My rating:

add to my books

Red Mist (Kay Scarpetta #19)

by Patricia Cornwell

3.58 · rating details · 1,614 ratings · 353 reviews

The new Kay Scarpetta novel from the world's #1 bestselling crime writer.

Determined to find out what happened to her former deputy chief, Jack Fielding, murdered six months earlier, Kay Scarpetta travels to the Georgia Prison for Women, where an inmate has information not only on Fielding, but also on a string of grisly killings. The murder of an Atlanta family years a

...more

Hardcover, 512 pages

Published December 6th 2011 by Putnam Adult (first published 2011)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Best Mystery/Thriller/Suspense Novels Of 2011

54th out of 228 books — 613 voters

2012: What the Over 35s Have Read So Far

58th out of 424 books — 80 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 4,174)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Dec 05, 2011

Chris Wolak rated it

Shelves: mystery-thriller

Red Mist is another strong entry in the Scarpetta Series. In some ways I liked it more than last year’s Port Mortuary because the action is more consistent throughout. In Port Mortuary there was a lot of Scarpetta sitting around thinking and being paranoid. In Red Mist Scarpetta is on the move in Savannah, Georgia. She's not on her own turf, doesn't have the trappings of her power base, and isn't in charge. She's also gone to Georgia against the advice of her FBI profiler husband, Benton, and ot...moreRed Mist is another strong entry in the Scarpetta Series. In some ways I liked it more than last year’s Port Mortuary because the action is more consistent throughout. In Port Mortuary there was a lot of Scarpetta sitting around thinking and being paranoid. In Red Mist Scarpetta is on the move in Savannah, Georgia. She's not on her own turf, doesn't have the trappings of her power base, and isn't in charge. She's also gone to Georgia against the advice of her FBI profiler husband, Benton, and others. So there’s much more action. However, Scarpetta being who she is, there's still a lot of paranoia. From the get-go nothing is going right for Scarpetta. The car she rented wasn't available and she finds herself driving a smelly old van to the Georgia Prison for Women where she's to meet with one of the inmates.

The issue of manipulation is set up early in this novel. When we first see the warden she's re-shelving a book about manipulation, Kathleen, the prisoner Scarpetta visists, is a compulsive manipulator, and Jamie Berger’s manipulation of other people’s egos for her own purposes is duly noted. In contrast, Scarpetta is blunt and honest, but the manipulation, both subtle and blatant, converges to put her pre-disposition to paranoia into overdrive.

Red Mist starts on June 30th and ends on July 4th. Scarpetta is going to visit Kathleen, the mother of Dawn Kincaid. Dawn is the woman who tried to kill Scarpetta in Port Mortuary. Kathleen is the woman who sexually abused Cornwell's long-time employee Jack Fielding when he was underage. Dawn Kincaid, we learned in Port Mortuary, is actually the child of Kathleen and Jack.

Scarpetta's meeting with the warden is weird, the meeting with Kathleen is weird, and then Scarpetta unexpectedly meets with Jamie Berger. Berger, Cornwell fans know, is a high powered New York City DA and Scarpetta's niece Lucy’s former lover. Marino is in the picture, of course, and eventually Benton and Lucy join the fray as well.

People start dying. A major character among them. An old case is re-opened and Scarpetta finds herself embroiled in a mess created by several other women. There's some good "old fashioned" forensic investigative work in this novel. The final scene at the house I thought was a little too quick and neat, but otherwise this was a satisfying read.

As usual Cornwell slips in some helpful medical/health advice. Did you know that menthol in throat lozenges actually causes temporary loss of vocal cord functioning? You’re better off finding some slippery elm throat lozenges which are all natural and have no menthol.

