Patricia Cornwell Begins a Great Series with Postmortem

Postmortem by Patricia Daniels Cornwell was first published in 1990. Postmortem is the first Kay Scapretta book by Cornwell; it won the Edgar Award for obvious reasons. This book is splendidly written, suspenseful and all around wonderful. The book is set in Richmond Virginia as most Kay Scarpetta stories are. Postmortem has all of the ingredients for a fantastic book. Patricia Cornwell has a great ability to tell a story and introduce characters.

In Postmortem you get to know Kay Scarpetta, Pete Marino and Lucy Farinelli. Patricia Cornwell could not have picked a better way to start this long running series of books. In Postmortem Richmond is facing a terrible serial killer. It is up to Scarpetta to solve the mystery of who "Mr. Nobody" is. Little does she know her own life is on the line. This book is absolutely wonderful. Anyone who enjoys a good mystery will enjoy Postmortem.

In Postmortem, Lucy Farinelli, Kay Scarpetta's niece is a child and only ten years old. I like this book because Lucy is a child, and as you read the series, Lucy grows up before your eyes. In Postmortem, Patricia Cornwell takes the time to develop her character. It is obvious that the events that occur in Postmortem guide Lucy to her profession as an adult. You also get to know Pete Marino, the seasoned homicide detective. It is not exactly obvious why Scarpetta and Marino are friends, but Marino does grow on you. If you like tough guy cops, you will enjoy Marino's character and sense of humor.

Patricia Daniels Cornwell has the ability to include romance, intelligence, crime and death into her books. It is a great mix of emotions and insures that the story is enjoyable. I personally like a little range in my reading and Cornwell never disappoints me. The Scarpetta series always leaves you wanting to jump right into the next book. Cornwell is addictive, and it pleases me immensely to see she is still writing this series. Personally I enjoy the earlier books best.

Postmortem offers suspense and mystery. The effort Ms. Cornwell puts into her work is commendable. I love that her books are realistic, and at times it is easy to forget these books are fiction. Readers can relate to Kay Scarpetta and the fantastic line of characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a mystery, or anyone who is interested in forensic science.