Biography
Innovator of the crime fiction genre, Patricia Cornwell’s focus on forensic science has greatly influenced not only crime fiction, but also television shows and documentaries. Born in Florida in 1956, Cornwell moved with her family to North Carolina in 1961 after her father walked out on Christmas Day. She and her brothers were taken in by a family friend when her mother was hospitalised for severe depression. Ruth Bell Graham and her husband Billy Graham were close to the family; it was Ruth who encouraged Cornwell to pursue her literary ambitions, and in 1979 she graduated from Davidson College with a BA in English.
Working as a reporter, Cornwell covered crime and won an award for a series on prostitution. In 1983, her first book, a biography of Ruth Bell Graham, was published to critical acclaim. In 1985, she started work at a Medical Examiner and volunteered with the police; it was during this time that she started work on her first fiction novel. It was rejected from publication, and she wrote a further 2 novels before her fourth, Postmortem, was published in 1990.
The first in the Kay Scarpetta series, it won numerous awards and was an international success. Further books in the series were equally successful, and in 2021 it was announced a television adaptation starring Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis was underway.
Since 2022, she has turned her hand to writing true crime, writing two books in an attempt to uncover the true identity of Jack the Ripper.
With a focus on forensics and plenty of authentic procedural details, Patricia Cornwell’s novels have sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Compelling, fast-paced, thought-provoking and full of suspense-filled action, her novels offer a fascinating insight into the behind-the-scenes work of law enforcement.
