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Cruel and Unusual  (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 4)
Cruel and Unusual - Kay Scarpetta, Bk 4
Author: Patricia Cornwell
When convicted killer RonnieJoe Waddell is executed in Virginia's electric chair, he becomes what should be a routine postmortem case for Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta. But after Waddell's execution, the murders continue, as everyone connected to him begins to die -- including a member of Scarpetta's staff. — Then, when cru...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780684195308
ISBN-10: 0684195305
Publication Date: 6/10/1993
Pages: 384
Rating:
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 141

3.9 stars, based on 141 ratings
Publisher: Scribner
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback, Audio Cassette
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

gigi avatar reviewed Cruel and Unusual (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 4) on + 355 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Another page-turner by Cornwell, featuring Dr. Kay Scarpetta, Chief Medical Examiner.
daedelys avatar reviewed Cruel and Unusual (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 4) on + 1218 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I really liked this book, but sometimes, it makes me glad that I'm not an M.E. in Scarpetta's position. It sure seems like a lot of people have a vendetta against them whether it be personal or political. (Well, this one anyway.)

Some of the narrative in this book did drive me a bit nuts because it felt sloppy. Characters would comment on something out of the blue, or something would happen, and I'd have to look back to see if I missed something because I was tired while I was reading. Turned out, it wasn't me, just lack of description in certain situations. One such was when Mark's death was mentioned. I know it was meant to be shocking, but it was stuck within a chapter in such a nonchalant place that it didn't give it the importance it deserved. It would have been better to have mentioned it at the end of a chapter. Especially since Scarpetta frequently thinks about him during the course of the story.

Overall, though, this has been my favorite book in the series, as it was the most interesting so far. I'm looking forward to the next one!
Read All 101 Book Reviews of "Cruel and Unusual Kay Scarpetta Bk 4"

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justreadingabook avatar reviewed Cruel and Unusual (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 4) on + 1728 more book reviews
Excellent book, you can't miss with a Kay Scarpetta book, they grab you from the beginning and take you for a great thrill ride. A great read.
reviewed Cruel and Unusual (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 4) on + 35 more book reviews
One of my favorite writers!
reviewed Cruel and Unusual (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 4) on + 17 more book reviews
I liked it alot
liamsgramma avatar reviewed Cruel and Unusual (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 4) on + 25 more book reviews
Another mystery series. The Kay Scarpetta books are great reads. I love the style, characters and page turning excitement that Patricia Cornwell offers. What is not to love?
Kay Scarpetta was a fictional hero of mine. At one time in my life, I wanted to be just like her :)
hunterchick avatar reviewed Cruel and Unusual (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 4) on + 78 more book reviews
Patricia Cornwells Kay Scarpetta is a character who becomes addicting. Smart, Funny, brave, and tough she is a character who sticks with you, and you will find yourself wanting to read the whole series. Chapters are on the shorter side so the book is easier to digest.
romeo avatar reviewed Cruel and Unusual (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 4) on + 334 more book reviews
11:05 p.m. Convicted murderer Ronnie Joe Waddell is pronounced dead in the Commonwealth of Virginia's electric chair. In the morgue, Dr. Kay Scarpetta has been waiting for Waddell's body. It's a strange feeling, preparing for an autopsy before the subject is dead. But Scarpetta's been here before. As Virginia's chief medical examiner, she knows the tension of watching the clock as the execution hour draws near. Waddell's death isn't the only newsworthy event on this cold December night. Three hours after 13 year old Eddie Heath goes out to a convience store to buy a can of soup, his nude, grotesquely wounded body is found propped against a dumpster. Waddell's execution, the attack on Eddie-the two events seem unrelated until Scarpetta and richmond police lieutenant Pete Marino remember that Waddell arranged his victim in a strikingly similar position to Eddie's. And then there's a new murder, the most puzzling of all. The crime scenes yield few clues:old bloodstains, fragments of feather, and-most baffling-a bloody fingerprint that points Scarpetta to the one suspect who could not have committed this murder....
reviewed Cruel and Unusual (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 4) on + 60 more book reviews
Forensic novel. 3 murders examined by Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a fascinating hard-to-put-down read.

"Chilling detailed forensic thriller confirming Cornwell as the top gun in this field" --Daily Telegraph
reviewed Cruel and Unusual (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 4) on + 3 more book reviews
Typical Patricia Cornwell. If you like her writing you'll like this book.
reviewed Cruel and Unusual (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 4) on + 4 more book reviews
Patrica Cornwell does it again. Her books are always a good read. Toward the end, I had a hard time putting it down and often read until the wee hours of the morning.
jessicadeaton avatar reviewed Cruel and Unusual (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 4) on + 34 more book reviews
All of the Patricia Cornwell books are great. This one has action, adventure, & murder.
Kay Scarpetta is a great character. Any of you that like Forensic Files will love these books.
reviewed Cruel and Unusual (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 4) on + 593 more book reviews
excellent read
hunterchick avatar reviewed Cruel and Unusual (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 4) on + 78 more book reviews
Patricia Cornwells Kay Scarpetta is a character who becomes addicting. Smart, Funny, brave, and tough she is a character who sticks with you, and you will find yourself wanting to read the whole series. Chapters are on the shorter side so the book is easier to digest.
Val avatar reviewed Cruel and Unusual (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 4) on + 72 more book reviews
Escellent book,couldnt put it down.


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