It’s somehow taken almost 40 years for Patricia Cornwell’s bestselling forensic thrillers to get the small screen treatment – and Nicole Kidman’s brilliant turn as the talented but tortured Kay Scarpetta proves it was well worth the wait.

In recent years, the Oscar winner has become the go-to for playing affluent but troubled trophy wives in acclaimed TV dramas (see Big Little Lies and The Perfect Couple). But in Scarpetta, Nicole is, as ever, in fine form as a methodical, no-nonsense forensic pathologist determined to hunt down a killer.

forensic examiner looking at body © Connie Chornuk/Prime
Nicole Kidman is brilliant as Kay Scarpetta

It could just be a career-defining role for the Babygirl star, not just because of her compelling performance, but the potential longevity of the role.

By pre-ordering two seasons, Prime Video has signaled great confidence in the series. And with 29 novels in Cornwell’s collection to draw from, there’s certainly scope for a long-running, flagship thriller franchise, should the show perform well.

WATCH: The trailer for Scarpetta

Dual timeline narrative

Told across two distinct time periods, the story follows Dr. Kay Scarpetta who, decades after beginning her career as Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia, returns for a second stab at the job.

But when a brutal murder case bears a striking resemblance to the career-defining investigation she worked on 28 years earlier, Kay is determined to prove that she made the right call the first time around.

man and woman standing in front of police car© Connie Chornuk/Prime
Jake Cannavale plays young Pete, while Rosy McEwen plays young Kay

Epic A-list cast

The show’s A-list cast, which consists mostly of Oscar winners, is a huge draw, featuring brilliant performances all around.

Bobby Cannavale plays Kay’s brother-in-law and retired detective Pete; Ariana DeBose plays her grieving, tech-genius niece Lucy, who finds comfort in talking to an AI version of her dead wife; Simon Baker plays Kay’s FBI agent husband Benton; and Jamie Lee Curtis is particularly brilliant as Kay’s selfish, eccentric older sister Dorothy.

audience sitting on chairs© Connie Chornuk/Prime
Jamie Lee Curtis plays Kay’s sister Dorothy

The show blends gritty crime thriller with soapy family drama, which ramps up when Kay deputises Pete to help her investigate the case. “I need someone I can trust,” she says, having returned to a department that doesn’t seem to want her there.

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Scarpetta is available to stream on Prime Video now.