Patricia Cornwell Books in Order: Scarpetta Series, Captain Chase & More
Patricia Cornwell is best known for creating Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a forensic pathologist whose investigations helped popularize the modern forensic thriller. Her stories combine murder investigations, forensic science, technology, police work and psychological suspense, with recurring characters including Pete Marino, Benton Wesley and Lucy Farinelli.
Although the Scarpetta series is by far her biggest and most famous body of fiction, Cornwell has also written the Andy Brazil, Win Garano and Captain Chase series, along with several nonfiction books and other works.
Patricia Cornwell Books by Series
| Series | Published Books |
| Kay Scarpetta | 29 |
| Andy Brazil | 3 |
| Win Garano | 2 |
| Captain Chase | 2 |
| Other books | Several nonfiction, biography and children’s titles |
The author’s official bibliography lists these four fiction series separately.
Kay Scarpetta Books in Order
The Kay Scarpetta series is the place to start if you are new to Patricia Cornwell. The books follow Dr. Kay Scarpetta through increasingly complex murder cases, while her relationships with Marino, Benton Wesley and Lucy develop throughout the series.
The publication order is also the recommended reading order, especially because the characters’ personal histories and relationships continue from one book to another.
1. Postmortem
Published in 1990, Postmortem introduces Dr. Kay Scarpetta, the chief medical examiner of Virginia. She investigates a series of strangulation murders while dealing with an investigation that may have been sabotaged from within.
This is the essential starting point for the entire Scarpetta universe. It also established Cornwell as one of the early major writers of forensic crime fiction.
2. Body of Evidence
Body of Evidence is the second Scarpetta novel and continues Kay’s work as a medical examiner. A murder investigation involving an author forces Scarpetta to examine evidence that may reveal a much more complicated crime than it first appears.
The book further develops the characters introduced in Postmortem while expanding the forensic side of the series.
3. All That Remains
In All That Remains, young people begin disappearing, and Scarpetta becomes involved when their bodies are eventually discovered. The investigation forces her to examine evidence that may connect apparently unrelated victims.
The novel continues the increasingly personal relationship between Scarpetta and the people who regularly assist her investigations.
4. Cruel and Unusual
Cruel and Unusual centers on a convicted killer who is executed, only for new evidence to suggest that the case may not have been as straightforward as everyone believed. Scarpetta must examine the evidence and determine whether another killer is still at large.
The book combines forensic investigation with the difficult question of whether the justice system got the right man.
5. The Body Farm
In The Body Farm, Scarpetta travels to North Carolina to investigate the murder of an eleven-year-old girl. Her work takes her to a research facility known as the Body Farm, where scientists study how human bodies decompose.
This is one of the most memorable early Scarpetta books because forensic science becomes especially important to solving the case.
6. From Potter’s Field
From Potter’s Field brings back one of Scarpetta’s most dangerous enemies, Temple Brooks Gault. A woman’s body is discovered in New York with clues that suggest Gault may have returned.
Scarpetta, Pete Marino and Benton Wesley must track a killer who has repeatedly shown an ability to stay ahead of investigators.
7. Cause of Death
Cause of Death begins with Scarpetta investigating the death of a diver found in Virginia’s waters. What initially looks like an accident gradually becomes something much more suspicious.
The case takes Scarpetta into dangerous territory while continuing the development of her relationships with Marino and Wesley.
8. Unnatural Exposure
In Unnatural Exposure, Scarpetta encounters a bizarre case involving a body and evidence that raises concerns about a highly dangerous infectious disease. The investigation quickly becomes more than an ordinary murder case.
Forensic science and public-health concerns become important parts of the mystery.
9. Point of Origin
Point of Origin begins after a farmhouse is destroyed by fire and a body is found among the ruins. At the same time, Carrie Grethen, a dangerous killer connected to Scarpetta’s past, escapes from a psychiatric facility.
This makes the case particularly personal for Scarpetta, as she must investigate the fire while confronting an old enemy.
10. Black Notice
Black Notice sends Scarpetta into an investigation involving an unidentified body discovered in a container. The evidence takes her into an international and increasingly dangerous case.
The novel expands the scale of the Scarpetta universe while maintaining its forensic focus.
11. The Last Precinct
The Last Precinct follows the aftermath of the events in Black Notice. Scarpetta herself becomes a target, and the investigation forces her to confront both professional and personal threats.
