Postmortem (by Patricia Cornwell)

I've been intrigued by Patricia Cornwell's books for ages. I've even picked up a few at discount bookstores over the years, but I've yet to read them. I follow Cornwell on social media and enjoy her posts. I suppose it was a combination of her posts about the television series, Scarpetta, on Amazon Prime, and a Goodreads Challenge that finally pushed me to check out the first book, Postmortem.

First published in 1990, the story follows Dr. Kay Scarpetta, Chief Medical Examiner for the state of Virginia, as she investigates a series of brutal murders in Richmond committed by a serial killer who strangles women in their own homes. As the body count rises and the case draws media scrutiny, Scarpetta must navigate departmental politics, a possible leak within law enforcement, and skepticism about a woman holding her position, all while piecing together forensic evidence that points to a killer who seems to know more than he should about the investigation itself.

I thought this book was quite good. The serial murder mystery read like a true crime novel, so this book was a perfect fit for my interests. I loved the offender profiling and the investigative wit it took to solve the crimes. As much as I dislike office politics, I think the incorporation of the overall police department and administrative personnel added dimension to the story, making it well-rounded.

I borrowed the audiobook from my local library. C.J. Critt was an enjoyable narrator. I certainly don't need to start another series, especially one with such a long-running history, but I have a feeling this one will just get better with each installment.

As I previously mentioned, Scarpetta is now a television series. I seriously doubt I'll watch it, as I'm selective about the shows I commit to. I'd rather spend my evenings reading than watching too much television. I'm also cautious about watching adaptations of books I've enjoyed — I always worry it's going to ruin the book for me. In any case, I'm including the show trailer below in case you're interested. I admit, it looks pretty tempting.

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