Dr Scarpetta is called to an abandoned theme park to take care of a body who she soon learns is someone she once loved. She had an affair Sith Sal in her earlier years when she taught in Rome. The murder scene has odd points to it.which must be figured out so she can figure out who killed Sal. While performing the autopsy she soon discovers her old friend left her a clue. She takes the clue.and starts her investigation. She doesn't want to believe that out of this world forces are real so she must dig deep to find the true source behind the killing. Follow along and see where the clues lead her and if she can figure out who the murderer is in the end.

Cornwell delivers another well-written Scarpetta novel. The complex plot and cast of characters, both familiar and new, kept me engaged. The Scarpetta series continues to be one of my favorite series.

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another fast-paced thriller in the Scarpetta series. I’ve enjoyed this series over the years and Identity Unknown does not disappoint. A captivating mystery with a supporting cast familiar characters makes this book a great addition to the Scarpetta series.

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Summoned to an unnerving, abandoned theme park to retrieve a body, Dr Kay Scarpetta is devastated to learn that the victim is a man she once loved. The murder scene is bizarre, with a crop circle of petals around the body, and the victim's skin is strangely red. Scarpetta’s niece Lucy believes he was dropped from an unidentified flying craft. Scarpetta knows an autopsy can reveal the dead’s secrets, but she is shocked to find her friend seems to have deliberately left her a clue. As the investigators are torn between suspicions of otherworldly forces, and of the victim himself, Scarpetta detects an explanation closer to home that, in her mind, is far more evil . . .

I have read this series from the beginning and have liked each one. They do play on each other a little, so it is better to read them in order if you can; although, the author does give enough backstory that the reader is not lost. A few years ago, it seemed that this series was ending, but I am very glad the author is continuing the series. The author continues to develop the characters even after all these years. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read the newest in the Kay Scarpetta series.

3.5 stars

In this 28th book in the 'Kay Scarpetta' series, the medical examiner investigates the death of a child and the murder of a Nobel Prize winner. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.

*****
Dr. Kay Scarpetta, the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia, is outraged by the death of 7-year-old Luna Briley. Luna's body shows signs of violent gripping and throttling, and the child died from a gunshot to the head. Luna's parents, Ryder and Piper Briley, claim their daughter shot herself by accident, but Scarpetta thinks they're lying. So Kay orders her death investigator, Fabian Etienne, to track down all of Luna's medical records - to document every old and new injury - for evidence of child abuse.

This is a tricky situation because the Brileys are billionaires and know high-level people willing to pull strings for them. In fact, almost as soon as Luna's body arrives at the medical examiner's office, the Brileys start calling the police chief, city manager, and mayor, and they send a funeral service hearse to pick up Luna's body. Scarpetta refuses to release the child's remains before her examination is complete, and the Brileys threaten Kay with their 'super-lawyers.'

Before Scarpetta can finish her report on Luna, she gets another case related to the Brileys. The body of a missing person, astrophysicist Sal Giordano, a Nobel laureate, is discovered at the abandoned Oz theme park owned by Ryder Briley. Kay hears the news from her niece, Lucy Farinelli, a Secret Service Agent and helicopter pilot. Lucy explains that radar detected an Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon (UAP) hovering over the Oz theme park that morning. Lucy was dispatched to search the area, and observed Giordano's broken naked body in the middle of Oz's Haunted Forest.

Scarpetta is especially dismayed by the news because she had a brief romance with Sal Giordano decades ago, and has been friends with him ever since. In fact Kay saw Sal on the day he disappeared. Kay knew Sal was driving to West Virginia's Green Bank Observatory, and she brought him a gift basket of food to take on the road. Giordano never made it to Green Bank, and presumably was abducted along the way.

Lucy and her head of investigations, Pete Marino, are flown to Oz in Lucy's helicopter. Along the way, Pete - who believes in things like the Yeti and Sasquatch - suggests that Giordano was taken by space aliens who experimented on him and dropped him from a UFO. Scarpetta, however, settles on a more mundane scenario - that Sal was abducted by an unknown person (or persons), tortured, and thrown out of a human-made craft.

