Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Depraved Heart: A Scarpetta Novel (Kay Scarpetta Book 23)

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 4, 2022

I started with the first book in the series, and have continued to read each book in order. I believe this is number 23 or 24 . I love all of her books. They plots are always complex which keeps the reader very interested. The characters are full developed, multidimensional and fascinating. I love her command of the language and her writing style. Additionally , she teaches you so much about law, medicine, and human nature. These books are so rich in so many ways. One caution, you must be able to handle some of the more gruesome descriptions because after all, the main character is a forensic pathologist.

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Elizabeth du Fresne

Cornwall is back in the Zone

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 11, 2022

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There was a fall off of sorts in the quality of the Scarpetta at some point in the late teens. However the last two or three have helped us remember why we loved this series earlier. Carrie Grethen, one of the most memorable villains in fiction is back and the body count is rising rapidly. Dr. Scarpetta is not yet recovered from the speargun shot through her leg that occurred in the previous novel. Lucy, Kay's beloved niece, is targeted by the FBI as the probable perpetrator of the injury of Kay....who is frustrated and angry at the agency's refusal to accept her identification of Carrie as the wetsuit clad shooter (who not only shot Kay, but killed two other police divers that day). A possible accident scene that Marino and Scarpetta are investigating evolves into a new victim.of Carrie -- and just when they reach that tentative conclusion, the FBI raids Lucy's luxurious enclave. Kay is torn between her need to be with her niece and following up on this latest crime which appears to be from the same source as Lucy's troubles. The usually unflappable Kay is the very opposite of that as her emotions flare from the stress of seeing Lucy and her partner Janet (and 7 year old Desi, Jane's recently deceased sister's child) under continuous attack while trying to deal with the professional fall out of Carrie's reappearance. Fast paced and consistently building the tension, Depraved Heart is a fine addition to the Scarlett story.

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Beverly Jones

Depraved Heart.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 29, 2023

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I didn’t enjoy this book as much as others. There was a reference to an earlier event, and I couldn’t find the book with that in it, and most of the time couldn’t figure out what was going on. Maybe it’s just my opinion.

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Kindle Customer

Intense and Suspenseful

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 31, 2022

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Ms. Cornwell did not disappoint with this novel, well written and intense. I love that the storyline continues with each book, building on the previous.

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Barb

excellent

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 23, 2022

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Was really hoping Carrie would be gone! Regardless will be interesting to see where the next one goes! Thank you.

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1toomany

Great improvement over the past several books but still lacking...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 2, 2015

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I've been reading a lot of the other reviews and I'm surprised by the vitriol towards the characters and the alleged changes. Lucy has always been a spoiled brat that would stop at nothing to have her way. As the adult portrayed in this book, she's still a spoiled brat that will stop at nothing to have her way. Benton has always been aloof and cryptic, unless Kay is describing the passion that comes from Benton during sex. Benton is just more cryptic and aloof; he's become set in his ways which is expected 17 years later. Kay has always had a bit of paranoia about her. Having gone to medical and law school at a time where there were few women, she's always been portrayed as having to prove herself to the "male establishment". Kay has been shown to be unemotional unless it involves her family and friends, and she's still the same way. The only real change is her paranoia has increased in spite of the fact she's proven herself to the "male establishment". Lucy, Benton, and Kay haven't changed, their characters have become set in their ways. The absolute worst character assassination was of Marino. When we met Marino twenty plus books ago, he was hard around the edges, unkempt, foul mouthed, shrewd, close-mouthed when talking to Kay about cases, a loner, difficult to get emotionally close to, but when a character did, they were in Marino's heart forever. Then Cornwell decides that Marino was so overcome with lust for Kay that he tries to rape her and that's when the real Marino character died. This is a change! Fast-forward ten books and as much as Cornwell tries, she cannot bring the Scarpetta "family" of misfits back together. In the back of my mind, every time I pick up a Scarpetta book, I feel betrayed, because Cornwell tried to make the "good guy", Marino, a rapist. That one scene can never be taken back and it has forever clouded the reception of Cornwell's Scarpetta series.
That aside, there are a few things "off" with Depraved Heart. The story opens two months post Kay being shot with a spear gun. Yet, at the end of the last book, the story ended with Kay and Benton in bed and the "crack" of the assassin's gun being heard. Yet there is absolutely no mention of that in this book at all! Why not? I suggest Ms. Cornwell read Stephen King's Misery so she learns that new stories have to begin where they ended, "in the ground Paul. You'll have to start from there...." to paraphrase Annie Wilkes from Misery. ;) There is also the suggestion that Carrie has the ability to become invisible. Is this a crime/mystery novel or a paranormal novel? It's just too far-fetched to be accepted as logical/possible.
The plus side is that the "real" Marino and Kay seem to be back in writing style. Although as a faithful reader, you still feel disgusted that Kay's character is so narcissistic that the reader must constantly be reminded that Marino is in love with her and is willing to become the criminal to have her sexually. Over all, this book is a great improvement over Dust (in which Cornwell blatantly mentioned Newtown over and over again as if to somehow injure the reader of the real-life tragedy that was rehashed over and over again in a fictional novel!)
Maybe, this is Cornwell working her way back towards the Scarpetta series we love. I know that's why I keep reading even though since Blowfly I've told myself- "Never again!" I keep hoping that the real Scarpetta will return misfits and all.

