Member Reviews

I have been meaning to pick up Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta series for a long time so me being me I haven’t started at the beginning but have picked up the latest book Identity Unknown which is book no 28. Whilst it does mean that I now have 27 books to catch up on I didn’t feel that I couldn’t follow what was taking place.
Kay Scarpetta is called to an abandoned theme park that she used to visit with her niece to attend to the body of Sal Giordano. She already knows that this is going to be a tough case for her as Sal was a very close friend, someone she used to love very much. The staging of the body is very strange, and it looks like he has been dropped from an aircraft. What is harder to understand is why he was killed who exactly was behind it.
Alongside the investigation into her friend’s death Scarpetta is also dealing with the autopsy into the death of a small child, the parents of which also happen to be the owners of the theme park where the body was found. Whilst she should be able to concentrate on the murder, she is also having to deal with the underhand tactics of the very vocal parents who want the body of their child back. Whether this is out of genuine grief of some other reason, only time will tell but they are people who get your heckles up with their sense of entitlement.
There is a sense of a government cover up into what Sal Giordano was doing in the run up to his death, especially with the mention of UFO’s and you can sense Scarpettas frustration when at times she is kept in the dark even by her own family and it is also not long before she comes up against someone else from her past, someone she thought she had seen the last of.
The book may be slow to start as all the evidence is gathered and the crumbs of clues are followed but this is not a story that can go big bang from the start. I get the feeling that Kay Scarpetta is a character that you will either love or loathe. She seems very focused on her job and whilst she has a very good relationship with her niece and her husband, the relationship she has with her sister and her brother-in-law is another matter entirely and one that gets explored as to why that is in this book. I love books that give the reader an insight into the characters back story and this one does that not just for Scarpetta but for those around her as well. I know that at some point I am going to have to go back to the beginning and see where it all started.

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This new novel by Patricia Cornwell is the 28th book in the Scarpetta series but it can be read as a standalone.

Dr Kay Scarpetta investigates the death of a child and the murder of a close friend of her, which appear to be linked. Are otherworldly elements at work here or could an old foe be making a reappearance?

Although it was slow to develop, I found the plot interesting and the main character/narrator compelling enough to make me want to continue reading. I really enjoyed all the references to modern technology and decent events, which grounded the plot in reality.

A recommended read for fans of Patricia Cornwell and NCIS.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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#IdentityUnknown #NetGalley I have read all the Kay Scarpetta books but must admit I did prefer the earlier books where it was much more about forensic pathology and crimes unrelated to Kay and her family. Having said that, I appreciate that times move on and Patricia Cornwell is introducing new dimensions to the storyline. Although the latest in a series, this book is perfectly capable of being read as a standalone but reading previous books will give the reader a better insight into the backgrounds of the main characters - Kay, Marino, Benton & Lucy. For me, this book started a little slow with a lot of descriptive writing but the pace sped up a lot in the second half and there was plenty of action and twists and turns. I still love this series and look forward to more in the future.

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Can’t finish it ! I’m 40% into the book and nothing has happened. It’s long and boring and so far away from the usual faire from Patricia Cornwall that I’m shocked that it’s her name on the cover.

I’m disappointed

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It was fantastic to catch up with Dr Kay Scarpetta, her husband Wesley Benton, her investigator Pete Marino, her sister Dorothy, her secret service niece, Lucy and her work partner Tron! Kay is taken to an abandoned theme park, where a body has been found in mysterious circumstances and she is shocked to learn that it's old friend Nobel Laurate Sal Giardano. How did he end up here? What happened to him? This is a well written and descriptive book. It's fast paced, a real page turner, and all the sub plots weave together to a climatic conclusion with a few twists and turns that I never saw coming.

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Iv read every Scarpetta novel written and I’m a huge fan. This did not disappoint, as always Kay, Benton, Lucy and Pete kept us gripped and guessing till the end. Loved this story and highly recommend, can also be read as a stand alone. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this early copy.

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I’ve been a fan of Patricia Cornwell’s novels for many years and always look forward to the next installment in the Scarpetta books.
Identity unknown hooked me in from start to finish and pulled me out of a book slump. It’s a medium/fast paced crime thriller and you can definitely read this book even if you’ve never read any of the previous books in the series.
I love the forensic side of Patricia’s novels and appreciate all the research she puts in to her writing.
Highly recommend if you’re a fan of medical/crime thrillers.