It turns out that trace evidence on Giordano's body matches trace evidence on Luna Briley's pajamas, which seems to connect the two deaths. Scarpetta discusses the cases with her husband, FBI profiler Benton Wesley, and they speculate that their nemesis, Carrie Grethen, may be back in town. Carrie is a murderous psychopath who may be in cahoots with the Brileys. If Carrie is involved, Scarpetta and her family are in danger, and they're careful to watch their backs.

As the story unfolds, we get glimpses of the characters' histories and private lives. Pete Marino, who's always carried a (not so secret) torch for Kay, is now wed to Kay's sister Dorothy, an attention seeker who likes to wear tight clothes, drink, and gamble. Dorothy's flamboyance irritates Marino, and is causing trouble in the relationship. We also learn that Kay and Benton's romance started as an adulterous affair, but eventually segued into a loving marriage.

The novel is engaging, my major criticism being the overly detailed descriptions. For example, the helicopter rides - in bad weather - are described in considerable detail, and a discussion between Kay and Benton is interspersed with a step by step depiction of Kay preparing a meal of fried chicken, biscuits, and potato fritters. This kind of exposition, which doesn't advance the story, takes up too much of the book.

On the upside, the Scarpetta books - with their bizarre murders and detailed autopsies - are always pleasantly creepy, and keep up with cutting edge technology. Recommended to fans of thrillers.

Thanks to NetGalley, Patricia Cornwell, and Grand Central Publishing for a copy of the book.

A great Kay Scarpetta crime solving novel. I have been a reader of Patricia Cornwell for years and love her interlacing of forensic details, interrelated crimes, and deep characters with flaws.
In this novel, a longtime friend and once lover is violently and brutally murdered. Microscopic clues are the sole source of information. Kay’s job is to determine what connects another death to this one and who did it.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Patricia Cornwell’s famed character Kay Scarpetta is once again tasked to investigate a strange series of deaths. The story begins in Northern Virginia but quickly spans westward to the mountains that border West Virginia and southeastward to the waters of the Virginian coast. At one location a young girl is reported dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, at another an esteemed scientist has apparently fallen from the sky, and still at another a person ends up at the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay. Through fast paced forensic investigation, the story unfolds as our Chief Medical Examiner begins piecing together a bizarre mystery. Can all three deaths possibly be connected or are strange coincidences at play? Emotions start to rise as profound sadness swirls around events… and loves past, present, and future bash upon unspoken barriers between our cast of characters. Memories and old nemesis invade the minds of our all too human protagonists as they deal with the awfulness unfurling before them. On top of that a number of “three lettered” government agencies concerned with far greater implications become involved and Benton, Lucy, Tron, Janet, Marino, and Dorothy are all swept up in disclosures and passions from the past. Secrets, twists, and suppressed emotions make this page turning thriller one of the best in the series.

Always thrilling and exciting to read, Scarlett’s is a time to rejoice. Well plotted and clever as always, this latest is as good as always.

Identity Unknown is Patricia Cornwell's new book - and its the 28th entry in her long running series featuring chief medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta.
Kay is called out to a body found in an abandoned amusement park. She's stunned when she views the victim - they had a relationship years ago. The Feds are called as they have questions about this case as well. And Kay has another case that is hard to read about.

The supporting cast returns with Investigator Pete Marino right by Kay's side. The two have had a fractious relationship over the years, but they're both dedicated to finding the truth.

Niece Lucy also has mad skills and also works for the Feds. Much of her job is classified. As is Kay's husband Benton's job. Kay's sister Dorothy just annoys me so much! She is a narcissist.

I am always intrigued with the technology, reasoning, methods and more that are used in the books. I've gone online few times to read more. It's fascinating. They figure heavily in this latest.

