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Patricia Cornwell

Born Patricia Daniels in Miami, Florida in 1956, Patricia Daniels Cornwell moved to North Carolina with her mother and brother after her parents separated. Ms. Cornwell subsequently graduated from Davidson College, North Carolina.

Patricia Cornwell went through a series of very traumatic events in her earlier years, including anorexia, bulimia, maniac depression, alcoholism and rape. A car crash resulting from Driving Under the Influence resulted in seeking help for her addiction. Without doubt, all these exeriences contributed to her writing ability in expression of feelings, along with the expertise acquired later.

Patricia Cornwell began her successful career as a police reporter for the 'Charlotte Observer', also working voluntarily in the Richmond Police Department at the same time. Ms. Cornwell soon found herself as a computer analyst for the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond. While there, Patricia Cornwell recorded the wounds of murder vicrims and witnessed hundreds of actual autopsies - providing her with the insight and experience that influences all her Kay Scarpetta novels. Ms. Cornwell has also gone through the intensive training required at the FBI Academy in Quantico, including the infamous and grueling obstacle course for recruits there called 'The Yellow Brick Road.'

Some of Patricia Cornwell's novels and their portrayal of vicious, nasty murderers are unfortunately based on actual occurrences; there seems no limit to the depravity of our human race and Ms. Cornwell is intimately familiar with every variation of murderous horror. This is one of the reasons, besides fine writing, that Patricia Cornwell's mysreries keep you on the edge of your seat. turning pages far into the night.

Patricia Cornwell has won the Edgar, Creasy and Mcavity Awards, as well as the French Prix du Roman d'Adventure. In 1993, Ms. Cornwell was the winner of Britian's prestigious Gold Dagger Award for that year's best crime novel.

Patrcia Cornwell helped in the establishment of The Virginia Institute of Forensic Science and Medicine, the very first training facility of its kind in the USA. Ms. Cornwell has written seventeen Kay Scarpetta novels, in addition to penning two police procedurals, a book on Ruth Graham (Billy Graham's wife), A book about Jack the Ripper and a book of recipes called 'Scarpetta's Winter Table.'

Patricia Cornwell's Website

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