Grand Central to Publish Patricia Cornwell’s New Scarpetta Novel-LIVID-in October 2022

New York- February 8, 2022

Grand Central Publishing (GCP), a division of Hachette Book Group, has jointly acquired with Little Brown UK, a division of Hachette UK, the world rights to LIVID by international bestselling author Patricia Cornwell for simultaneous English-language publication in hardcover print, e-book and audio editions on October 25, 2022. For GCP, Ben Sevier, SVP and Publisher, acquired the book with Karen Kosztolnyik, Editorial Director, Fiction, editing. Cath Burke, Deputy Managing Director of Little, Brown Book Group and Executive Publisher at Sphere, will be working with Sphere Editorial Director, Tilda McDonald, on their Sphere publication.

In this thrilling new installment of Patricia Cornwell’s #1 bestselling Kay Scarpetta series, LIVID finds the chief medical examiner after she inherits one of the most notorious cases of her career. Two years after the body of a former beauty queen washed up on the shore of Wallops Island, Virginia, Scarpetta must act as the expert witness for the case—an investigation botched by another forensic pathologist. After a grueling cross-examination by the prosecutor, Scarpetta leaves the court only to discover that the sister of the judge on her case has been found dead. Scarpetta ultimately finds herself facing a powerful, invisible enemy who’s planning the unthinkable.

Sevier said of the acquisition, “There are a very few fictional characters who are so beloved that they seem almost to walk among us, and Patricia Cornwell’s Dr. Kay Scarpetta has to be at the top of that short list. Scarpetta’s return has been a momentous cultural occasion and Grand Central is delighted to be working with Patricia on this next chapter of Scarpetta’s journey.”

Burke said, “Like millions of others, I’m hooked on Patricia Cornwell’s writing, and the return of Kay Scarpetta is such a thrill for myself and the team at Little, Brown. We are so proud to be the home of the first 21 incredible Kay Scarpetta novels and are all delighted to be reuniting with Patricia for publication of her 26th novel in the series, LIVID.”

Cornwell said, “I’m beyond thrilled to place Scarpetta in Hachette’s capable hands as I relaunch the series.”

Patricia Cornwell is recognized as one of the world’s top bestselling crime authors with novels translated into thirty-six languages in more than 120 countries.  Her novels have won prestigious awards including the Edgar, the Creasey, the Prix du Roman d’Aventure, the Sherlock, the Galaxy National Book Award, and the Gold Dagger. In addition to the Scarpetta series, Cornwell has written the definitive book about Jack the Ripper, a biography, and three more fiction series.   A licensed helicopter pilot and scuba diver, she is known for actively researching the technologies that inform her work.

About Grand Central:
Grand Central is the flagship imprint of Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group.   Publishing approximately 85 titles per year in hardcover, trade paperback, mass market paperback, e-book and audio formats, Grand Central is home to many well-known and debut authors of blockbuster thrillers, award-winning literary novels, popular fiction, intimate memoirs, revelatory pop culture autobiographies and histories, and critically acclaimed narrative nonfiction on topics from true crime to popular science and almost everything in between.

About Grand Central Publishing:
Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, reaches a diverse audience through hardcover, trade paperback and mass market books and e-books that cater to every kind of reader. Our imprints are GCP Balance, Forever and Forever Yours, Grand Central Publishing, Legacy Lit, and Twelve.

About Hachette Book Group:
Hachette Book Group is a leading trade publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre (a Lagardère company), the third-largest trade and educational publisher in the world. HBG is made up of eight publishing groups: Little, Brown and Company; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Grand Central Publishing; Perseus Books; Orbit; Hachette Nashville; Workman Publishing; and Hachette Audio.