Part of Kay Scarpetta, book 4
First published 1994
Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta performs the autopsy on convicted murderer Ronnie Waddell following his execution in Virginia. Days later, a young boy turns up dead, killed in the same manner as Waddell's previous victims. Even more disturbing, Waddell's fingerprints appear at the crime scene. Scarpetta teams with FBI Agent Benton Wesley and Detective Pete Marino to solve an impossible puzzle: how can a dead man commit murder? The investigation takes an unexpected turn when Scarpetta finds a mysterious folder on her computer and enlists her seventeen-year-old niece Lucy to help uncover its secrets. As the case deepens, Scarpetta must determine whether they're dealing with a copycat killer or something far more sinister that strikes at the heart of the justice system itself.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, impossible-crime, police-procedural
Setting: Virginia
Period: Contemporary
407 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Avon
Content warnings: death, murder, violence