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Kris

Meh

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 28, 2022

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Not what I expected. It seems a believable storyline isn't the norm. Will finish the remaining books by the author. Fingers crossed.

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M D Costello

...delighted to have been introduced to Scarpetta and her cohorts in crime solving...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 14, 2017

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I have only read one Patricia Cornwell book before this one: PORTRAIT OF A KILLER (2002). PORTRAIT OF A KILLER was about Ms. Cornwell’s theory that artist Walter Sickert was Jack the Ripper. I found her theory quite credible and I went to hear Ms. Cornwell speak about Jack the Ripper recently at the Dallas Museum of Art. Ms. Cornwell has done much more research in London and has even more evidence now to back up her theory, as presented in a soon-to-be-published follow-up. When she was in Dallas, Ms. Cornwell also spoke about her most recent Kay Scarpetta novel entitled CHAOS. I enjoyed learning about her characters in the Scarpetta series from the talk and was excited to begin reading DEPRAVED HEART.

The book did not disappoint since I enjoy these types of series novels. I have to say Ms. Cornwell’s writing is a step above my usual authors of crime fiction (Stuart Woods, Janet Evanovich). I did not find it necessary to feel I have to read this series from the beginning and in order. I know I will eventually get around to reading more Kay Scarpetta novels. I am not a scientific or mathematical person, but I enjoyed the forensic aspect and descriptions of evidence Dr. Scarpetta related in the novel. I very much enjoyed learning about Dr. Scarpetta’s cohort in crime solving, Marino, as well as learning the story of her niece Lucy and husband Benton. All of this was made more interesting to me after hearing these characters discussed in person by Ms. Cornwell.

In this book, Dr. Scarpetta is recovering from almost being killed by a spear gun and is called to a case in what seemingly is a fall from a ladder at a private residence. The main subject of this case is what Ms. Cornwell describes as data fiction. How appropriate to read about data fiction in this current time of “fake news” and the FBI and emails and the recent election. I found the book captivating and read the 466 pages as quickly as possible.

The only disappointing part of the process of reading this book was that there was not complete resolution with the murderer, a truly evil person with a depraved heart. Well, this will make things interesting in CHAOS, as DEPRAVED HEART was published before CHAOS. And, if this murderer is not present in CHAOS, I am sure the depraved heart will feature in a future book. If you like crime fiction and want to read and get to know characters in series, I recommend Ms. Cornwell’s Scarpetta books. Just after reading this one book, I know that you can enjoy each book on its own. I am delighted to have been introduced to Scarpetta and her cohorts in crime solving.

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Insight Into Character And Good Storytelling.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 28, 2015

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This, the 23rd Kay Scarpetta novel, is a bit of a departure from the series. "Depraved Heart" is definitely a character driven novel - and it's not so much a "who done it" as it is an exploration into characters and history.

This is definitely NOT a stand alone novel and the reader will get a better appreciation of the events and the emotions if they've previously read both "Body Farm" and "Flesh and Blood".

"Depraved Heart" centers primarily on Kay Scarpetta's niece Lucy Farinelli and that's a welcome aspect ( personally, I look forward to the day when, hopefully, Lucy will have her own series ). We're given some insight into Lucy and her personality, her history of distrust. We get some emotional background and some explanation as to Benton's oft mutterings about Lucy being, essentially, a sociopath. Lucy is a deeply complex character and there's really no one with more angst in the whole series.

As a Lucy fan, I was very intrigued by the different aspects of the story, where in Kay is given access to some of Lucy's time at the FBI Academy via hidden camera recordings. It's these moments, the glimpses of a rather immature Lucy, that give insight into Lucy's character and past/present choices.

I'd have given this book a strong five star rating, were it not for the fact that I'm getting kind of tired of the same-old nemesis - We've pretty much "done" Carrie in several books now, and it's starting to feel very redundant.

All in all, though, this is a great read - the first three hundred or so pages were very suspenseful and pulled me through each chapter flawlessly. The ending felt kind of rushed, and a bit of spoiler here ... I really think Kay would be getting tired of the people she loves always seeming to keep things from her, and lying to her. It's a bit of a conundrum why Patricia Cornwell has decided to veer in that direction so much. So, 4 stars out of 5 and I look forward to book 24!!!

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dexterous story construction with well-mellowed style

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 28, 2015

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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.

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5 star		56%
4 star		16%
3 star		14%
2 star		8%
1 star		7%

Depraved Heart: A Scarpetta Novel (Kay Scarpetta Book 23)

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