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Kay Scarpetta

by Patricia Cornwell

29 books Started 1990 Latest 2025
Publication Reading Order

The Kay Scarpetta is a Crime Fiction / Forensic Thriller series by Patricia Cornwell, made up of 29 books published between 1990 and 2025. It begins with Postmortem (1990), and is best read in publication order. The most recent entry is Sharp Force (2025), spanning 35 years of storytelling.

29books
35years active
4decades
~1.3yrs between books
2025latest release
# Title Year Buy
1990s
1 Postmortem 1990 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
2 Body of Evidence 1991 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
3 All That Remains 1992 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
4 Cruel and Unusual 1993 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
5 The Body Farm 1994 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
6 From Potter's Field 1995 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
7 Cause of Death 1996 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
8 Unnatural Exposure 1997 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
9 Point of Origin 1998 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
10 Black Notice 1999 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
2000s
11 The Last Precinct 2000 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
12 Blow Fly 2003 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
13 Trace 2004 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
14 Predator 2005 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
15 Book of the Dead 2007 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
16 Scarpetta 2008 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
17 The Scarpetta Factor 2009 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
2010s
18 Port Mortuary 2010 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
19 Red Mist 2011 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
20 The Bone Bed 2012 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
21 Dust 2013 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
22 Flesh and Blood 2014 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
23 Depraved Heart 2015 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
24 Chaos 2016 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
2020s
25 Autopsy 2021 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
26 Livid 2022 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
27 Unnatural Death 2023 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
28 Identity Unknown 2024 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
29 Sharp ForceLatest 2025 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia

Kay Scarpetta series: frequently asked questions

What order should I read the Kay Scarpetta series?

Start with Postmortem (1990), the first book in the Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell. Follow the books in publication order for the best reading experience.

How many books are in the Kay Scarpetta series?

There are 29 books in the Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell, published between 1990 and 2025.

What is the first book in the Kay Scarpetta series?

The first book in the Kay Scarpetta series is Postmortem, published in 1990 by Patricia Cornwell.

What is the latest book in the Kay Scarpetta series?

The most recent book in the Kay Scarpetta series is Sharp Force (2025) by Patricia Cornwell.

More books by Patricia Cornwell View all series and reading orders →
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About Patricia Cornwell

Patricia Cornwell (born June 9, 1956) is an American crime novelist and true crime writer best known for her best-selling series featuring medical examiner Kay Scarpetta. She has written over 25 novels, which have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. Cornwell was born in Miami, Florida, and raised in Montreat, North Carolina. She earned a bachelor's degree in English from Davidson College and a master's degree in computer science from George Mason University. Before becoming a writer, she worked as a computer analyst for the Virginia State Police. Cornwell published her first novel, Postmortem, in 1990. The book introduced Kay Scarpetta, a brilliant and complex medical examiner who quickly became a fan favorite. Cornwell has continued to write Scarpetta novels, as well as a number of stand-alone works. She has received numerous awards, including the CWA Silver Dagger Award, the Edgar Award, and the Anthony Award. Her work has been critically acclaimed and translated into over 30 languages.

View all Patricia Cornwell series →

About the Kay Scarpetta series

Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta novels essentially invented the modern forensic thriller. Dr Kay Scarpetta is a brilliant, meticulous medical examiner whose autopsies and lab work crack cases that baffle the police — even as the killers she hunts repeatedly target her and the people she loves.

When the series launched in 1990 it was revolutionary: the science of death investigation, rendered with authority and cold precision, became the engine of the plot. Scarpetta's tangled circle — her tech-genius niece Lucy and investigator Pete Marino — gives the procedural its emotional charge.

Scarpetta's personal life develops continuously, so read in publication order from "Postmortem," which swept the major crime-writing awards. The early-to-mid run is widely regarded as the strongest.