Mystery

Livid

Livid

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  • Create Date：2022-10-22 06:53:36
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Patricia Cornwell
  • ISBN：1408725819
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Summary

In this thrilling new instalment of Patricia Cornwell's #1 bestselling series， chief medical examiner Dr Kay Scarpetta finds herself a reluctant star witness in a sensational televised murder trial causing chaos in Old Town Alexandria with the threat of violent protests。

Forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta has just inherited one of the most notorious cases of her career。 Two years ago， a former beauty queen's body washed up on the shore of Wallops Island， Virginia。 She was last seen on a boat with her fiancé， who has since been held in jail while awaiting trial。

Scarpetta must act as the expert witness for the case - an investigation previously botched by another forensic pathologist。 After a gruelling cross-examination by the prosecutor， Scarpetta leaves the court only to discover that the sister of the judge on her case has been found dead。

Scarpetta ultimately finds herself facing a powerful， invisible enemy - who's planning the unthinkable 。 。 。

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Reviews

Susan ，

Livid is a good title for this book。 I was livid from page one as Dr。 Scarpetta （not "ma'am"） was being torn apart on the witness stand by an antagonistic prosecutor while the judge remained silent。 Appropriately， this scene sets up the entire book as being one of aggression and conflict and I was hooked！ Not only were the characters and the plot full of conflict， but so was I。 I felt a bit overwhelmed by the paranoia， politics， and back stabbing that seemed to fill the book。 Did the previous bo Livid is a good title for this book。 I was livid from page one as Dr。 Scarpetta （not "ma'am"） was being torn apart on the witness stand by an antagonistic prosecutor while the judge remained silent。 Appropriately， this scene sets up the entire book as being one of aggression and conflict and I was hooked！ Not only were the characters and the plot full of conflict， but so was I。 I felt a bit overwhelmed by the paranoia， politics， and back stabbing that seemed to fill the book。 Did the previous books all include this level of turmoil？ I think they did but in a somewhat different version。 Politics were at a lower level and the crimes weren't so hi-tech。 I think I might miss those days。 The newer books， though thankfully out of that weird place a couple books went， feel more like espionage and terrorism than the mysteries with psychotic serial killers I started reading。 I still enjoy the characters and the writing and continue to wish for more Lucy。 I was well engaged while reading this installment but think I need to work on resetting my expectations for where the series is going。Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for a copy of the book。 This review is my own opinion。 。。。more

zoe Hitchen ，

Kay ， Lucy and Marino are back and this book doesn’t disappoint。Kay is an expert witness in a high profile court case ， and it’s not going well the prosecution attorney is trying hard to destroy her reputation。On leaving the court Kay and Marino learn of a murder ， it’s the sister of the judge in the volatile court case 。What follows is a scary and eerie story which left me feeling a little uneasy at times。Cornwall’s writing is at the calibre that I’ve come to expect ， and the story moves on at Kay ， Lucy and Marino are back and this book doesn’t disappoint。Kay is an expert witness in a high profile court case ， and it’s not going well the prosecution attorney is trying hard to destroy her reputation。On leaving the court Kay and Marino learn of a murder ， it’s the sister of the judge in the volatile court case 。What follows is a scary and eerie story which left me feeling a little uneasy at times。Cornwall’s writing is at the calibre that I’ve come to expect ， and the story moves on at a fair pace 。Scarpetta although stressed in this story doesn’t seems as suspicious and paranoid as she did in the last book so even though the subject matter is heavy ， the character of Scarpetta appears less weighed down。It took me a little longer to decide if I was going to enjoy this as much as the previous books in the Scarpetta series ， but it won me round and I look forward to the next in the series。。Thanks to NetGalley and Little， Brown Book Group UK。 。。。more