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Patricia Cornwell is one of those writers you can always rely on and this title is no exception, great read

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The latest in the Dr Kay Scarpetta novels is an interesting read and one that mainly focuses on the character of Kay and a past love of hers Sal, who is found dead on his 60th birthday having been found in an abandoned theme park looking like he has been dropped there by an unidentified flying object. At the same time the young daughter of the theme park owners is found dead in their home. The parents saying that she turned the gun on herself.

Some of the events in this book may seem wildly unlikely however I found it a great and pacy book, with lots of intriguing concepts and updates of charity at I have enjoyed reading about for many years.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I started this series years ago and they rarely disappoint. This one barely seemed to take any time to read, not due to the length of the book, but how fast I was reading. The characters have changed over the years just as people do, so even if you start the series with this one I don't think it will matter. I do think there were more murders in the early books though so worth reading them if you like this one. More investigating too as not as much tech involved ( obviously another way investigations have changed over the years too). This book involved an old friend of Kay's so she had an emotional element to deal with whilst doing her job. Another good read from this series

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I have read most of Patricia Cornwell's books and was highly delighted when I saw this that there was a new one. However, i found this a little disappointing. It was far too slow and rather disjointed. Too much detail about the moon and not enough forensics.

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First time ever reading Patricia Cornwell (clearly I’ve been living under a rock!) and I thoroughly enjoyed this latest Scarpetta book.
Scarpetta is dealing with the murder of an ex-boyfriend, and the investigation involves UFOs, Theme Parks, and murderous child predators/billionaires. It was a little OTT at times, but Cornwell succeeded in making sure it wasn’t too much.

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I have been reading Patricia Cornwell books for years and have enjoyed them all. Especially the older books. The detail that goes into these books is second to none.
This one is slightly different in that Scarpetta and crew dont know who or even what killed and or transported the victim who happens to be an ex lover of Scarpetta's. Marino is his usual jealous self, Benton quiet but always in the know. Lucy well she's Lucy. Lots going on in this installment and will not spoil it.
Thank you for advanced copy.

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I have been reading books by Patricia Cornwell for over thirty years. Almost every one has gained a well deserved five srar rating from me. As does Identity Unknown.

A cast of characters has grown alongside the career of Kay Scarpetta. Her cheeky niece, Lucy, grew into a genius with technology; much of which has been of benefit to Kay especially in this book.

I don't intend to share any of the content. Doing so could deny readers the pleasure of another well written masterpiece. What I will say is that I have learned something new from every book and this one is a full lesson worth learning.

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Another enjoyable Scarpetta mystery. I did find this a little slower than the previous books but it will still a very good read.

A good addition to the Scarpetta series that I recommend.

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All the scarpetta love. Detail and more detail. An amazing plot...lots of tensions in different places. Adoring fan here, since the start of scarpetta ❤️

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I haven't read a Scarpetta for several years and I found this one strangely under-powered and slow. It took until chapter 13 before Scarpetta and Marino (photography) actually started the autopsy. I was a bit incredulous at the UFO angle. Persevered and it finally got a bit more pacey, but still lacked the tense and thrilling finale I was expecting.

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Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel pre-publication.
I have read all the Patricia Cornwell Scarpetta novels but I am getting a little bored with the continuing presence of Carrie Grethen the villain. Safe to say in recent times Grethen appears wreaking havoc, Scarpetta wins through and the villain flees only to appear in the next book. All a bit predicable and boring now. I for one need more forensic-ness and less personal demons !

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Spoilers


3 ⭐


I liked a lot about this book.
Firstly, the trio, Kay,Marino and Lucy.
The two cases and how they could be connected.
The creepy abandoned theme park.
The piecing together of evidence.
Dorothy provided some comic relief.


I didnt like so much, that as soon as someone is found dead, it HAS to be about Kay.
That they jump to conclusions who it is.
That Kay is suddenly superwoman doing everything.
The jealousy surrounding a fling many years ago.
Catching the bad guy was too quick and too easy. Lacked tension for me.


Honestly, it feels like one big moan, but I enjoyed it. I'll always be back for more.

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