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Summary and Reviews of Black Notice by Patricia Cornwell

Black Notice by Patricia Cornwell

Black Notice

by Patricia Cornwell
  • Critics' Consensus:
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  • First Published:
  • Aug 1, 1999, 415 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Aug 2000, 464 pages
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About This Book

Book Summary

Black Notice puts Dr. Kay Scarpetta directly in harm's way and places her and those she holds dear at mortal risk.

"Patricia Cornwell lights a fire under familiar characters--and sparks her hottest adventure in years," wrote People magazine about Point of Origin, the instant #1 bestseller by America's premier crime writer. "Evil always smolders when it seems to be doused," said The Atlanta Constitution. "Scarpettans know to keep their security systems armed until the next installment."

Now Cornwell delivers a high-stakes Kay Scarpetta novel with an intrigue that will take Kay an ocean's length away from home. The nightmare begins when a cargo ship arriving at Richmond's Deep Water Terminal from Belgium is discovered to be transporting a locked, sealed container holding the decomposed remains of a stowaway.

The autopsy performed by Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta initially reveals neither a cause of death nor an identification. But the victim's personal effects and an odd tattoo take Scarpetta on a hunt for information that leads to INTERPOL's headquarters in Lyon, France, where she receives critical instructions: go to the Paris morgue to receive forbidden, secret evidence and then return to Virginia to carry out a mission. It is a mission that could ruin her career.

In a story that careens across international borders, Black Notice puts Dr. Kay Scarpetta directly in harm's way and places her and those she holds dear at mortal risk.

Story continued in The Last Precinct.

The narrow road led me through a vacant land of weeds and woods that ended abruptly at a security checkpoint. I felt as if I were crossing the border into an unfriendly country. Beyond was a train yard and hundreds of -boxcar---size orange containers stacked three and four high. A guard who took his job very seriously stepped outside his booth. I rolled down my window.

"May I help you, ma'am?" he asked in a flat military tone.

"I'm Dr. Kay Scarpetta," I replied.

"And who are you here to see?"

"I'm here because there's been a death," I explained. "I'm the medical examiner." I showed him my credentials. He took them from me and studied them carefully. I had a feeling he -didn't know what a medical examiner was and -wasn't about to ask.

"So -you're the chief," he said, handing the worn black wallet back to me. "The chief of what?"

"I'm the chief medical examiner of Virginia,...

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Reviews

Media Reviews

Cosmopolitan Magazine
If you've yet to try a Cornwell thriller, make this your first!

From Kirkus Reviews
It's fascinating to watch Scarpetta and her supporting cast, instead of growing, like V.I. Warshawski, become more and more themselves, like Sherlock Holmes especially in such a brilliantly paced adventure as this one.

Publishers Weekly
It's like a splash of cold water on a hot day to be plunged ... back into the bracing narration of medical examiner Kay Scarpetta.

Reader Reviews

Lizzie

This is THE best book I have ever read... forget Harry Potter, this is the next generaton Of Books!
Miss S

Hi , I am 16 and enjoyed the book immensely. It is really edge of the seat material! The plot was intriguing and kept me in suspense. I would reccomend this book to all those Kay Scarpetta readers!
Tammy

this book was fantastic every part of the book was important to another peice of the book and every part was intertesting to me, not drawn out and not short. i have read 12 of her books going on 13 right now and this one is still my favorite. she ...   Read More
Tracey Ray

Obviously extremely intelligent, Cornwell blends a known but rare medical condition to create true suspense and horror. I could not put the book down and found myself on pins and needles. There are so many facets to the book that keep you ...   Read More

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Read-Alikes

Read-Alikes Full readalike results are for members only

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