Sue Plant ，

would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this gripping bookscarpetta and the gang are back。。。whoop whoopthe very start of this book sees kay in court giving expert testimony to a case that is highly volatile， and the defence is doing all he can to make out that kay isnt up to much， its a highly flammable case。。。and when kay gets to leave she is violently assaulted by a spectator and things are going to get a lot worse before it gets betterkay and marino are called to would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this gripping bookscarpetta and the gang are back。。。whoop whoopthe very start of this book sees kay in court giving expert testimony to a case that is highly volatile， and the defence is doing all he can to make out that kay isnt up to much， its a highly flammable case。。。and when kay gets to leave she is violently assaulted by a spectator and things are going to get a lot worse before it gets betterkay and marino are called to a murder scene and its one that could effect the trial she has just left as its the judges sister who has turned up dead。。。。oh my goodness me this book kept me up all night as i couldnt put it down。。。with the back biting and underhandedness of certain professionals and also down to what was used as the murder weapon。。。it doesnt even bare thinking about。。。。this book has surprises around each corner hence why i lost hours of sleep last night and it was lovely to catch up with lucy and what she is up to all in all a very good book that keep you reading through the sheer horror of it allcant wait for the next book by this wonderful author 。。。more

Sue Plant ，

would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this gripping bookscarpetta and the gang are back。。。whoop whoopthe very start of this book sees kay in court giving expert testimony to a case that is highly volatile， and the defence is doing all he can to make out that kay isnt up to much， its a highly flammable case。。。and when kay gets to leave she is violently assaulted by a spectator and things are going to get a lot worse before it gets betterkay and marino are called to would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this gripping bookscarpetta and the gang are back。。。whoop whoopthe very start of this book sees kay in court giving expert testimony to a case that is highly volatile， and the defence is doing all he can to make out that kay isnt up to much， its a highly flammable case。。。and when kay gets to leave she is violently assaulted by a spectator and things are going to get a lot worse before it gets betterkay and marino are called to a murder scene and its one that could effect the trial she has just left as its the judges sister who has turned up dead。。。。oh my goodness me this book kept me up all night as i couldnt put it down。。。with the back biting and underhandedness of certain professionals and also down to what was used as the murder weapon。。。it doesnt even bare thinking about。。。。this book has surprises around each corner hence why i lost hours of sleep last night and it was lovely to catch up with lucy and what she is up to all in all a very good book that keep you reading through the sheer horror of it allcant wait for the next book by this wonderful author 。。。more

Olivia ，

LIVID is an intriguing procedural that begins with a hot court case。 Scarpetta is testifying as an expert witness against the prosecution， who has built their case around the expertise of the man with dementia whose position Kay assumed when she came to Virginia。 When she examined the evidence and the body， her findings were in contrast to the previous forensic pathologist， which could result in a very different verdict。 As this case is quite notorious， the crowd has been worked into a frenzy an LIVID is an intriguing procedural that begins with a hot court case。 Scarpetta is testifying as an expert witness against the prosecution， who has built their case around the expertise of the man with dementia whose position Kay assumed when she came to Virginia。 When she examined the evidence and the body， her findings were in contrast to the previous forensic pathologist， which could result in a very different verdict。 As this case is quite notorious， the crowd has been worked into a frenzy and protesters are attacking her personally。On her way out of court， she learns that there is a case growing for which her expertise is needed - if only the politicians won't get in her way。 There is a mysterious death of the sister of her good friend， the judge who was presiding over the earlier case。 As she investigates that death， the evidence stacks up into something more dangerous and deadly than she would have initially expected - and it only grows when more dead bodies are found。The writing here is excellent， and I was completely captivated by the initial trial， which felt unputdownable。 I really wanted to know what happened with the case and what the jury verdict would be。 The case of the mysterious death involving the sister of the judge was less interesting to me， and this was where the book really began to slow down， spending more time on the people and obstacles than the evidence and procedural-type styles of the case。 By the time we got to the bigger reveals around the death， I was already a bit disinterested - but I was hoping to get back to the court case。That being said， once they started identifying patterns and connections， it did pick up again， as the case heats up。 There was a bit of a sci-fi element with a particular tool that is introduced alongside some political elements with the president being in town and dealing with the politician who is circumstantially her boss （or trying to make himself her boss at any rate）。 Kay remains a really great character， and I only wish the pace had been faster and that the case we had been pulled into so intently from the start had been the brunt of the book。Overall， LIVID was an intriguing procedural and will appeal to fans who have stuck with Scarpetta through it all！ Please note that I received an ARC。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Kathleen Gray ，

