Patricia Cornwell Books

This is a great read and it makes the reader REALLY think about terrorism, 'shutting the stable door ....' as John Macmillan head of Sci-Med says. This is another in the Steven Dunbar series and I was unable to put it down. I am always amazed by Ken McClures foresight only weeks after this was published we had the incident at Pirbright. The prologue is enough to make your hair stand on end.!

Another cracking read from Ken McClure, the master of the medical genre. I read Robin Cook's "Critical" recently and was left disappointed, but "The Lazarus Strain" is the usual fast read that's typical with McClure. I read that Ken McClure is to the medical world what John Grisham is to the law. Ha! ... well there were no lawyers here but plenty of doctors.
In the prologue, McClure sets out the terrifying possibilities of a repeat of the flu pandemic of 1918 that swept the world and killed 40 million. Move that on to now, with avian flu (so called bird flu) and a "breakout" from a secure lab facility. Mix in a plan to use the virus as a weapon and you have the cocktail of another medical action thriller with Dr Steven Dunbar!
If you like medical thrillers, I'd definitely recommend this bird flu thriller.

Ken McClure was brought to my attention and am I glad - It will not be my last read of his - McClure's Prologue to The Lazarus Strain sets us on edge by reminding us the last flu pandemic in 1918 had more victims than 'in the Great War itself and more than died of bubonic plague'...
millions and millions of victims.
The scary part of this book is the reality of the threat of another pandemic - another wave of influenza we will have little power to fight.
While some deny the possibility, there are persistent news articles stating the countries are bracing for an onslaught...
A top research institute, the Crick, has been broken into and a top scientist killed - Even worse, monkeys who have been used for experimentation have escaped...and they are attacking...
Enter the dashing Dr. Steven Dunbar, who works for the Sci-Med Inspectorate - it is an elite organization that investigates medical emergencies - the James Bond of doctors...
Dr. Dunbar soon realizes this was not a random event, the target is to unleash a pandemic the likes civilization hadn't seen in 90 years. It is a race against time to unlock the mystery and save this chemical terrorism from happening.
It is a scary premise, and unfortunately, with the threat of terrorism always near, a frightening possibility.
It is an excellent book, and I look forward to reading more Ken McClure -

This book is a definite must for any fan of Patricia Cornwell as well as for anybody just starting to read her books. It gives you information for just about everyone (and every place) in all of her books in both the Kay Scarpetta series and the Andy Brazil series, as well as her non-fiction work about Jack the Ripper and Ruth Graham. But newcomers, beware. There are spoilers in this book (and it tells you that right from the start).

I've read all of her Scarpetta books, and still found information in this book that I either missed or just didn't pay attention to the first (or tenth) time that I read them. And there were also things in there that I had forgotten about. The information for the main characters is extremely detailed, and there is information about all of the one-book characters as well. There is a section for forensic terminology broken down by the book titles, as well as a section about all of the places that Kay visits. I didn't pay too much attention at the time to the information on the Andy Brazil series, because I hadn't read any of those books. Now that I'm starting on those, I'll have to go back to the book and read the sections on those books.

All in all, I would most definitely recommend this book for anybody who has read or is reading any of her books.

Death's Acre is a wonderful introduction to both one of the foremost researchers in the field, and into what happens when we die. The book is extremely well written, and does not beat you over the head with nasty descriptions of what Dr. Bass studied. He and his co-author manage to be informative and still portray a very high respect for the dead.

Dr. Bass and his teams of students were instrumental in the solving of many mysterious deaths, and their work at the Farm became the leading standards for law enforcement internationally. Fans of both television and novels that rely heavily on forensic anthropology will deeply enjoy this book; in fact, I finished it in less than 24 hours and stayed up until 3 am to do so because it was absolutely fascinating.

If you like Kathy Reichs, Patricia Cornwell (who contributed the introduction to this printing), CSI, and other works like those, you will enjoy this look into the real thing. However, if you are even remotely interested in actual forensic work, this is also an excellent resource. From crime scene conduct (shoot your way in and out, if you are the photographer...) to watching your comments lest they be used against you in court, Dr. Bass offers wonderful insight on the official side of an investigation. He also offers a deeply humanistic view on life, death, and what happens after. Death's Acre seemed almost, to me, like hearing your grandfather tell you a long story about his life and work, and I have no doubt I will reread it in the future.

I could not put this book down. It was the best written, most interesting book i think i have ever read. i read a lot & typically won't read the same book twice - this one i will read over & over again. i bought it as a gift originally and decided to buy another for myself after reading it.

Lapland is not familiar to a good many people. Even though it encompasses a substantial part of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia, say the word and most people think vaguely of reindeer, and that's about it. This beautifully written, excellently photographed book will change your mind quickly.

You will learn that Lapland is one of the last areas of Earth from which the ice sheets retreated. It is also the land of the Midnight Sun, as the striking cover photograph demonstrates. The photos and text will show you dramatic proof, particularly with respect to the lakes of Finland, and Sweden's Sarek National Park, the largest in Europe. To those who have explored Rocky Mountain National Park or the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, these pictures will evoke many pleasant memories.

Also discussed in detail is Lapland's varied wildlife, including bear, reindeer, birds, northen pike, and, of course, the fabled lemming. Writer Marsden's narrative of these animals is particularly engrossing. He also investigates the many seabirds, especially in his facinating chapter on the Norwegian Lofoten Islands and the famous Maelstrom whirlpool.