The Scarpetta books are all told from Kay's point of view. Cornwell keeps the time line moving forward - the characters are aging. I enjoy Kay's inner dialogue very much.

Cornwell gives the reader a page turner in this latest. The ending of Identity Unknown is satisfying - but I happily can say that there's a door that's been left open for the next entry... I'll be watching for it.

Patricia Cornwell has been a favorite of mine since the 90's and once again she delivers a totally engaging, suspenseful book filled with well developed characters in an intricate plausible plot.
As she weaves a story involving a dead child, an abandoned theme park, UFOs, and the mutilated body of a Nobel Prize winning scientist, PatriciaCornwell develops a plot with a lot of tough situations for her characters to get through.
The first forensic autopsy of a little girl, who may have been a diabetic, who died at home. Her wealthy parents reported to the police that she probably at some sweets, but Kay Scarpetta's autopsy points to a different cause of death and she goes after that line of reasoning although against the child's parents avowals.
At the same time, the mutilated body of a friend and former lover of Kay's is found dumped in an abandoned amusement park, while his truck is found in a ravine with the seat belts fastened and the truck still running. It is reported that a UAV (unidentified alien vehicle) may have been in the area and had something to do with these events.
Once again, Kay's niece, Lucy brings her tech skills and level head into the story to help Kay investigate both deaths. I love the way that the author develops her characters and provides enough back story to keep their part in the plot essential. She also gives each character unique traits which make them a great mix into the team.
I highly recommend this book and I am thankful to have received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. The opinions expressed are my own.

I have loved the Scarpetta series since 1997 and will always read any new book that comes out! I enjoyed this one, but not as much as the last two. I'm still a little bothered by the fact each of these recent books take place over the course of like 48 hours or less, I wish they were drawn out a bit more. I like the technical descriptions and jargon. I think this plot lacked a little but I liked it and followed things fine, even though you do need a little prior knowledge to really understand some of the characters and things. I'll buy this one to add to my collection like all the others!

What can I say here?? Pat Cornwell has been writing thrillers for decades. Her classic style is easy to follow and extremely well written. PC is a master at suspense.

Scarpetta, Benton, Marino and Lucy are like family at this point. I have grown up along side of Lucy, admiring Kay all if my adult life. Kay is smart, witty and a role model for women everywhere.

I enjoyed this title as much as her other.s. I will admit I don't actually remember Sal from the previous books but it still read just fine. I enjoyed the scene building - PC is amazing at scene and character building. Set in and around an old amusement park this book explores UFOs and possible alien life. I love that PC can tell that story without even having to venture in to sci fi.

Thank you Pat Cornwell, @netgalley and @grandcentralpub for a copy of this title. All my reviews are my own.

This book is filled with action and suspense from beginning to end. It’s an excellent addition to the series and leaves you eager to discover what comes next.

Kay Scarpetta has been around long enough, that many of the characters are familiar to me. I have enjoyed each and every moment with them. I want to thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Identity Unknown by Patricia Cornwell.

An abandoned amusement park.

A mutilated body.

A message sent.

Kay Scarpetta finds out the victim is someone she knows. Someone she once loved. Sal Giordano. I do like when an author isn’t afraid to kill off a character that I know, as long as it enhances the story. This death hits very close to home for Kay.

Mystery surrounds Sal Giordano’s death. Does it involve aliens? Just your run of the mill human murderer? Or could it be someone from their past getting their revenge?

Identity Unknown by Patricia Cornwell seemed different from the usual Kay Scarpetta novels, but may I’ve just missed too many to see the storyline clearly. Either way, I enjoyed my time with the characters. The mystery is deep, complex, and I didn’t see what was coming.

I found it hard to rate Identity Unknown. I wanted to love it, but I couldn’t quite get there. Whether it’s the or me, I can’t say. I will say this, if you are a Kay Scarpetta and Patricia Cornwell fan, I recommend reading Identity Unknown

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Patricia Cornwell’s Identity Unknown is a compelling addition to the Kay Scarpetta series, blending forensic science with a gripping narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. This latest installment showcases Cornwell’s expertise in crafting intricate plots and her deep understanding of the human psyche.

