I have read Patricia Cornwell for at least 30 years, back when her books were mysteries, Scarpetta solved murders, she fell in love, she fell out of love, she lived in Baltimore, she moved to Canada and since she was the medical examiner in the morgue, death followed her everywhere.
This is the first Scarpetta book I have listened to and found January LaVoi to be a good narrator. She had lots of characters. The only voice that was completely different than the character I had pictured in my mind was Marino. I didn't like him at all the way he was narrated.

As other reviewers have said, this is an interesting book. Cornwell has rarely written a strike out. But I've noticed that since Lucy has grown up and joined the Secret Service, the books have gotten weirder. No one would use the world the word 'a simply murder mystery" or "thriller". These are complicated story lines often seeming to have nothing to do with each other and, of course, they tie up in the end.

If you have followed Scarpetta and her niece, Lucy, these many years, you'll love this book. You may love it if it's your first book. And maybe I'm just getting old, but I had to work at following everything. That won't stop me from reading the next book.

This is the latest Kay Scarpetta story. Once again Cornwell hits it out of the park. In this edition there are two stories intertwined the death of a young girl and the death of one of Kay's former co-workers. But maybe there use to be more to their relationship. Kay along with Marino, Lucy and Benton work to see how these murders are connected. And will we see someone from their past come back with vengeance on their mind. And who thought they would see fake moon dust in a Scarpetta book?

This was my first Patricia Cornwall book and I really enjoyed it. I was quickly invested after the first few chapters. If you like science, solving crimes, and nonstop action then you will enjoy IDENTITY UNKNOWN. I'm now planning to read her back catalog!

Many thanks to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for my gifted audiobook.

This review will be shared to my Instagram account (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the future.

This novel continues the story of Kay Scarpetta, and if you have not heard of her go and purchase the first book and start the amazing journey following her life/career. This is the 28th in the series featuring Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta and her supporting cast. This deliciously twisty story kept me up late at night, desperate to know the outcome. A definite 5 stars

10 years ago I’d read a Patricia Cornwell book first before any other….its evolved quite a bit. Her writing is still excellent, nice twists and turns but the cranky Mornonis getting boring. Time for a change.

Book Title: Identity Unknown
Author: Patricia Cornwell
Series: Dr. Kay Scarpetta #28
Format: 🎧
Narrator: January LaVoy
Publisher: Hachette Audio/Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: October 8, 2024
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Pages 401

Story opens with Dr. Scarpetta doing an autopsy on the malnourished seven year-old Luna Briley who died from a gunshot to the head. Her billionaire father Rider and mother Piper claims it was a self-inflicted accident.
Kay notices other sign of abuse. While dealing with when to submit the report, she starts getting threating calls from the powerful Rider who is upset that she is holding up the results – which he states is without cause. (Although this story had me super curious this is not the main story;
However, it does come back to play a big role.)

While dealing with the arrogant billionaire, law enforcement the governor, Scarpetta gets call from her niece Lucy about a mysterious death at the abandoned theme park “Oz’ located near the Virginia/West Virginia border – (which just happened to be owned by – you guessed it – Rider Briley).~ Yes! The park has a yellow brick road. It closed during Covid and never reopened.

A body is found at the park with a circle of petals around the body.
Lucy believes the body was dropped from an UFC- unidentified flying craft.

Kay is devastated when she learns that the man is Sal Giordano who she once loved while teaching in Rome during one summer in the early days of her career.
Kay had stopped by Sal’s home with a gift basket to wish him a Happy 60th Birthday; although he is pleased to see her, he is getting ready for an important meeting in West Virginia and needs to leave. He thanks her for the basket as well as the white roses – however, she never sent the roses- Hmmm….

