Patricia Cornwell Scarpetta Books in Order

Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta series follows the brilliant forensic pathologist through decades of gripping crime investigations.

Since Postmortem debuted in 1990, Cornwell has published 28 novels spanning over 35 years, making Scarpetta one of crime fiction’s most enduring characters.

Here’s your complete reading guide.

1. Postmortem (1989)
2. Body of Evidence (1991)
3. All That Remains (1992)
4. Cruel and Unusual (1993)
5. The Body Farm (1994)
6. From Potter’s Field (1995)
7. Cause of Death (1996)
8. Unnatural Exposure (1997)
9. Point of Origin (1998)
10. Black Notice (1999)
11. The Last Precinct (2000)
12. Blow Fly (2003)
13. Trace (2004)
14. Predator (2005)
15. Book of the Dead (2007)
16. Scarpetta (2008)
17. The Scarpetta Factor (2009)
18. Port Mortuary (2010)
19. Red Mist (2011)
20. The Bone Bed (2012)
21. Dust (2013)
22. Flesh and Blood (2014)
23. Depraved Heart (2015)
24. Chaos (2016)
25. Autopsy (2021)
26. Livid (2022)
27. Unnatural Death (2023)
28. Identity Unknown (2024)
29. Sharp Force (2025)

Additional Works

Beyond the main series, Cornwell released Scarpetta’s Winter Table (1998), a unique companion piece blending fiction with culinary content. 

This novella fits into the timeline following Point of Origin.