I know a few people who were fans of Cornwell's earlier novels that stopped reading the series. They've asked me if I think the series has gone down hill. I do think that Cornwell went through a bit of a slump of some kind, but the last three books seem to be getting the series back on track. For some readers I've wondered if they just got tired of Scarpetta because she's a strong, but deeply flawed character and Cornwell seems to be trying to explore those flaws. Or did Cornwell's move away from first person narration distance early readers? (Note: She is back to first person narration.) I stopped reading the series for a few years but then went back to it because I enjoy the characters even if I don't always like what Cornwell does with them. I took a break from the series because I got dismayed by the cruelty, inhumanity, and terror Cornwell was exploring through the perspective of the serial killers and their victims. Now, however, she's back to focusing on Scarpetta's perspective and I much prefer that. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for Scarpetta and her crew.

Cornwell revamped her website to coincide with the release of Red Mist: http://www.patriciacornwell.com/

Disclosure: I read a pre-publication edition of Red Mist that I requested from the publisher.(less)

like 6 likes

· see review

Jan 04, 2012

Teresa Crawford rated it

· review of another edition

I've been a big fan of Patricia Cornwells from the beginning and I usually find her books quite easy to read since I really like the characters and the story seem to flow easily.

Unfortunately I felt that this book made myself ask over and over again "do people really ramble on to themselves like Scarpetta did in this book"? I've always thought that Marino was the most realistic character in the Scarpetta series, and I felt as if his character was pushed aside somewhat i...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Feb 19, 2012

Bonnie E. rated it

I've read several of the Scarpetta books although it had been awhile since the last time I'd picked one up. I read the other book reviews after I finished Red Mist and I am surprised at how negative many of them are. I enjoyed this book. It's unusual in the sense that most of the main characters (protagonists and antagonists) are female. Scarpetta's main support network (Lucy, Benton and Marino) are not developed nearly as much, so there is a real advantage to having read Scarpetta beforehand, ...more

· see review

Feb 16, 2012

Joy rated it

This was one of the better Scarpetta books because it had a good ending, and it was set largely in the Savannah area. All the usual characters are there -- Benton, Lucy, Marino. A lot of the story is set in a women's prison, so there were disturbing details as that depressing life was shown. Also, the legal system has it's flaws. "Victims have no rights while they're being victimized and few rights during the slow, tedious grind of the criminal justice process. The injuries don't heal but c...more

· see review

Feb 12, 2012

Amanda rated it

This one confused me. I had to check it out from the library twice with a gap in between but as I started it I was pretty excited that this seemed like it was going to be a great Scarpetta book. I used to really love this series but it just seemed to veer off track somewhere and I no longer buy the books.

I think this turned in to an okay Scarpetta book. Good but I'll honestly probably forget the plot within a month. This one is basically a continuation of the last book, where all sorts...more

like 1 like

· see review

Feb 04, 2012

Patricia rated it

· review of another edition

Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell

Kay Scarpetta is head of the Cambridge Forensic Center in Massachusetts; her deputy chief Jack Fielding was murdered. She believes his murder is linked with several other gruesome murders, current ones and some years ago.

Against all advice Kay goes to meet with a convicted sex offender who is the mother of the woman imprisoned for the murder of Jack Fielding. She wants to know more about this woman and her daughter and their relationships w...more

· see review

Dec 21, 2011

Randall Farmer rated it

Shelves: mystery

Red Mist is book 19 of the Scarpetta novels (where has the time gone!), and that I'm perfectly capable of enjoying book 19 of a series says more about me (get those knuckles off the ground, stand up straight when you walk on your hind legs) than the book. The book is easy to read, the characters reveal little new of themselves (despite the Scarpetta's endlessly introspective nature), the growing tension wonderful, the red herring factor and perp identity surprise just about perfect for this typ...more

· see review

Dec 13, 2011

Christine Wright rated it

Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell is a roller coaster ride that will keep the reader guessing until the very end. It is the sequel to Port Mortuary in that it answers all the questions that remained with the reader. From the very first page the reader becomes “one” with the thoughts & actions taken by the lead character Dr. Kay Scarpetta. I found myself taking on the emotions and fears of this character. The reader begins to question the motives of those who had been allies to Dr. Scarpetta i...more

