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Cruel and Unusual (Kay Scarpetta #4)

by Patricia Cornwell (Goodreads Author)

4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 · rating details · 43,487 ratings · 314 reviews

When convicted killer Ronnie Joe Waddell is executed in Virginia's electric chair, he becomes what should be a routine postmortem case for Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta. But after Waddell's execution, the murders continue, as everyone connected to him begins to die -- including a member of Scarpetta's staff.

Then, when crucial records disappear from her files, S...more

Paperback, 407 pages

Published March 5th 1995 by Avon Books (first published 1993)

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May 06, 2013 Tea Jovanović rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: translated-it, editor-of-serbian-edition

Javno priznajem da sam ja jedini krivac što je ovaj nastavak kasnio... :) Želela sam da ga prevedem a nisam imala vremena da se bavim prevođenjem... :)

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Mar 20, 2008 Maurean rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I’ve recently finished reading Patricia Cornwell’s “Cruel & Unusual”, the 4th installment (but only my second reading) of her Dr. Kay Scarpetta series, and I have to say that I enjoyed it, quite a bit. This was actually my third book by Cornwell, having originally “discovered” her by reading “Isle of the Dogs”; she has an interesting voice and sense of place in her writing, and I find Dr. Scarpetta to be a believable and very sympathetic character. While I haven’t read every installment, I a...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Brandon Cardona rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to admit that I am now hooked on this series by Patricia Cornwell. This is the 4th one in the Scarpetta series, and they all move along really well. However, I do have a small complaint or two with the 4 I have read so far. The first problem? They are sorta "Who-Dunnit" type novels, yet I see no way to guess who the killer actually is, since Cornwell likes to bring the actual killer in to the story in the last 50 pages or so. Prior to that, you don't meet that character. One of the things...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Thom Swennes rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

Another Kate Scarpetta novel (fourth in the series) is Cruel and Unusual by Patricia Cornwell. Kate is again trying to discover who did it by clever forensic and tenacious detective work but soon finds herself suspect of many crimes; possibly even murder. Dr. Kate Scarpetta is the Chief Medical Examiner for the state of Virginia. In addition to this she has a law degree and a nose for finding criminals that prey upon the unsuspecting and innocent. This novel was published in 1993 and the remarka...more

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Jun 15, 2012 J rated it 3 of 5 stars

BEWARE. I DON'T HIDE, OR FEED, MY REVIEWS WHETHER THEY HAVE SPOILERS OR NOT. I JOURNAL FOR MYSELF, NOT YOU.

This is early (no. 4) in the saga of Kay Scarpetta, medical examiner, M.D. and J.D., cook and friend extraordinaire!

Book starts out with the execution of a man on state death row.

But Scarpetta et al. soon have reason to wonder who, exactly, was executed.

Turns out someone's done something nefarious with the fingerprints of the dead inmate (switching the fingerprints of the deceased to someon...more

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May 31, 2012 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

WARNING: If you intend to read this as a part of the Scarpetta series and haven't read the previous three books, you might not want to read this review.

Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta's duties include autopsies of inmates executed by the state of Virginia. Her latest proves to be a little unusual. Then, when other people connected to the case start dying and the fingerprint of the executed man shows up at the scene, Kay's office is called into question. She's trying to solve several murders...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Daniel rated it 2 of 5 stars

Dr. Kay Scarpetta is in it up to her neck this time. A death row inmate, Waddle, is executed, but before his body is even cool, murdered corpses start piling up with Waddle's fingerprints found at the scene of the crime. Next thing you know, people are dropping like flies, some of them close to Dr. Kay, and she is publicly implicated in the deaths.

Cornwell has written a workably entertaining mystery here. The plot is engaging and bubbling with intrigue, and the writing isn't hampered by too much...more Dr. Kay Scarpetta is in it up to her neck this time. A death row inmate, Waddle, is executed, but before his body is even cool, murdered corpses start piling up with Waddle's fingerprints found at the scene of the crime. Next thing you know, people are dropping like flies, some of them close to Dr. Kay, and she is publicly implicated in the deaths.

