Autopsy

A Scarpetta Novel

By: Patricia Cornwell

Narrated by: Susan Ericksen

New York Times Bestseller

In this relaunch of the electrifying, landmark #1 bestselling thriller series, chief medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta hunts those responsible for two wildly divergent and chilling murders.

Forensic pathologist Dr. Kay Scarpetta has come almost full circle, returning to Virginia, the state where she launched her storied career, as the chief medical examiner. Finding herself the new girl in town once again after being away for many years, she’s inherited both an overbearing secretary and a legacy of neglect and potential corruption.

She and her husband, Benton Wesley, now a forensic psychologist with the U.S. Secret Service, have relocated to Old Town Alexandria, where she’s headquartered five miles from the Pentagon in a post-pandemic world that’s been torn apart by civil and political unrest. After just weeks on the job, she’s called to a scene by railroad tracks—a woman’s body has been shockingly displayed, her throat cut down to the spine—and as Scarpetta begins to follow the trail, it leads unnervingly close to her own historic neighborhood.

At the same time, a catastrophe occurs in a top secret labo­ratory in outer space, endangering at least two scientists aboard. Appointed to the highly classified Doomsday Commission that specializes in sensitive national security cases, Scarpetta is summoned to the White House and tasked with finding out exactly what happened. But even as she remotely works the first potential crime scene in space, an apparent serial killer strikes again very close to home.

This latest novel in the groundbreaking Kay Scarpetta series captivates readers with the shocking twists, high-wire tension, and forensic detail that Patricia Cornwell is famous for, proving once again why she’s the world’s #1 bestselling crime writer.

Good story. However Is a problem

The story is very good however the interpreter's voice is extremely irritating so I had to cancel it and sorry I had to spend a credit on this

Struggled to finish it

I truly wanted to love it but I didn't. I honestly was left with a "We waited 5 years for this?" feeling. 😕 The storyline was all over the place and bizarre and the ending was awful. It also came out of nowhere. It was like she got as tired of writing this as I was of listening to it. All of sudden here comes the epilogue. Though I wasn't sad about that at the time, just surprised. Also, I hate this narrator as Kay. I haven't cared as much for the last few books and I'm thinking her narration is a big part of that. This one though, I'm not sure anyone could have saved it. Oh and when did she start censoring curse words? That felt...weird. 🥴

OMG

I always anticipate another Scarpetta novel. However, this was the worst one I ever read🥺

Wonderful to have Scarpetta back

I was so happy after 5 years to have another Scarpetta novel to read. I thought this one had a little less action in it and the story line ended rather quickly but the descriptiveness and forensic details were just as great as ever. Look forward to many more.

Let down by the story and the new narrator

I was excited for her new book, but the plot was choppy and predictable. I also really miss Kate Reading, the new narrator is not nearly as entertaining.