WRITER

Patricia Cornwell

1956 - Today

Photo of Patricia Cornwell

Icon of person Patricia Cornwell

Patricia Cornwell (born Patricia Carroll Daniels; June 9, 1956) is an American crime writer. She is known for her best-selling novels featuring medical examiner Kay Scarpetta, of which the first was inspired by a series of sensational murders in Richmond, Virginia, where most of the stories are set. The plots are notable for their emphasis on forensic science, which has influenced later TV treatments of police work. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Patricia Cornwell has received more than 1,547,591 page views. Her biography is available in 37 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 34 in 2019). Patricia Cornwell is the 1,778th most popular writer (down from 1,752nd in 2019), the 2,235th most popular biography from United States (up from 2,281st in 2019) and the 196th most popular American Writer.

Memorability Metrics

  • 1.5M

    Page Views (PV)

  • 57.09

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 37

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 5.62

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 3.13

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Notable Works

The body farm
1994
Portrait of a Killer
History, Serial murders
2002
From Potter's Field
Women detectives, Medical examiners (Law), Kay Scarpetta (Fictitious character)
An unidentified nude female sits propped against a fountain in Central Park. There are no signs of struggle. When Dr. Kay Scarpetta and her colleagues Benton Wesley and Pete Marino arrive on the scene, they instantly recognize the signature of serial killer Temple Brooks Gault. Scarpetta, on assignment with the FBI, visits the New York City morgue on Christmas morning, where she must use her forensic expertise to give a name to the nameless—a difficult task. But as she sorts through conflicting forensic clues, Gault claims his next victim. He has infiltrated the FBI’s top secret artificial-intelligence system developed by Scarpetta’s niece, and sends taunting messages as his butchery continues, moving terrifyingly closer to Scarpetta herself.
1995
Postmortem
Mystery, Kay Scarpetta (Fictitious character), Fiction
Under cover of night in Richmond, Virginia, a human monster strikes, leaving a gruesome trail of stranglings that has paralyzed the city. Medical examiner Kay Scarpetta suspects the worst: a deliberate campaign by a brilliant serial killer whose signature offers precious few clues. With an unerring eye, she calls on the latest advances in forensic research to unmask the madman. But this investigation will test Kay like no other, because it's being sabotaged from within and someone wants her dead.
1990

Page views of Patricia Cornwells by language

Over the past year Patricia Cornwell has had the most page views in the with 187,087 views, followed by Italian (64,279), and French (42,558). In terms of yearly growth of page views the top 3 wikpedia editions are Norwegian (Nynorsk) (116.92%), Bulgarian (103.49%), and Egyptian Arabic (103.40%)

Among WRITERS

Among writers, Patricia Cornwell ranks 1,778 out of 7,302. Before her are Felice Orsini, Miguel Hernández, Anton Hansen Tammsaare, Aryadeva, Vasyl Stus, and John Banville. After her are Väinö Linna, Tonino Guerra, Juan Donoso Cortés, Lajos Zilahy, Antonio de Nebrija, and Gottfried von Strassburg.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1956, Patricia Cornwell ranks 73. Before her are Iveta Radičová, Amado Carrillo Fuentes, Milan Babić, Bob Saget, Boris Akunin, and Kōji Yakusho. After her are Mansour Bahrami, Baruch Goldstein, La Toya Jackson, Krystian Zimerman, Miguel Bosé, and Alejandro Giammattei.

Others Born in 1956

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In United States

Among people born in United States, Patricia Cornwell ranks 2,235 out of 20,380. Before her are Ray Conniff (1916), Mary Parker Follett (1868), Albert King (1923), Jason Momoa (1979), Terry Riley (1935), and James Tolkan (1931). After her are Chris Brown (1989), Jenna Jameson (1974), Wilford Brimley (1934), Dean Acheson (1893), George Stevens (1904), and Rhea Seehorn (1972).

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Among WRITERS In United States

Among writers born in United States, Patricia Cornwell ranks 196. Before her are Joan Didion (1934), Edmond Hamilton (1904), Dorothy Parker (1893), Richard Ford (1944), Suzanne Collins (1962), and Raymond E. Feist (1945). After her are Robert Silverberg (1935), Djuna Barnes (1892), Joseph D. Pistone (1939), Betty Friedan (1921), Agnes Smedley (1892), and Frederik Pohl (1919).

American born Writers

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