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Point of Origin. Scarpetta at her blistering best

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I have always loved Patricia Cornwell's writing and her books. She is a sharp woman with great writing skills, and her knowledge of forensic science is certainly part of the reason people come back to read her again and again. This book was extremely depressing, more than frightening...because we've been through these same things with Scarpetta and her niece before. How many times can one person deal with such tragedy and loss in their lives. At a certain point, this becomes unbelieveable (except for the Kennedy family), and the reader loses interest. Yes, the author is aging her protagonist and life does change, but must it always be so negative? I get the feeling Cornwell wants to be rid of this character, with this book being not up to her usual standards and with the introduction of other characters in books such as "Southern Cross". If this is true then I should think the author would want this character to go out with a good plot behind her. Karen Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh, klsst23@pitt.edu

Read this one in less than a day. Another great Cornwell thriller. I would have to agree that the "Point of Origin" was never thoroughly explained and the death of Benton was hard to believe. Honestly, I can wait to see where she takes the good Dr. in the next one.

Point of Origin was a good thriller as most of Patricia Cornwells books are. I really liked the storyline of the burning horse farm and that Kay Scarpetta and boyfriend Wesley are back to solve things. I read the reviews and agree with most of them, but who is the nerd not saying anything about the book and just putting someone down? We don't need people like that in our community on Amazon. Think I will write to them. Buy this book, you will not be disappointed.

Okay book.

So who's this cydneyday chick, who writes perfectly ordinary reviews of not especially popular books and CDs, and whose reviews all seem to collect nineteen "Helpful" votes within a day or so of their appearance even though they're no more "helpful" than those nearby? Smells fishy to me.

Ninety-six reviews, with a total of 2096 "Helpful" votes - and not one review more than a month old. You've GOT to be kidding.

Ms. Cornwell brings us her 9th thriller featuring ME Dr. Kay Scarpetta. In "Point Of Origin", there are several plots twisting and turning the reader. Sick psycho Carrie returns from "Body Farm" to threaten Kay and retired FBI boyfriend Benton Wesley. Add a special assignment from the government, to now help forensically in the case of a burnt to the ground horse farm...including a body, and Dr. Kay has her hands full.

I enjoyed this book. However, at times I felt the scenes were perhaps overwritten, clogging down the penned rich rhythms we are accustomed to. Or, maybe there was just TOO much going on.....rather dizzying, like several kittens bouncing about with frazzled balls of colorful yarn.

Ms. Cornwell apparently was getting EVERYTHING in to complete this series. And for Scarpetta fans, there are some sad endings besides the series.

Still a classic Cornwell chiller.

Thanks for your interests & comments--CDS

I ve read almost every book available by Cornwell, but this one might ve been the last. I think shes said all that she had to say and there isnt anything left. as always I was very fond of the technical details and lab work descriptions but the characters never seem to change at all. I wish, scarpetta would just seem a little more human. Any of you, by any chance, ever read Kathy Reichs?

I read this thing trapped in a Days Inn in NC whilst a hurricane went over; frankly I should have tossed it up into the eye. PC's own personal events have so transparently marched into this book: she dumps her FBI squeeze and squeezes up with his wife, so KS's FBI lurver has to get the elbow (or in this case a scalpel and a box of matches). What a dumb plot: a six yr old could have followed leads better than the idiots in this. The only redeeming features were that a few annoying people met their unsavoury ends. Second hand copy, as new, first edition, available here. Free.

In Italian "scarpetta" means to collect the sauce on your plate using a piece of bread. Where is the beef? I think Patricia Cornwell is getting tired, is losing her pace, and faltering along the storyline. In turning the pages, you often wonder about the worthiness of keeping on: details, dialogues, scenarios are trite and burdensome - perhaps Scarpetta should change jobs? And the expedient of note-writing has done its time. Enough.

Normally I really enjoy Patricia Cornwell's books, in fact, I'd consider her one of my favorite authors, but Point of Origin falls so far short of any of her other works. My first complaint, too many references to earlier books, one of which I haven't read. This makes the book terribly confusing at some points, and if you haven's read Cruel and Unusual, you're really going to be lost. Second, since most of the characters do appear in other books, she neglects to introduce us to them in Point of Origin properly. For instance, it took me pages to figure out that Sparkes is African American. Vital information to racheting up the suspense and interest in "who-dun-it". Third, enough with Carrie Grethen and Temple Gault. They were interesting the first time (first couple times for Gault), but give it a rest. They're just too invincible. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Carrie appeared again. Disappointed, but not surprised. Finally, the story itself could have been so much better. I agree with an earlier reviewer who reacted to the helicopter shoot out...lame. And with the Fire Marshall, because I can't believe it took that long to figure out how they were starting the fires. You would think an ATF investigator and FBI officers would be able to figure out where the magnesium came from, if they've had any training at all. SO, all in all I was very disappointed. I wouldn't recommend this book to old fans, and I DEFINITELY would advise new Cornwell readers to pass on Point of Origin.

This was my first Scarpetta novel; it will be my last. A flimsy plot: as another reviewer has already said, not "intellectually challenging." The characters are not credible: the women are overachieving amazons, the men are all cardboard cut-out cliches; even when the heroine's live-in is murdered, there's little genuine sense of loss.... The arsonist's methods take far too long to figure out -- a pointless "mystery" (I'm a Fire Marshal). The motivation of the serial killer is clinically wrong, an unabashed lift from "The Silence of the Lambs," where the motivation was also wrong.... (See John Douglas, ANATOMY OF MOTIVE.) The final confrontation, fought with handguns between helicopters, is not credible, either -- in fact, downright Hollywood "silly" (I'm a pilot, too). The novel is a waste of time and money.