Cornwell has written a workably entertaining mystery here. The plot is engaging and bubbling with intrigue, and the writing isn't hampered by too much extraneous detail or incidental goings-ons. There is a subplot with Kay's niece, Lucy, that I found a tad ingratiating and annoying, but for anyone reading the Scarpetta mysteries in order, it is an understandable and rather necessary bit of character development.

I do, however, object to Cornwell relegating some of the more serious character development to the back story. I'm talking about the sudden death of Kay's long-time love interest, Mark, (and, to a lesser extent, her decision to quit smoking). These are pretty significant events in Kay's life, and to leave them in the background as part of the story dressing seems at odds with an author who wants us to sympathize with her character.

To that end, some of the story ended up either ringing false to me, or just falling flat. For example, there is much made of Kay's financial secrets, which she refers to in connection with embarassment and rage. When the secrets are finally revealed, I found them to be maudlin and a little silly. It baffled me why Kay would take such pains to keep them hidden.

Furthermore, I respect Cornwell's decision to keep her novels secured solely in the Holmesian realm of mystery solving, but this means that there is very little action in the book, and a lot of key details are discussed and reviewed over and over again by the characters. It makes for repetitive reading. It also means that the actual discovery of the culprit's identity is never as important as the sleuthing that went into discovering that identity.

In other words, if you're looking for closure with this story, you won't get much. Cornwell does a great job of setting up quite a puzzler, and it will keep you guessing. But, much like a magician with an amazing magic trick, once you learn the secret, you're bound to be a little disappointed.(less)

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Dec 27, 2011 Charlynn rated it 3 of 5 stars

There was something slightly off-putting about this fourth novel in the Kay Scarpetta series. While key personal details were skimmed over, trivialized, and told post the actual events in past novels, in Cruel and Unusual, Cornwell killed off an important if not often seen character between books, dropping the news in an offhand manner and never actually dealing with it or its implications for her heroine. Granted, the focus of the series is not on Dr. Scarpetta's personal life, but, when said p...more There was something slightly off-putting about this fourth novel in the Kay Scarpetta series. While key personal details were skimmed over, trivialized, and told post the actual events in past novels, in Cruel and Unusual, Cornwell killed off an important if not often seen character between books, dropping the news in an offhand manner and never actually dealing with it or its implications for her heroine. Granted, the focus of the series is not on Dr. Scarpetta's personal life, but, when said personal life becomes central to both the current case and the lead character's very personality, then the issues which shape Kay as a person need to be explored on a deeper level.

Speaking of Dr. Scarpett'a personal life having an impact upon Cruel and Unusual's cases, this seems to be a pattern for Cornwell: her heroine gets way too involved in her work. Given the nature of her responsibilities, their depth and weight, this is to be expected to a certain degree, but to feature Kay as such an integral part of every single crime – whether she's a potential victim, a victim's friend, or a suspect, by Cornwell using this approach too much, it's going to become staid and predictable. Rather, the plot device should be saved for special books, should be used sporadically, and should be something that is unexpected for readers. At this point, the question is just how is Dr. Scarpetta going to wind up in trouble this time?

Finally, despite multiple murders – some of which hit a little too close to home for Cruel and Unusual's heroine, the novel seemed to move much slower than some of Cornwell's other Scarpetta books. It wasn't really until the last fourth of the book when the pace seemed to pick up, when the suspense seemed to really pull in the reader. Plus, because of the nature of the clues – the hacking, the feathers, the average reader in all likelihood would struggle to follow their trails and could very easily get bogged down in all the technical jargon bandied about. Essentially, this novel wasn't as reader friendly for those who like to attempt to solve the cases right along with Kay. As a result, Cruel and Unusual wasn't as entertaining of a read. While the series' strengths are still there: the varied natures of the homicides, the friendship between Kay and Marino, and the great mix between science and psychology, there were more flaws to be found, the biggest of which is the fact that, at the end of this book, the murderer is still at large and, after more than four hundred pages, nothing feels resolved... whether professional or personal for Dr. Scarpetta.(less)

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Mar 17, 2011 Andy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, library-or-borrowed

I only really read this as I was sick the other day at work and needed some way to keep awake in the evening of my long day with nothing to do. With the small choice available in the staff room it was either that, James Patterson or the Twilight books. Tough choice. I'm very rarely without a book or two on my person so more fool me.