I am a big Scarpetta fan. I have read every one in this series.
My first Scarpetta was back in 1990 when I read Book #1 "Postmortem"
Needless to say, I cannot pass up a Scarpetta story!!
All my favorite characters are in this story including not so favorite but interesting Carrie Grethen, Lucy’s mentor at the FBI Academy then her lover and now her nemesis. There is no question Carrie is evil and returns to torment Lucy’s family – is it just me but who else who wonders since Carrie doesn’t have a family she is going to stay connected to this family no matter what?

As much as I love this series, I was not impressed with the last few since Marino is no longer the lovable slob that I always loved; but now an arrogant, foul mouth body builder.
Thankfully this story featured more Kay and Lucy so I wasn’t super upset with the foul language which I still believe needs toned down! This story does include Marino’s wife Kay’s sister Dorothy who does her share of being obnoxious and annoying with her drunken behavior and foul language.

I still enjoyed this story.
I love the area as I grew up in West Virginia and often visited the DC/Virginia area.

Narrator January LaVoy (my very favorite audiobook performer) once again was fabulous.

BTW: Saw on FB that Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis to star in #Scarpetta, a crime drama based on author Patricia Cornwell’s best-selling series of novels.
Heard Nicole will play Kay and Jamie will play Dorothy – Hmmm. . . .

Want to thank NetGalley and Hachette Audio/Grand Central Publishing for this awesome early audiobook.
Publishing Release Day scheduled for October 8, 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Another great book in this series. This is a series I have been reading and listening to from the very first book.
Good narration and well written as always.

Number 28 in the Scarpetta series will be out on 08 October 2024 and it’s an interesting new case for Kay and team. One of the first questions with this new murder investigation is if there is extraterrestrial involvement in the death! The investigation also becomes personal for Kay. Overall, this is a good addition to this series and I enjoyed being able to listen to the audiobook while completing chores around the house. If you enjoy this book series, you’ll enjoy the new book as well.

Thank you @hachetteaudio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review. This same review was shared on the Barnes & Noble website.

Identity Unknown: Kay Scarpetta #28
Patricia Cornwell
I’ve been a fan of author Patricia Cornwell from book 1 but for some reason I stopped reading her after book #10. I just finished reading Identity Unknown book #28. I will have to go back and read book #11-#27. I can’t leave a series unread.
The Characters: Kay Scarpetta is the Chief Medical examiner for the state of Virginia. Pete Marino is a former police detective, a friend and not so subtly in love with Kay. Wesley Benton is her husband and works with the FBI as the unit chief with a master’s degree in psychology. Lucy is the daughter of Kay’s sister, Dorothy. Lucy is a genius when it comes to computers. Lucy is a very wealthy young woman; she flies a helicopter. At some point in the series, she has an affair with Carrie Grethen, a sociopath.
Dr. Kay Scarpetta is doing an autopsy on Luna, a young girl who died of a gunshot wound. Luna’s parents are claiming the girl shot herself, but Kay is suspicious. Just as she is finishing Luna’s autopsy, she receives a call from Lucy. Pete and Kay need to head to Lucy’s helicopter because a body has been found in OZ, an abandoned amusement park. The victim is Sal Giordano, he was a lover from Kay’s past. The two have stayed in touch over the years. The circumstances surrounding his death are unusual to say the least. It is believed Sal was dropped from a great distance by an Unidentified aerial phenomenon. Kay works closely with the Secret Service. Luna’s case, Sal’s case appear to be related in some manner, plus Carrie is back; she is still just as crazy as ever. Carrie is a sociopath on steroids. Actually, Kay Scarpetta is a superwoman on steroids.
Thank you NetGalley.

The Kay Scarpetta series has been a fixture in my reading since I discovered them about a decade ago. This is the 28th mystery and I love how her characters have grown over time. As the chief medical examiner in Virginia the story begins while Kay is performing an autopsy on a child of a wealthy and powerful couple. Barely finishing with that she is called away by the secret service to retrieve a body from an abandoned and creepy amusement park. She is disheartened to learn it is a long time friend and old love of hers. Her niece Lucy who works with the secret service is there as are regulars like Pete Marino and her husband Benton.