· see review

Dec 02, 2011

Melinda Elizabeth rated it

I want to love each book that Cornwell puts out. And I notice a trend that she's gone back to the good ol' days of first person storytelling, which can work for or against her, depending on the interest in the novel. Unfortunately I felt that this one was a little too talky and not enough on the action front to keep readers interested. Secondary characters like Marino, Benton, and Lucy have all taken a back seat to Scarpetta's stream of consciousness monologues, which are lengthy and overdone th...more

like 11 likes

· see review

Jan 27, 2012

Bryan Higgs rated it

Shelves: mystery-thriller

I used to like Patricia Cornwell, in her early books. Then, she began to deteriorate. Blow Fly was the one that turned me off completely. It gave the strong impression that she got to the point where the publisher said "Submit it!", and she stopped writing and closed it down, without regard to whether it made sense. I hated it.

I just tried to read this one, one of her latest. I got a little more than 1/3 the way through, and didn't have the patience to continue. The writi...more

· see review

Dec 30, 2011

Charity Kountz rated it

I have been a longtime fan of Patricia Cornwell's work, particularly her heroine Kay Scarpetta. The series depicted her as a strong, capable, confident, and committed to a work few people would be willing to do. Her commitment was admirable. However, in this book, this characterization has begun to unravel at the seams.

For some reason I cannot quite understand, Cornwell has changed Scarpetta from a focused scientist to a self-absorbed, unconfident, vindictive and paranoid character who...more

like 4 likes

· see review

Jan 21, 2012

Judy rated it

I've read every book in Cornwell's Scarpetta series and lately I've been wondering why I keep doing it. It's like she hates her characters or something. There's annoying spoiled Lucy who has a permanent chip on her shoulder. Holier than thou Benton who does no wrong. Poor pitiful Pete who will always be hung up on some strong female character, mostly Kay, though Red Mist he was all hung up on Lucy's ex Jamie (what the hell is up with her?) Why can't he ever get over Kay and move on and grow ...more

· see review

Dec 20, 2011

Karen Brooks rated it

I really enjoy Cornwall's Scarpetta books, and this is no exception. The plot is excellent, the familiar characters make a reappearance and the science of murder and death is rendered well. Nonetheless, I found I didn't become as immersed in this tale in quite the way I had the others. Commencing only months after the last book ends with Kay saved from the psychopathic intentions of Dawn Kincaid, Red Mist finds Kay lured to the southern states of the USA, on a mission that she is neither comfort...more

· see review

Dec 31, 2011

Jason Henderson rated it

I have come to realize that I keep reading Kay Scarpetta novels-- and I always will-- is the same reason that these are no longer amazing procedural mysteries. Oh, they *were* back when the series started; they were excellent genre mysteries about an embattled medical examiner solving crimes. Now they're a soap opera. You read them to find out what is going through the mind of the main character and the supporting characters. The murders are really a MacGuffin. They must be-- Cornwell spends nea...more

like 1 like

· see review

Feb 13, 2012

Marca rated it

Red Mist is a continuation of Port Mortuary. Kay Scarpetta is on a quest to discover more about what happened to her former deputy chief Jack Fielding. As with Port Mortuary, there are references to a sinister plot against Scarpetta that every character except Kay (and the reader) seem to know about. The plot, when in evidence, is pretty good and kept my attention. However, one has to wade through hours/pages of blah, blah, blah of Kay ruminating ad nauseum about every little thing that in h...more

· see review

Feb 18, 2012

Lesbianfunworld Online rated it

I enjoyed this, but it reminds me of how hard it is to rate books. I mean, a good book is good, and most books are good. Sure I read bad books, but usually they're good. This is good. Is this a good review? Probably not.

So, Red Mist is good, but it isn't a "telling my wife all about it even though she didn't ask" book. Those are actually really rare (**"for which I am eternally grateful" - the wife**). I did tell her about it when she asked, because, you know, she's...more

· see review

Dec 08, 2011

Sarah (The Brazen Bookworm) rated it

Shelves: audio, mystery, police-legal-thriller

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

· see review

Dec 15, 2011

Leslie rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: thriller, crime, audiobook

I'm an old fan of the Kay Scarpetta novels having read the earlier books and enjoyed them immensely. When I was offered the opportunity to review the audio version of the newest release I agreed and looked forward to getting reacquainted with an old friend, so to speak.

