When Dr. Kay Scarpetta learns that her former lover, Sal Giordano, was found dead in an abandoned theme park, her niece quickly flies her to the park to retrieve his body. They were shocked to find him lying naked on the ground with a circle of petals surrounding his body.
Lucy immediately suspects that his body was dropped from an unidentified flying craft of some type and that forces from another universe may be responsible for his death. Scarpetta is not convinced that is the case and as she begins her investigation into more earthly sources surrounding his death, she soon finds herself entangled in a web of evil that threatens her own life.

I have been reading the Kay Scarpetta books from the beginning, my mom and sister and I passed them around from the time I was a teenager. The last handful have not been my favorites, because the story has seemed to feature Lucy, technology and the military so much more. Every time I read one I thought, maybe this will be the last, maybe I’ve outgrown them. I can never resist reading the next one when it comes out though.

Identity Unknown has rekindled my interest in reading Cornwell’s series. I live in NC and when I read the part in the synopsis involving the abandoned OZ amusement park, I knew I had to read it. The park is here in NC, in a beautiful part of our mountains, and not abandoned. I was a little disappointed that it was moved to Virginia for the purposes of this book though, haha.

The story was engrossing and a quick read, with less technological explanations to slow it down. The murder of a child, and the description of its act later in the book, was hard. As this book once again features Carrie Grethren, and she’s mixed up with these murderers, I feel sure they will all be back in the future. Their story doesn’t feel quite wrapped up at the end of the book. I have to wonder, WHEN WILL CARRIE FINALLY BE GONE?

Thanks to Patricia Cornwell and Grand Central Publishing for providing this ARC through NetGalley!

Kay Scarpetta is back in her 27th book. This time she is summoned to an abandoned theme park to retrieve the body of someone she once loved. She is given little information as she is summoned by the Secret Service and her daughter Lucy. Upon arrival the body is found on the yellow brick road of an abandoned Oz theme park, surrounded by apple flower petals and his skin is an awkward red color. The body appears to have been dropped from the sky and an unidentified flying aircraft was detected around the area at the time of death. Upon further autopsy Kay discovers this body is somehow connected to another of her cases she is working. How do they relate and who or what could be behind these deaths.

Patricia Cornwell does a great job of painting the scene through her words. Right from the start of the novel she drops you right into the morgue and an autopsy and it feels like you are standing right next to Scarpetta has she performs this autopsy. Her characters have been well developed overtime and continue to grow with each novel. The novel similar to other Scarpetta novels is a fairly fast paced and easy read that keeps you guessing until the end with different twists and turns, along with new evidence being found.

This is definitely one of her better novels and would recommend to other fans of the Scarpetta series.

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another visit with Dr Scarpetta,Benton, Lucy and the gang. They investigate the death of a young child and also that of an old friend of Kay's. Question is are they connected? Love the mystery and intrigue of these stories

I'm a huge Kay Scarpetta fan. This book was riveting. I couldn't put it down! The end was the best!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Dr. Scarpetta is devastated to learn of the death of a man she once loved. The scene was bizarre leading to Dr. Scarpetta’s niece Lucy to consider an unidentified flying craft. She finds her old friend left her a clue and she is determined to figure out what it means. Is it aliens or something closer?

This was my first ever book I read from Patricia Cornwall, but I was able to feel in the blanks and connect with the characters. The mention of aliens multiple times threw me, but in the end all of the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

Thank you to Patricia Cornwall, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have always enjoyed Kay Scarpetta and her group. However, these last couple of books have kind of dragged for me. There isn't one person that's really happy. And honestly, it gets a little old. Everyone is serious, or angry, or jealous. Common themes that people can't seem to get past. It jst feels like the story is stuck and not really advancing. That being said, there was no doubt that I was going to finish this book. And I will definitely stick with her, hoping there's some movement in the next book.

Thank you to Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

@1pcornwell had leveled up again when I didn't think her books could possibly get any better! I read this book in 48 hours. I couldn't put it down. Book 28 is definitely my favorite in the series.

Scarpetta and Benton are trying to lead a normal life after the big scare last fall when a known enemy resurfaces. All is well until Scarpetta is called to a child's scene where she suspects the well-known parents may be involved. Just as she finishes her exam, she gets a call that shakes her to her core.