Fans of Cornwell will find it all here in this latest in the long running series- a courtroom scene， a mysterious death， a conspiracy， and an answer you might not see coming。 Oh， and the familiar characters （which are the best part for me）。 This time out， the sister of Scarpetta's friend， who happens to be the judge presiding over the trial where she's taken to pieces， is found dead in the kitchen of their home but her death doesn't make a lot of sense。 This has a very topical underpinning which Fans of Cornwell will find it all here in this latest in the long running series- a courtroom scene， a mysterious death， a conspiracy， and an answer you might not see coming。 Oh， and the familiar characters （which are the best part for me）。 This time out， the sister of Scarpetta's friend， who happens to be the judge presiding over the trial where she's taken to pieces， is found dead in the kitchen of their home but her death doesn't make a lot of sense。 This has a very topical underpinning which takes the means of death into a new realm that will connect the facts of the trial to a bigger picture involving terorism （I know！）。 To be honest， I was a bit annoyed by the opening courtroom scene because there's no way Scarpetta would have been questioned that way。 That said， once out of the courtroom， this moves into the places Cornwell excels such as autopsies and dealing with others。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 It's fast paced and not entirely far fetched。 。。。more

JosieGL [glossinbossinbooks] ，

I think these long-running series are like Law and Order SVU。 It’s better to know from the beginning but you can get by with a standalone。 The forums of all the books seems to be Kay Scarpetta who is a medical examiner back in a town she knows well- when her friend’s sister is murdered。 The friend is a judge presiding over a huge case that has lots of interest from all sides， creating lots of enemies。 The mystery itself was interesting and kept me guessing until the end， although in some parts t I think these long-running series are like Law and Order SVU。 It’s better to know from the beginning but you can get by with a standalone。 The forums of all the books seems to be Kay Scarpetta who is a medical examiner back in a town she knows well- when her friend’s sister is murdered。 The friend is a judge presiding over a huge case that has lots of interest from all sides， creating lots of enemies。 The mystery itself was interesting and kept me guessing until the end， although in some parts the science-y terms had me flip right through。 I wouldn’t say there were any huge scenes - it was a steady， level mystery。 I’d assume fans of this author and series would prob be happy- and it does make me want to know the beginnings of these characters 。。。more

Anne ，

I welcome another chance to connect with Kay and Benton and Lucy and to see what trouble Marino has gotten himself in and how Dorothy is handling it。 I love the feeling of reconnecting with old friends while still being entertained by good storytelling。 And Ms Cornwell sure knows how to plot a novel。 This is complex， disturbing， and full of intrigue。 The intrigue is connected to the central crime but also to the personal relationships。The book starts with Dr S in the witness box and she’s really I welcome another chance to connect with Kay and Benton and Lucy and to see what trouble Marino has gotten himself in and how Dorothy is handling it。 I love the feeling of reconnecting with old friends while still being entertained by good storytelling。 And Ms Cornwell sure knows how to plot a novel。 This is complex， disturbing， and full of intrigue。 The intrigue is connected to the central crime but also to the personal relationships。The book starts with Dr S in the witness box and she’s really getting a hard time， with little support coming from the judge。 The story then takes off in a variety of directions involving seemingly pointless and unconnected murders。 But this is Scarpetta， so she and her crew will sort things out。 Even with the obstacles presented to them。I love the secondary characters， although some like Maggie and Dorothy need a damned good talking to。 Kay and Benton have a gentle， ‘real’ kind of love and Lucy is the geek as always。An enjoyable addition to the canon and I hope Ms Cornwell is hard at work on number 27。I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley 。。。more

Ann Black ，

I’m a huge Kay Scarpetta fan and have read all her series， it’s always good to know how her， Benton， Lucy and Marino are getting on。 I enjoyed this plot and it was good to be back in the courtroom with Kay， some of her books recently got away from the early books that got me into her so it was nice to be back with Kay doing what she does best with Marino at her side。 All in all I enjoyed this book and would recommend。 Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this earl I’m a huge Kay Scarpetta fan and have read all her series， it’s always good to know how her， Benton， Lucy and Marino are getting on。 I enjoyed this plot and it was good to be back in the courtroom with Kay， some of her books recently got away from the early books that got me into her so it was nice to be back with Kay doing what she does best with Marino at her side。 All in all I enjoyed this book and would recommend。 Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this early copy 。。。more

