Patricia Cornwell Books in Order

Patricia Cornwell (born Patricia Carroll Daniels; June 9, 1956) is an American crime writer best known for creating Dr. Kay Scarpetta, one of fiction's most iconic forensic investigators. Born in Miami, Florida, she grew up in Montreat, North Carolina after her father deserted the family when she was five years old. After earning her degree in English from Davidson College in 1979, Cornwell began working at the Charlotte Observer as a reporter. She then moved to a position with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia—a post she would later bestow upon her fictional protagonist. There she met Dr. Marcella Farinelli Fierro, a medical examiner in Richmond who became the inspiration for Kay Scarpetta. Cornwell wrote three novels that were rejected before the publication of Postmortem in 1990, her debut Scarpetta novel based on real-life stranglings in Richmond. The book won numerous awards including the British John Creasey Award, the French Prix du Roman d'Adventure, and the Edgar Award for Best First Novel—making her the only author to win all these accolades with a single book. Her books have sold over 120 million copies in thirty-six languages across more than 120 countries. She has won the Sherlock Award for best detective created by an American author, the Gold Dagger Award, the RBA Thriller Award, and the Medal of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters for her contributions to literary and artistic development. She married professor Charles L. Cornwell in 1980, divorced in 1989, and has been married to Staci Gruber since 2005. They live in Boston, Massachusetts.

All Patricia Cornwell Book Series

Author portrait

Patricia Cornwell

Born: 1956

Patricia Cornwell (born Patricia Carroll Daniels; June 9, 1956) is an American crime writer best known for creating Dr. Kay Scarpetta, one of fiction's most iconic forensic investigators. Born in Miami, Florida, she grew up in Montreat, North Carolina after her father deserted the family when she was five years old. After earning her degree in English from Davidson College in 1979, Cornwell began working at the Charlotte Observer as a reporter. She then moved to a position with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia—a post she would later bestow upon her fictional protagonist. There she met Dr. Marcella Farinelli Fierro, a medical examiner in Richmond who became the inspiration for Kay Scarpetta. Cornwell wrote three novels that were rejected before the publication of Postmortem in 1990, her debut Scarpetta novel based on real-life stranglings in Richmond. The book won numerous awards including the British John Creasey Award, the French Prix du Roman d'Adventure, and the Edgar Award for Best First Novel—making her the only author to win all these accolades with a single book. Her books have sold over 120 million copies in thirty-six languages across more than 120 countries. She has won the Sherlock Award for best detective created by an American author, the Gold Dagger Award, the RBA Thriller Award, and the Medal of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters for her contributions to literary and artistic development. She married professor Charles L. Cornwell in 1980, divorced in 1989, and has been married to Staci Gruber since 2005. They live in Boston, Massachusetts.

Series by This Author