A farmhouse destroyed by fire. A body amongst the ruins. Dr Kay Scarpetta, Chief Medical Examiner and consulting pathologist for the federal law enforcement agency ATF, is called out to a farmhouse in Virginia which has been destroyed by fire. In the ruins of the house she finds a body which tells a story of a violent and grisly murder. The fire has come at the same time as another, even more incendiary horror: Carrie Grethen, a killer who nearly destroyed the lives of Scarpetta and those closest to her, has escaped from a forensic psychiatric hospital. Her whereabouts is unknown, but her ultimate destination is not, for Carrie has begun to communicate with Scarpetta, conveying her deadly - if cryptic - plans for revenge. Chillingly mesmeric in tone, labyrinthine in structure, POINT OF ORIGIN is Patricia Cornwell at her most dazzling.
Patricia Cornwell was born on June 9, 1956, in Miami, Florida, and grew up in Montreat, North Carolina. After college she embarked on a career in journalism, where she excelled. She was promoted quickly and won awards for her work. Her first book, a biography of Mrs Billy Graham, was published in 1983, followed by her first novel in 1990, Postmortem. She had spent the intervening years working as a writer and analyst for the Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia. As so often happens, her first book was rejected by no less than seven major publishers before being picked up, and won several awards.
Cornwell is perhaps best known for her Scarpetta series, featuring Dr Kay Scarpetta. The Scarpetta character is semi-autobiographical in that Patricia and Kay share several facts and traits. The series is said to have influenced television shows such as CSI and Cold Case, and have been praised for their research, depth and style.
Patricia has also become heavily involved in promoting various charities, literacy programs, justice and providing scholarships.
Her books have been translated into 36 different languages in more than fifty countries, making her one of the most popular authors in the world.
People who purchased "Point of Origin by Patricia Cornwell" also purchased...