ONE OF TIME'S 100 BEST MYSTERY AND THRILLER BOOKS OF ALL TIME

The inspiration for the Amazon Prime Video series Scarpetta—starring Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis!

Winner of the Edgar Award for Best First Novel, Anthony Award for Best First Novel, Macavity Award for Best First Mystery, John Creasey Memorial Award, and the Prix Du Roman D'Aventures

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Cornwell comes Postmortem, the groundbreaking thriller that introduced Dr. Kay Scarpetta and redefined the crime genre.

A killer is stalking the streets of Richmond, Virginia. When the bodies begin to mount, Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta is pulled into a chilling investigation that blends high-stakes forensics with psychological warfare. Armed with cutting-edge science and unflinching resolve, Scarpetta must navigate hostile forces both inside and outside the investigation—because someone isn’t just trying to hide the truth. They’re trying to kill her.

Cornwell’s gift for combining expert-level criminology with bone-chilling suspense makes this book a true modern classic. Relentlessly paced and shockingly prescient, Postmortem is the electrifying first chapter in the Scarpetta series—still as razor-sharp and relevant as ever.