Table of Biography
Early Life
Patricia Cornwall was born on the 9th of June 1956, in Miami, Florida, the United States of America. She is currently 67 years old and has a birth sign of Gemini. Meanwhile, she holds an American nationality and belongs to the White-American ethnicity. Her birth name is Patricia Carroll Daniels.
Family Background
She was born to her parents; Sam Daniels (father) and Marilyn Daniels (mother). Moreover, her father was one of the leading appellate lawyers in the United States and served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black. She grew up with two brothers John and Jim. When Patricia was only five years old, her father walked out on the family, leaving her mother to raise Cornwell and her two brothers on her own.
Caption: Patricia Cornwall with her mother (Source: Patricia Cornwell)
In her memoir and interviews, Cornwell has discussed the financial struggles her family faced during her childhood. They frequently moved from place to place, living in different cities and even in cheap motels. Despite these hardships, her mother worked hard to provide for the family and instilled in her children the importance of education and perseverance.
Education
Patricia’s interest in writing and storytelling emerged during her early years. She would often create imaginary worlds and narratives as a means of escaping her challenging reality. In school, she found solace in literature and developed a passion for reading and writing. After graduating from high school, she attended Davidson College in North Carolina. There, she continued to explore her love for writing and English literature. She graduated in 1979 with a B.A. degree in English.
Professional Career
After graduating in 1979, Patricia Cornwall worked as a reporter for The Charlotte Observer, covering various news beats, including crime. This experience played a significant role in shaping her interest in forensic science and crime investigations.
In 1990, her first novel, “Postmortem,” was published, introducing readers to Dr. Kay Scarpetta. The novel became an instant success, winning numerous awards and establishing Cornwell as a leading figure in crime fiction. She has since written over 30 novels featuring Scarpetta, exploring her character’s personal and professional life while delving into complex murder mysteries.
Caption: Patricia Cornwall crime fiction novels (Source: eBay)
In addition, her novels are known for their detailed forensic procedures and scientific accuracy. She is praised for her ability to weave together intricate plotlines and create suspenseful narratives. Her writing style often incorporates cutting-edge forensic technologies and explores the psychological aspects of crime.
Throughout her career, she has sold millions of copies worldwide, making her one of the best-selling crime authors of all time. In addition to the Scarpetta series, she has written other novels and non-fiction works, including the “Andy Brazil” series and the book “Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper—Case Closed,” in which she presents her theory about the identity of the infamous serial killer. In addition, she has also made a brief appearance on the police procedural drama Criminal Minds in the episode “True Genius” as herself.
Patricia Cornwall – Awards
Patricia has received numerous awards and honors throughout her career as a crime fiction author. She has won the prestigious Edgar Award, presented by the Mystery Writers of America, multiple times. Moreover, she received the award for her debut novel, “Postmortem,” in 1991, and again for “Cruel and Unusual” in 1993. Her novel “Cruel and Unusual” also earned her the Gold Dagger Award in 1993.
She has been honored with the Anthony Award on several occasions. Notably, she won the award for Best Novel for “Postmortem” in 1991 and for “Cruel and Unusual” in 1993. Moreover, she has received the Macavity Award multiple times. In 1992, she received the Sherlock Award for Best Detective Novel for “Body of Evidence.” Similarly, she was recognized at the British Book Awards in 1999, winning the Crime Thriller of the Year for her novel “Black Notice.”
Patricia Cornwall – Net Worth 2024
Patricia makes a huge sum of money through various factors such as book sales, royalties, investments, and others. As of 2023, she has an estimated net worth of around $25 million while her salary and income are still a secret.
Relationship Status
Talking about her personal life, Patricia Cornwall married twice in her life. Firstly, she married one of her English professors, Charles L. Cornwell on June 14, 1980. Moreover, she was 17 years younger than Charles at the time of their marriage. Later, Charles quit his job as a tenured professor to become a preacher. The couple divorced in 1989, although Patricia kept her marital name following the split.
Caption: Patricia Cornwall with her husband, Staci Gruber (Source: The Guardian)
Later, Patricia Cornwall married Staci Gruber, a Harvard University associate professor of psychiatry, in 2006. She did not, however, reveal the news of her marriage until 2007. Moreover, she resides in Massachusetts with Gruber.
Controversy
In 2009, Patricia Cornwall filed a lawsuit against her former financial management company, Anchin, Block & Anchin LLP, alleging negligence and breach of contract. She claimed that the company mismanaged her finances, resulting in significant financial losses. The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court in 2013, with the terms undisclosed.
In her non-fiction book “Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper—Case Closed” (2002), she presented her theory about the identity of the infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper. She claimed that the British painter Walter Sickert was the Ripper. However, her theory has been widely disputed by Ripperologists and experts in the field, who criticize the lack of concrete evidence supporting her claims.
Patricia Cornwall – Body Measurements
Caption: Patricia Cornwall posing for a photo (Source: Instagram)
Patricia Cornwall stands 5 feet 5 inches tall (165cm) and 58 kg (130 lbs). In addition, she has a pair of green eyes with brown hair color and she has a slim body type. In addition, her sexual orientation is lesbian.
Social Media
On her Instagram page ‘@1pcornwell’ there are over 29.6k followers. Likewise, there are over 1.1 million followers on her Twitter page ‘@1pcornwell’ and she is not active on Facebook.