The Recurring Cast
Character · Scarpetta and her circle · 29 books

Kay Scarpetta

Chief medical examiner and forensic pathologist · Patricia Cornwell

Dr Kay Scarpetta is a forensic pathologist and lawyer, a meticulous chief medical examiner who reads the dead and refuses to be pushed around.

Spoiler-free profile written for The Recurring Cast.

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Character facts

First appearance
Postmortem (1990)
Latest appearance
Sharp Force (2025)
Books
29 (29 as lead)
Series
Kay Scarpetta
Author
Patricia Cornwell
Circle
Scarpetta and her circle

Where to meet Kay Scarpetta

Kay Scarpetta first appears in Postmortem (1990), as the lead, book 1 of the Kay Scarpetta series.

Buy Postmortem

Every book with Kay Scarpetta

In publication order, with the size of their role in each.

  1. 1990LPostmortemlead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  2. 1991LBody of Evidencelead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  3. 1992LAll That Remainslead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  4. 1993LCruel and Unusuallead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  5. 1994LThe Body Farmlead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  6. 1995LFrom Potter’s Fieldlead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  7. 1996LCause of Deathlead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  8. 1997LUnnatural Exposurelead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  9. 1998LPoint of Originlead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  10. 1999LBlack Noticelead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  11. 2000LThe Last Precinctlead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  12. 2003LBlow Flylead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  13. 2004LTracelead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  14. 2005LPredatorlead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  15. 2007LBook of the Deadlead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  16. 2008LScarpettalead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  17. 2009LThe Scarpetta Factorlead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  18. 2010LPort Mortuarylead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  19. 2011LRed Mistlead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  20. 2012LThe Bone Bedlead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  21. 2013LDustlead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  22. 2014LFlesh and Bloodlead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  23. 2015LDepraved Heartlead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  24. 2016LChaoslead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  25. 2021LAutopsylead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  26. 2022LLividlead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  27. 2023LUnnatural Deathlead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  28. 2024LIdentity Unknownlead · Kay ScarpettaBuy
  29. 2025LSharp Forcelead · Kay ScarpettaBuy

Appears most often with

CharacterBooks together
Benton WesleyFBI profiler and Scarpetta’s partner, later husband29
Lucy FarinelliScarpetta’s niece, a computer and weapons specialist29
Pete MarinoDetective, later Scarpetta’s investigator29
RoseScarpetta’s secretary15
Carrie GrethenFormer FBI computer specialist turned killer4
Dorothy FarinelliScarpetta’s sister, Lucy’s mother4