In this book the story is more on Kay and it takes place over a few days. I enjoyed her reminiscing about her old love and their summer in Rome. There is focus on the forensic work and I liked small things like the reality of Kay envying Lucy and her partner’s younger and tighter physics while retrieving another body. Cornwell does identify and catch up readers on the regulars in the book so you can read this as a stand alone. But the real enjoyment comes from following them in their lives as the series progresses.

The conclusion comes fast and I think there is good closure on the current cases in the book. I listened to the audiobook and intentionally found things to do where I could continue listening. January LaVoy does a great job with the narration. This will delight Scarpetta fans. I’ve missed a few books in the series and will need to seek them out when my TBR pile is smaller. And I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Patricia Cornwell, Hachette Audio, and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Always eager to get my hands on the latest Dr. Kay Scarpetta novel, I turned to yet another strong thriller by Patricia Cornwell. The story keeps the forensics high and the action edgy. When Dr. Scarpetta is sent to an abandoned theme park to find a body, she discovers it is the body of a longtime friend and colleague. His expertise in all things extraterrestrial is curious, though the fact that Dr. Scarpetta had been working on the autopsy of the theme park owner’s young daughter when she received the call is equally troubling. Who might have wanted this esteemed scientist dead and could the “accidental” death of the young girl be tied into all of it? Patricia Cornwell keeps the reader hooked as she crafts another great story.

While in the middle of an autopsy on a young girl who ‘accidentally’ died of a gunshot wound to the head, Dr. Kay Scarpetta is called to the scene of an abandoned theme park. When she arrives, she is horrified to discover that the victim is an old friend and colleague, Sal Giordano. Trying to shove the memories that Dr. Giordano was once her lover, Dr. Scarpetta tried to decipher why he might be in such an odd location.

While Dr. Giordano was known for his work studying astronomy and extraterrestrial life, the crime scene is something completely unsettling. Petals around the body and an odd tinge of red all over the victim’s body add to the curiosity. Once reinforcements arrive, it’s determined that the body was tossed from something flying overhead, which explains the body’s mangled nature and location. Nothing points to what the airborne craft might have been, which only adds to the eerie nature of it all.

While the investigation heats up, Dr.
Scarpetta cannot shake the off parallels that the owner of the theme park is the father of the emaciated young girl she was
In the middle of autopsying when she was called away. Could there be a connection between the two? As some in the media wonder about aliens targeting Dr.
Giordano, Kay Scarpetta had a theory that is closer to home and even more troubling.
A great addition to that shows just how strong Patricia Cornwell’s work tends to be when she puts in the effort.

I have a long enjoyment of the Dr. Kay Scarpetta series, as it has piqued my interest about the world of forensic pathology. Patricia Cornwell has been able to capture the reader’s attention with great medical situations and superior mystery writing. The book’s narrative flows with ease and keeps the reader in the middle of the action from the outset. Building with tense themes, Cornwell develops the story in multiple ways and pushes the reader to surmise what might be happening. Filled with great characters, some of whom are long-standing presences while others emerge for the first time, the novel is heightened by the numerous perspectives on offer. As with many Scarpetta novels, twists help define the tense foundation that makes these books all the more exciting. After stumbling for a time, Cornwell has found her footing and this novel proves her great abilities.

Kudos, Madam Cornwell, for another great story to entertain the reader.

Now, it could have been my fault because this is the first book I've read from the Kay Scarpetta series but Identity Unknown just didn't hit for me... I felt like I had no connection with the characters and there were things that I didn't understand about them. It was like it was assumed that I knew who the characters should be and all the details of their past.

As for the good parts? The storyline I thought it was interesting - a body dropped from a UFO in an abandoned amusement park. The narrator did an excellent job and often I thought there was another voice actor doing the voices of the other characters. It was an enjoyable to listen to her voice.

But because of the disconnection to the characters it didn't make out to be an engaging read for me and I found myself struggling to pay attention in parts.

