Postmortem
- Published
- 1 January 1990
- Pages
- 364
- ISBN-13
- 9780751564242
- Type
- novel
About this book
Postmortem (1990) introduces Kay Scarpetta as Virginia's Chief Medical Examiner and launches Patricia Cornwell's forensic-procedural, a series credited with bringing DNA evidence and autopsy-table detail into crime fiction with a technical seriousness that was startling for its time. It runs 364 pages and sets up the partnership with detective Pete Marino that carries across the whole series.
Key facts about Postmortem
Patricia Cornwell wrote Postmortem, a novel on our list. It has been out since 1 January 1990. The book has 364 pages.
We list 2 editions of this novel. Since each edition has its own ISBN, search for 9780751564242 to find the main one.
Postmortem is book 1 of 29 in the Kay Scarpetta series. The series has 29 published books. As a result, this is the book to start the series with.
Sharp Force is the latest book in the series with a full release date, out on 7 October 2025. Meanwhile, Rapid and Fatal comes next, with an announced date of 19 January 2027.
Additionally, Patricia Cornwell writes Andy Brazil, Win Garano and Captain Chase as separate series. Those series sit on our thriller and techno-thriller shelves. Meanwhile, Sharp Force is the latest published Patricia Cornwell book on file, from 7 October 2025.
About Patricia Cornwell
Patricia Cornwell is credited with essentially inventing the modern forensic thriller. Born in 1956 and educated at Davidson College, she worked as a police reporter at the Charlotte Observer before spending six years as a technical writer and computer analyst inside the Chief Medical Examiner's office in Richmond, Virginia, sitting in on autopsies and absorbing real forensic procedure years before it was standard genre furniture. See every Patricia Cornwell book in order.
Its place in Kay Scarpetta
Postmortem is book 1 in the Kay Scarpetta series. It is followed by Body of Evidence. See the full Kay Scarpetta reading order.
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…
Editions
- edition · unknown publisher · — · ISBN 9788425329838
- edition · unknown publisher · — · ISBN 9780751564242