Patricia Cornwell working on new book series for Amazon

June 2 (UPI) -- Patricia Cornwell, known for her best-selling, Dr. Kay Scarpetta mystery novels, is working on a new book series for Thomas & Mercer, an imprint of Amazon Publishing.

Quantum, the first installment in the franchise, is due out in late 2019.

A news release said it "weaves military action, espionage, and space-age technology into the story of a young NASA test pilot/aerospace engineer, Captain Calli Chase, whose quest to uncover the secrets behind her fighter-pilot twin sister's murder takes her to the highest echelons of power: from NASA's Langley Research Center to the White House to Scotland Yard to INTERPOL headquarters in Lyon, France. And beyond."

A second, as-yet-untitled novel about Captain Chase is scheduled for release the following year.

"Patricia Cornwell's all-in approach to writing her iconic Dr. Scarpetta series catapulted forensic science into pop culture, paving the way for an explosion of entertainment featuring all things forensic across film, television, and literature, and if her current adventures at NASA are any indication-she's learning to spacewalk-we'll all be experts on space science and exploration very soon," publisher Mikyla Bruder said in a statement. "We can't wait to introduce Patricia's new heroine to readers next fall."

"I wanted the very best publisher in the galaxy to launch Captain Chase," said Cornwell. "I couldn't be more excited about taking this journey with Amazon Publishing."

The author took to Twitter Friday to assure fans that they have not seen the last of the brilliant Scarpetta, a crime-solving medical examiner and lawyer.

"She's not gone and you WILL see her again... very dramatically eventually," Cornwell said.