Patricia Cornwell Books in Order

Patricia Cornwell is an American, born on June 9 of 1956 in Miami Florida. As most people know, she is into writing crime fiction, and one of her most popular series of all of course is the character Dr. Kay Scarpetta. Dr. Kay Scarpetta is a medical examiner and Pete Marino, the cop, is her sidekick.

The author of 22 novels and three non-fiction works, Ms. Cornwell’s work leads the genre that has spawned such mega-hits TV shows as the CSI franchises and Cold Case Squad.

Early Years

Patricia Cornwell was born Patricia Daniels in Miami in 1956, the daugther of an appellate attorney and a secretary. Her parents divorced when she was young and Patricia, her mother, and her two brothers moved to Montreat North Carolina. The family lived just down the street from evangelist Billy Graham and his wife, Ruth. It was Ruth Graham that gave the young Patricia her first journal and encouraged her to write. Later, Ms. Cornwell’s first book would be a biography of Ruth Graham.

Patricia Cornwell graduated from Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina and married her English professor Charles Cornwell, 17 years her senior, shortly after graduation. She worked as a reporter at the Charlotte (NC) Observer, followed by jobs as a police reporter and as a technical writer and computer anaylst at the Virginia Medical Examiner’s Office.

Her Writing

Patricia Cornwell’s first book, A Time for Remembering, a biography of Mrs. Graham, was published in 1983. Her first crime novel, Portmortem, was rejected repeatedly before being accepted by Scribner in 1990 for $6000. The book, which introduced her primary character, Medical Examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta, was popularly acclaimed and won numerous awards, including the Edgar and Creasey Awards.

Postmortem was followed by novels and two additional non-fiction works, including a non-fiction account of Victorian London’s Jack the Ripper murders and her most recent novel, Book of the Dead.

Patricia’s life was actually very sad since her father Sam Daniels, was abusive to her in an emotional way. Her father took off from the family on Christmas Day of the year 1961. Her mother Harriet Beecher Stowe also a writer, became extremely depressed and had to be in the hospital for that for some time.

As a result, Patricia and her siblings, were all placed into foster homes and Patricia suffered terribly. As Patricia went up into her teenaged years, she developed an eating disorder, Anorexia, and like her mother, had bad depression problems. All this took place after the year of 1961 when her mother and the kids moved to Montreat North Carolina.

The one that really helped Patricia along in life was Ruth Bell, Billy Graham’s wife, and Ruth deeply encouraged Pat to write a lot. She was a longtime friend of the Graham’s during her growing up years, and I know that Ruth Bell Graham had a great influence on Pat udring some of her most turbulent years as a teenager. Patricia did pursue her writing, and she enrolled into college after completion of high school at King College, located in Tennessee.

After some time at that college in Bristol, she moved on into another school, Davidson College, and earned her bachelor of arts degree there. That was in the year 1979. Once she was out of college, she had fallen in love with one of her English professors Charles Cornwell, who was quite a bit older then she by 17 years.

After completing a biography about Ruth Bell Graham, entitled A Time For Remembering, published in 1983, Pat had another occupation as a technical writer and a computer analyst. She kept up with her writing pursuits, and by 1990, the first book of Kay Scarpetta was Postmortem.

This book was the one that was a giant key to wealth and success. Patricia was able to buy more than one house, and a few cars at that time. This was published by Scribner’s Publishing at that time, finally, after at least 7 rejections. Once her foot was in the door, Patricia wrote one book after the other in the Kay Scarpetta series.

Birth of Kay Scarpetta

Cornwell’s first novel, Postmortem, sets the stage for her Kay Scarpetta novels. Here, we meet Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta, who is called in to solve a string of murders in Virginia. The novel introduces Scarpetta’s home base in Richmond, Virginia, where she runs her unique private forensic pathology practice. Scarpetta’s analytical mind and relentless pursuit for justice make her one of the biggest names in crime fiction. This debut won numerous prestigious awards including the Edgar Award.

The second book, Body of Evidence, brings Kay back with another murder investigation, involving an investigative reporter named Beryl Madison. “Cause of Death” dives into a murder that appears as an accidental drowning but leads to so much more.

Then we have “Unnatural Exposure” that delves into the murky depths of a ship graveyard. Black Notice takes us on an international hunt involving a cargo ship and the so-called werewolf murders. The Last Precinct digs into Scarpetta’s past and unravels dark secrets. Dr. Scarpetta’s birthday is a special occasion even for the readers, as it often brings a new life to old cases or adds a special job to her busy schedule.

The Order of Kay Scarpetta Books

Postmortem -1990 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Body of Evidence -1991 —– Buy Now From Amazon

All That Remains -1992 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Cruel and Unusual -1993 —– Buy Now From Amazon

The Body Farm -1994 —– Buy Now From Amazon

From Potter’s Field -1995 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Cause of Death -1996 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Unnatural Exposure -1997 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Point of Origin -1998 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Black Notice -1999 —– Buy Now From Amazon

The Last Precinct -2000 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Blow Fly -2003 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Trace -2004 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Predator -2005 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Book of the Dead -2007 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Scarpetta -2008 —– Buy Now From Amazon

The Scarpetta Factor -2009 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Port Mortuary -2010 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Red Mist -2011 —– Buy Now From Amazon

The Bone Bed -2012 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Dust -2013 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Flesh and Blood -2014 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Depraved Heart -2015 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Chaos -2016 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Autopsy -2021 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Livid -2022 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Unnatural Death -2023 —– Buy Now From Amazon

In 1996, Ms. Cornwell’s name hit the Richmond headlines when a former FBI agent, Eugene Bennett, threatened to kill his wife’s minister and set off several pipe bombs, allegedly unhinged by his wife’s past affair with Ms. Cornwell. Police intervened and no one was injured. Mr. Bennet was sentenced to 23 years in prison.

Today, Ms. Cornwell splits her time between Los Angeles and Richmond. She recently described herself to the New York Times as being involved in a healthy, long-term relationship with a woman. In addition to her writing, Ms. Cornwell is the Director of Applied Forensic Science at the National Forensic Institute and sponsors scholarships to her alma mater, Davidson College.

The Order of Non-Fiction Books

Ruth, A Portrait: The Story of Ruth Bell Graham -1983 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Scarpetta’s Winter Table -1998 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Food to Die For: Secrets From Kay Scarpetta’s Kitchen -2001 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper – Case Closed -2002 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Chasing the Ripper -2014 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Ripper: The Secret Life of Walter Sickert -2017 —– Buy Now From Amazon

The Order of Andy Brazil/Judy Hammer Books

Hornet’s Nest -1996 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Southern Cross -1998 —– Isle of Dogs -2001 —–

The Order of Captain Chase Books

Quantum -2019 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Spin -2020 —– Buy Now From Amazon

The Order of Winston Garano Books

At Risk -2006 —– Buy Now From Amazon

The Front -2008 —– Buy Now From Amazon

The Order of Picture Books

Life’s Little Fable -1999 —– Buy Now From Amazon

The Order of Other Books

The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Modern Crime Fiction-2002 —– Buy Now From Amazon

Patricia Cornwell’s books are a treasure trove for crime novel enthusiasts. Her well-researched approach to crime scene investigation, coupled with her vivid character portrayals, make her one of the New York Times bestsellers in the genre. As an Amazon Associate, one can’t help but recommend her works for a thoroughly engrossing read. By the end of this quick reference guide, we hope you have a better understanding of the depth and breadth of her literature.