"Lapland" also discusses the Lapps, those people who still live by following and guiding the reindeer on their annual migration. The Lapps' ingenuity and perserverance in a severe climate is amazing.

I recommend this book very highly, as it is endlessly interesting. Enjoy

My husband drives a lot so audio books are great for him to listen to

Have read about four books on the enigma of Jack the Ripper and I think
this one is it! It gives you identity of Jack the Ripper - great writing
bravo for the writer and the great research she did.

This is the first book in which Cornwell introduces Dr Scarpetta and it is one of the best of an exceptional series.

I do not question this Author's intelligence or scientific knowledge. I do however, find this author's racial biases at times to be a little more than I can handle. Had he just stayed with pure scientific explanations regarding skeletal differences among the three main classifications: caucasiod, negroid and mongloid this book would have been rated by me as 6******'s However, when one is subjected to hear that the reason there are no black olympic swimmers is because their skulls are a tad thicker than a white person's I get more than annoyed and irritated.
I would think the Editor should have been a little more diligent and deleted the more obvious comments.

Death's Acre
Dr Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson

I am fascinated by forensics and the details that can be discovered through forensic work. So, when I got a chance to interview Dr Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson on a book panel, I was thrilled. I have to admit that neither of the men were what I expected, but that's all right. But, I was very impressed with both of them and I've enjoyed the books they have written together.

For people who aren't familiar with Dr Bill Bass, he is a world renowned forensic anthropologist and he has worked on a huge number of cases. At one point in those cases, he realized that it would be beneficial if there was a scientific way to determine how long a body had been dead. This would make it much easier for police, attorneys etc to make a case against a suspect. If the time of death is narrowed down to several days - it can be hard to debate an alibi, but if the time of death can be narrowed down to a more limited time frame, that makes an alibi more necessary and more useful.

This is one of the things that prompted the development of the "Body Farm" at the University of Tennessee. The Body Farm was started by Dr Bass and it was originally an acre - therefore "Death's Acre". Dr Bass and the UT students study the various stages of death and decomposition in a wide variety of conditions. It is fantastic research which is very helpful in crime solving.

I could rattle off all kinds of great stories and examples that were in the book, but that would take the fun out of it for you. I will tell you that there is death, gore and sorted details. It could be more gory, but there is plenty of detail. I think it was handled very well and should appeal to many people who are interested in forensics and forensic anthropology. I highly recommend the book and it gives you an interesting overview of many aspects for Dr Bass' life.

I admit that I had a tough time getting into the beginning, but give it a chance. The case studies are great. When I talked with Dr Bass, he looked at my copy of the book and noticed all the paper clips on the pages (there are a lot). He asked me what they meant. When I told him those were all the examples that I want to include in my future mysteries. He gave me a huge smile and said he was very glad he could get me thinking. Its a fantastic resource for mystery writers and entertaining for people who are interested in forensics.

Nikki Leigh

This book keeps your interest the entire way. The information was fascinating, informative from a science perspective, and gross all at the same time. Definitely a great book! I also enjoy reading about Dr. Bass' career.

If you are interested in forensics, this is the book for you! It tells how the study of forensics developed and how Dr. Bill Bass was involved in devoloping and establishing it as an instrument to solve crimes and identify bodies. It is very readable and easy to understand without a medical or legal background. The book however is not for the squemish or faint of heart. It gives extremely detailed descriptions of bodily decay and crimes in the recent past. I found the book to be very interesting and informative. Well worth my time and money!

For all you csi fans, this is a great book. Wonderful history of how it all began along with chapters of stories about real dead people. Congratulations to Dr. Bass and all his staff who have made inroads into helping the police and other entities solve crimes.

This cookbook is great for the Kay Scarpetta fan or even your everyday Italian foodie. Beautiful pictures and amazing receipes.

Havving read all the Patricia Cornwell 'Scarpetta' novels, I was intrigued to find a related cook book. I was delighted to be able to find a copy at Amazon, and with the usual prompt service, it wasn't long before my book arrived.
I must admit, the food sounded very tempting even though the cases involved in the novels are horrendous!
The recipes are relatively simple, the only drawback being that in England,some ingredients are unavailable. Improvisation doesn't spoil the end results though and my husband and son are thoroughly enjoying the new menus!
If you enjoy having fun cooking, I recommend Food To Die For.
By the way, the Jack Daniels Chocolate Pecan Pie nearly started a riot on New Years Eve...I had to bake two more!

I checked the book out from the library because I am a huge Dr. Scarpetta fan. I was hesitant to make the recipies due to the lengthy list of ingredients in most of them, but the 4 recipies I have tried were amazing! I just made one of them tonight and I am still drooling over it. The fresh pasta is the BEST recipie I have tried (and I have tried a lot), and it makes a HUGE difference! The stew was soooo good, granted, it took a while, but it was worth it!!! I love this book, I plan to buy it. Worth the investment for the cook who loves great recipies!

Anything Patricia Cornwell writes is excellent. I have tried most of the recipes in this book and all are fantastic.

This is a great cook book and really does make my mouth water just thinking about it. I really enjoyed the Crab cakes and would recommend them to anyone. Most of her recipies are pretty simple and they are all delicious. I say... Dive in!