In the interests of disclosure I actually used to read the Scarpetta novels when younger (probably read about the first 6 or 7) but eventually gave up when I realised...more

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Jul 15, 2010 Crystal Starr Light rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, so-boring-it-s-boring

Another test drive into the world of mystery, this book is my first book written by Patricia Cornwall.
Life as a medical examiner isn't easy for Kay Scarpetta, particularly when fingerprints of a man killed in the electric chair appear at the scene of a crime a few days after he was killed. Then, after the death of her assistant, Susan Story, Kay becomes implicated in the crime. Can she discover the true killer before she ends up either in jail or dead herself?

What I Liked:
First off, I enjoyed Co...more Another test drive into the world of mystery, this book is my first book written by Patricia Cornwall.
Life as a medical examiner isn't easy for Kay Scarpetta, particularly when fingerprints of a man killed in the electric chair appear at the scene of a crime a few days after he was killed. Then, after the death of her assistant, Susan Story, Kay becomes implicated in the crime. Can she discover the true killer before she ends up either in jail or dead herself?

What I Liked:
First off, I enjoyed Cornwell's writing style. She writes with intelligence and detail, brining you into the very scene. The autopsies, the attention to detail (particularly in relation to Eddie and Jennifer), the thorough regard for the scenery all made it very easy to transport myself to Virginia with Dr. Scarpetta.
Further, the story was pretty interesting and left you guessing. When I opened the book, I would have had no clue of the outcome, which was surprising (if, in a sense, a little disappointing as well). Several seemingly unrelated people die, but somehow Cornwall is able to tie their deaths in at the very end.
My favorite characters included Benton Wesley, Marino, and, of course, Kay. Benton was an intelligent man, kind and someone Kay could turn to. But he almost held an aristocratic air. Marino, on the other hand, was more down to earth. I enjoyed his arguing with Lucy and how the gruff man ended up coming to Christmas to Kay's after all. Finally, I grew fond of Kay. At first, I found her hard to approach, but then I realized that was her personality anyway. As the story progressed, I felt I got more of a handle on who she was and what she wanted. Further, I enjoyed how she paid attention to detail and thought things through logically.

What I Did Not Like:
Now, this could be due to my taking a month longer than I should have to finish this book, but I felt the story was slow (but not in an obvious "Will this book ever end?" fashion). I was plugging along and realized, "Hm, I'm halfway through and still have no clue how the heck this is going to end". This is not necessarily bad, but I would certainly not classify this book as one of those racing thrillers that keeps you on the edge of your seat every moment.
My biggest complaint has to be the character of Lucy. She is probably the most annoying character in the book. Her selfish, bratty whining made me wish frequently she would go home. Her actual purpose in the book was so small, I have no idea why she was included for most of it! All she did was discover the message left in Kay's computer and that AFIS had been corrupted. I felt that Cornwall was repetitively shoving Lucy away because she was in the way (sending her to ski with Benton's wife, having her left home alone while Kay ran around doing errands, etc.). And I have a hard time believing that a 17 year old could be such a computer brainiac. I think the story would have been much better without her.
Lastly, I felt the ending was rather rushed, the story concluding rather hastily in the last 10 pages or so, almost as if Cornwall was being pushed to get the story done and hurriedly threw the last bits together.

Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Dialogue is relatively tame, considering the genre. A few d***, h***, ba*****, and some wandering appearances of the f-word.
Lucy complains about her mother's promiscuity and asks Kay if her aunt will have an affair. Kay's lover is brought up. Marino goes home with a woman after a Christmas party.
Finally, three people are killed in the course of this book (well, more if you count Waddell, the death row criminal, and his victim). The autopsies describe the injuries, which can make the squeamish squeam. Also an explosion is described in retrospect.