Thank you to Patricia Cornwell and Hachette Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook. Identity Unknown is available from October 8th, 2024.

DNF at 48%

The plot was all over the place, and yet most of what I read was just the main character seeing people and remembering their history together.

Sure wish I could have stuck it out to find out who-dun-it, but I just grew tired of the lack of a cohesive story.

Thank you to Netgalley for this audiobook all the same.

This audiobook provides an engaging forensic thriller with plenty of intricate details. The narrator's delivery complements the suspenseful atmosphere, adding to the tension as the mystery deepens. Some moments may feel drawn out, but the meticulous plotting and strong protagonist make it a solid choice for fans of crime fiction.

I haven’t read a Kay Scarpetta novel in a few years thanks to a lengthy reading slump, and picking up Identity Unknown was like being reunited with some long lost family members! I real enjoyed the storyline of this new installment, it kept me interested and engaged until the very end! It’s so amazing to me that after nearly 30 books in this series, author Patricia Cornwell still keeps the books interesting and engaging to keep readers coming back for more. I read the book and listened to the audiobook and really loved putting voices to characters.

As always, Patricia Cornwell did not disappoint. I am a huge fan of the Scarpetta series and absolutely loved listening to the audiobook. I love that these books evolve with the times & stay up to date with technology and the changing world. While I am fond of all of the character, I love that the shift has been made to focus more on Kay and less on Lucy. While I have read every book in this series (many of them more than once since the 90’s) I enjoy the fact that you could read this book without having read any others and still have a good grasp on the plot. I’m excited to see more books in this series in the future!

Patricia Cornwell is an auto by author for me. I just love her writing. Identity Unknown is her latest and it did not disappoint.

3.5⭐️
I am thankful to have gotten the ALC for free from Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing so I can leave my voluntary review.

So way way back in the day I used to devour Patricia Cornwall books. I was in my forensic crime era. But I haven’t read her in at least 15 years but probably longer so when I saw a new Kay Scarpetta book on NetGalley and I needed an audio book I was excited to request it.

I don’t know if it’s because I’m no longer in that era for the genre or the quality of her her books has changed but it just didn’t hit for me. I unfortunately was bored and kept falling asleep and needed to rewind constantly.

That being said, the narrator was wonderful. She did very well with the different voices without sounded awkward when doing male voices. I expect if you have never read the author or Scarpetta series that you may really like this as she is such a good writer. This book is a standalone so you don’t have to have read her past titles which is good since this is number 28!

If you want to read it, it comes out soon on October 8th!

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

As a fan of Patricia Cornwell and the Dr. Scarpetta's series, I always look forward to a new book. Though this is a standalone, I feel that the book makes more sense if you read maybe the most recent to this series.

In this book, a victim is found dead and he has personal ties to Kay. He was her former lover and friend. Like many of Scarpetta's story, the death is not what it seems and the pursuit to finding the truth leads you down so many paths.

I liked that that book is set in current times with references to current events. The use of AI for Janet always creeps me out.

January LaVoy did a great job with the narration of the story.

Thank you @grandcentralpub @hachetteaudio for a copy of this book.

Another wonderful Kay Scarpetta novel from Patricia Cornwell.

Scarpetta is charged with determining why the daughter of a wealthy socialite couple died. In the middle of this investigation, a former mentor/beau of hers also dies mysteriously and she's dragged into this case of national security.

Cornwell does a great job at both the police/medical examiner procedural part of the story as well as the personal relationships. I know that Cornwell has lived the life of a medical examiner in real life, but she has definitely expanded her knowledge in other medical and police areas to make her novels very realistic, without getting bogged down in the details. She is also skilled at developing characters and the relationships they have. This makes for a well-rounded novel.

And since I listened to the audiobook, I have to mention the talented January LaVoy. She has narrated this series since the beginning and is wonderful at bringing both male and female characters to life.

Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.