Flesh and Blood audiobook

***4.25 stars!***

4.5 starsEarlier this year, when I reviewed Dust, I mentioned that my beloved Kay Scarpetta series seems to be getting back on track. Keeping a series fresh for no less than 22 installments is something not many authors can do. There was certainly a rough patch around the middle when I considered giving up entirely, but these last two books have shown me that Cornwell is still very much in control.Flesh and Blood is, if possible, even more suspenseful, even more exciting, even more gorgeously written. Patricia Cornwell’s writing has always been elegant and rich, but lately she has been taking it a step further, dazzling us with her beautiful sentences and the emotion behind them. That sort of writing combined with scientific facts and procedures is recognizable as something that is solely her own, unparalleled in the world of crime fiction.Kay Scarpetta was getting ready to leave for Miami with her husband, the famous FBI profiler Benton Wesley. But even the best laid plans often go awry, so when someone shoots a man who previously slandered Scarpetta in front of president Obama, no less, she and Benton have no choice but to postpone their vacation and investigate this crime.Is there a killer more dangerous than a sniper shooter? It’s danger one doesn’t even see coming, which makes it impossible for people to protect themselves, people including our favorite Chief medical examiner. Danger is everywhere this time, on rooftops, windows and other high places and it could strike at any time. All our favorite characters are back together this time. After 22 installments, Kay, Benton, Lucy, Marino and even Janet really feel like family to us loyal fans. As usual, they are faced with many random facts and pieces of evidence, things that don’t seem to make sense when put together, and they need to work as a group, each of them from their own angle, to solve the crime puzzle and save lives. My relationship with Detective Pete Marino, currently of Cambridge PD, has been somewhat tumultuous over the years, and so has Kay’s. His behavior has ranged from sweet and touching, to rude, irritating and even violent. But I have to give it to him, he is the absolute best at what he does, and he is never intimidated either by politics or by various threats. As much as I want to dislike him, as much as he deserves it, even, it’s never quite possible for me. His rudeness is awful when it’s aimed at Kay and Benton, but absolutely hilarious when he’s dealing with a suspect.I prefer not to go into the plot more than absolutely necessary. Fans of the series will be glad to know that this novel reads very much like old Scarpetta books, before Cornwell switched to third person, multiple perspectives and almost ruined the whole thing. Now that we’ve been back to just Kay’s voice for several books, they’re getting stronger with each written page and the old charm is certainly restored. The cliffhanger at the end was completely unusual for Cornwell and I really don’t see the need. But to be completely honest about it, it will make me reach for the next book that much faster. Can I please have it now, Ms. Conrwell? Pretty please?

I looked forward to reading this, the 22nd book in the series featuring Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a crack medical examiner. The previous book, Dust, was Cornwell's best in a while - I'd grown weary of a whiny Scarpetta whose mostly unfounded paranoia seemed to grow worse by each successive book. Turning on my Kindle Fire and loading up this one brought expectations of a return to the Scarpetta of old.I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed; yes, Scarpetta continues to think the world revolves around her (pouting when she discovers her husband, FBI profiler Benton Wesley, and her technologically gifted niece, Lucy, shared information they didn't immediately pass on to her, for instance). But for the most part, that's kept to a minimum as they try to identify and catch a serial sniper who may, in fact, be targeting one or all of them as well.The game begins on Scarpetta's birthday as she and her husband are preparing to head to Miami for a week's vacation. As they fire up the grill to make dinner, though, she notices seven pennies lined up on a wall at the edge of their yard - all polished to a fare-thee-well and all dated 1981. As she muses about what that might mean, she gets a call from longtime cohort and detective Pete Marino telling her she's needed at the scene of a nearby homicide. It's the work of a very skilled sniper, who appears to have left not a shred of evidence behind except a few copper bits. Almost before the crawly things begin to invade this body, another one bites the dust. Clearly, someone is on a spree with no end in his or her sights (pun intended).There's plenty of technical "stuff" here, particularly on the topic of ballistics (almost too much, in fact). But as the investigations continue, what little evidence turns up begins to turn the spotlight on Scarpetta, her husband and niece. Are one or all next on the killer's list? Or is there an even more sinister, more personal connection? And will Scarpetta and Wesley ever go on that long-awaited vacation?Most of these questions are answered, but be forewarned that there's a cliff-hanger ending - an apparent attempt to generate a ready audience for what will be the 23rd book (and a tactic I dislike intensely, for the record - hence the 4 stars instead of 5). As a Cornwell fan, I plan to read it anyway - but knowing that I must read it to get to the ending of this one doesn't sit very well with me.

I'm not sure why I keep reading the Scarpetta novels. They have become like exquisite French confections, so beautiful in the shop window, yet curiously unsatisfying when consumed. This one unsatisfied in three ways. First, it is a cliffhanger. I hate cliffhangers. And it brings back a character from Lucy's past that sent part of my attention on a wild goose chase -- do I know this character? is this in a previous book? did I miss a book somewhere in the series? which one? It's kind of hard to keep focussed on the current plot when looking for the one I may have missed. Finally, the first few chapters are so bizarrely unCornwellian in tone and vocabulary that I actually flipped to the front cover to make sure there wasn't a co-author; the narrative so studded with adjectives I nearly choked on them. Espresso a "robust sweetened stimulant"? C'mon, Kay doesn't talk like that. And yet, the plotting is so devious, so intriguing, I can't stop reading --- and will be first in line to see where this cliffhanger picks up next. Those tiny sweets are so enticing...

The book starts out great. A man is shot and killed by a sniper. The number 3 is engraved on the side of the recovered casing. As Dr. Scarpetta and her team search for clues, they realize this isn't the first murder. There's very little evidence but enough to know someone is after Scarpetta and her family. Cornwell depicts great action combined with vivid scenery. Patricia Cornwell novels are hit and miss with me. This one was a hit until the last several chapters. I didn't like the ending. Although not horrible it left this reader disappointed.