Overall:
My first thought at finishing this is "Ho-hum". "Cruel and Unusual" is not really a bad book. It is well written and fairly interesting. I just felt that parts drug more than they should and really couldn't stand certain nameless (LUCY!) characters. 3 stars. (less)

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Jan 20, 2012 Lindsay Foster rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I am currently reading the entire Scarpetta series in order, and I have to say that this is my favorite so far. There were so many twists and turns in this book that really kept me thinking. I really enjoyed that part of it. There were a couple disappointments in this book. First, I hate that Dr. Scarpetta's lover, Mark, had been killed somewhere in between the last book and this one. Although this is a crime/murder book, I enjoyed the brief moments of romance. Second, although they knew who the...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Samantha rated it 3 of 5 stars

One of the earlier Kay Scarpetta novels. Ronnie Joe Waddell is executed in the electric chair 9 years after he brutally kills a young TV news celebrity. As chief medical examiner for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Kay will receive his remains and document his findings. While she is on standby, she receives a call about a young boy who has been shot and is comatosed, but has odd injuries. She is asked to take a look because of her vast knowledge of such injuries. Things spiral downward after recei...more

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Feb 23, 2012 John rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It may not be Silence of the Lambs or Gorky Park, but still Cruel and Unusual has pretty much everything you could possibly want from a forensic science thriller--minus a really solid ending. This is probably the best Cornwell book I've read so far. She does a great job of allowing her main character, Kay Scarpetta, to do some old-school detective work, and, thankfully, not all the elements of the mystery are solved within the confines of a laboratory. Like in most great detective stories, Scarp...more

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Dec 05, 2010 Janet Miller rated it 4 of 5 stars

When convicted killer Ronnie Joe Waddell is executed in Virginia's electric chair, he becomes what should be a routine postmortem case for Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta. But after Waddell's execution, the murders continue, as everyone connected to him begins to die-including a member of Scarpetta's staff. Then, when crucial records begin to disappear from her files, Scarpetta comes under fire for incompetence. Caught in a web of political intrigue, betrayed by those she trusted, Scarp...more

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May 15, 2013 Gina Rheault rated it 2 of 5 stars

Apparently unrelated crimes, including an execution that doesn't really happen, converge on the Virginia medical examiners office, and lead to strange places, meanwhile plunging the heroine into a public relations debacle of false accusation. I loved the smart women leads: medical examiner Kay, and niece Lucy. Characters are good, but not great, and the writing is okay, but not great, the technical detail delivered tediously, and the pre-denouement seems artless: this happens then that happens,...more

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Nov 06, 2012 LA Carlson rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: crime story junkies

Shelves: fiction

As we move along in this crime series there are beginning to be casualties which are closer to Scarpetta's inner circle. I liked the plot and there's always an unexpected twist near the end. A prisoner on death row convicted of a gruesome murder, a series of new murders with similar traits and professionals who aren't as wholesome as we think they are. As always, there's more development of Scarpetta's niece, detective Marino and Benton Wesley, FBI Profiler. In this novel like the last one there...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Debbie Maskus rated it 3 of 5 stars

Yes, I am on a reading spree of novels by Patricia Cornwell. A relative sent me the whole Cornwell collection, but I will need to read other authors. In this installation, the reader learns that a bomb killed Mark James while he was in London. Christmas and wintry weather has descended upon Richmond, Virginia. A killer goes to the electric chair, but then his fingerprints start appearing at other murder scenes. Kay is suspended from her job, and a hated ex professor must defend her. Lucy, Kay's...more

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Dec 02, 2010 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This has been my favorite so far! Loved this one all the way through....she (Patricia Cornwell) can get a bit too "clinical" for me sometimes...but I forgive her. The only other thing that bugs me...is all the drinking they do...do real people really drink that much? Since I don't drink, well, I drink water and soda and juice, but you know, since I don't drink alcoholic beverages I just wonder if all the drinking they do is "normal".... anyone? I'm looking forward to the next one....I'm LOVING t...more

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Jul 08, 2009 Shawn Byrnes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was a bit skeptical over whether or not I should have picked this book up. This is due to the fact that I hated how the previous one ended. However, I must admit that I was really wrong. This book was great and my new favorite of Cornwell (who I think is the master at this genre) This book was totally creepy, and I loved every page, and the fact that the killer runs at the end, really intrigues me to keep up on these novels. The thing I love about Cornwell, is that she makes getting from point...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Nicol rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries

This is the beginning of a good mystery and hunt, and in this book I was wondering who was dead or alive, who killed who,an who was released or still in prison and generally what the hell was going on, which makes a perfect page turner. But I think the real shocker about this book is that Cornwell just kills off a character in between books and just causally mentions it at the beginning - again making you feel like you must have missed a book somewhere and I am not sure why she did this! If she...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Shruthi Warrier rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the second book of the Dr. Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell that I've read.

