Image courtesy of publisher
Author Patricia Cornwell's latest novel "Sharp Force" is set in Alexandria.
Best-selling crime writer Patricia Cornwell has set her latest thriller, "Sharp Force," in Old Town Alexandria. The book, which hit bookstores last week, is the 29th in her popular Kay Scarpetta mystery series. The story is set during the holidays.
To date, Cornwell’s books have sold over 120 million copies in thirty-six languages in over 120 countries. She’s authored dozens of New York Times bestsellers.
Cornwell began her stellar writing career in Richmond, with her first novel "Postmortem," while working as a technical writer and computer analyst at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. She moved to Richmond (after working as a reporter in North Carolina) and developed the research and inspiration for her forensic thrillers during her time there.
While working at the office, she met a pathologist who reportedly inspired her to create her famous character Dr. Kay Scarpetta.
Photo courtesy of author
Author Patricia Cornwell
The transition to literary superstar was not easy. At her first signing, held during a lunch break from the morgue, Cornwell sold no copies of Postmortem and fielded exactly one question – an elderly woman asked her where she could find the cookbooks.
But her first book became a massive success, winning the Edgar, Creasey, Anthony, and Macavity Awards, and the French Prix du Roman d'Aventures—the first book to claim all those distinctions in a single year.
In her new novel, Scarpetta is on the hunt for a serial killer dubbed the Phantom Slasher and the book features AI, drones and other cutting-edge technologies.
When asked why she set the book in Old Town Alexandria, Cornwell recently told Northern Virginia Magazine "Old Town in particular is fun. It’s fun to walk around there. It’s fun to imagine Scarpetta having a headquarters. Of course, her headquarters is completely fabricated. There is no medical examiner’s office in Alexandria."
When not writing from her Boston home, Cornwell tirelessly researches cutting-edge forensic technologies to include in her work. Her interests span outside the literary: Patricia co-founded of the Conservation Scientist Chair at the Harvard University Art Museums. 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. 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.”
Other books set in Alexandria include The Domestic Diva Mystery Series by Krista Davis and author John Wasowicz's legal mystery series, which include "Dangerfield Island," "Jones Point," "Gadsby's Corner," "Hazel Falls," and "Spite House."