I really liked this Kay Scarpetta mystery. The nice thing about this series is that I seem to be able to jump around and still get something from the story without following it in order. Kay is a hard-nosed private detective with lots of past experience that helps her solve mysteries.

It's a good enough book, but with an unsatisfactory ending, like you've been carried to this point in the story and then just dropped. I suppose it's a way for the author to build up desire for the next Scarpetta book, but for someone who doesn't regularly read her, it's a very good reason not to bother.

Patricia Cornwell is back to her best!I think this was as good as her first book Portmortem.

and the housecleaning continues, if a bit toned downunearthing (or maybe un-sea-ing is a better term) an old adversary makes it more intriguingp49: my new chief of investigations is a shallow narcissist it's just my luck, and i hired her because i had to hire someone after marino left.p87: i feel as if ground is moving under my feet, as if i can't get my balance.p124: "you didn't used to be."

Book #22 in the Kay Scarpetta series was fab and a hard one to put down. I’m a huge fan of this series. Patricia Cornwell, as always writes thrilling tales. Terrific cliffhanger ending leaving me now desperate to read #23 which is on my to-read shelf, yay! *Book #32/72 of my coffee table to-read pile challenge

I’ve been reading this series for years and finished reading the last two books, Bone Bed and Dust, just in time for Flesh And Blood.This is one of those series that never gets old. Some people might see that there are 22 books and not want to start them. Don’t let that number turn you off. You’ll be wanting more new ones after you taste these.It’s a beautiful morning. The charcoal is almost ready for Kay to start grilling, Benton is reading the newspaper, and in just a few hours they’ll be flying to Florida for her birthday. Until…Good thing these two understand that their jobs aren’t 5 to 9. They’re always on call. So when the phone rings, Kay packs her crime scene bag and heads off to a murder. Benton, in the meantime, has a few things to take care of too. First is what’s up with the copper coins on their patio wall? Who left them? What do they mean? And the reflection he spotted in the woods, could it be a sniper?Looks like Florida will have to wait.If I was asked what I liked most about this book, I’d be stumped. The plot is filled with suspense. Copper coins, a terrorist, a serial sniper, and a possible stalker. Lots to keep you guessing.Then there’s the characters. I love Kay and Benton. From the very first book, I wanted these two to be together. Lots of cases and lots of secrets kept them apart for a long time. Even though they’re married now, they still have a spicy relationship. There’s never a dull moment with them, whether working or just being together.About Detective Pete Merino. Pete’s one of those surly, my way or the highway guys. He worked with Kay until he was lured back to police work. He still acts like they’re working together. He’ll call and say he’s got a case and he’s on his way, so be ready when he gets there. It works, since Kay usually gets called to the same crime scenes he does. It’s fun to see them fall into the comfortable working relationship. She anticipates him, kind of knows what he’s going to do or say before he does it. And ditto for Pete.And last but certainly not least is Lucy, Kay’s niece. She’s a technical geek, one of the best, likes to drive fast cars, and flies a helicopter. Kay and Lucy are like mother and daughter, or siblings. They squabble, they worry, they rely on each other. And they always have each others back.All of these characters are dear to my heart. I cross my fingers when I read each new book, hoping they get through it in one piece. All of them have went to the dark side, and some barely made it out.So, what did I like best? Everything.I received this book for my honest review.

Well, I have come to the conclusion that reading this series over the last decade or so has truly become an acquired taste. I cannot actually pinpoint the shift in focus or perspective, I think it came after the first eight or so novels. Initially and for some time after I was largely disappointed in the writing, and felt somewhat short changed by the various plots and character development, and largely kept reading hoping the author would return to the style of her earlier works.However, that being said, I have slowly come to embrace this series again, particularly the last two offerings. I quite look forward to the introspective thoughts of Kay Scarpetta, and try to get my head around why such an highly intelligent woman clings to relationships that are anything but transparent, open and honest. Of course there is a crime to be solved, and once again the team are thrown head long into the investigation, with each one focussing on their own agenda and withholding vital information from each other. So dysfunctional, yet each so self absorbed, I wouldn't have it any other way. a ripping read this one.

Book Review & Giveaway: Bestselling and award-winning Patricia Cornwell probably needs no introduction since her Kate Scarpetta novels are well known and avidly followed. I’ve been one of those avid readers ever since the series began with Postmortem years ago. This series was the first of its kind, a forensic thriller, and has led the way to TV series and other authors jumping into this police procedural/scientific genre. It looks at crime from a completely different angle, yet Flesh And Blood shows that it has kept that sharp intensity we all look for in our thrillers. Even though there have been twenty two novels in this series, you can literally read any of them as a stand-alone so don’t worry if you haven’t read the others. Of course if you like this kind of thriller, I suspect you’ll then find yourself scrambling to read the rest from the very beginning because Kate is one of those characters who gets under your skin and just won’t let go. And we’ve got a copy of Flesh and Blood for a giveaway, so someone will win this latest Kate Scarpetta novel at http://popcornreads.com/?p=7936.

This book felt to me like Patricia Cornwell went back to the heart of her characters. I can appreciate the researching that must go into writing a Scarpetta novel, and in this case, enjoyed most of the technical jargon thrown at the reader. It seemed downplayed a bit more than in previous books. The characters seemed more relatable and the story easier to follow. I could not put it down!!! Highly recommend for any fans of Scarpetta!!!

Ik moest er in het begin wel even doorheen bijten. Verhaal zit goed in elkaar. Het einde is niet wat ik gehoopt had maar kan niet wachten om het volgende boek te lezen.

A good read!