Patricia Cornwell: Postmortem (USA 2021)

From the Publisher:
Discover the "dazzling... fascinating" (Los Angeles Times) forensic thriller that launched the New York Times bestselling Kay Scarpetta series from #1 bestselling crime writer Patricia Cornwell.

Under cover of night in Richmond, Virginia, a human monster strikes, leaving a gruesome trail of stranglings that has paralyzed the city. Medical examiner Kay Scarpetta suspects the worst: a deliberate campaign by a brilliant serial killer whose signature offers precious few clues. With an unerring eye, she calls on the latest advances in forensic research to unmask the madman. But this investigation will test Kay like no other, because it's being sabotaged from within and someone wants her dead.

Patricia Cornwell: Postmortem. A Scarpetta Novel. Pocket Books, ISBN: 9781982167981 (March, 2021), 440 p., $9.99.

Patricia Cornwell: Postmortem (UK 2010)

From the Publisher:
The first Dr Kay Scarpetta Mystery, which won five international awards when it was first published.
A serial killer is on the loose in Richmond, Virginia. Three women have died, brutalised and strangled in their own bedroom. There is no pattern: the killer appears to strike at random - but always early on Saturday mornings.

So when Dr Kay Scarpetta, chief medical officer, is awakened at 2.33 am, she knows the news is bad: there is a fourth victim. And she fears now for those that will follow unless she can dig up new forensic evidence to aid the police.

But not everyone is pleased to see a woman in this powerful job. Someone may even want to ruin her career and reputation...

A landmark book, Postmortem introduces one of the most popular and intriguing characte in crime fiction, Dr Kay Scarpetta. This special 20th-anniversary platinum edition features an exclusive profile of Patricia Cornwell and Kay Scarpetta - it is the perfect introduction to an addictively readable series.

Patricia Cornwell: Postmortem. Limited Platinum Edition. Sphere, ISBN: 9780751544398 (September, 2010), 420 p., £7.99.

Patricia Cornwell: Postmortem (USA 2010)

From the Publisher:
With this novel, bestselling author Patricia Cornwell created one of crime fiction's most compelling heroines: gutsy medical examiner Kay Scarpetta. Cornwell's gift for combining cutting edge criminology with nerve-shattering suspense makes this book a true modern classic.

Under cover of night in Richmond, Virginia, a human monster strikes, leaving a gruesome trail of stranglings that has paralyzed the city. Medical examiner Kay Scarpetta suspects the worst: a deliberate campaign by a brilliant serial killer whose signature offers precious few clues. With an unerring eye, she calls on the latest advances in forensic research to unmask the madman. But this investigation will test Kay like no other, because it's being sabotaged from within -- and someone wants her dead.

Patricia Cornwell: Postmortem. A Scarpetta Novel. Pocket Star, ISBN: 9781439148129 (December, 2009), 440 p., $9.99, ebook $.9.99.

Patricia Cornwell: Postmortem (UK 2008)

From the Publisher:
The first Dr Kay Scarpetta Mystery, which won five international awards when it was first published.
A serial killer is on the loose in Richmond, Virginia. Three women have died, brutalised and strangled in their own bedroom. There is no pattern: the killer appears to strike at random - but always early on Saturday mornings.

So when Dr Kay Scarpetta, chief medical officer, is awakened at 2.33 am, she knows the news is bad: there is a fourth victim. And she fears now for those that will follow unless she can dig up new forensic evidence to aid the police.

But not everyone is pleased to see a woman in this powerful job. Someone may even want to ruin her career and reputation...

Patricia Cornwell: Postmortem. Sphere eBook, ISBN: 9780748109500 (September, 2008), £5.99.

Patricia Cornwell: Postmortem (USA 2004)

From the Publisher:
Under cover of night in Richmond, Virginia, a human monster strikes, leaving a gruesome trail of stranglings that has paralyzed the city. Medical examiner Kay Scarpetta suspects the worst: a deliberate campaign by a brilliant serial killer whose signature offers precious few clues. With an unerring eye, she calls on the latest advances in forensic research to unmask the madman. But this investigation will test Kay like no other, because it's being sabotaged from within -- and someone wants her dead.

Patricia Cornwell: Postmortem. Pocket Books, ISBN: 0743477154 (December, 2003), 342 p., $7.99.

Patricia Cornwell: Postmortem (UK 2000)

From the Publisher:
The first Dr Kay Scarpetta Novel.
A serial killer is on the loose in Richmond, Virginia. Three women have died, brutalised and strangled in their own bedroom. There is no pattern: the killer appears to strike at random - but always early on Saturday mornings.

So when Dr Kay Scarpetta, chief medical officer, is awakened at 2.33 am, she knows the news is bad: there is a fourth victim. And she fears now for those that will follow unless she can dig up new forensic evidence to aid the police.

But not everyone is pleased to see a woman in this powerful job. Someone may even want to ruin her career and reputation...

Patricia Cornwell: Postmortem. Warner Books, ISBN: 0751530433 (April, 2000), 404 p., £5.99.