Her long-time friend from her early career and once her partner for a summer has been found murdered. Lucy is ready to escort Scarpetta and Marino to Oz while Scarpetta attempts to control and push down her emotions. She has to keep it professional no matter what and especially since this will be all part of the Secret Service.

What she finds at the scene is bone chilling, and just when you think it can't get any more creepy, cue the cheetah! Yes, you read that right. Scarpetta is faced with solving this murder with Benton, Lucy, Tron, and Marino, and she just can't shake that feeling that their old enemy holds the key to the answers.

It has been my dream to review an ARC copy of @1pcornwell 's books, and I can't believe I get to cross this off my bucket list. Thank you to @netgalley , @1pcornwell , and @grandcentralpub for making my dream a reality!

This was fantastic. I really enjoyed reading it and didn’t want to put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

When a body is dropped from a mysterious flying vehicle into a creepy abandoned amusement park, the victim is someone close to Dr. Kay Scarpetta. She has just completed an autopsy on a young child who may have been murdered by her rich, loathsome parents when she is called on a secret mission with Marino and her Secret Service niece, Lucy, to retrieve the body. That sets off a trail of mystery, danger and the involvement of all the latest technology available.

This is the 28th in the series featuring Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta and her supporting cast. I used to read these books faithfully and then abandoned them for some years. I came back for the 25th and now this one.

I have always enjoyed the characters. If you are a fan of this series, you will welcome a new addition. It will keep readers wondering what the heck is going on. A bit over the top, it is a fast, engrossing read, except for some of the geologically technical information.

What a treat to be back with Scarpetta and her friends and family (and also an old nemesis). The story was engaging and, for those who read this series, will want to continue on with this one. The murder this time is of someone Kay knew--very well--and the man's death scene is very peculiar. There is some suspicion of super- 0r supra-natural forces that could be at work and Kay has to work her way through to find the truth.

While this might not be the strongest entry in the long series, it's still good to be back with these characters and this was a fun entry overall. If you like Scarpetta, you'll probably want to pick this one up!

Once again Kay Scarpetta and Marino are on their way to a remote location where her niece, Lucy tracked a body. But this is not just any dead body. This one belongs to a close friend of the President. What secrets did he hold. But as they learn more he himself had his own secrets that they must unravel
Kay also has a case back in her own morgue of a child whose family is trying to use their wealth and contacts to get the young girls body back before Kay has all the answers, what are they hiding?


This felt a lot like the previous book Unnatural Death and I’d like to see less about spacecrafts , crop circles and get back to working cases close to home and more interaction with her morgue team.

Thank you #netgalley #grandcentralpublishing #identityunknown for this ARC

Dr. Kay Scarpetta is back along with Benton, Lucy, Marino, her sister and others. This novel focuses more on Kay and a previous man in her life who turns up dead. Lots of technical details as Kay searches for the evidence to derail a rich and famous man whose daughter has died suspiciously. An old nemesis reappears to upend Lucy's life and the safety of Kay and her family. Much of the action takes place in the mountains of Virginia and on the campus of secure sites. At times, the details were a bit much, but I look forward to the next in the series. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

I'm still not sure how I feel about this book. It was good for the most part, but I seemed to struggle to get invested in any of the characters this time.

When Dr. Kay Scarpetta is summoned to an abandoned theme park to retrieve a body, she is devastated to learn that the victim is a man she once had an intense love affair with.

The murder scene is bizarre, with a crop circle of petals around the body. 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.   

The story was interesting, but I struggled to get through it. Overall, I do like Patricia Cornwell's writing style and would recommend this book for die-hard fans of this author. 

#NetGalley @GrandCentralpub

Kay Scarpetta always seems to get thrown into some of the most mind-boggling cases, and this goes for Identity Unknown, as well. As soon as I found out I was approved for the early copy, I jumped on my kindle and read this is two days because I just had to know what in the world was going on. Odd happenings at her office building, a little girl dead, a very close friend of Kay's found murdered, and an old nemesis (that I REALLY can't stand!) has returned. I flew through this book at lightning speed and when I got to the end, I felt so satisfied--although a little bit sad because the ending really felt like AN ENDING and I truly hope it is not! Kay Scarpetta for president!