Janaya Kabamba ，

This was such a breath of fresh air and how have I never stumbled in this series before？！ Really intelligently written with unique， well rounded characters and a Cleveland plot that leaves you guessing。 It's not a plight read and does requite full attention so don't try reading it whilst you're supposed to be keeping an eye on the roast in the oven or the family will end up going hungry！ A fab thriller to get stuck right into This was such a breath of fresh air and how have I never stumbled in this series before？！ Really intelligently written with unique， well rounded characters and a Cleveland plot that leaves you guessing。 It's not a plight read and does requite full attention so don't try reading it whilst you're supposed to be keeping an eye on the roast in the oven or the family will end up going hungry！ A fab thriller to get stuck right into 。。。more

Patty ，

Another good installment of the Scarpetta series！What I enjoyed: -as this series has progressed， it has pivoted a bit to be less about strictly coroner-related mystery solving to include more technological mysteries。 This book in particular deals with a type of technology that isn't particularly well-known， so it was interesting to read about。-the relationship between Kay and her husband Benton-the way that Kay and Pete Marino， her investigator， act like a bickering old married coupleWhat wasn't Another good installment of the Scarpetta series！What I enjoyed: -as this series has progressed， it has pivoted a bit to be less about strictly coroner-related mystery solving to include more technological mysteries。 This book in particular deals with a type of technology that isn't particularly well-known， so it was interesting to read about。-the relationship between Kay and her husband Benton-the way that Kay and Pete Marino， her investigator， act like a bickering old married coupleWhat wasn't as good as usual:-not much Lucy （Kay's niece）-the tangents between the 3 cases weren't all that clear until the last 2%I think I've read every book in this series， and while I've enjoyed them， it might be time to retire it and start a new one。 Go out while still fresh。Thanks to the author， publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book， but my opinions are my own。 。。。more

Nicole Lajambe ，

First off， I will admit in all honesty that I have not read any books from this series。 But can I say that after reading this one…。I will。 It gets you right from the start。 I realized that there are certain parts of this book that I would have needed from other books to know the past but it still lets you in。 The story keeps you on the edge of the sofa and truthfully once I started it， I couldn’t put in down。 I would highly recommend this book and this author。 Job well done。 So now I’m off to th First off， I will admit in all honesty that I have not read any books from this series。 But can I say that after reading this one…。I will。 It gets you right from the start。 I realized that there are certain parts of this book that I would have needed from other books to know the past but it still lets you in。 The story keeps you on the edge of the sofa and truthfully once I started it， I couldn’t put in down。 I would highly recommend this book and this author。 Job well done。 So now I’m off to the book store to collect the rest of the Scarpetta Series。 Thank you and enjoy。 。。。more

Nerys Roberts ，

Kay Scarpetta is giving evidence in a controversial murder case。 The case has caused a lot of friction in the area and tensions are high。 After she's finished giving evidence she is asked to attend a murder scene; the judge's sister has been found dead in suspicious circumstances。 By the time Scarpetta and Merino arrive at the scene it has already been taken over by the Secret Services and her niece Lucy is there to give her the details。 It becomes clear from the surroundings that an unusual wea Kay Scarpetta is giving evidence in a controversial murder case。 The case has caused a lot of friction in the area and tensions are high。 After she's finished giving evidence she is asked to attend a murder scene; the judge's sister has been found dead in suspicious circumstances。 By the time Scarpetta and Merino arrive at the scene it has already been taken over by the Secret Services and her niece Lucy is there to give her the details。 It becomes clear from the surroundings that an unusual weapon has been used hence the interest from the Secret Service。 With tensions running high in the area while the verdict is awaited in the court case Scarpetta and her team work on identifying who is responsible。An enjoyable read。 Thanks to Netgalley， Little Brown Book Group UK and Patricia Cornwell for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review。 。。。more

