Part of Kay Scarpetta, book 9
First published 2000
Dr Kay Scarpetta arrives at a Virginia farmhouse reduced to ash and charred timber. The Chief Medical Examiner works the scene for the ATF, sifting through debris that conceals more than fire damage. Among the ruins lies a corpse that reveals brutal violence preceded the blaze. The timing proves no coincidence. Carrie Grethen has broken free from the forensic psychiatric hospital where she was confined. This killer once brought Scarpetta and her loved ones to the edge of destruction. Now Carrie moves through the shadows with unknown location but clear intent. She begins sending messages to Scarpetta, each communication revealing fragments of her revenge scheme. The doctor must decode these cryptic threats while working the arson case. Two investigations merge into one deadly pursuit. Scarpetta faces a killer who knows her methods, her weaknesses, and her deepest fears.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: cat-and-mouse, enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Virginia
Period: Contemporary
440 pages · Paperback · Time Warner
Content warnings: murder, violence