I enjoyed this Scarpetta novel from Patricia Cornwell. Though I would not say it was my favorite. The ending seemed to be short compared to the rest of the length of the novel it was also a little anticlimactic.

Autopsies can reveal the secrets of the dead.

And this victim is sending Scarpetta a message…

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. While teaching in Rome during the early days of her career, Scarpetta had an intense love affair with Sal Giordano that led to a lifelong friendship.

The murder scene is bizarre, with a crop circle of petals around the body, and Giordano’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 Giordano himself, Scarpetta detects an explanation closer to home that, in her mind, is far more evil . . .

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Another great Scarpetta novel! I’ve been reading these since the very first one and I love them all!!
I hope this is a series that never ends!

I always look forward to the next book in Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta books. As time moves forward, the technology and time period in the setting match reality, given all the references today 2023/4 world events. In this installment, a familiar villain may have returned, but a former Scarpetta lover also surfaces and dies in a grim manner. Mostly about Kay with less focus on Lucy, Marino and Benton, I found myself keen to follow just the protagonist for a few hundred pages. Loved the clues dropped all throughout the book about the ending, and I am very curious to see what happens in the future now that things seem to have come to a definitive conclusion (again!). Give me more!

Identity Unknown is the latest in the Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell. I have been reading this series since the mid-90s and was very excited to get a copy of this!

Kay is completing the autopsy of a young girl, believing that the parents’ version of events is not true, when she gets a call from Lucy- she and Marino need to head to the chopper to a sensitive case, and the victim is someone Kay knows very well.

Kay’s former lover Sal Giordano has been found in a decrepit amusement park, long abandoned, in very strange circumstances. It appears he has been dropped by an unidentified aerial phenomenon.

As Kay works with the secret service on the case, it begins to cross paths with the case she had been working on before. And it appears that old nemesis Carrie Grethen may be back in town.

Another great installment in the series! Fans of Patricia Cornwell do not want to miss this. Thanks to the publisher, the author, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Identity Unknown by Patricia Cornwall is part of the Kay Scarpetta series. The Virginia Chief Medical Examiner is in charge of the major cases for the morgue. Over the years, she has solved murders and mysteries through her medical detective work. Her long time friend Pete Marino, ex cop, is always along to help solve the mysteries. Other recurring characters are included in this one, especially her niece Lucy and husband Benton. Kay’s old archnemesis Carrie Grethen returns as the ultimate villain.
This time around, the story starts with Kay doing an autopsy on a young girl Luna who died from a gunshot to the head. She has to determine if it was a self inflicted accident or homicide. Sad but interesting. But the story quickly shifts to another dead body, one of Kay’s longtime friends who is found dead in an abandoned amusement park under strange circumstances. The rest of the book tries to weave these stories together to make it all make sense.
Unfortunately, it just didn’t work.
Too many discussions of UFOs and aliens, a cheetah on the loose, odd insertions of random insignificant meals they are having while in the midst of this hectic situation… it was all very fragmented and not cohesive. Though Kay Scarpetta is undeniably a badass in her field, I think it was a stretch to expect her to fly in a chopper in huge storms to get to a dead body, dive down a hundred feet to secure another body in the Bay, and give her the extreme clearance for governmental operations that she had. And this all seemed to happen in just a couple of days. If I were Kay, I would be thinking about retirement.
The conclusion didn’t come together as believable nor interesting and the last minute addition of yet another bad guy fell flat.
I suppose long time readers of Scarpetta novels may enjoy the romance angles this gave. Relationships in Kay’s past, Marino’s unrequited love. But I was so annoyed by the many unbelievable events, that I didn’t really care.
The most compelling part of the story for me was the tragic death of Luna at the beginning, but she didn’t get the prominent role she deserved in this story. it was the best opportunity to get back to the medical thriller plot that original Patricia Cornwall fans enjoyed. But it barely scraped the surface and was just overall a disappointment. This would have been a DNF for me if I didn’t have to write a review. I do appreciate the opportunity so thank you Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing for my ARC.