Patricia Cornwell

It was only recently when I came to know of a prominent and respectable crime writer - Patricia Cornwell. Pardon me for my ignorance, but for the past few years I haven't been an avid fictional book reader. Fictional books featuring dreamy-and-fairy-tale-like stories somehow failed to capture my admiration, what more sitting down and spending time reading the forever-twisting romance genre. Therefore, I had since lost touch with the "book world" as most of the books within my reach are romantically fictional...

I preferred non-fictional stories with little touches of reality, featuring brutality of life, teaching and constantly reminding us about the importance of appreciating and living our life to the fullest.

On Tuesday morning, I was flipping through the newspaper when I saw an article featuring a contemporary American crime writer, Patricia Cornwell. First of all, her photo in "Star Two" caught my attention instantly. She had that cool image that I had always admired and she's actually quite pretty, despite being three years off the golden 50.

She is well-known for her popular series of novels featuring the heroine, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a forensic pathologist and is currently the best-selling female writer after J.K. Rowling.

Patricia Cornwell had gone through much difficulties in life, suffering emotional abuse from her father whom she said had walked out on her family on Christmas Day when she was only five. To me, she had a very strong character and is a very tough lady having gone through all these ordeals in life and yet emerged as a brilliant writer.

However, she is a homosexual, marrying a female professor not too long ago and she said that she "finally felt rooted somewhere". To me, homosexual is against most religions in this world but it is definitely not to us to have a preconceived thought and criticise homosexuals. I think I'll respect her decision as it is her life and it is up to her to choose what she really wants.

Her "unusual" sexual direction does not affect my admiration towards her works, especially the latest one entitled "The Scarpetta Factor". I'd read four pages of her story, featured in abcnews.go.com. It was the very first time I really read through all four pages of a fictional story book and got really furious as it was left hanging by the end of the fourth page... I wished I had the book. I really want to finish that story. Maybe I'll try peeking at the bookstores near my house. I want to get her books. They're really nice.

Perhaps I had always adored crime and forensic-related things, that's why she really drew me into the her stories, making me want to explore and solve the crimes in it! I can't wait to continue reading her stories... When is the next time I'll be going to the bookstore???

This is the first fictional book that kept me reading on, anticipating for the crimes to be solved and analysing the situation in the story to figure out who the actual murderer was. Maybe the Scarpetta series have, what I'd mentioned earlier, little touches of brutality in life, which truly reflects the reality in the outside world. Understanding the criminals' minds sometimes do help us escape from unforeseen calamities...

Maybe I'll be forensic pathologist just like Dr Kay Scarpetta. My love and passion for forensics had since came back. There was once when I gave up the thought about forensics for lecturing in physics and additional math. But now, I think I'll choose forensics. It's more suitable for my forever-fighting-for-justice character. I have that typical intolerance for injustice and to me, abiding the law is always a must in my life! In addition, I always had that kind of cravings for more challenges and mind-boggling mazes to solve. I definitely believe that I have the confidence and capability to uptake the task of becoming a forensic scientist/pathologist in the near future. I'll work doubly hard to achieve my ambition! Way to go! Hahax!