Patricia Cornwell, Kay Scarpetta and a certain Lee Remick

Have been re-reading Patricia Cornwell's second book Body of Evidence (1991), and am totally engrossed with her way of storytelling. Her lead character is Kay Scarpetta, a flawed but brilliant ( aren't they all?) forensic pathologist, who seems always to be battling not only serial killers and psychopaths, but the whole American political and secret service systems. Later novels seem to move away from "catching the bad guys" to more bizarre and convoluted plotlines which all disappointed me, but her early stuff is sharp, clever and very enjoyable. Scarpetta is a career woman, who through self discipline and sacrifice ( single, no kids, few friends) has made it to the top of her field. She has a dysfunctional brother/sister relationship with a police partner Marino ( who in my mind's eye looks like the captain out of Cagney and Lacey) , a niece Lucy (who grew from precocious geek teen to lesbian police officer in the novel series) and a loyal old lady secretary Rose. In Cornwell's writing ,Scarpetta becomes a well defined and multi-layered character with depth. Cornwell describes often in minute detail, Scarpetta's routine and decision making; drawing from her "history" of Italian/Miami upbringing, quite simply , as a reader , you feel as though you KNOW, the character, for bad and for good. In my minds eye I envisioned Scarpetta as looking like Lee Remick (Right). Isn't it strange that Cornwell (Left) actually resembles Remick!!! du-du. du-du ( X files music)