The book is especially important for the continuing storyline involving Scarpetta, Marino and Wesley.
12. Blow Fly
Blow Fly marks another major change in the Scarpetta storyline. Scarpetta is dealing with personal upheaval while an old case involving a convicted killer brings her back into the investigation.
The novel shifts between past and present and digs more deeply into Scarpetta’s complicated history.
13. Trace
In Trace, Scarpetta has left her position as Virginia’s chief medical examiner and is working in a different professional environment. She becomes involved in a murder investigation that brings her back together with people from her past.
The book begins another important phase of Scarpetta’s career.
14. Predator
Predator takes Scarpetta into a disturbing investigation involving unusual behavior and a case that is difficult to explain through conventional forensic evidence. Lucy’s technological expertise becomes particularly important as the investigation develops.
The story blends traditional forensic work with newer forms of criminal investigation.
15. Book of the Dead
Book of the Dead brings Scarpetta back to a murder investigation involving a famous victim. The case becomes increasingly complicated as the forensic evidence reveals details that do not fit the initial explanation.
The novel continues the evolution of Scarpetta’s professional and personal life.
16. Scarpetta
In Scarpetta, Kay moves to New York and is asked to examine an injured prisoner at Bellevue Hospital. The prisoner claims that he was involved in a murder he did not commit, while someone appears to be watching and stalking the victims.
This novel brings Scarpetta, Benton Wesley and Lucy into a high-tech investigation that moves between cyberspace and the streets of New York.
17. The Scarpetta Factor
The Scarpetta Factor continues the series after the events of Scarpetta. Kay is pulled into another complicated case in which forensic evidence, media attention and personal relationships become tightly connected.
The novel continues the more modern, technology-heavy direction of the later Scarpetta books.
18. Port Mortuary
In Port Mortuary, Scarpetta returns to Massachusetts and becomes involved with a state-of-the-art facility designed to examine the dead. A disturbing case challenges both her forensic knowledge and her assumptions about what happened.
The book mixes traditional investigation with futuristic forensic technology.
19. Red Mist
Red Mist takes Scarpetta to Georgia, where she visits a prisoner on death row. What begins as a seemingly straightforward visit quickly turns into a complicated investigation involving murder, revenge and secrets from the past.
The book also brings important characters from Scarpetta’s history back into the story.
20. The Bone Bed
The Bone Bed begins when the body of a missing woman is discovered in an unusual location. Scarpetta has to determine how the woman died and why her case has become connected to a much larger mystery.
The investigation becomes especially difficult when the evidence seems to contradict itself.
21. Dust
In Dust, Scarpetta investigates the death of a young woman whose body is found in Massachusetts. The forensic evidence suggests that the crime may be connected to a disturbing pattern.
Lucy and Marino again play important roles as Scarpetta works to identify the killer.
22. Flesh and Blood
Flesh and Blood brings a threat directly into Scarpetta’s personal life. A strange series of events and a disturbing shooting force her to investigate while also questioning who may be targeting her.
The novel combines an immediate personal threat with a broader criminal investigation.
23. Depraved Heart
In Depraved Heart, Scarpetta receives a video that appears to have been sent by someone connected to her past. The discovery forces her to reconsider what she knows about a person she thought she understood.
The investigation becomes increasingly personal as technology reveals secrets that were supposed to remain hidden.
24. Chaos
Chaos begins with a mysterious death involving a young woman whose body is found in an unusual location. Scarpetta’s examination reveals evidence that points toward a much stranger and more dangerous situation.
The novel also explores the use of sophisticated technology in modern criminal activity.
25. Autopsy
Autopsy moves Scarpetta into a new phase of her career after she returns to Virginia as chief medical examiner. A suspicious death involving a young woman leads to an investigation that eventually connects with events far beyond the original crime.
The book was particularly significant because it marked Scarpetta’s return to Virginia and launched a new phase of the series.
26. Livid
In Livid, Scarpetta examines a body connected to a murder investigation involving the judicial system. What she finds raises questions about the official explanation of the death.
The investigation becomes more complicated as Scarpetta discovers connections to powerful people and long-hidden secrets.
27. Unnatural Death
Unnatural Death places Scarpetta at the center of another disturbing murder investigation. The case begins with a suspicious death and develops into a wider mystery involving people connected to Scarpetta’s professional world.
