Patricia Cornwell grew up in Montreat, North Carolina, where her mother moved the family after her parents divorced. She attended King College in Bristol, Tennessee, before transferring to Davidson College, where she earned a bachelor's degree in English in 1979. She then reported on crime and courts for The Charlotte Observer. Later, at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia, she worked as a technical writer and computer analyst, an experience that introduced her to autopsy procedures and forensic investigation.
Cornwell published Postmortem in 1990, introducing Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a chief medical examiner in Richmond. The novel won the Edgar Award for best first novel and the CWA John Creasey Award, and it began a series that includes Body of Evidence, All That Remains, Cruel and Unusual, The Body Farm, and From Potter's Field. By making a female forensic pathologist the central investigator and dwelling on autopsy rooms, evidence chains, and laboratory work, Cornwell gave crime fiction a new procedural focus.
Later Scarpetta novels include Black Notice, The Last Precinct, Trace, and Scarpetta. Cornwell also wrote the Andy Brazil and Judy Hammer books, beginning with Hornet's Nest, and the biography Ruth, A Portrait: The Story of Ruth Bell Graham. Her 2002 book Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper - Case Closed argued that the painter Walter Sickert was Jack the Ripper; historians and Ripper researchers widely criticized the claim. The Scarpetta books have sold millions of copies and helped popularize forensic-themed crime fiction.
Patricia Cornwell was born on June 9, 1956 in Miami, Florida, United States. In Cardology (Destiny Cards), June 9, 1956 corresponds to the Eight of Diamonds, making the Eight of Diamonds her Birth Card.
In numerology, the name adds another layer to the birth-date profile. The letters of a person’s name are used to explore inner motivation, personality, expression, and the qualities they bring into relationships and everyday life. Explore how her original name Patricia Carroll Cornwell influences her life and personality.
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