Book Title: Postmortem

Book Description:

«The bestselling forensic fiction series, with over 100 million copies sold worldwide!«

«Translated into 36 languages and a bestseller in 120 countries«

The pioneer of criminalistics and forensic detection, and the foundational inspiration for hit series like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation!

Every corpse has a story, whispering tales of its cruel fate.

Only forensic pathologists can comprehend the language of the afterlife, faithfully translating the methods of crime and the names of the true killers.

On the night of Friday, June 6, amidst a torrential downpour in the city of Richmond, another wrongful soul was sent away by strangulation.

A woman living alone was strangled in her own home, in her own bed—this is already the fourth homicide. Lately, from Friday midnight to the early hours of Saturday morning, the citizens of Richmond have been unable to sleep soundly, including Dr. Kay Scarpetta, Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia. She refuses to allow the cruel perpetrator hiding in the city's shadows to peer through the darkness, hunt for targets, break through windows, and claim another woman's life... The four female victims share absolutely nothing in common, except on the autopsy table, where a laser light reveals unusual glowing spots on the deceased—the composition remains unidentifiable, but it is clearly a critical clue.

The husband of the fourth victim provides a promising lead: when he entered the bedroom, he smelled a sweet, sickeningly sweet odor. Is this a reliable clue to track the killer, or is it a evasive statement meant to deflect suspicion from the investigation? Dr. Scarpetta must more actively play her role as the "translator of death," listening intently to the statements and cries of the deceased to halt the killer's brutal atrocities before the next victim draws her last breath...

Awards and Accolades:

The first author in literary history to sweep five major European and American awards within a single year of her debut—

About the Authors:

Author: Patricia Cornwell

Born in Miami in 1956. She began her career as a crime reporter and became a technical writer at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Virginia in 1984. Between 1984 and 1986, Cornwell wrote three novels based on her own forensic work experience, but the path to publication was initially unsuccessful.

Later, following advice to scrap her original concept of a male detective protagonist and pivot to a female forensic pathologist, she finally published her first mystery novel, Postmortem, in 1990. It became an instant hit, proudly winning her the 1990 CWA John Creasey Award. In 1991, the book went on to win the Edgar Award for Best First Novel, the Macavity Award for Best First Novel, the Anthony Award for Best First Novel, and the 1991 French Prix Roman d’Aventures.

Related Works:

Translator: Ku Hsiao-ling

Graduated from the Department of Sociology at National Taiwan University and holds a Master's degree in Sociology from the Catholic University of America. Residing in the United States, she engages in freelance translation and translated The Devil's Novitiate.

• 1990 Crime Writers' Association (CWA) John Creasey Memorial Award

• 1991 Macavity Award for Best First Mystery Novel

• 1991 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel

• 1991 Anthony Award for Best First Novel

• 1991 French Prix Roman d’Aventures

• Scarpetta

• Body of Evidence

• Black Notice