Perspective can be difficult to maintain in general, let alone in times of a pandemic. Covid found many of us—readers and writers—craving comfort in the familiar to counter fear of the unknown. Consequently, #1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Cornwell was unexpectedly inspired to revisit her iconic sleuth, forensic pathologist Dr. Kay Scarpetta, in…
With the holidays fast approaching, Patricia Cornwell has decided to bestow upon her legion of readers a truly memorable gift: the return of iconic forensic sleuth, Dr. Kay Scarpetta. While the Sherlock Award-winning character hasn’t been heard from since 2016’s Chaos, Cornwell went on to write two bestselling, NASA-inspired thrillers featuring Captain Calli Chase: 2019’s…
Spin by Patricia Cornwell is the second Captain Chase novel, where Calli Chase races against time to thwart a plot that leaves the fate of humanity hanging in the balance. Patricia Cornwell is no one-trick pony. Arguably, she created the modern-day forensic thriller with her unmatched Scarpetta series (in my opinion, only author Kathy Reichs…
Regardless of characters, setting, or storyline, a single word always comes to mind when I read a Michael Connelly novel: authenticity. The details of how Harry Bosch, Mickey Haller, and Renée Ballard investigate crimes, identify suspects, and interact with their colleagues always withstand scrutiny. In a recent review of Connelly’s newest book The Night Fire,…
Every Wednesday, we here at Criminal Element will put together a list of Staff Picks of the books that published the day before—sharing the ones that we are looking forward to reading the most! This week, Patricia Cornwell publishes a fascinating exposé on one of the world's most infamous serial killers, and Mike Mignola gifts…
Ripper: The Secret Life of Walter Sickert by Patricia Cornwell is a comprehensive and intriguing exposé of one of the world’s most chilling cases of serial murder—and the police force that failed to solve it (available February 28, 2017). In 2001, acclaimed crime novelist Patricia Cornwell stepped away from fiction to investigate the facts and fallacies…
Crime and mystery fiction’s diversity attracts a broad readership. For instance, I prefer the soft stuff and am attracted to the puzzle rather than grizzly details, while many of my friends enjoy peeled skin and body parts. Knowing that, it seems immensely impertinent for me to try to compile a “best of” list on my…
Every Wednesday, we here at Criminal Element will put together a list of Staff Picks of the books that published the day before—sharing the ones that we are looking forward to reading the most! This week was a powerhouse of releases, with a new Patricia Cornwell, David Morrell, and more! See what else came out…
Chaos by Patricia Cornwell is the 24th thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling author's popular high-stakes series starring medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta (Available November 15, 2016). Fans of Patricia Cornwell know that it’s never good news when Dr. Kay Scarpetta’s cell phone rings after hours. Even worse when her husband’s, FBI profiler…
Between the Netflix hit Making a Murderer and the FX limited series that everyone keeps talking about, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, it seems like a true crime sensation is sweeping the nation. What is it that makes true crime—whether it’s a television show, movie, or book—so much more intriguing than a…