I just love the way the story flows, right from the beginning. The plot seems very engaging, and as the case gets more complicated, you tend to involve yourself in solving the puzzle set in front of you.

However, as I reach to almost the end, the concluding part is a big let down. The climax isn't what I was expecting but does not make me go 'Oh my God!' Instead, I go thinking, 'Ah, so this was it?' Hence, the...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries

Thanks Meghan for letting me borrow this book and recommending the Kay Scarpetta series to me! I definitely enjoy Patricia Cornwell's writing and evolution of the mystery. This wasn't my favorite of her books - I just felt that there was a lot of computer talk about systems that are irrelevant and unrelatable to regular life and it was hard to follow. One of the things I love about Cornwell is it is difficult to figure out who did it, but sometimes it's so random, you question how you arrived at...more

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May 21, 2012 Manolis rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, crime-noir

Pretty good procedural, littered with waspy conversation and unbelievable characters. Seems the author has difficulty writing regular joe types, don't quite come off as real people, instead seems like the way a sheltered type from an estate in New England would guess people speak from watching Hill Street Blues.

Story was interesting, although the resolution was lacking and seemed only to set up a follow up book.

Clever enough story, but too much technical writing, some of it completely outdate...more

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Dec 09, 2011 Shellys♥ Journal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: year-2011, fiction, mystery, thriller, series

I think this was my favorite one so far in the series. It was a rather intricate mystery, and trying to figure it out was like unwinding a ball of thread - we only saw a little at a time, not enough to see the next layer, but enough to want to see the next layer.

I like that Cornwell has action that takes place between each book - we miss a significant event, but not the fallout.

We also see more human sides of the main characters in this one. Marino becomes "Pete" to Lucy and Lucy is now a full...more

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Jun 12, 2011 Ape rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this one today on our travels home. I do like crime mysteries for boring waiting around in airports and sitting on trains journeys as they make the time pass so much more quickly. I'd not read anything by Patricia Cornwall before. I enjoyed this, it was well written and good for the genre, and I will probably read more of hers if I come across any at any time. Aside from the murder mystery itself, when you can see that they've researched it well, it's interesting just to gain some kind of...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Berna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: detective

It is as if the book has two seperate parts. The first part has a slow tempo and sometimes hard to follow. The ending, however, has a fast tempo and you wonder what is going to happen. The relations between the characters are better defined probably in the previous books but if you read just this book you feel like more explanation is needed. The same thing happens for some relationships that are not defined in the end; you guess that they will be defined in the following books. If you read it a...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Marijn Vanbelle added it

Rigor mortis

Thriller

313 pagina's
Eerste druk: Scribner's, New York (Verenigde Staten)

Ronnie Joe Waddell wordt, na tien jaar dodencel, op de elektrische stoel geëxecuteerd. Conform de procedures onderzoekt Kay Scarpetta het stoffelijk overschot. Maar dan worden twee misdaden gepleegd die alleen maar met Waddel in verband kunnen worden gebracht. Het onderzoek loopt stroef. Vingerafdrukken verdwijnen, computergegevens worden gemanipuleerd. Het duurt niet lang of de reputatie van patholoog-anatoom Ka...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Aries rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller

Ci sono alcune cose che non sopporto nei romanzi della Cornwell. In primo luogo non riesco a farmi piacere Kay Scarpetta, un personaggio fin troppo passivo e lamentoso che troppe volte finisce nei guai non per colpa sua e spesso ne esce non per merito suo. Altra cosa �� il modo in cui i thriller vengono spesso risolti: non trovo accettabile che quella che sembra essere la trama principale per pi�� di tre quarti del libro passi quasi in secondo piano e venga risolta en passant, mentre quella acce...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Dewayne Stark rated it 2 of 5 stars

