Body of Evidence is a crime novel by Patricia Cornwell and the second book in her Kay Scarpetta series. The story follows medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta as she investigates the murder of a successful writer whose death appears connected to threatening letters and a mysterious manuscript. Combining forensic detail, police investigation, and psychological suspense, the novel develops into a tense mystery in which Scarpetta must uncover the motives behind the crime while confronting growing personal danger.