Elaine Tomasso ，

I would like to thank Netgalley and Little， Brown Book Group UK for an advance copy of Livid， the twenty sixth novel to feature medical examiner Dr Kay Scarpetta， set in Alexandria， Virginia。Kay is a witness at a sensational murder trial and it’s not going well when she hears that the judge’s sister has been murdered in a less than obvious way that sends chills down her spine。It has been a while since I dipped in to this series （I stopped after book 19 when the constant persecution got repetitiv I would like to thank Netgalley and Little， Brown Book Group UK for an advance copy of Livid， the twenty sixth novel to feature medical examiner Dr Kay Scarpetta， set in Alexandria， Virginia。Kay is a witness at a sensational murder trial and it’s not going well when she hears that the judge’s sister has been murdered in a less than obvious way that sends chills down her spine。It has been a while since I dipped in to this series （I stopped after book 19 when the constant persecution got repetitive） so， given the opportunity， I dipped back in and was pleasantly surprised。 I thoroughly enjoyed Livid， which is an engrossing read that held my attention throughout。The plot is interesting and， as ever， a learning experience。 It starts with Kay giving evidence and it’s brutal as the prosecutor doesn’t like what she’s telling him and isn’t afraid to grandstand at her expense。 It’s the only time I wanted to put the book down for a breather。 Kay’s first person narrative and openness with her thoughts quickly gets the reader onside and outraged at the way she is treated。 It’s an excellent piece of writing。 After that the murder investigation is all go with the Secret Service， FBI and local police all staking a claim。 There is cutting edge technology involved， which has all these agencies puzzled and a high stakes finale that had my heart in my mouth for a moment。The novel moves along at a fast pace with reveals and developments at every turn， not too many twists but I wasn’t expecting many as the author tends to roll on forward momentum。 There are still people trying bring Kay down， but it’s not front and centre， so it’s bearable。 The real star， though， is the technology and it’s eye opening on both sides （government and murderers）。 It’s a whole world I’m not sure I want to know about。I would have given this novel 5* because it’s compulsive and informative reading， but I was disappointed by the ending。 It seemed rushed and the rounding up of coconspirators too low key。 Add to this I found it impossible to believe that they could have produced such a high tech weapon。Livid is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending。 。。。more

Wendy Krautheim ，

I have been a fan of the Kay Scarpetta series for at least 15 years now！ A friend of mine suggested I read them and I was hooked。 It was one of the first big series I ever read and was so excited when I received an ARC of this newest book。 Even though this is book #26， it could certainly be a stand alone if you haven’t read the rest of the series。 This time around Kay is an expert witness in a murder trial of a man accused of killing his wife。 The judge’s sister is murdered and Kay’s investigati I have been a fan of the Kay Scarpetta series for at least 15 years now！ A friend of mine suggested I read them and I was hooked。 It was one of the first big series I ever read and was so excited when I received an ARC of this newest book。 Even though this is book #26， it could certainly be a stand alone if you haven’t read the rest of the series。 This time around Kay is an expert witness in a murder trial of a man accused of killing his wife。 The judge’s sister is murdered and Kay’s investigation uncovers an undetectable， dangerous weapon。 I did think the writing style was a little choppy in this book compared to the others。 And the crime scene exploration drug in a bit too long。 Overall though it was another great Scarpetta novel。 If you haven’t read this series before but are a fan of TV shows like CSI and FBI， this book should be on your TBR！！！Thank you Grand Central Pub for my advanced copy！ 。。。more

Monnie ，

Maybe it's because it's a timely topic with more questions than answers that's intrigued me for at least a couple of years now。 Maybe it's because forensic pathologist Dr。 Kay Scarpetta doesn't seem quite as paranoid as usual （even though in this case， her suspicions may be rooted in fact）。 Whatever the reason， this， the 26th book in the popular series， is another one I really didn't want to put down。 It begins with Scarpetta's testimony at a contentious murder trial - and her scientific evidenc Maybe it's because it's a timely topic with more questions than answers that's intrigued me for at least a couple of years now。 Maybe it's because forensic pathologist Dr。 Kay Scarpetta doesn't seem quite as paranoid as usual （even though in this case， her suspicions may be rooted in fact）。 Whatever the reason， this， the 26th book in the popular series， is another one I really didn't want to put down。 It begins with Scarpetta's testimony at a contentious murder trial - and her scientific evidence and methods not-so-politely challenged by a defense attorney determined to win and sully Scarpetta's reputation in the process。 The judge， Annie Chilton， is Scarpetta's long-time friend; but this time out， her rulings are falling outside the norm。 Later， Scarpetta - who not that long ago returned to Virginia to serve in her old job as chief medical examiner - is called out to a murder; the victim is none other than the judge's sister， Rachael， who's been living with her sister at the run-down family estate。 When she and her longtime friend and investigator Pete Marino arrive， they're struck by the stricken; everywhere are dead bugs， birds and what appears to be finely tuned destruction。 That， in turn， leads to suspicion of the method of the murder - a really scary one that Scarpetta and her FBI husband Benton and niece Lucy are well acquainted with by way of their seats on the federal Doomsday Commission （and for readers， it's an issue， albeit controversial in some circles， that's made national news in recent years）。In between trying to solve the motive and means for the murder - plus， of course， identify and capture the culprit - all the major players must dodge the slings and arrows of protestors （think: Jan。 6， 2021， but with different targets）。 One clue leads to another to revelations about the death of a former colleague - one who has ties to the trial at the beginning of the book。 All told， it's a fast-paced， well-researched story and a great addition to the series。 Many thanks to the publisher， via NetGalley， for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy。 。。。more

