Patricia Cornwell is the author of numerous #1 New York Times bestselling novels, as well as works of nonfiction. She sold her first novel, Postmortem, while working as a computer analyst at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia. It is the only novel to win five major crime awards in a single year. She has since gone on to become a #1 New York Times bestselling author, and her novels have won numerous awards, including the Edgar, the Creasey, the Anthony, and the Macavity awards, as well as France's Prix du Roman d'Aventure. Her novel Book of the Dead won the 2008 Galaxy British Book Awards' Books Direct Crime Thriller of the year, and she was the first American to win this award. Her character, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, won the 1999 Sherlock Award for the best detective created by an American author. She was awrded the Medal of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters for her contributions to literary and artistic development. Her books have sold more than 100 million copies in thirty-six languages in over 120 countries. When not writing, she tirelessly researches cutting-edge forensic technologies to include in her work.
