Crime writer Patricia Cornwell on Kay Scarpetta and life's simple pleasures

Patricia Cornwell has sold more than 120 million books worldwide, is friends with Jamie Lee Curtis and hangs out with secret service personnel - but told our Saga Magazine that she too has struggled with her mood over the years.

The author of the best-selling novels, featuring medical examiner Kay Scarpetta, plays tennis and lifts weights, but says walking with her partner Staci, especially in wild areas, is her biggest love.

“We both enjoy getting away out into the wild country. I did have problems with my mood in the past and being outside has always helped. This is going to sound like a cliché, but it really is the simplest things in life.”

The 67-year-old added: “I hate getting older but, hey, it happens.

“When your job is sitting on your backside, looking at a computer, it’s hard to stay in shape,” she admits.

The upcoming Kay Scarpetta TV series

Cornwell says she’s really excited about her famous forensic pathologist being brought to life in the upcoming Amazon series.

Nicole Kidman is playing Kay, while Jamie Lee Curtis is Scarpetta's sister Dorothy. The two women are also executive producers on the series.

Cornwell explains: “It’s been a long time coming and I’ve been in meetings with lots of different people over the years. Every time I watched a new crime drama, I couldn’t help but wonder what a Scarpetta show would look like. Finally, I get to find out.

“Jamie and I are friends, we’ve talked a lot about this… it just feels right. And with Nicole Kidman as Scarpetta! Wow, I can’t wait to see it.”