Hira ，

Patricia Cornwell is a wiz at writing Scarpetta。 I had the fortune of reading a few of her initialKay Scarpetta novels and absolutely loved them， and although I dropped off the series （to not fault of Scarpetta or Cornwell） I am so glad to be reading this again。The beauty of this novel is that it will be appreciated by all， regardless of if they are established fans of Scarpetta or new readers。 Although there are many repeat characters such as Marino， Lucy and Benton， Cornwell is able to establi Patricia Cornwell is a wiz at writing Scarpetta。 I had the fortune of reading a few of her initialKay Scarpetta novels and absolutely loved them， and although I dropped off the series （to not fault of Scarpetta or Cornwell） I am so glad to be reading this again。The beauty of this novel is that it will be appreciated by all， regardless of if they are established fans of Scarpetta or new readers。 Although there are many repeat characters such as Marino， Lucy and Benton， Cornwell is able to establish a kinship between reader and characters in no time。 Another thing I absolutely LOVE is the ease with which a Cornwell novel reads！ Gruesome deaths， chilling and horrendous autopsies， and even tedious procedurals all become entertaining with Cornwell’s writing。 Key Scarpetta finds herself testifying in a suspected murder trial， and finds herself on the receiving end of unnecessary scrutiny and even death threats。 What ensues from there is a thrilling and suspenseful journey involving murder， mayhem， politics and corruption。 Although that may seem like a typical formula， Livid’s narrative is fluid， thrilling， extremely well-paced and entertaining to boot！ I highly recommend Livid， it’s brought me back into the Cornwell fold， and made me a Scarpetta fan again！！！ 。。。more

Jay Dwight ，

3。5 StarsAnother Scarpetta novel， the best series of Cornwell's in my view。 A fast paced stories， with all the main characters we have grown to love， with Marino， Lucy and Benton all heavily involved。The novel opens with Scarpetta under attack in the witness box in a murder trial。 After her stint there ends， she learns the judge's sister has been sensationally murdered， soon after a nearby attack on the President。 The killer appears to have adopted a new weapon， one with chilling potential。 It's 3。5 StarsAnother Scarpetta novel， the best series of Cornwell's in my view。 A fast paced stories， with all the main characters we have grown to love， with Marino， Lucy and Benton all heavily involved。The novel opens with Scarpetta under attack in the witness box in a murder trial。 After her stint there ends， she learns the judge's sister has been sensationally murdered， soon after a nearby attack on the President。 The killer appears to have adopted a new weapon， one with chilling potential。 It's never been more important to catch the killer quickly。 。。。more

Patricia West ，

I loved the intensity of this book。 As usual for a Patricia Cornwell， it has some really exciting parts。 My favorite part of the book though was the weapon used。 It was one I'd never heard of。 So， that was fascinating。 I loved the relationship of the characters as well。 Altogether， a really good book。 I loved the intensity of this book。 As usual for a Patricia Cornwell， it has some really exciting parts。 My favorite part of the book though was the weapon used。 It was one I'd never heard of。 So， that was fascinating。 I loved the relationship of the characters as well。 Altogether， a really good book。 。。。more

