Patricia Cornwell is an American crime writer best 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. She sold her first novel, “Postmortem,” while working at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia. Her books have sold more than 100 million copies. Her new book “Livid: A Scarpetta Novel” is the 26^th in the series and will be released on October 25, 2022. In “Livid: A Scarpetta Novel,” chief medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta finds herself a reluctant star witness in a sensational televised murder trial causing chaos in Old Town Alexandria with the threat of violent protests. (Amazon, 2022)

“Livid: A Scarpetta Novel” – While in the middle of a murder trial, Kay Scarpetta receives shocking news. The judge’s sister has been found dead. At first glance, it appears to be a home invasion, but then why was nothing stolen, and why is the garden strewn with dead plants and insects? Although there is no apparent cause of death, Scarpetta recognizes telltale signs of the unthinkable, and she knows the worst is yet to come. The forensic pathologist finds herself pitted against a powerful force that returns her to the past, and her time to catch the killer is running out.