Has all the trappings of a mystery novel, doesn't it?

He was pushing fifty, with a face life had chewed on, and long wisps of graying hair parted low on one side and combed over his balding pate.

I find it difficult to attend autopsies. Especially the smells.

I hate the term "mystery". That's not what I write. I think the Scarpetta novels are much more character-driven than an average puzzle solver. Writing should be like a pane of glass - there's another world on the other side and your vision carries you there, but you're not aware of having passed through a barrier to get there.

I didn't invent forensic science and medicine. I just was one of the first people to recognize how interesting it is.

In my forties, my optimism was boundless. I had really good health and tremendous success which allowed me to do anything I wanted.

You can't cure a chipped plate. All you can do is live with it or throw it out.