Scarpetta follows Kay Scarpetta, Chief Medical Examiner, as she returns to Virginia and resumes her former position with complex relationships, both personal and professional – including her sister Dorothy, with plenty of grudges and secrets to uncover.

The series is based on Patricia Cornwell's literary hero, a brilliant forensic pathologist, inspired by former Virginia Chief Medical Examiner Marcella Farinelli Fierro, who uses forensic technology to solve crimes.