It continues the modern Scarpetta storyline established in Autopsy and Livid.
28. Identity Unknown
In Identity Unknown, Scarpetta investigates a case involving an unidentified victim and evidence that refuses to fit a simple explanation. The investigation draws her toward a dangerous mystery involving identity, technology and the hidden activities of powerful people.
The book continues the series’ modern forensic-thriller approach.
29. Sharp Force
Sharp Force, published in 2025, is the latest published Scarpetta novel. A serial killer known as the Phantom Slasher has been terrorizing Northern Virginia, and Scarpetta is summoned to investigate brutal attacks at a psychiatric hospital.
The killer uses sophisticated technology to watch victims inside their own homes, creating a particularly unsettling challenge for Scarpetta.
Upcoming Scarpetta Book
30. Rapid and Fatal
Rapid and Fatal is the next announced Scarpetta novel and is currently listed for January 2027. Publisher listings identify it as A Scarpetta Novel, Book #30, so it should be treated as an upcoming release rather than part of the currently published 29-book reading list.
If you’re building a complete reading list today, read through Sharp Force first and then add Rapid and Fatal when it is released.
Andy Brazil Books in Order
The Andy Brazil series is much shorter than Scarpetta’s series. It follows Andy Brazil, a reporter whose investigations bring him into dangerous situations involving crime and law enforcement.
1. Hornet’s Nest
Hornet’s Nest introduces Andy Brazil and the Charlotte-based world of the series. Andy’s work as a reporter puts him in the middle of a dangerous investigation, while police chief Virginia West becomes another important character.
The book combines crime investigation with the dynamics of a newsroom and police department.
2. Southern Cross
Southern Cross continues Andy Brazil’s story with another complicated investigation. The case expands the world introduced in Hornet’s Nest while continuing the relationship between Andy and Virginia.
It is best read after the first book because of the returning characters.
3. Isle of Dogs
Isle of Dogs is the third Andy Brazil novel. Andy becomes involved in another major investigation that takes him deeper into the dangerous side of journalism and crime.
The three Andy Brazil novels should therefore be read in this order. Patricia Cornwell’s official bibliography lists the three books as Hornet’s Nest, Southern Cross and Isle of Dogs.
Win Garano Books in Order
The Win Garano series is another short series and follows Massachusetts State Police investigator Win Garano.
1. At Risk
At Risk introduces Win Garano as he is assigned a difficult cold case. The investigation takes him into the past and forces him to uncover information that powerful people would rather keep hidden.
It is a compact introduction to this side of Cornwell’s crime fiction.
2. The Front
The Front continues Win Garano’s investigations and brings him into another dangerous case. His work again places him in situations where political pressure and criminal investigation overlap.
Read it after At Risk to follow the character’s development. Cornwell’s official site lists these two books under the Win Garano series.
Captain Chase Books in Order
The Captain Chase series is Cornwell’s science-and-space-tinged thriller series featuring Captain Calli Chase.
1. Quantum
Quantum introduces Captain Calli Chase, a NASA-trained pilot and investigator. A dangerous situation involving technology, security and unexplained events puts her skills to the test.
The novel has a noticeably different feel from the forensic investigations of the Scarpetta books.
2. Spin
Spin continues Calli Chase’s story after the events of Quantum. The investigation becomes even larger, bringing together technology, national security and threats that could have consequences far beyond one individual.
The author’s official bibliography lists Quantum followed by Spin.
Patricia Cornwell’s Other Books
Not everything Cornwell has published is a crime novel. Her official website places several works under Other Books, including nonfiction, biography and a children’s book.
Ruth, A Portrait
Ruth, A Portrait is Cornwell’s biography of Ruth Bell Graham. It is completely separate from the Scarpetta fiction.
Scarpetta’s Winter Table
This is a cookbook connected to the Kay Scarpetta character. It contains recipes inspired by the fictional medical examiner’s world rather than being another Scarpetta mystery.
Life’s Little Fable
Life’s Little Fable is a children’s book rather than a crime thriller. It gives readers a very different look at Cornwell’s writing outside her bestselling mystery novels.
Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper — Case Closed
This nonfiction book presents Cornwell’s investigation into the identity of Jack the Ripper. She argues for a particular suspect based on forensic and historical evidence.
