Patricia Cornwell is recognized as one of the world's top bestselling crime authors with novels translated into thirty-six languages in more than 120 countries.

Her novels have won numerous prestigious awards including the Edgar, Creasey, Anthony, Macavity, and the French Prix du Roman d'Aventure prize. Beyond the Scarpetta series, Patricia has written fiction and non-fiction, including a definitive book about Jack the Ripper.

A licensed helicopter pilot and scuba diver, Cornwell actively researches the cutting-edge forensic technologies that inform her work. She was born in Miami, grew up in Montreat, NC, and now lives and works in Boston.