I am unaware of listening to this narrator previously. Her reading is spotty, with some characters fully developed and others almost wooden in delivery. Scarpetta specifically is poorly portrayed. The author makes a shift in the way she tells the story, with more inner monologue from Scarpetta. Interesting.

I've always been a big Cornwell fan and especially like the Scarpetta series. For me, this one was just awful. Part of it was the narration - so flat and monotone and depressing. All the characters were either depressed or angry. And there were too many subplots - it took forever to see how any of them tied together. The last book was similar, but this one was sleep-inducing - I kept switching to music in the middle of the book, which I rarely do. Everyone needs to lighten up - all the characters and the narrator.

I wish I could get my money back on this one! I have always been a die-hard Cornwell fan, and have read or listened to everything she has ever written. The only other one I didn't care for was Southern Cross. The anger exuded by Scarpetta, Lucy, and other characters in this book was more than a "downer," as if Cornwell was having a psychotic or depressive moment and wanted to share it with all of her fans. The raving madness just went on and on without any of the usual bright spots that make her books a joy to read. Yes, murder and mayhem and postmortems are sometimes depressing, but Cornwell usually makes her books a fun read anyway. Something happened with this one, however, and the madness is just a little too much!

The pervasive theme for the last 3 books from this series has been angst. In each book the characters have become progressively angrier and the dialogue is more tinged with bitterness. More time is spent describing how angry everyone is than is spent on the actual mystery of the novel. It may be time for Ms. Cornwell to retire Kay Scarpetta and her cohorts.

and I haven't even finished! Apparently, I am not the only one. I don't know if the reader contributes to the "darkness", but I believe it is mainly the writing. I hope Ms. Cornwell has not "jumped the shark" with the series. Sorry I used a credit on this one. Psychoanalysis seems to have replaced forensics or at least pushed it to the side.

Well, I liked this one better than the last two, mainly because "things" between Marino & Scarpetta are evening out...
This is a good story but I would not recommend it to first time listeners/readers of the Kay Scarpetta series because there are so many references and nuances involving the whole history of Kay, Lucy, Benton & Marino. Ya gotta start at the beginning....
Kate Reading does a good job reading and I've listened to enough books to be able to identify who's talking - even if I get interrupted from listening by...WORK! Doh! But lately, jeez, she's making Lucy sound so MANLY! As tough as she is...she's still a girl!!!

I just fell in love with Patricia Cornwell's writing. I plan to buy all her audio books, as I can. will start with the first of the Scarpetta books now, and will probably read The Scarpetta Factor again.

I have been a great fan of Scarpetta for as long as she has been writting, but this book was very dissappointing. If there is a story line it gets lost in all the other crap that is going on with the characters.
It is quite boring, I have 4 hours left to listen to and I may just put it aside and not finish it.

T&A, violence. this author was recommended to me because I like mysteries. I was too disgusted to finish this one.

This is one of her worst stories....not up to Ms Cornwell's standards.