The story opens with Kay Scarpetta traveling to the Georgia Prison for Women for an interview with an inmate who has information on the murder Jack Fielding, Scarpetta's former deputy chief. But this is just a ruse; t...moreI'm an old fan of the Kay Scarpetta novels having read the earlier books and enjoyed them immensely. When I was offered the opportunity to review the audio version of the newest release I agreed and looked forward to getting reacquainted with an old friend, so to speak.

The story opens with Kay Scarpetta traveling to the Georgia Prison for Women for an interview with an inmate who has information on the murder Jack Fielding, Scarpetta's former deputy chief. But this is just a ruse; the prisoner slips her a note to meet with Jamie Berger, a NY District Attorney familiar to Kay. Scarpetta knows she is being manipulated but she doesn't know why and agrees to meet with Jamie. And then people start to die.

What I realized as I got further into the story was that this book picked up where the previous book, Port Mortuary, left off and that I missed a lot of changes in Scarpetta's character over the last half of the series. She now appears to be angry and even paranoid. In the previous book someone tried to kill her; I suppose that would make her paranoid.

The novel is written from the perspective of Scarpetta. It does get detailed and at times technical but not so much that the reader will get lost. She throws in interesting facts about forensic science which I find fascinating. Although I didn't read the previous book it was not a problem in following the plot. Patricia Cornwell gives us the background information we need which is why I still find her to be one of the best crime fiction writers. It took me an hour or two of listening and then the story began to take off.

The story was satisfying and had a few unanticipated twists that made for a good conclusion and one I didn't see coming. The ending did wrap up quickly but we got our answers; mystery solved. You could jump into the series at this point with book #19 and enjoy it. Of course you would be missing a lot of the background and character development but you can always go back and read the earlier novels for that, which is what I intend to do now because I realize how much I enjoyed this series.

The narrator was Kate Burton and this was my first time listening to her read. I found her believable, if a bit monotone, as Scarpetta. Her change in accent made it clear when she switched to a different character or even gender. One of the ways I judge how good the audio is is by how many days it takes me to listen. I finished this one in 4 days, which is fast. Recommended for Scarpetta fans and those who like forensic science mysteries.(less)

· see review

Dec 16, 2011

Jennie rated it

Shelves: fiction, i-own, read-in-2011, read-in-december

This is my favorite Scarpetta book in the last few years. I finally feel like the feelings from the first handful of books is coming back. The story involved Scarpetta, but also involved things much bigger than her, which I loved. It had felt to me that the past few books were all about Scarpetta, with very little about the cases. That’s what I missed most – her investigating the cases that don’t necessarily have to do directly with her. I wanted the Medical Examiner storyline back and while it’...more

· see review

Dec 18, 2011

Michelle rated it

I gave this two stars which I think is kind of generous, but it's not as awful as the last in the series, Port Mortuary. That was so bad. I keep waiting for two things to happen in this series; for the annoying "friend" Marino to stroke out and for the niece to finally just go over the edge and get into a shootout and die. Since Cornwell has been integrating those two characters more and more into the plotlines the books have gone downhill. They're the least likable characters in t...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Jan 16, 2012

Kia rated it

Shelves: crime-murder

I have read and currently own all books in the Scarpetta series.

Patricia Cornwell is very much back on form with this book. Kay Scarpetta is getting back to being her normal self at last, after things seemed to go "off the rails" somewhat around "The Last Precinct".