Louise ，

3。5 starsI was struggling with a different book， when along came Livid。。 I almost sighed with relief the second Marino showed up。Not before that， because the court scenes are brutal。It was great to be back with what I consider old friends， though I can never picture Pete as he is now described。This had an interesting crime ， but for me lacked in the excitement of a usual investigation。It was speedily wrapped up too。I enjoyed it， because I enjoy these characters， but it's not one to start with if 3。5 starsI was struggling with a different book， when along came Livid。。 I almost sighed with relief the second Marino showed up。Not before that， because the court scenes are brutal。It was great to be back with what I consider old friends， though I can never picture Pete as he is now described。This had an interesting crime ， but for me lacked in the excitement of a usual investigation。It was speedily wrapped up too。I enjoyed it， because I enjoy these characters， but it's not one to start with if you're getting into Scarpetta's world （and you should go there！） 。。。more

Greville Waterman ，

Amazingly this is the first book by this author that I have ever read and now I think I have 25 or so books in the series to catch up onI didn’t find it too much of a hindrance not knowing any of the main characters and was soon immersed in an exciting and well plotted mystery。 I found some of the medical and scientific aspects fairly hard to grasp but this did not prevent my enjoyment of a superior crime thriller。 I now have a lot of reading to do。 Something I’m really looking forward to。

Stephanie ，

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the pleasure of reading the latest installment with Dr。 Scarpetta。 Patricia Cornwell did not disappoint with the latest installment of the Scarpetta series。 I have enjoyed each book and have grown to love the characters。 I enjoyed the story greatly and followed the information with great anticipation。 I loved how the story unfolded。 The only item I would like to have seen improved upon is the end of the book seemed to move too quickly。 I felt that I was so Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the pleasure of reading the latest installment with Dr。 Scarpetta。 Patricia Cornwell did not disappoint with the latest installment of the Scarpetta series。 I have enjoyed each book and have grown to love the characters。 I enjoyed the story greatly and followed the information with great anticipation。 I loved how the story unfolded。 The only item I would like to have seen improved upon is the end of the book seemed to move too quickly。 I felt that I was so very rushed in the end， but PLEASE do not let that keep you from reading this book！ 。。。more

Paula ，

I usually like the Kay Scarpetta books， but Livid: A Scarpetta Novel by Patricia Cornwell had me struggling to get through the story。 There was a lot going on in the storyline to keep track of， and there were times I rolled my eyes at some of the unbelievable things happening in the story。 In the beginning， the courtroom drama was a bit much to take。 How could a judge allow the prosecutor to be so brazen and out of line？Lucy was a great character， and I would like to see her featured more， but I I usually like the Kay Scarpetta books， but Livid: A Scarpetta Novel by Patricia Cornwell had me struggling to get through the story。 There was a lot going on in the storyline to keep track of， and there were times I rolled my eyes at some of the unbelievable things happening in the story。 In the beginning， the courtroom drama was a bit much to take。 How could a judge allow the prosecutor to be so brazen and out of line？Lucy was a great character， and I would like to see her featured more， but I don't think I will be reading any more Kay Scarpetta books; it may be time for her to retire and to put this series to bed。@GrandCentralpub #NetGalley 。。。more

Alexis Stankewitz ，

*I received a finished copy of "Livid" by Patricia Cornwell from Grand Central Publishing in exchange for an honest review *Honestly I was so interested in reading this， but I struggled with this。 I assumed that I could read this as a standalone。 In my opinion， this would be best read after reading the other books in the series。 *I received a finished copy of "Livid" by Patricia Cornwell from Grand Central Publishing in exchange for an honest review *Honestly I was so interested in reading this， but I struggled with this。 I assumed that I could read this as a standalone。 In my opinion， this would be best read after reading the other books in the series。 。。。more

