内容简介
Theworld'sbestsellingcrimewriterPatriciaCornwellpresentsanextraordinarynovelinwhichKayScarpettaisconfrontedwithacasethatcouldruinherprofessionally-andpersonally.
作者简介
PatriciaCornwellReadersofPatriciaCornwell'scrimenovelsneedastrongstomach,bothforthegruesomedetailsandthesuspensefulturnsofherplots.WithmedicalexaminerKayScarpetta,Cornwellcreatedacoolandcompellingheroinewhorepeatedlydrawsreadersbackformore.BiographyPatriciaCornwellwritescrimefictionfromanunusuallyinformedpointofview.Whilemanywritersare,asshesays,conjuringup"fantasy"assumptionsregardingwhatreallygoesintotrackingcriminalsandexaminingcrimescenes,Cornwellreallydoeswalkthewalk,whichiswhyhernovelsringsotrue.Beforebecomingoneofthemostwidelyrecognized,respected,andreadwritersincontemporarycrimefiction,sheworkedasapolicereporterforTheCharlotteObserverandasacomputeranalystinthechiefmedicalexaminer'sofficeinVirginia.Duringthisperiodofherlife,Cornwellobservedliterallyhundredsofautopsies.Whilethevastmajorityofpeoplewouldsurelyregardsuchworkunsavorybeyondbelief,Cornwellwasacquiringvaluableinformationthatwouldnotonlyhelpherwritethegroundbreaking2002studyPortraitofaKiller:JacktheRipper--CaseClosedbutwouldalsoenrichherfictionwithuncommonauthenticity."Mostofthesecrimesceneshows...arewhatIcall‘HarryPotter'policing,"shesaidinacandid,heatedinterview."They'reabsolutelyfantasy.Andtheproblemisthegeneralpublicwatchesthese,60millionpeopleaweekorwhatever,andtheythinkwhatthey'reseeingistrue."IfCornwellcomesoffasabitvehementinhercriticismoftelevisionshowsmeanttosimplyentertain,that'sjustbecauseshetakesherworksoseriously.NotthatCornwell'snovelsareeveranythingshortofentertaining,eveniftheirgrislydetailsmayrequireextra-strongstomachsofherreaders.Shehascreatedatremendouslywell-definedandcomplexcharacterinherfavoritefictionalcrimesolverDr.KayScarpetta.CornwellintroducedmedicalexaminerScarpettainherfirstnovel,Postmortemin1990.Today,Scarpettaisstillcrackingcasesandcrackingopencadavers.(ShehaseveninspiredacookbookcalledFoodtoDieFor:SecretsfromKayScarpetta'sKitchen.)Inaddition,CornwellwritesmorelightheartedcopcapersinherAndyBrazil&JudyHammerseries.GoodToKnowCornwellknowswhatitsliketoshatterrecords.Herdebut,Postmortem,wastheonlynovelbyafirst-timeauthortoeverwinfivemajormysteryawardsinasingleyear.Cornwellmaybeaformercrimesolver,butsheshudderstothinkthatherbookscouldactuallycontributetocrime.Infact,shesaysshehasreceived"thankyou"notesfromprisonerswhoclaimtheyhavegleanedinformationfromherbooksthatmighthelpthemcovertheirtrackswhilecommittingfuturecrimes.Ifparodyisindeedthesincerestformofflattery,thenCornwellhasafaninChrisElliott.TheprofessionalwisenheimerpublishedahilarioustakeoffonhertruecrimebookPortraitofaKillercalledTheShroudoftheThwacker.
