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Cruel and Unusual  By  cover art

Cruel and Unusual

By: Patricia Cornwell
Narrated by: C. J. Critt
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Publisher's summary

When an executed murderer’s fingerprints turn up at a new crime scene, Kay Scarpetta investigates. Prepare for the kind of riveting suspense this best-selling author delivers so well.

©1993 Patricia D. Cornwell (P)1993 Recorded Books, LLC

What listeners say about Cruel and Unusual

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    1,254
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    452
  • 3 Stars
    128
  • 2 Stars
    30
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    20
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    1,137
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,109
  • 4 Stars
    363
  • 3 Stars
    128
  • 2 Stars
    30
  • 1 Stars
    14

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Not her best work

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

The narrator was pretty bad. She had two voices so all the characters ended up sounding like one of the two voices so it got a bit confusing at times. Also, while most of the story was interesting, if not slightly reminiscent of some of the authors other works, the big disappointment was the ending. It seemed like the author just got tired of writing and rushed the ending without tying everything up and showing how the different threads tied together.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Unusual is right

What can I say, all Cornwell's books read or listen well. The series is a great series and well worth the listen/read.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Exciting

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend This book it was very exciting.

What did you like best about this story?

The story line was fantastice the charaters were very realistice and the book brought their human vulnerabilities

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

I loved the character Benton

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Neither

Any additional comments?

I can't wait to read the next book. I just started reading her books and each one I read I have a new appreaciation for her writing and the characters in the book.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Quick ending

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Slow start, fast finish. Characters lack development to make them real or at least so we imagine

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

cruel and unusual

fun story! interesting plot. zero suspense but good none the less. reading next in line

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Total waste of time. Narrator is annoying beyond words

Contrived to the point of idiocy. Reinforced by the delivery of the narrator all of whom seem to have either a speech impediment or possibly mental impairment. I am disgusted with myself for reading three quarters of the book.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Serendipity

Synchronicity. I was reading this book, about the execution of a black man in Virginia, when Oklahoma death row inmate Clayton Lockett's botched execution hit the news. Kay Scarpetta, in the novel, solves the crime and saves the day. Where's my next Scarpetta book?

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Cruel and unusual

One of the best Scarpeta novels ever, keeps you guessing every step of the way

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

The Narrator was distracting

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

It was but a struggle

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Not really. It was rather predictible and the end was flat

Would you be willing to try another one of C. J. Critt’s performances?

Not at all.

Did Cruel and Unusual inspire you to do anything?

Check out the Narrator

Any additional comments?

I like Patricia Cornwell and was anxious to hear my first audiobook. Sadly, I was disappointed by the narration.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

I swear I saw this on a Charlie’s Angels episode

There was a Charlie’s Angels episode where they investigate a prison and figure out that the warden and others are using prisoners for shenanigans. This felt like that, only this was more contrived and took a lot longer to get to the reveal. In the meantime there’s too much minutiae about how computer forensics or medical examinations work. With this narrator’s limited voice-variety, the large cast all blended together. The narrator’s breathy, too close to the mic, delivery wasn’t quite so bad as some other installments,
but overall she still didn’t do anything to elevate the story.

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1 person found this helpful