The novel opens with Dr. Kay Scarpetta facing one of her most challenging cases yet, a 7- year old with a gunshot wound and signs of abuse. The dual investigations are masterfully interwoven, creating a narrative that is complex and engaging.

Cornwell’s writing is as sharp and precise as ever. Her descriptions of forensic procedures are meticulous, providing a fascinating glimpse into the world of medical examination.

The narrative is paced perfectly, balancing moments of intense action with quieter, more reflective scenes. Cornwell’s ability to maintain suspense while delving into the technical aspects of forensics is truly impressive.

Kay Scarpetta remains a deeply compelling protagonist. Her resilience and dedication to uncovering the truth are matched by her vulnerability and emotional depth. The supporting characters, including Scarpetta’s niece Lucy Farinelli and the enigmatic Cardinal Maroni, are well-developed and add richness to the story. The interactions between characters are authentic and often charged with tension, reflecting the high stakes of their investigations.

Identity Unknown explores themes of loss, justice, and the search for truth. Cornwell delves into the psychological impact of trauma and the moral dilemmas faced by those in the forensic field. The novel touches on the influence of power and corruption, adding a layer of social commentary to the gripping narrative.

Patricia Cornwell’s Identity Unknown is a standout entry in the Kay Scarpetta series. With its intricate plot, well-drawn characters, and meticulous attention to forensic detail, the novel is a must-read for fans of crime fiction and forensic thrillers. Cornwell’s ability to blend scientific accuracy with compelling storytelling makes this book a captivating read from start to finish.

As a huge Scarpetta fan, I have eagerly anticipated each new addition to this wonderful series. I love the cast of characters that have been featured since the beginning, and watching the development of the personalities and relationships is the best thing about reading a series with nearly 30 volumes. Identity Unknown reaches into the past a bit, with the death of a former love of Kay's and the possible return of Carrie Grethen, evil personified.

The storyline has a very creepy vibe, when a body is dumped from a flying object into an abandoned Oz-themed amusement park. The emotional toll that the murder victim's identity has on Kay specifically and Benton and Moreno as a result of their feelings for Kay is an example of what makes me love the books so much. The story is not just about the mystery, it is about the characters and their very flawed and emotionally tangled relationships.

I would love to see this series go on forever, and look forward to the next installment. Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the digital copy of Identity Unknown by Patricia Cornwell. The opinions in this review are my own.

Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta series is among my favorites. Identity Unknown, the 28th in the series, is every bit as riveting as her earlier ones, and I am thrilled to have received a review copy. My thanks go to Grand Central Publishing, NetGalley, and Hachette Audio. This book is for sale now.

First, I have to offer a shout out to January LaVoy, who reads the audio version. I was unsure how I would feel about this one, because I read the first 27 installments with my own eyes, and so I had developed the voices for each character in my head. Would I be thrown by the way they were voiced by a professional? As it happens, no. The protagonist and her ever present sidekick, Pete Marino, who is now her brother-in-law, sound exactly as I had thought they would. Of course, much of this comes down to excellent writing. The voices of her niece, Lucy, who now occupies the top echelons of governmental spookdom, is softer and slightly higher pitched than I had expected, but it fits, and I made the mental transition easily. Kay’s husband, Benton, doesn’t have as deep a voice as I would have thought, but to make his voice that deep would require a second, male reader. All told, LaVoy does a fine job, and I didn’t feel distracted from the story.

I have begun reading the DRC when I am provided the audio, and so from there forward, I switch to the audio, referring occasionally to the DRC to make notes or highlight possible quotations. Once the climax comes, however, the tension gets the better of me, and because I know I can read faster than LaVoy can talk, I switch back to the text.

