Scarpetta: Creating the hero I needed as a child

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Patricia Cornwell began life in a chaotic household with a single mother who suffered from severe mental health problems and then with a cruel and abusive foster carer. Through the turmoil Patricia longed for someone to swoop in and rescue her but they never came. Eventually she found work in a morgue as a technical writer. It was there, watching a medical examiner that she was inspired to write. She created the character Kay Scarpetta, a crime-fighting forensic pathologist; someone who brings order to horror and chaos. The books became bestsellers and ended up spawning a whole new genre of crime shows - most recently including the TV series Scarpetta with Nicole Kidman. Patricia shared her story with Outlook's Emily Webb in 2023 Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Andrea Kennedy Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707 (Photo: Patricia Cornwell looks directly at the camera with a smile. She is wearing a black top with a black leather jacket. Credit: Getty Images)