Kathy Reichs or Patricia Cornwell?

For fans of forensic investigation type novels which one do you prefer? I'm coming around to Kathy Reichs as I like her heroine Tempe better than kay Scarpetta and Cornwell seemed to be getting a bit obsessive in her later books. What do other readers think?

As far as I am concerned, there's no question. Kathy Reichs is infinitely better. I liked Cornwell's first few books, but then her characters started getting whinier and whinier and less and less believable. I love Reichs.

Kathy Reichs hands down. She has remained true to her characters and does an amazing job of handling the change of scene from the southern U.S. to Montreal. Cornwall's first books were good and I looked forward to them but then they got weird. I always allow an author a 'bad day' (or a bad book), but when they don't return to form I give up on them. There are too many other good books waiting.

Kathy Reichs does not try to hammer her political views into you using her characters. As opposed to Cornwell.

I'm in the Reichs corner, too.

I've given up on both of them. I loved, loved, loved them at the beginning, tolerated them for a few and in the past year have read my last books by them. Reichs is marginally better, but with so many great mysteries out there, I don't want to waste my time anymore on a popular author's careless first draft.

What are your favourite mystery writers? And are there any other forensic-type mysteries that you know of apart from Reichs and Cornwell?

Jefferson Bass was recommended to me on another thread but I haven't read him.

I enjoyed the first few Kay Scarpetta books but she rapidly got on my nerves. I haven't read the latest Kathy Reichs yet but so far the Tempe Brennan books are definitely better than anything Patricia Cornwell has been dishing out for the past many years.

Thanks cal8769 -I borrowed Flesh and Bone from the library and will give it a go.

I've recently discovered Louise Penny and am absolutely loving her Three Pines Mysteries. They're police procedurals, set in a small village near Montreal. Her detective, Armand Gamache, is a really sensitively, many-faceted character, and his team as well as the villagers are beautifully drawn.

I've recently discovered Louise Penny and am absolutely loving her Three Pines Mysteries. They're police procedurals, set in a small village near Montreal. Her detective, Armand Gamache, is a really sensitively, many-faceted character, and his team as well as the villagers are beautifully drawn. I think it's important to read these in order to fully enjoy them. Still Life a three pines mystery is the first.

kathymoo, I hope you let me know how he is.

Simon Beckett writes with a forensic edge -- his detective is a rural GP who used to be a forensic pathologist. Mark Billingham has a series set in London with a troubled detective. Both are British writers.

Chelsea Cain has two well-written psychological thrillers featuring a detective and a reporter. They are well worth reading, but somewhat graphic with the corpses (shouldn't bother a Cornwell reader).

cal8769, I enjoyed this (Flesh and Bone by Jefferson Bass) but be warned - it's very confronting as far as the gruesomeness is concerned and you'll find out more about maggots than you ever wanted to know! The narrator, a forensic investigator, is likeable, with a good sense of humour, and the suspense is sustained when he himself is accused of murder. He also has strong views on the evolution/intelligent design controversy which makes for interesting reading.

Thanks Ridgewaygirl and bherzog - it's good to have a list of "possibles" to take along to the library.

I loved Cornwell's first several books, then straight downhill - no more even from the library. I like Reichs so far although did not enjoy her last book.

I second Jefferson Bass's novels. Whipped through the first two last week and starting the third today. I definitely enjoyed them.

I have read the first 5-6 of Kathy Reichs books, but got away from them for some reason. After reading the Body Farm books from Jefferson Bass, I think I may have to go back and see what "Bones" is up to.

I also loved jefferson bass and can't wait to read his fourth novel. Regarding kathy Reichs, have you read Grave Secrets? It's partly set in Guatemala and recalls the days of widespread killings and consequent mass graves. Tempe is called in to help identify the bodies. It reflects on a horrifying period in Guatemala's history and seems to have more depth than some of her others.

Reichs - definitely. Although writing may have come to her second in life - she writes like an author - rather than aforensicanthropologistwhothoughtheymaybeillwriteabook

I tried Cornwell's first book, but couldn't see what people were getting so worked up about. Aside from an exciting finale the writing seemed very plodding and the characterisation very thin

I like to read Cornwell between some more serious authors - she is like a popcorn - nothing special but things somehow work out if you need just to relax. Especially the last few sound as if they are ghost-written - at some places I am not sure I am hearing her voice at all.

