Point of Origin is a crime fiction novel by American writer Patricia Cornwell.

In the ruins of the house she finds a body that tells a story of a violent and grisly murder.

Meanwhile, Carrie Grethen, a killer who nearly destroyed Scarpetta's life, has escaped from a forensic psychiatric hospital.

Her whereabouts are unknown, but her ultimate destination is not, for Carrie has begun to communicate with Scarpetta, conveying her deadly—if cryptic—plans for revenge.

Grethen has linked up with a new companion, sadistic killer Newton Joyce, in her pursuit of Scarpetta.