It blamed Cornwell's losses on the recent recession and on her supposedly extravagant spending habits.

BBC: Patricia Cornwell wins $51m deal over financial losses

Mr Cornwell's work is more wide-ranging and accessible, and evokes the moral dilemmas of the period very effectively.

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However, lawyers for Snapper and Anchin argued that their clients were not to blame for the depletion of Cornwell's fortune, and that the fees they charged were reasonable.

BBC: Crime novelist Patricia Cornwell sues finance firm