Cause of Death

By: Patricia Cornwell

Narrated by: C.J. Critt

Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

On a quiet day, away from the hustle of Richmond, in a small cottage on the Virginia coast, Dr. Kay Scarpetta receives a disturbing phone call from the Chesapeake police. Thirty feet deep in the murky waters of Virginia's Elizabeth River, a scuba diver's body is discovered near the Inactive Naval Shipyard.

As the police begin searching for clues, the wallet of investigative reporter Ted Eddings is found. Unnerved by the possible identity of the victim, Scarpetta orders the crime scene roped off and left alone until she arrives. What was he doing there, searching for Civil War relics as the officer suggested, or was there a bigger story? As she rifles through the multitude of clues, a second murder hits much closer to home. This new development puts Scarpetta and her colleagues hot on the trail of a military conspiracy.

Filled with lurid details that Cornwell's legions of fans have come to expect, Cause of Death is a breathtaking mystery further enhanced by C. J. Critt's gripping narration.

Cause of Death is the 7th book in the Kay Scarpetta series.

Don't miss the other titles in Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series.

©1996 Patricia Daniels Cornwell (P)2002 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Cornwell remains a master of the genre, instilling in readers an appetite that only she can satisfy." (Publishers Weekly)
"The fascination with monstrous evil that's run through Cornwell's recent work blossoms with a vengeance....Full marks, as always, for the gripping forensic detail and beleaguered Scarpetta's legendary toughness." (Kirkus)

Wonderful

I am a long time Cornwell fan, and this installment did not disappoint. I literally could not stop listening to it. The narrator was on point, and the story was riveting.

More please!

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

What a great story line. Not one of her strongest endings but this writer continues to beguile her readers as we follow the body trail to the irresistible ending. I'm behind in the series and can't wait to read the next installment. In looking ahead I noticed that Point of Origin is not on the audible list. Please hurry and add this one. I'll be there by next week. :)

If you’ve listened to books by Patricia Cornwell before, how does this one compare?

Compared to the rest this one is about a 7.

Which character – as performed by C.J. Critt – was your favorite?

She does a pretty good Marino

Was Cause of Death worth the listening time?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

When will Point of Origin be added?

SCARPETTA BOOK AT IT'S BEST

I don't know anything about naval stuff, but this one was interesting also. But then I am a Cornwell fan of the Scarpetta novels.

Too many unanswered questions

I really thought this book had an interesting topic. Unfortunately this is the first book I’ve read by the author that seemed to leave a ton of loose ends unexplained. That was surprising because this doesn’t seem to be the norm. I also thought the ending was terrible. I had to double check that the audiobook didn’t accidentally skip ahead, it didn’t. The ending seemed to come out of nowhere.

Not her best

This story kept my attention through most of the book, but seemed to lack something. When I got to the ending my mind said...."Huh? It's over?" So who killed the victim? Maybe I was asleep during that part. Definitely not her best.

great book, but...

Patricia Cornwell is a master at complex contemporary plot architecture. I have come to feel as if I know Kate, Moreno, and Benton personally. The interaction of these core characters is superbly portrayed. "Cause of Death" ranks right at the top beside Ms. Cornwell's other works. The character Lucy is an itch in my enjoyment. She does not ring true and seems to have a place awkwardly forced into the book as a matrix for an evangelic homophyllic undercurrent. I am a reader of mystery and suspense for entertainment, not whining about percieved social injustice. I look forward to Ms. Cornwell's next book none-the-less.

Michael M. Duffy MD

Great writing, terrible narration

I have enjoyed all of the Kate Scarpetta stories so far -- the characters are well-developed, the dialogue is great, and they have a great storyline. However, C.J. Critt is not an appropriate narrator for this type of subject matter. She reads with the syrupy, sing-song voice of a grandmother reading a fairytale to a five-year-old, which just doesn't set well when Kate Scarpetta is providing vivid detail of making a Y-incision during an autopsy. I hope this is the last of the Critt-narrated novels in the series. If not, I'm going to resort to reading them via Kindle until the series starts with a new narrator.

Not my favorite Scarpetta novel.

I really enjoy the Scarpetta series. However I must say this wasn't one of my favorites. This is probably the worst one so far. I love CJ Critt as a narrator. I am sorry to see she doesn't narrate all of the books in this series. I have gotten used to the different characters voices and by bringing in a new narrator totally messes things up. I almost don't want to continue the series due to the changing of narrators. Hoping the next books are better than this.

Submersing

I have been reading Patricia Cornwell since the early 90s and am so in love with her work, especially the Scarpetta novels, which this was. The storyline was gripping, as usual. The ending left me wanting more, as usual. While listening, I noticed the incredible detail that might seem insignificant as a whole to the actual storyline, which I know has always been in her writing but easily passed over with reading. Listening, though, really made me pause and wonder why she felt that was necessary to even mention. The color of her salt and pepper shakers don't matter to the story - that's my own made-up example - that was not actually in the book. But in hindsight, it paints a bigger picture of who Kay is as a human being and brings her story to life.

The narrator did not meet the expectation of Kay's voice that I have created in my mind over the last few decades. I imagined her to be more down to earth in her persona. The narrator gave Kay an unnecessary haughty tone that I don't believe would belong to this woman who is professional yet real. Kay doesn't lend herself to be above others as she seeks justice for those subjected to fatal crimes, nor in her interactions with the living. She might rightfully treat antagonists as the asses they are, but she isn't pompous. However, once I got past that impression, the narrator's overall performance was actually very good. She worked with the drama, she changed her dialects and accents to match her perception of the various characters seamlessly and I am impressed with her ability to build up the suspense. If you struggle with listening to her, just hang in there, you'll succumb for the sake of the story - which was riveting!

Disappointing Plot

What did you like best about Cause of Death? What did you like least?

Love the series, but this one seemed to lack the same thrill to keep listening.

Would you ever listen to anything by Patricia Cornwell again?

Absolutely

What three words best describe C.J. Critt’s voice?

Honestly? SNOBBISH. If the stories weren't so interesting, I might revert back to the paperbacks I also bought of the same series.

Did Cause of Death inspire you to do anything?

Not really...

Any additional comments?

This plot was disappointing and implausible.