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  • Cause of Death

  • Dr Kay Scarpetta, Book 7
  • By: Patricia Cornwell
  • Narrated by: C. J. Critt
  • Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (139 ratings)
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Cause of Death cover art

Cause of Death

By: Patricia Cornwell
Narrated by: C. J. Critt
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Summary

New Year's Eve, and the final murder scene of Virginia's bloodiest year takes Scarpetta 30 feet below the Elizabeth River's icy surface. A diver is dead.

Ted Eddings, an investigative reporter who was a favourite at the Medical Examiner's office. Was Eddings probing the frigid depths for a story or simply diving for sunken trinkets? And why did Scarpetta receive a phone call reporting the death before the police were notified?

©1996 Patricia Daniels Cornwell (P)2002 Recorded Books Inc

Critic reviews

"America’s most stimulating and chilling writer of crime fiction." ( The Times)
"Patricia Cornwell is one of the best crime writers writing today. She is precise, she is careful, above all, she is original." ( Guardian)
"Few writers match Patricia Cornwell when it comes to writing crime." ( Daily Express)

What listeners say about Cause of Death

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

Gripping, on edge of seat , slow start then picks up speed and don't stop till the end!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Kay was a bit flat

Enjoyable however lacking in the storyline I prefer more drama and more time in the morgue. Cornwall has definitely written better.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Classic Scarpetta

Another classic Scarpetta 'mystery'. Dr. Scapetta decamps from Richmond in an intriguing story of religious groups, terrorists and unexplained deaths.
Thoroughly enjoyable.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

She just always nails it

Without spoiling it, its great, I just wish the ending had been more, there just wasn't the aftermath

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Get the words right!

I really enjoy the cornwell novels however the lady reading them mis pronounces enough words that it acts as a distraction and I found myself waiting to cringe at the next one. The narrator also really can’t do accents with her own so strong. I would suggest she doesn’t try as the words already identify them and the attempts again act as distraction to the story

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Leap of Faith Required

I think a cult who captured a decommissioned navy submarine and barricaded a nuclear facility with the intention of selling everything to a terrorist org would have had to face much more firepower than just an FBI hostage negotiator and a state level medical examiner. CJ Critt has always been a hit or miss for me. Here it was a miss. She did better with humorous/comical content than content with a serious, melancholic tone.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

good story, weird narration!

As usual, a good yarn, even though the phrase 'my niece`' is somewhat overworked. The narration was very strange, as if an timer had gone wrong with the delivery. Stilted is the word that comes to mind. Personally, I will avoid any book read by this person. Odd stresses put on words and the worst Scots accent ever!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good story, but issues with sound in the last chapter

A typical Kay Scarpetta story, easy listening and enjoyable. However, right at the crux the audio is not great which spoils the ending a bit.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Slow start too fast finish

Was very slow to start, almost quite it. The climax was too close to end, making it a bit predictable also.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Awful

I've only read a couple of Scarpetta books and was really disappointed in this. its like she had a few spare hours over Christmas and cobbled a story out of a heap of boring research. No plot, no character development.Very disappointing I'm not sure I'll buy another one.

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