Depraved Heart: A Scarpetta Novel (Kay Scarpetta) Mass Market Paperback – June 28, 2016

I have to be honest, the first 20 pages were boring. I also got tired “listening” to the cop talk and eventually skipped over it. After that, it was a true Kay Scarpetta signature story. Leave it to Lucy and her life to make everything go crazy. Poor Kay. And the killer lady? Picked her out in the chapter without her even being there.

I have all her books. This book we oild have been great if I didn't feel like I was reading a technical manual. To much detail to things and not enough about the characters.

I enjoy Patricia Cornwell's work... have followed it for decades...but I had had enough of Carrie Grethen when she got theoretically killed by the helicopter crash and I said GOOD RIDDANCE!!!Now, she's back and pervades every freakin' line of this book!!! I slogged my way through what would have otherwise been an enjoyable mystery !!! the omnipresent, omniscient bitch of the western world who out thinks and out smarts and out maneuvers EVERYONE... including Benton and super genius kid, Lucy is just too, too much! Of course, Scarpetta, in spite of her knowledge and acumen... and probably BECAUSE of her history...is gonna angst to bloody death over it all.This book, although it was otherwise a very good read...is making me question if I should get the next one simply because of the character, Carrie Grethen... cuz you KNOW she will be back!!! and I am sick to death of her!!!One can only wonder if this is Cornwell's Ripper... the psycho killer that outsmarts everyone and is never caught and brought to what passes for justice in America.There is a lot of interesting character development going on with major players in this book and that, I think, is it's saving grace. Admittedly, some of these revelations are caused by the infamous bitch but that does not excuse her permeating the whole book with her vile stink... like a three day old dead skunk in your crawl space!C'mon, Cornwell...your characters are rich enough to do wonderful stories without this kind of contrived adversary.

Patricia Cornell has been ripe more and more in her writing style. “Depraved Heart” is her best work so far, which shows her dexterity in story construction skill. Almost of all volumes are dedicated to happenings in only one day. Has August 15, the two month anniversary of when Carrie Grethen shot Kay Scarpetta, an important meaning? The story develops with Scarpetta’s teetering thoughts. Cornwell depicts Scarpetta’s mind situation marvelously through Scarpetta’s observations of her surroundings. Cornwell expresses an uneasy feelings of Scarpetta as they’re coming in waves when trees rock and thrash in the wind and rain, and she turns off the wipers and the headlights, and the front glass is flooded. Carrie keeps her invisibility throughout the book. Is Lucy a really harmful psychopath? Is Carrie a Lucy’s conjured genie? For what purpose did Benton and Janet create and send the video link to Scarpetta? The timing of the text landing in Scarpetta’s phone is not seemed to be selected randomly at all. Is Benton helping to save Lucy and his family? If Chanel Gilbert was a person who saved Scarpetta when she was shot, why has Benton always said he helped her to the surface? How much does Lucy know the details of every events? Accusing Benton of his and Janet’s doing, Scarpetta is strangely relieved at the same time. Cornwell writes a soupy grayness blurs lights and obliterates the tops of tall trees and and buildings. However, we are almost deserted and shrouded in fogs. We see Marino’s braveness when he approaches a bomb suspected car. Cornwell’s well-mellowed style is as if seeing an action movie. Marino turns around and looks back at Scarpetta and Benton as the rain smacks and splashes more slowly. But it seems louder, it seems more ominous. When Scarpetta feels Benton stands on her side, she is grateful seeing the rain is on its way to stopping and the wind becomes calmer. Thunder beaten a distant retreat. The climax comes when Scarpetta steps in front of Benton, who is going to save Troy, and shorts out the electrocution trap. Was FBI’s raid on Lucy’s property a result of Carrie’s data fiction? Has FBI become to believe Carrie’s existence finally? We need to wait Cornell’s next writings.

It met my expectations. I just recently started reading her books again. I wasn't disappointed except I got out of the order of her book releases so I knew some things before I should have. I have since inventoried my collection so it won't happen again.

More of Patricia Cornwell’s crime mysteries! Loved it to the very end! She always leaves us wanting more!

Yet another great read, and can't put it down book. Patricia Cornwell never fails to succeed with her brilliant mind

For the first time I was disappointed with a book by Cornwell. I found it slow, almost dragging, with no much action going on and had to be patient to finish the book. Less entertaining than her earlier works.

Usual gripping story from Patricia Cornwell, I've been reading her books for years, but somehow this one was overlooked.It isn't always necessary to read her books in the order they were written. Thoroughly recommend her.

I liked Patricia Cornwell’s latest Kay Scarpetta thriller, Depraved Heart. It's not as good as her early books. I miss when Dr. Scarpetta performed autopsies. Too many secrets and half-truths in this book. However Lucy is the center of this book and is clear that Kay won't protect Lucy if she went against the law again. The “data fiction” phenomenon was very interesting. The most of the book happens inside Kay head. But eventually it was another good story to read till the end. And now waiting the next one.