Second read of this author and the earlier one was set ahead of this one in time. The Doctors niece Lucy is able to search a six million name data base that is stored on tapes at a data center from a off site terminal using a dial up line and find where files have been altered using the "hex dumps". Earlier Lucy is able to figure out the transmissions between the dumb terminals in the Doctors office mini and the file tampering. A lot of effort was made to build the story and tie in all the murde...more

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Apr 28, 2011 Kricket rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio, 2011, mystery-suspense-thriller

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

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About Patricia Cornwell

Patricia Cornwell sold her first novel, Postmortem, while working as a computer analyst at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia. At her first signing, held during a lunch break from the morgue, Patricia sold no copies of Postmortem and fielded exactly one question – an elderly woman asked her where she could find the cookbooks.

Postmortem would go on to win the Edgar, Cre...more Patricia Cornwell sold her first novel, Postmortem, while working as a computer analyst at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia. At her first signing, held during a lunch break from the morgue, Patricia sold no copies of Postmortem and fielded exactly one question – an elderly woman asked her where she could find the cookbooks.

Postmortem would go on to win the Edgar, Creasey, Anthony, and Macavity awards as well as the French Prix du Roman d’Aventure prize – the first book ever to claim them all these distinctions in a single year. To date, Cornwell’s books have sold some 100 million copies in thirty-six languages in over 120 countries. She’s authored twenty-three New York Times bestsellers.

Patricia’s novels center primarily on medical examiner Kay Scarpetta along with her tech-savvy niece Lucy and fellow investigator Pete Marino. Over twenty years, these characters have grown into an international phenomenon, eventually winning Cornwell the Sherlock Award for best detective created by an American author, the Gold Dagger Award, the RBA Thriller Award, and the Medal of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters for her contributions to literary and artistic development.

Fox 20th Century currently owns the rights to the Scarpetta film, with Angelina Jolie slated to play Kay.

Patricia’s literary career expands outside the realm of the Kay Scarpetta series – she’s authored a definitive account of Jack the Ripper’s identity, two cookbooks (Food to Die For and Scarpetta’s Winter Table), a children’s book (Life’s Little Fable), and a biography of Ruth Graham. She’s also developed two other series based on Win Garano, an upstart Boston detective, and Andy Brazil, an enterprising Charlotte reporter.

Though Cornwell now lives in Boston, she was born in Miami and grew up in Montreat, North Carolina. After earning her degree in English from Davidson College in 1979, she began working at the Charlotte Observer, taking whatever stories came her way and rapidly advancing from listing television programs to covering the police beat. Cornwell received widespread attention and praise for her series of articles on prostitution and crime in downtown Charlotte.

From the Charlotte Observer, Cornwell moved to a job with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia – a post she would later bestow upon the fictional Kay Scarpetta. It was during these years that Patricia penned Postmortem and began submitting it to major publishing houses in New York, without initial success.

When not writing from her Boston home, Patricia tirelessly researches cutting-edge forensic technologies to include in her work. She flies her own helicopter, proudly emblazoned with the Scarpetta Crest, everywhere that might inspire her - from dinosaur bone beds to submarine factories to islands which host rare marine specimens.

Her interests span outside the literary: Patricia co-founded the National Forensic Academy and created a Chair in Organic Science at Harvard. She appears as a forensic consultant on CNN and serves as a member of Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital’s National Council, where she advocates for psychiatric research. She’s helped fund the ICU at Cornell’s Animal Hospital, the scientific study of a Confederate submarine, the archaeological excavation of Jamestown, and a variety of law enforcement charities. To stay in shape, she remains an avid tennis player.

Patricia is also committed to funding scholarships and literacy programs. Her advice to aspiring authors: “Start writing. And don’t take no for an answer."

Her latest book, Red Mist, is available now.(less)

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Cruel and Unusual (Kay Scarpetta #4)

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