Preview
  • Book of the Dead

  • Kay Scarpetta Mysteries, Book 15
  • By: Patricia Cornwell
  • Narrated by: Kate Reading
  • Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (179 ratings)

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Book of the Dead

By: Patricia Cornwell
Narrated by: Kate Reading
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Publisher's summary

Dr. Kay Scarpetta is starting over with a unique private forensic pathology practice in Charleston, South Carolina. But in this thrilling #1 New York Times bestseller, her fresh start ushers in a string of murders more baffling—and terrifying—than any that have come before...

The Book of the Dead is the morgue log, the ledger in which all cases are entered by hand. For Kay Scarpetta, however, it is about to acquire a new meaning.

A sixteen-year-old tennis star, fresh from a tournament win Charleston, is found nude and mutilated near Piazza Navona in Rome. The body of an abused young boy is dumped in a desolate marsh. A woman is ritualistically murdered in her multimillion-dollar beach home. Meanwhile, in New England, problems with a prominent patient at a Harvard-affiliated psychiatric hospital begin to hint at interconnections among the deaths that are as hard to imagine as they are horrible.

Scarpetta has dealt with many brutal and unusual crimes before, but never has she seen a string of death like what she's facing now. Before she is through, that book of the dead will contain many names—and the pen may be poised to write her own...

©2007 Cornwell Entertainment, Inc. (P)2007 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
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What listeners say about Book of the Dead

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Very compelling

It didn’t seem quite finished with some unanswered questions. Getting set up for the sequel.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Our Merry Band Might be Broken

It's been a LOOOOOOONG build up, but this might be the storyline that finally breaks up our Merry Band of Death Investigators ... Hats off to Rose in this one, who has the best take on the fearless leader to date - paraphrasing: at a certain point, your selflessness becomes quite selfish! Yet again it's new locations (with some European consulting thrown in), but it's the same ole stuff that is dragging the team down: Everyone is obsessed with Kay and Lucy, no one can get over the sins and hurts from the past & everything is so interrelated to the point of being utterly ridiculous. But - at the end of the day, isn't that what we now expect from Scarpetta & Company? Keep 'em coming ...

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great Story

The only thing that drove me crazy about this book was the fact that the narrator Kate Reading pronounced the name Lucious as Luscious. Luscious is the name of a stripper not a man's name. It's funny how something like that is similar to sand in your shoe. It is irritating.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Not my favorite story

The entire story could have been told in such better detail. Instead of focusing on Marino and his stupid issues or dr self snd her time in the hospital which steal seams so unnecessary maybe more about the boy or what drives the killer to do what he did. His things he did to his victims were never explained. Just ends with him arrested it wasn’t very good.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Complicated story, but very well written

I wish there would have been more of a spectacular ending. Seemed like it just kind of got wrapped up and explained in a few sentences. 

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Depressing

This is an interesting story with a twisted plot. It’s well written but very dark and depressing as everyone is either angry, a victim, crazy, or desperately unhappy.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great listen!

The repeated phrase of he, said she, said was frustrating and very repetitive, although could be in the actual book.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Not my favorite Scarpetta book

I finished it, but it wasn’t easy. I didn’t like the relationship between Kay and her investigator in comparison to other books in this series.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Why Benton and Kay are so cool to each other.

Confusing. Maybe too many characters and the introduction of new characters without knowledge of who they are or what they have to do with the story. Also relationships change from one book to the next. Hard to follow.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story

I truly enjoy these characters and their ongoing stories. I don’t post spoilers, but I hope they all find their way.

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