BookBingeKay Scarpetta Books in Order
A pioneering chief medical examiner uses cutting-edge forensic science to track serial killers and violent criminals.
Here is the complete Kay Scarpetta reading order — all 29 books by Patricia Cornwell, in the order you should read them:
Publication order (recommended)
- Postmortem(1990)
- Body of Evidence(1991)
- All That Remains(1992)
- Cruel and Unusual(1993)
- The Body Farm(1994)
- From Potter's Field(1995)
- Cause of Death(1996)
- Unnatural Exposure(1997)
- Point of Origin(1998)
- Black Notice(1999)
- The Last Precinct(2000)
- Blow Fly(2001)
- Trace(2004)
- Predator(2005)
- Book of the Dead(2007)
- Scarpetta(2008)
- The Scarpetta Factor(2009)
- Port Mortuary(2010)
- Red Mist(2011)
- The Bone Bed(2012)
- Dust(2013)
- Flesh and Blood(2014)
- Depraved Heart(2015)
- Chaos(2016)
- Autopsy(2021)
- Livid(2022)
- Unnatural Death(2023)
- Identity Unknown(2024)
- Sharp Force(2025)
Good news: for this series, publication order and chronological order are the same — just read straight down the list.
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Get BookBingeFrequently asked questions
How many books are in the Kay Scarpetta series?
There are 29 books in the Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell, beginning with Postmortem (1990) and most recently Sharp Force (2025).
What is the first Kay Scarpetta book?
The first book is Postmortem, published in 1990. That's where new readers should start.
Should I read Kay Scarpetta in publication or chronological order?
Publication and chronological order are identical for this series, so just follow the list.