Scarpetta series Books 5-8 by Patricia Cornwell

I've managed to read four books since I last reviewed this series. I've read: The Body Farm, From Potter's Field, Cause of Death, and Unnatural Exposure.

I continue to be annoyed by the things that happen in between books. But other than that, I'm mostly enjoying the series: The writing is good, the prose is good, the plots are good. There are some things that happen that I don't believe would happen in real life though, and that tends to bug me. The pacing is also off in a few places.

I like the procedural stuff, and I like the action that happens. The personal stuff gets skimped on quite a bit, but I guess that's because Dr. Scarpetta doesn't really have that much of a personal life. We know she's got a therapist she can see, but we don't really know that much about what is said. We are told she's spent time with someone between books, and given a one paragraph summary of what happened during that time (could be months or more than a year), but it just doesn't feel the same as seeing it happen. What is the writers axiom about "show, don't tell"? We're told too much and not shown enough, I guess.

I'm almost halfway through the series at this point and for now I'll keep reading, but I'm still not sure this series is going to keep me interested enough to keep reading all the way through.

In the past the series has been a 9 of 10 for me, but I think I'm going to lower it to an 8.

Book Rating: The Body Farm: 8 of 10
Book Rating: From Potter's Field: 8 of 10
Book Rating: Cause of Death: 7 of 10
Book Rating: Unnatural Exposure: 8 of 10

Series Rating: Kay Scarpetta Series: 8 of 10

1 and 2. The Scarpetta Collection Volume I: Postmortem and Body of Evidence
3 and 4. Scarpetta Collection Volume II: All That Remains and Cruel & Unusual
5. The Body Farm
6. From Potter's Field
7. Cause of Death
8. Unnatural Exposure
9. Point of Origin
10.Black Notice
11.The Last Precinct
12.Blow Fly
13.Trace
14.Predator
15.Book of the Dead
16.Scarpetta
17.The Scarpetta Factor

* Excerpts, First Chapters, and Sneak Peeks

Some of the books on my Anxiously Awaiting list have excerpts available at the author's or publisher's websites.

* Excerpt of A Mermaid's Ransom (Daughters of Arianne Bk 3) Joey W Hill 12/1
* Excerpt of Kitty's House of Horrors (Kitty Norville Bk 7) by Carrie Vaughn 1/4/10
* Chapter 1 (pdf) of Divine Misdemeanors (Meredith Gentry #8) Laurell K. Hamilton 12/8
* Chapter 1 of Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunter, Bk 2) Nalini Singh 2/2/10
* Snippet of First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World, Bk 1) Jeaniene Frost 2/9/10
* Excerpt of Vampire Mistress (Vampire Queen, Book 5) by Joey W. Hill 5/4/10
* Prologue of Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels Book 4) by Ilona Andrews (5/25/10)
* Excerpt of Bonds of Justice (Psy/Changeling #8) (Max's Book) by Nalini Singh 7/6/10

If Kelley Armstrong posts an excerpt for Angelic it will be here. This is to be a novella, and quite short, so I'm not sure if she'll post one or not, but she's got a blurb and cover art up for now. 12/1/9

When Kresley Cole puts up the excerpt for Pleasure of a Dark Prince (Immortals after Dark) it should go here. For now there is just a blurb. 1/9/10

Lisa Lutz has a blurb up forThe Spellmans Strike Again (3/16/10)

Jim Butcher has a page up for Changes, (Dresden Files book 12), no blurb or excerpt yet but you can see the cover. (4/6/10)

Keri Arthur has a page up for Moon Sworn (Riley Jensen Bk9), but so far there is only an image of the cover. Just knowing the title of this book kind of gives us an idea of what may happen, though. (5/22/10)

Kelley Armstrong has a page of for Waking the Witch (Savannah story, Women/Otherworld Bk 11), so far there is just a blurb and cover art. 8/3/10


In case you haven't read them yet, there are also some excerpts up for books released earlier this year:

* Chapter 1 of At Grave's End (Night Huntress, 3) Jeaniene Frost, 12/30/08
* Excerpt of Kiss of a Demon King (Immortals after Dark, 6) Kresley Cole 1/20
* Excerpt of Kitty & the Dead Man's Hand (Kitty Norville, 5) Carrie Vaughn, 1/27
* Excerpt of Men of the Otherworld Kelley Armstrong, 1/27
* 1st chapter of Bone Crossed (Mercy Thompson, Bk 4) Patricia Briggs, 2/3
* 3 chapters of Made to Be Broken (Nadia Stafford) Kelley Armstrong, 2/24
* Excerpt of White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison, 02/24
* Excerpt of Kitty Raises Hell (Kitty Norville, 6) Carrie Vaughn, 2/24
* Excerpt of Jailbait Zombie (Felix Gomez) Mario Acevedo, 2/24
* Excerpt of Angels' Blood (Guild Hunter, Bk 1) Nalini Singh, 03/03
* Excerpt of Deadly Desire (Riley Jensen, 7) Keri Arthur 03/24
* Excerpt of Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels, 3) Ilona Andrews, 03/31
* Five chapters of Turn Coat (Dresden Files, 11) Jim Butcher 04/07
* 2 chapters of Curse the Dawn (Cassandra Palmer, 4) Karen Chance, 4/7
* Excerpt of Doomsday Can Wait (Phoenix Chronicles, Bk 2) Lori Handeland 4/28
* Chapter One of Skin Trade (Anita Blake) Laurel K Hamilton, 6/2
* Excerpt of Undead and Unwelcome (Queen Betsy, Bk 8) MaryJanice Davidson 6/2
* Excerpt of Finger Lickin' Fifteen (Stephanie Plum) Janet Evanovich 6/23
* Excerpt 1 and Excerpt 2 of Branded by Fire (Psy-Changelings), Nalini Singh, 7/7
* 1st chapter of Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) Jeanine Frost 7/28
* Excerpt of Bad Moon Rising (Dark Hunter Series) Sherrilyn Kenyon, 8/4
* Excerpt of Beloved Vampire (Vampire Queen) Joey W. Hill, 8/4
* First two chapters of Hunting Ground (Alpha & Omega, Bk 2) Patricia Briggs, 8/25
* Excerpt, excerpt, & excerpt - Must Love Hellhounds (Anth) Ilona Andrews, Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh 9/1
* First chapter of On the Edge (The Edge bk 1) Ilona Andrews, 9/29
* Prologue, Chapters One & Two of Frostbitten (Otherworld) Kelley Armstrong, 10/27
* Excerpt of Bound to Shadows (Riley Jensen, Guardian, Book 8) Keri Arthur 10/27
* Excerpt of A Deep Kiss of Winter (Anthology) Kresley Cole, Gena Showalter, 10/13
* Excerpt of Blaze of Memory (Psy-Changelings, Dev's book), Nalini Singh 11/3
* Excerpt of Skin Game by Ava Gray, 11/03