Postmortem: A Scarpetta Novel

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

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

From #1 New York Times bestselling author and "queen of forensic fiction" (Los Angeles Times) 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 forensic investigation that blends high-stakes forensics with nerve-shattering suspense. 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 thriller 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.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Scribner Book Company
Published: 10/27/2026
ISBN: 9781668271056
Pages: 400
Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 25860 / Postmortem (English)
Reading Level: 5.6 / Interest Level: Upper Grade / Point Value: 15