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thriller
Series · thriller
Kay Scarpetta
The Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell has 29 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Postmortem (1990). The next book, Rapid and Fatal, is due 19 January 2027.
- Books
- 29 books
- First published
- 1990
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: Postmortem (1990) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Postmortem
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Postmortem - Book 2:
Body of Evidence
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Body of Evidence - Book 3:
All That Remains
Alternative text for cover: Cover of All That Remains - Book 4:
Cruel and Unusual
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Cruel and Unusual - Book 5:
The Body Farm
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Body Farm - Book 6:
From Potter's Field
Alternative text for cover: Cover of From Potter's Field - Book 7:
Cause of Death
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Cause of Death - Book 8:
Unnatural Exposure
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Unnatural Exposure - Book 9:
Point of Origin
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Point of Origin - Book 10:
Black Notice
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Black Notice - Book 11:
The Last Precinct
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Last Precinct - Book 12:
Blow Fly
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Blow Fly - Book 13:
Trace
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Trace - Book 14:
Predator
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Predator - Book 15:
Book of the Dead
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Book of the Dead - Book 16:
Scarpetta
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Scarpetta - Book 17:
The Scarpetta Factor
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Scarpetta Factor - Book 18:
Port Mortuary
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Port Mortuary - Book 19:
Red Mist
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Red Mist - Book 20:
The Bone Bed
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Bone Bed - Book 21:
Dust
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dust - Book 22:
Flesh and Blood
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Flesh and Blood - Book 23:
Depraved Heart
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Depraved Heart - Book 24:
Chaos
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Chaos - Book 25:
Autopsy
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Autopsy - Book 26:
Livid
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Livid - Book 27:
Unnatural Death
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Unnatural Death - Book 28:
Identity Unknown
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Identity Unknown - Book 29:
Sharp Force
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Sharp Force
About the Kay Scarpetta series
Kay Scarpetta is the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia (and, later, a federal forensic investigator and private consultant) whose autopsy table is where every case really begins. Patricia Cornwell's series is credited with popularising the modern forensic-procedural: DNA evidence, trace analysis and autopsy detail that were startlingly technical for genre fiction in 1990 and remain a core selling point today. Scarpetta investigates alongside her homicide-detective niece-in-all-but-name-later-partner Pete Marino and her computer-prodigy niece Lucy, whose own arc — from teenage hacker to helicopter-flying federal agent — runs the full length of the series.
The books balance cold procedural detail with a genuinely dangerous recurring antagonist thread (most notoriously the serial killer plotline that dominates the first decade) and, in the 2020s revival, pivot toward higher-tech, higher-stakes conspiracies involving artificial intelligence and government surveillance. It's for readers who want their crime fiction technically credible and unsqueamish about the mortuary, told by a writer who worked in a real medical examiner's office before turning to fiction.
Frequently asked questions
How many Kay Scarpetta books are there?
There are 29 novels as of Sharp Force (2025), starting with Postmortem in 1990. Patricia Cornwell has said a 30th is already finished and due out in the future, though it isn't titled or dated yet.
What order should I read the Kay Scarpetta books in?
Publication order, from Postmortem onward. Scarpetta's career, family relationships and several major antagonist arcs build continuously across the series.
Is there a good place to jump into the Scarpetta series partway through?
Autopsy (2021) works reasonably well as a second entry point — it reintroduces the whole cast after Cornwell's five-year gap and modernised the series' technology and tone.
What is the next Kay Scarpetta book?
Rapid and Fatal, the 30th novel, is scheduled for January 19, 2027.
Are the Andy Brazil and Win Garano books part of the Scarpetta series?
No. Both are separate Patricia Cornwell series with different lead characters and continuities, even though Win Garano's books share some minor connective tissue with the Scarpetta world. Cornwell's Captain Chase techno-thriller duology is likewise unconnected.
If you like the Kay Scarpetta series
Reading order last verified .