The Peri Reed Chronicles
science fiction thriller
Series · techno-thriller
Captain Chase
The Captain Chase series by Patricia Cornwell has 2 known books (2 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Quantum (2019). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is Spin.
- Books
- 2 known books (2 novels)
- Published
- 2
- First published
- 2019
- Status
- ongoing
- Shelved under
- Thriller, Science Fiction
- Last checked
Start here: Quantum (2019) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Quantum
Quantum, published in October 2019, opens Patricia Cornwell's Captain Chase series at 354 pages, entangling NASA astronaut-in-training Calli Chase in a suspicious death that implicates her identical twin sister, Carme, just as Calli prepares for a mission that could make her the youngest person to fly to the moon.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Quantum - Book 2:
Spin
Spin followed in January 2021 at a much longer 566 pages, continuing the fallout from Quantum's conspiracy directly and closing out a series entirely separate from Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta, Andy Brazil, and Win Garano books.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Spin
About the Captain Chase series
Calli Chase is a NASA astronaut-in-training, quantum physicist and cybercrime investigator working out of a Virginia space center on the edge of a launch that could make her the youngest person to fly to the moon. In Quantum (2019), preparing for that mission collides with a suspicious death that looks like suicide but implicates Calli's identical twin sister, Carme, and a sabotage plot that could ground the launch and end more than one career. Spin (2021) escalates the stakes into a wider conspiracy, pulling Calli back into cybercrime investigation as she races to stop a threat aimed squarely at the space program she's trying to join.
Patricia Cornwell moves away from Kay Scarpetta's autopsy table into a younger, tech-forward techno-thriller register here: cybersecurity, quantum computing and spaceflight replace forensic pathology as the genre furniture, though Cornwell's interest in institutional pressure and high-stakes competence under scrutiny carries over intact. Cornwell has said in interviews she'd like to continue Calli Chase's story, but no third book has been announced since Spin.
Frequently asked questions
How many Captain Chase books are there?
Two so far: Quantum (2019) and Spin (2021). Patricia Cornwell has expressed interest in continuing the series, but no third book is currently announced.
What order should I read Captain Chase in?
Publication order: Quantum, then Spin, which continues directly from the first book.
Is Captain Chase connected to Kay Scarpetta?
No. It's a separate Patricia Cornwell series with its own cast, focused on spaceflight and cybercrime rather than forensic pathology.
Is the Captain Chase series finished?
Not confirmed either way. Two books have been published and Cornwell has said she'd like to write more, but no third installment has been announced as of August 2026.
If you like the Captain Chase series
Reading order last verified .