Cornwell said (of Kay Scarpetta) in an interview with The Daily Beast “I like her better now. In the first decade she was almost unrelentingly serious and had a difficult time with relations...more

· see review

Jan 01, 2012

Janny rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: crimezone-leesclub, dutch-reading, read-2011

Rood Waas werd me toegezonden door Uitgeverij Sijthoff. Ik was een van de gelukkigen die het boek mochten lezen voor de Crimezone Buzzz-club. De kreten op de achterflap zijn niet gering. Op nu.nl "De echte Scarpetta" is terug, de Volkskrant "Cornwell excelleert als ze de menselijke geest ontrafelt", het AD "Eenzame topklasse". Deze uitlatingen in combinatie met het plezier en de spanning waarmee ik eerdere Scarpetta-romans van Cornwell heb gelezen, zorgden er voor d...moreRood Waas werd me toegezonden door Uitgeverij Sijthoff. Ik was een van de gelukkigen die het boek mochten lezen voor de Crimezone Buzzz-club. De kreten op de achterflap zijn niet gering. Op nu.nl "De echte Scarpetta" is terug, de Volkskrant "Cornwell excelleert als ze de menselijke geest ontrafelt", het AD "Eenzame topklasse". Deze uitlatingen in combinatie met het plezier en de spanning waarmee ik eerdere Scarpetta-romans van Cornwell heb gelezen, zorgden er voor dat ik met hoog gespannen verwachtingen aan het boek ben begonnen.

Kay Scarpetta gaat op bezoek bij Kathleen Lawler, in de extra beveiligde afdeling van Georgia Prison for Women. Kathleen Lawler zit een straf van 20 jaar uit omdat ze iemand heeft doodgereden terwijl ze dronken achter het stuur zat. Vreemd genoeg gaat Kay niet op eigen initiatief op bezoek, het is Kathleen die haar heeft uitgenodigd. Kay besluit op het verzoek in te gaan omdat ze meer wil weten over de moord op Jack Fielding, een van haar collega's. Jack lijkt te zijn doodgeschoten door Dawn Kincaid, de dochter van hem en Kathleen.

Het werd een tegenvaller. Tot hoofdstuk 15 was het verhaal vooral chaotisch, moeilijk te volgen en helemaal niet boeiend. Het kabbelt allemaal een beetje voort, beschrijvingen van de omgeving en planten voeren de boventoon. In principe lees ik een boek altijd uit en als je een boek krijgt toegestuurd voor een recensie dan is er een extra reden om het boek uit te lezen maar het heeft wel moeite gekost. Gelukkig wordt het verhaal na hoofdstuk 15 spannender, iets minder chaotisch en er lijkt naar een plot te worden toegewerkt. De lezer wordt meer meegenomen in het verhaal en de komst van Lucy en Benton helpen het verhaal meer spanning te geven. Uiteindelijk is de plot wel erg simpel. Persoonlijk vind ik het altijd aardig als ik door goed lezen en nadenken, zelf had kunnen bedenken hoe de vork in de steel zit. Dat zal geen enkele lezer lukken omdat Kay uiteindelijk meer weet dan de lezer. Jammer.

Tot slot de personages. Het mag dan al even geleden zijn dat ik de laatste Scarpetta-roman heb dichtgeslagen, de Kay en Marino van toen herkende ik niet. Vlakke personen, weinig karakter en slecht uitgewerkt. De lezer die nooit eerder een Scarpetta-roman van Cornwell las, zal zich zeker afvragen wat de populariteit van deze romanfiguur toch kan hebben veroorzaakt. Ook de beperkte rol van zowel Benton als Lucy vond ik een gemis. Misschien moet Cornwell eens denken aan een spin-off waar Benton en Lucy het verhaal dragen.(less)

· see review

Jan 08, 2012

Maura rated it

This one took forever to get started - I was 200 pages in before things really started to happen. There's so much detail of every little thing Kay thinks and does; it's as though someone is describing a movie to you and telling you even the tiniest movement that every person makes. It gets boring.