Reichs is much better.

Has anyone read Cornwell's latest couple of books - one of them is Trace, forget the name of the other - I too gave up on her and switched to Reichs but wondered if she's back on track.

The last one I read was Book of the Dead - a bit better than the previous few (or I was in the right mood for such a book) but still not even close to the first ones.

Those ones with the white covers, The Front and At Risk, are incredibly short. They look small enough when you see how thin they are, but the publishers have had to use wide margins and a big point size to bump up the page count.

I haven't read them, but they smell of contractual obligation.

Wasn't these the two from the new series? I kinda decided to skip them... I will most likely stick to the original series (hate unfinished series) but not really in the mood to start another series written by her.

Another author that might be worth a look at for forensic type thrillers is Tess Gerritsen
Her Maura Isles character is a Medical examiner and I think first appears in The Sinner?.

I'm definitely in the Kathy Reichs camp as I agree that Patricia Cornwell's Scarpetta series went seriously off the boil some years back.

Reichs is way up there, almost at the top for me, with Gerritsen a little behind her, and if you would have asked me this 5-6 years ago, it would have been Cornwall, but now I can't even read her tripe.
Not heavy on the forensics, but with a fair to good Medical Examiner in it, I like the Lee Charles Kelley books with Jack Fields as the investigator. I truly do enjoy the interaction between the lead characters.

It's really the sarcasm in his books that does it for me. Well, that, and the anthropomorphization of the dogs..

I have read all of Reichs's books and love them.

I also highly recommend Jefferson Bass - who is actually two people: Author Jon Jefferson and forensic anthropologist Bill Bass. Bass has a few non-fiction forensic books which are also very good...if you are into forensics and aren't squeamish :)

Because both Reich and Bass are anthropologists their writing is very accurate and at times, very graphic. It never seems forced though, which is why I like them so much.

Cornwell's latest two were pretty good, and closer to her oringal books. Scarpetta is still an almost god-like character, but she actually seems to be doing some soul-searching and is discovering she's not as perfect as she thought! Love how she's managing to resurrect Marino!

I really enjoyed Cornwell's as I read them. When she didn't have any new ones I read Reichs and really enjoy her as well. I really love "Bones". Wish it was on in the summer.

Bones is in a mind-numbing rerun on TBS. I think they show it 2-3 times a day. Not enough eps for that, really.

Just read Cornwells "The Front". As mentioned above this is very short, actually too short for a plausible plot it seems. Not recommended reading.

I just finished Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs and enjoyed it very much. I liked it better than most of the Cornwell books I've read. I try to read the books in order and am getting tired of Scarpetta's moody neice.

Reichs for me.

I used to love Cornwell's Scarpetta series, but the novels have become boring and tedious over the last few years and I have grown to absolutely HATE the amount of focus that is placed on Lucy. I hate how Cornwell has developed Lucy into some kind of lesbian Lara Croft with an Einstein brain. It's ridiculous. Kathy Reichs is definitely more interesting these days.

Cornwell has destroyed the Scarpetta character.

I used to like Cornwell, but found they were getting creepy and not at all believable. Enjoy Reichs, but mostly get them from the library.

Anyone read Aaron Elkins? I enjoy his Gideon Oliver "skeleton detective" books, although some are better than others.

Kathy Reichs - no question. The first few Cornwall books were interesting and 'edgy', but I haven't read any new ones in ages. The characters became too 'over the top' and unbelievable.

My vote goes to Kathy Reichs as well. In fact have just finished listening to a three book binge via Audible, long time since I Kathy Reiched but I loved it. However "listening" does bring in the added factor of narrator's style.

Just looked at this, and I have to say definitely Patricia Cornwell. Kathy Reichs is a sort of imitation of the early Scarpetta books, but without the depth. And PC can do so much more than just the Scarpetta novels. If you want more of the same old same old then PC will disappoint, but it's sad that people have gone off her because she has developed - although I agree that Lucy did go through a phase of being the most annoying character ever dreamed up by an author!

Kathy Reichs. Better in every way.