Author Patricia Cornwell’s series of novels based around medical examiner Kay Scarpetta are among the best female-led books in the well and truly dog-eared crime genre. Despite their popularity, the Scarpetta books have long eluded Hollywood producers, with various adaptations floated over the years, but none getting off the ground…until now! Courtesy of streaming service Prime (who have found success in adapting crime series with James Patterson’s Cross and Lee Child’s Reacher) and producer/star Nicole Kidman, Scarpetta will drop on March 11. Developed and written by Liz Sarnoff (Barry, Lost), the series takes the unusual approach (at least for a first series) of running a dual narrative, with Kidman playing Dr. Kay Scarpetta in a contemporary timeline and Rosy McEwen (Blue Jean) essaying her in the earliest days of her long career. There’s some great casting at play here (the brilliant Jamie Lee Curtis is Scarpetta’s sassy sister, Bobby Cannavale is a perfect pick as Detective Pete Marino, one-time Mentalist Simon Baker returns to familiar territory as FBI profiler Benton Wesley, and even Patricia Cornwell herself appears in a cameo), along with some rock-solid source material, so we’ll gladly give this one its day in court.

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