Patricia Cornwell: Postmortem (USA 1998)

From the Publisher:
With this novel, bestselling author Patricia Cornwell created one of crime fiction's most compelling heroines: gutsy medical examiner Kay Scarpetta. Cornwell's gift for combining cutting edge criminology with nerve-shattering suspense makes this book a true modern classic...

Under cover of night in Richmond, Virginia, a human monster strikes, leaving a gruesome trail of stranglings that has paralyzed the city. Medical examiner Kay Scarpetta suspects the worst: a deliberate campaign by a brilliant serial killer whose signature offers precious few clues. With an unerring eye, she calls on the latest advances in forensic research to unmask the madman. But this investigation will test Kay like no other, because it's being sabotaged from within -- and someone wants her dead.

Patricia Cornwell: Postmortem. Avon Books, ISBN: 0671023616 (March, 1998), 342 p., $7.99.

Patricia D. Cornwell: Postmortem (USA ca. 1994)

From the Publisher:
A brilliant human monster -- a "Mr. Nobody" -- moves undetected through a paralyzed city, leaving behind a gruesome trail of carnage... but few clues. With an unerring eye and the latest advances in forensic research, medical examiner Kay Scarpetta sets out to unmask a maniac. But someone is trying to sabotage Kay's investigation from the inside. And someone wants her dead...

Patricia D. Cornwell: Postmortem. A Kay Scarpetta, M.E., Mystery.New York: Avon Books, ca. 1994, 342 p., $5.99.

Patricia Cornwell: Postmortem (UK 1992)

From the Publisher:
Introducing Dr Kay Scarpetta
A serial killer is on the loose in Richmond, Virginia. Three women have died, brutalised and strangled in their own bedroom. There is no pattern: the killer appears to strike at random - but always early on Saturday mornings.

So when Dr Kay Scarpetta, chief medical officer, is awakened at 2.33 am, she knows the news is bad: there is a fourth victim. And she fears now for those that will follow unless she can dig up new forensic evidence to aid the police.

But not everyone is pleased to see a woman in this powerful job. Someone may even want to ruin her career and reputation...

Patricia Cornwell: Postmortem. Warner Books, ISBN: 0751504947 (April, 1992), 404 p., £4.99.

Patricia D. Cornwell: Postmortem (USA 1991)

From the Publisher:
Four women with nothing in common, united only in death. Four brutalized victims of a brilliant monster - a "Mr. Nobody", moving undetected through a paralyzed city, leaving behind a gruesome trail of carnage... but few clues. With skilled hands, an unerring eye, and the latest advances in forensic research, an unrelenting female medical examiner - Kay Scarpetta - is determined to unmask a maniac. But someone is trying to sabotage Kay's investigation from the inside. And worse yet, someone wants her dead...

Patricia D. Cornwell: Postmortem. A Kay Scarpetta, M.E., Mystery. Avon Books, ISBN: 0380710218 (January, 1991), 342 p., $3.95.

Patricia Daniels Cornwell: Postmortem (USA 1990)

From the Publisher:
Postmortem introduces Patricia Daniels Cornwell, sure to become a major name in suspense writing, and her compelling fictional creation, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, chief medical examiner for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

A serial killer is on the loose in Richmond. Three women have died, brutalized and strangled in bizarre murders in their own bedrooms. What do the women have in common? Nothing, it seems, not physical type, not occupation, not a particular neighborhood. The killer apparently strikes at random. The only consistency is that he commits his crimes early on Saturday mornings.

When Scarpetta's awakened at 2:33 AM, she knows the news is bad. The murderer has struck again. His victim is thirty-year-old physician Lori Peterson, a Harvard Medical School grad who, with her young husband, had looked forward to a bright future. Now she's dead, and Scarpetta fears that still more victims may follow unless she can come up with some new scientific evidence to help the police.

It's here that Postmortem leaves other crime novels behind. We go with Scarpetta into the medical examiner's office, into the autopsy room. We look through the microscope with her as she uses research techniques to track the killer. We learn about FBI profiling, DNA printing, and how the police and state and federal agencies work for and against each other.

And we learn to know Scarpetta, divorced, caring temporarily for her ten-year-old niece, Lucy, a bit leery of emotional involvement, even with an attractive man such as Bill Boltz, the Commonwealth's attorney.

Scarpetta cares passionately about Lucy and about the integrity of her work. Not everybody is pleased to have a woman in the powerful chief medical examiner's job. Somebody may even want to ruin Scarpetta's career and reputation. Still more disturbing, somebody may be using her office to subvert the hunt for the serial killer. In the chilling, climactic moments of the novel, Scarpetta learns just how vulnerable she is.

With fine storytelling, convincing characters, a suspenseful, page-turning plot, and intriguing scientific and procedural detail, Postmortem marks the exceptional debut of one of the most talented crime novelists to come along in years.

Patricia Daniels Cornwell: Postmortem. A Mystery introducing Dr Kay Scarpetta. Scribner, ISBN: 0684191415 (January, 1990), 293 p., $21.00.