Forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta has returned to Virginia as the chief medical examiner. She and her husband Benton are headquartered five miles from the Pentagon, in a post-pandemic world that’s been torn apart by civil and political unrest.
Just weeks into the job, Scarpetta is called to investigate a woman’s body which has been shockingly displayed on railroad tracks. As Scarpetta follows the trail, it leads unnervingly close to her own neighbourhood.
At the same time, two scientists are found dead in a top-secret laboratory in outer space. Scarpetta is summoned to the White House Situation Room and tasked with finding out what happened. But even as she’s working the first crime scene in space from the ground, an apparent serial killer strikes again. And this time, Scarpetta could be in greater danger than ever before…
Patricia Cornwell is recognised as one of the world’s top bestselling crime authors with novels translated into thirty-six languages in more than 120 countries. She’s best known for her ground-breaking Kay Scarpetta series, the first of which, Postmortem (1990), followed a female medical examiner long before the popularity of forensic pathology and TV shows like CSI. The series has since become a global phenomenon, selling over 100 million copies, and earning Cornwell a slew of awards, including the Edgar, the Creasey, the Anthony, the Macavity and the Prix du Roman d’Aventure.
Now Cornwell is back with Autopsy, the twenty fifth instalment in her electrifying Kay Scarpetta series. In this latest entry, chief medical examiner Dr Kay Scarpetta hunts an ingenious killer who has mastered cutting-edge science for the most nefarious ends. It’s a gripping read, filled with the shocking twists, high-wire tension, and forensic detail that Cornwell has become famous for.
After five years in between novels, it was great to see the return of Scarpetta and some other familiar faces once again here. As always, Scarpetta is a tough, intelligent and compelling lead, and it’s easy to see how the popularity of this series has endured over the years. I also particularly enjoyed the space plotline, in which Scarpetta remotely investigates the deaths of two scientists in a space laboratory. This made for some seriously fascinating reading from Cornwell, giving this genre an interesting new spin.
Gripping, tightly plotted and jam-packed with twists and turns you won’t see coming, Autopsy is yet another riveting page-turner from Cornwell, proving once again why she’s the world’s #1 bestselling crime writer. I’ll be popping this under the tree for the Scarpetta fans I know.
Leave a Reply