Scarpetta is a novel by Patricia Cornwell. It was published in 2008 by G. P. Putnam's Sons. It is the sixteenth book of Cornwell's popular Kay Scarpetta series.
Kirkus Reviews wrote that "the title perfectly suits a challenging mystery thatâÂÂs only a pendant to the endless soap opera revolving around a heroine." Publishers Weekly called the book "plodding", with "a plot full of holes and frustrating red herrings" that fell short of the series' usual quality. Laura Wilson, writing in The Guardian, called the novel "formulaic and stale", with "leaden, repetitive" prose that is, at its worst, "risible"; she added that the series' protagonists had descended into caricature.