be said once.

As with The Scarpetta Factor, I was seriously disappointed with this book. I remember truly enjoying the earlier Scarpetta novels and approached each book with the sense of meeting up again with an old friend, only to find that one of us has changed. Either my reading tastes have changed or are more discerning or Cornwell has run her course with Scarpetta and is unable to bring a freshness to her that would keep her exciting.
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LibraryThing member Quiltingdragon
I have loved the Kay Scarpetta series since I started reading adult books, when a friend of my parents gave Dad one to read and I borrowed it - it was several years before I was able to read the others, but I now have almost all of them in hardback, lovingly assembled at garage sales,etc over the
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years because I have worn out the paperbacks. This one? Not sure if it will get a second read. I was very disappointed, way too much focus on the technology and not enough time with the characters. Perhaps the author needs to reread the early books and see if she can find the character she lost along the way.
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LibraryThing member buffalogr
This Scarpetta book is OK, but not great. It begins with the Dover AFB's Port Mortuary...a flimsy pretense but a great way to emphasize that organization. Although there is a bit of swirling and eddy around technology, the story is all about what happens after the return from Dover and
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deterioration of her company in Scarpetta's absence. The book then emphasizes Scarpetta, to the detriment of everyone else in the story. Marino, for example, is relegated to the status of a large hulk that can't be trusted. Tell me again why Scarpetta left Richmond? The perpetrator gets caught as always and we move on to another Cornwell novel.
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Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2010

Physical description

512 p.; 4.25 inches

ISBN

9780425243602

Barcode

1602215
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