The book begins with Kay Scarpetta, a medical examiner, getting involved against her will in an effort to prove the innocence of a woman on death-row in Georgia. There are all sorts of per...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Feb 05, 2012

Jeane rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: planned-2012

The joy of reading the latest Patricia Cornwell book and it being a Scarpetta story is a joy I wouldn't pass for may things. I loved being absorbed in it, but unfortunately the joy of it lasted only a day and a half and now I am again without it, hoping a next book will give me the same feeling.
This story is standing on its own like all of he stories but has its link to the pevious Scarpetta, in which her colleague Jack Fielding was a central part of the story and Scarpetta herself wasn't ...more

· see review

Feb 10, 2012

Roni rated it

I'm a great fan of Scarpetta novels and have thoroughly enjoyed every one of them....but this one didn't hold my interest like the others have. I didn't like the fact the author spent too much of the book talking about the egotistical Kay Scarpetta who seems to revel in her self importance. Then there is Benton, the doormat and Lucy...poor, poor Lucy who is the lost girl.

They story didn't start to get interesting until about 3/4 of the way through the book, which was frustrating fo...more

· see review

Dec 14, 2011

Lisa C. Morgan rated it

I finished Red Mist last night, and as a long time fan of Patricia Cornwell's "Kay Scarpetta" series, #19 did not disappoint!

(my apologies...I try to keep my reviews as spoiler free as possible. This review may seem bland because of that.)

Red Mist begins pretty much where Port Mortuary leaves off. Kay is traveling to the GPFW to visit an inmate and is lured in to see a former NYC assistant DA as that DA is now working to free an inmate she feels has been wrongly...more

· see review

Jan 13, 2012

Carolyn rated it

This was my first Patricia Cornwell read, which left me at a distinct disadvantage seeing as "Red Mist" is the 19th book in her Kay Scarpetta series. However, the author provided just enough back story to let me know what was going on and, more importantly, to make me want to go back to the beginning and read the series!
The plotline was tense and fast-paced, and Cornwell does a nice job of verbally illustrating the city of Savannah, where the story takes place. I felt as though s...more

· see review

Jan 08, 2012

False Millennium rated it

Fractionally better than the last one. Scarpetta isn't ragging around as much, but she is totally OCD'ing on food contamination. You want to read the book with double disposable gloves and Clorox wipes.

Scarpetta isn't raging...as much...but her little cabal continues to nip away and have hidden hostilities which still errupt. Kay is pissed at Marino who is pissed at her while Lucy remains angry at everyone and Benton goes on a slow burn. Luckily heat is a herring in this book so ...more

like 1 like

· see review

Jan 21, 2012

Elizabeth C L rated it

I used to love the Scarpetta novels, but the last few books drag on. The last few chapters were the most exciting part of the book, which was good because I was eager to finish.
I agree with other reviewers, there are too many monologues about Scarpetta's thoughts and her brilliance to solve a crime that a whole community of police officers, detectives and the medical examiner's office didn't care to research.
I have become bored with everyone being the absolute best in their field and...more

· see review

Jan 07, 2012

Pierre Rooyen rated it

This is the second Cornwell novel that has disappointed me. My crit is overwriting, padding and stalling to progress the story.

A meeting and conversation with a prison inmate occupies the first 15% of the novel. Then unbelievably, a meeting with a colleague takes up the next 15%. By now, I'm bored. By the time I plod through 50% I want out.

One becomes lost in soliloquy, the mind of the narrator wondering on for ever. The characters are there to drive the story, but one b...more

like 2 likes

· see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 139 140 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Description of new novel Red Mist.	3	31	Jan 27, 2012 12:14pm

combine
Other Editions (11)

More editions...

Genres

Mystery

46 users

Thriller

15 users

Mystery > Crime

14 users

Thriller > Mystery Thriller

8 users

Suspense

5 users

Adult Fiction

2 users

Mystery > Detective

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers Also Enjoyed

Kill Alex Cross
by James Patterson
Flash and Bones
by Kathy Reichs
Down the Darkest Road
by Tami Hoag
The Drop
by Michael Connelly
The Silent Girl: A Novel
by Tess Gerritsen

About Patricia Cornwell

Patricia Cornwell was born on June 9, 1956, in Miami, Florida, and grew up in Montreat, North Carolina.

Following graduation from Davidson College in 1979, she began working at the Charlotte Observer, rapidly advancing from listing television programs to writing feature articles to covering the police beat. She won an investigative reporting award from the North Carolina Pre...morePatricia Cornwell was born on June 9, 1956, in Miami, Florida, and grew up in Montreat, North Carolina.

