Part of Kay Scarpetta, book 11
First published 2001
Dr. Kay Scarpetta retreats to her friend Anna Zenner's home after surviving a brutal attack by the killer Chandonne. Her own house remains a crime scene under police investigation. The refuge turns dangerous when Scarpetta learns that Anna must testify before a Grand Jury investigating Scarpetta herself for murder. Someone has orchestrated an elaborate frame job against the forensic pathologist. Scarpetta teams up with prosecutor Jaime Berger to examine Chandonne's alleged crimes, including a New York murder that preceded his Virginia killing spree. Their investigation reveals troubling gaps in the evidence. Scarpetta begins to suspect that Chandonne may be innocent of the crimes attributed to him. As she follows the forensic evidence, a chilling pattern emerges. Someone has spent years weaving an intricate trap designed to destroy her career and freedom. Scarpetta must identify her hidden enemy while dodging legal prosecution. The real killer remains at large, and Scarpetta faces the terrifying realization that she can trust no one in her fight for survival.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, detective
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, frame-up, unreliable-narrator
Setting: New York, Virginia
Period: 21st-century
565 pages · Paperback
Content warnings: death, graphic-violence, murder