Kelly ，

After reading a book that felt very slow-paced， Patricia Cornwell’s latest chapter in her Kay Scarpetta novel， Livid， practically flies。 This is both good and bad。 It’s good because the pacing is fantastic， keeping the reader engaged and invested in the story。 It’s bad in that it feels unrealistic that everything that happens in this book does so primarily within about 24 hours or so。 The story starts with Scarpetta as an expert witness in a high profile trial in her old friend Annie Chilton’s c After reading a book that felt very slow-paced， Patricia Cornwell’s latest chapter in her Kay Scarpetta novel， Livid， practically flies。 This is both good and bad。 It’s good because the pacing is fantastic， keeping the reader engaged and invested in the story。 It’s bad in that it feels unrealistic that everything that happens in this book does so primarily within about 24 hours or so。 The story starts with Scarpetta as an expert witness in a high profile trial in her old friend Annie Chilton’s court。 It quickly devolves into a day of disaster when Kay learns that Annie’s sister Rachael has been found dead in the family home she’s been living in with Annie。 The evidence suggests she’s a victim of intense microwaves， the suspected culprit of Havana Syndrome， and something terrifying and difficult to protect yourself from if you’re not expecting it。 Kay and her crew quickly realize that there could be another victim of the same type of crime， and begin working rapidly to confirm the cause of death。 It’s fascinating， but feels impractical that the group could figure this all out so quickly， despite the fact that some of them work for the government alphabet soup and have access to toys and tricks us mere mortals wouldn’t even think about。 And while I enjoyed the connection that’s eventually made to the trial that starts the book， I don’t really feel like the reader gets a good motive for the deaths that happen as the book unfolds。 Not unusual for a Scarpetta book， there’s characters with shady agendas threatening to derail Kay in solving the crime， which starts to feel like a tired subplot。 And the various forms of technology， while fascinating， also feel like they begin to take away from good old sleuthing-when Big Brother is watching in so many ways it reduces the amount of work to do。 I tend to dip in and out of this series， and other readers need to be aware that Cornwell presumes the reader is well acquainted with reoccurring characters which can leave a casual or new reader to the series feeling like they’re missing context。 A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more

Valerie ，

I enjoyed this book。 It’s interesting and tightly paced throughout。 The characters are believable and it’s a frightening story in that it might happen。 #Livid #NetGalley

Sally Lindsay-briggs ，

Thank you Goodreads and the author for this “Advance Reading Copy”。 It was a fairly good novel regarding murders caused by special legal guns made with microwave parts。 An extremely scary way to assault someone！ Kay， Benton， Lucy， Tron and Marino all used their expertise to figure out who the guilty person was。 The story was put together well， but bogged down a bit with some of the medical details。 I’ve read a lot of the author’s books with most of the same characters and it was great to reconne Thank you Goodreads and the author for this “Advance Reading Copy”。 It was a fairly good novel regarding murders caused by special legal guns made with microwave parts。 An extremely scary way to assault someone！ Kay， Benton， Lucy， Tron and Marino all used their expertise to figure out who the guilty person was。 The story was put together well， but bogged down a bit with some of the medical details。 I’ve read a lot of the author’s books with most of the same characters and it was great to reconnect。 。。。more

Sarah-Hope ，

To be honest， I don't think this was one of Cornwell's best。 As always， interesting character development。 The mystery itself seemed secondary， more a set-up for a bigger mystery that might come in a future volume。 Cornwell is always a rewarding read， even when one is somewhat dissatisfied。 To be honest， I don't think this was one of Cornwell's best。 As always， interesting character development。 The mystery itself seemed secondary， more a set-up for a bigger mystery that might come in a future volume。 Cornwell is always a rewarding read， even when one is somewhat dissatisfied。 。。。more

Linda ，

I have been a fan of Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta novels ever since I read the very first one。 While I have to admit I liked the older format better， where the story takes place over time rather than one or two days， this one was certainly a good one。 Kay is brilliant as usual and the plot is quick and intriguing。 The only thing I didn’t love about this one is there was not enough story at the end。 The whole wrap-up seemed rushed and was explained in a few pages。 Next time I hope for more Lucy and m I have been a fan of Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta novels ever since I read the very first one。 While I have to admit I liked the older format better， where the story takes place over time rather than one or two days， this one was certainly a good one。 Kay is brilliant as usual and the plot is quick and intriguing。 The only thing I didn’t love about this one is there was not enough story at the end。 The whole wrap-up seemed rushed and was explained in a few pages。 Next time I hope for more Lucy and more cooking！ 。。。more

Cheryl ，

I loved this story。 It was so good to read about these characters again。 The storylines were super interesting。 I definitely couldn't put it down and wanted more。 4。5 stars I loved this story。 It was so good to read about these characters again。 The storylines were super interesting。 I definitely couldn't put it down and wanted more。 4。5 stars 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Livid

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Livid&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Livid&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0