Following graduation from Davidson College in 1979, she began working at the Charlotte Observer, rapidly advancing from listing television programs to writing feature articles to covering the police beat. She won an investigative reporting award from the North Carolina Press Association for a series of articles on prostitution and crime in downtown Charlotte.

Her award-winning biography of Ruth Bell Graham, A Time for Remembering, was published in 1983. From 1984 to 1990, she worked as a technical writer and a computer analyst at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia.

Cornwell’s first crime novel, Postmortem, was published by Scribner’s in 1990. Initially rejected by seven major publishing houses, it became the first novel to win the Edgar, Creasey, Anthony, and Macavity Awards as well as the French Prix du Roman d’Aventure in a single year. In Postmortem, Cornwell introduced Dr. Kay Scarpetta as the intrepid Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 1999, Dr. Scarpetta herself won the Sherlock Award for best detective created by an American author.

Following the success of her first novel, Cornwell has written a series of bestsellers featuring Kay Scarpetta, her detective sidekick Pete Marino and her brilliant and unpredictable niece, Lucy Farinelli, including: Body of Evidence (1991); All That Remains (1992); Cruel and Unusual (1993), which won Britain’s prestigious Gold Dagger Award for the year’s best crime novel; The Body Farm (1994); From Potter’s Field (1995); Cause of Death (1996); Unnatural Exposure (1997); Point of Origin (1998); Black Notice (1999); The Last Precinct (2000); Blow Fly (2003); Trace (2004); Predator (2005); Book of the Dead (2007), which won the 2008 Galaxy British

Book Awards’ Books Direct Crime Thriller of the Year, making Cornwell the first American ever to win this award; Scarpetta (2008); The Scarpetta Factor (2009); and Port Mortuary (2010). In 2011 Cornwell was awarded the Medal of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters, one of France’s most prestigious awards to honor those who have distinguished themselves in the domains of art or literature, or by their contribution to the development of culture in France and throughout the world.

In addition to the Scarpetta novels, she has written three best-selling books featuring Andy Brazil: Hornet’s Nest (1996), Southern Cross (1998) and Isle of Dogs (2001); two cook books: Scarpetta’s Winter Table (1998) and Food to Die For (2001); and a children’s book: Life’s Little Fable (1999). In 1997, Cornwell updated A Time for Remembering, which was reissued as Ruth, A Portrait: The Story of Ruth Bell Graham. Intrigued by Scotland Yard’s John Grieve’s observation that no one had ever tried to use modern forensic evidence to solve the murders committed by Jack the Ripper, Cornwell began her own investigation of the serial killer’s crimes. In Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper—Case Closed (2002), she narrates her discovery of compelling evidence to indict the famous artist Walter Sickert as the Ripper.

In January 2006, the New York Times Magazine began a 15-week serialization of At Risk, featuring Massachusetts State Police investigator Win Garano and his boss, district attorney Monique Lamont. Its sequel, The Front, was serialized in the London Times in the spring of 2008. Both novellas were subsequently published as books and promptly optioned for adaptation by Lifetime Television Network, starring Daniel Sunjata and Andie MacDowell. The films made their debut in April 2010.

In April 2009, Fox acquired the film rights to the Scarpetta novels, featuring Angelina Jolie as Dr. Kay Scarpetta. Cornwell herself wrote and co-produced the movie ATF for ABC.

Often interviewed on national television as a forensic consultant, Cornwell is (less)

More about Patricia Cornwell...

Books by Patricia Cornwell

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Pin It

Trivia About Red Mist

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Red Mist

“You have to live where you wake up, even if someone else dreamed you there.” — 1 person liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Red Mist
avg rating	preview: Red Mist Goodreads rating: 3.58 (1614 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11057626-red-mist?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328002409m/11057626.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11057626-red-mist?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell[/url]

Red Mist (Kay Scarpetta #19)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Readers Also Enjoyed

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website