The premise is that there have been two deaths. The first is an old boyfriend of Kay’s, a man named Sal Giordano. They have remained friends over the years, and she saw him recently when she dropped off a basket of goodies for his birthday. He has been the victim of a death flight, which is new to me but apparently, according to Wiki, is a thing. It involves killing someone by dropping them from a plane.

Holy crap!

Now we get into aspects of the case that make it an even better October read, as well as darkly funny. The prose itself doesn’t appear to be intentionally humorous, and yet I cannot, for the life of me, imagine that Cornwell didn’t snicker a bit as she wrote it. The area where Sal is dropped is inside an abandoned amusement park with a Wizard of Oz theme. It’s been vandalized, and is seriously creepy. The higher ups within the U.S. military are in on the investigation, and so:

“’Let me make sure this is clear,’ General Gunner says to me. ‘He landed on the Yellow Brick Road in the middle of an apple orchard.’
“’Inside the Haunted Forest. Yes.’”

I couldn’t help myself. I squawked out loud!

Soon another corpse is identified, a child belonging to a pair of wealthy, powerful people that are also terrible human beings, and as it happens, horrible parents. The two deaths are connected. The parents throw their weight around and try to manipulate the investigation, but of course, they don’t succeed.

Ultimately it seems that one of the guilty parties is Kay’s nemesis, Carrie Grethen. Carrie was once Lucy’s true love; later, her evil nature became apparent, but nobody can seem to keep her locked up, and she has become Kay’s Moriarty. I mention this here because it is raised early in the story, so I don’t think it can be called a spoiler, but I won’t say more about that.

To the faithful readership, I will also say this. As the book opens, two of Cornwell’s old standbys, ones that I’d be happy to see her retire, appear. First, she has to be driven to the scene in a helicopter, but oh no, there’s a storm coming. I was irritated. Can Kay not go anywhere without there being a storm? Just once? Please? And then something has to be retrieved by diving, which harks back to an earlier book in which she’s attacked with a spear gun. But friends, neither of these turns out to be key to the story, and we’re done with them in a heartbeat, so be patient.

I like to read a few books at a time for variety, but once this one began, it edged out the others—except at bedtime, because when I go to bed, I need to sleep! It’s among her finest work, and I recommend it wholeheartedly to you.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Identify Unknown
By Patricia Cornwell
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pub Date: 10/8/24

It’s been many years since a dear friend started me on this series so I spent the last week and a half rereading the 27 books in this series.
This time one of Kay’s old flames is murdered, the team has to figure out what’s happened to him and what he was involved with. When a very familiar villain shows up to cause problems again it’s all hands on deck to find her. Definitely an enjoyable read! Can’t wait for the next one!

Any book that features an abandoned amusement park automatically gets bonus points from me. It’s just one of those disturbing settings that I love. (Especially if it’s a horror story…which this is not) But this is quite the complex case. A dead child, an old lover/friend also dead, even a UFO (could it be aliens?!). Of course you know Scarpetta is going to do whatever she needs to, follow every clue until she figures it all out. While I think this one could likely be read as a standalone, I think readers familiar with Kay and Co. will enjoy it more. Scarpetta is just one of those characters that never gets old and even after 3+ decades, Cornwell continues to entertain. I’d like to thank Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Identity Unknown.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R1MWBD5EFW1PTT/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

"Identity Unknown " is book 28 in the medical examiner Kay Scarpetta series, which has piqued my interest in the world of forensic pathology from the beginning.

Scarpetta and her supporting cast are back on the job of solving two murders, with clues as to one of the deaths almost nonexistent, and those that are present are somewhat unexplainable. Cornwell's ability to blend intricate forensic details with a compelling narrative is unparalleled. The plot could be more action-packed, but it moves along.
While this novel does provide enough background to be readable on its own, I highly recommend starting with the early novels to fully appreciate the characters. Getting to know Kay Scarpetta, Benton, Marino, and Lucy from the beginning will enhance your understanding and enjoyment of the series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review. And thank you, Patricia Cornwell!!