Patricia Cornwell

Patricia Cornwell
Cornwell in 2016
Cornwell in 2016
BornPatricia Carroll Daniels
(1956-06-09) June 9, 1956 (age 68)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
OccupationNovelist
EducationKing College
Davidson College (BA)
Period1990–present
GenreCrime fiction
Spouse
Charles Cornwell
(m. 1980; div. 1989)
(m. 2006)
Website
www.patriciacornwell.com

Patricia Cornwell (born Patricia Carroll Daniels; June 9, 1956) is an American crime writer. She is known for her best-selling novels featuring medical examiner Kay Scarpetta, of which the first was inspired by a series of sensational murders in Richmond, Virginia, where most of the stories are set. The plots are notable for their emphasis on forensic science, which has influenced later TV treatments of police work. Cornwell has also initiated new research into the Jack the Ripper killings, incriminating the popular British artist Walter Sickert. Her books have sold more than 120 million copies.