Food to Die For
Food to Die For is another cookbook connected with the Scarpetta universe. It expands on the food and recipes associated with the character.
Chasing the Ripper
Chasing the Ripper continues Cornwell’s investigation into Jack the Ripper. It is nonfiction rather than another mystery novel.
Ripper: The Secret Life of Walter Sickert
This book continues Cornwell’s long investigation into the identity of Jack the Ripper and her theory concerning artist Walter Sickert. It is a nonfiction investigation rather than a Scarpetta novel.
True Crime: A Memoir
Published in 2026, True Crime: A Memoir is Cornwell’s memoir rather than a work of fiction. It looks at her childhood, career, experiences in a medical examiner’s office and the path that eventually led her to become a bestselling crime writer.
What Is the Best Patricia Cornwell Series to Start With?
For most readers, the answer is simple: start with Kay Scarpetta.
The first book, Postmortem, introduces the character who became the center of Cornwell’s career and establishes the forensic-investigation style that made her famous. Cornwell’s official biography says Postmortem was her first novel and that it helped pave the way for the explosion of forensic entertainment in books, television and film.
If you don’t want to commit to nearly 30 books, however, Captain Chase is a much shorter two-book series. Readers looking for a reporter/police combination can also try the three Andy Brazil novels.
Do You Need to Read the Scarpetta Books in Order?
Yes, I recommend it.
Individual murder investigations generally have their own beginning and ending, but the personal lives of Scarpetta, Marino, Wesley and Lucy continue across the series.
There are also major changes in Scarpetta’s career, location and relationships. Reading the novels chronologically makes those developments much easier to understand.
The official publisher’s series listing also presents the Scarpetta novels as a numbered sequence, reinforcing publication/series order as the simplest approach.
How Many Patricia Cornwell Books Are There?
The number depends on what you count as a “book.”
Her fictional bibliography includes 29 published Scarpetta novels, plus the Andy Brazil, Win Garano and Captain Chase series. She has also published nonfiction, biography, a children’s book and cookbooks.
The important thing for readers is that there are 29 published Kay Scarpetta novels as of October 2026, with Rapid and Fatal currently listed as the upcoming 30th Scarpetta novel.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Patricia Cornwell’s first book?
Her first published novel was Postmortem, released in 1990. It introduced Dr. Kay Scarpetta and launched the series that became Cornwell’s signature work.
What is the first Kay Scarpetta book?
The first Scarpetta book is Postmortem. It is the recommended starting point for anyone reading the series for the first time.
How many Scarpetta books are there?
There are 29 published Scarpetta novels through Sharp Force. Rapid and Fatal is currently listed as Book 30 and is scheduled for 2027.
What is the latest Patricia Cornwell book?
As of October 2026, Sharp Force is the latest published Scarpetta novel. Cornwell’s official website lists it as a 2025 publication.
What is the next Patricia Cornwell book?
Rapid and Fatal is currently listed as the next Scarpetta novel, with a January 2027 release listing.
Are Patricia Cornwell’s books connected?
Some are and some aren’t. The Scarpetta books form the largest connected series, while Andy Brazil, Win Garano and Captain Chase are separate series.
Which Patricia Cornwell book should I read first?
Start with Postmortem if you want her signature forensic crime fiction. If you want something shorter, Quantum begins the two-book Captain Chase series, while At Risk begins the two-book Win Garano series.
Is Sharp Force part of the Scarpetta series?
Yes. Sharp Force is Scarpetta Book 29 and is currently the latest published installment in the series.
Is Patricia Cornwell still writing Scarpetta books?
Yes. Rapid and Fatal is already listed as the upcoming 30th Scarpetta novel, showing that the series is continuing beyond Sharp Force.
Conclusion
Patricia Cornwell’s bibliography can look overwhelming at first, mainly because the Kay Scarpetta series alone has grown to 29 published novels. Fortunately, the reading order is straightforward: begin with Postmortem and follow the Scarpetta novels chronologically through Sharp Force, then look forward to Rapid and Fatal. If you prefer a shorter commitment, her Andy Brazil, Win Garano and Captain Chase series each offer only two or three books, making them easy alternatives. For readers who enjoy forensic science, serial-killer investigations, medical mysteries and detailed crime-solving, however, Kay Scarpetta remains the natural place to experience Patricia Cornwell at her best.
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