Part of Kay Scarpetta, book 8
First published 2000
Medical examiner Kay Scarpetta confronts a grisly scene when five headless, limbless bodies surface in Ireland, followed by four similar victims discovered in a Virginia landfill. Media hysteria erupts as reporter leaks suggest a serial killer stalks the state. But the mutilated corpses serve as deliberate misdirection. The real threat comes from a calculated adversary wielding weaponized smallpox and psychological warfare. This enemy sends Scarpetta disturbing crime scene photographs and cryptic online messages, targeting her mind as much as potential victims. Her rival Percy Ring exploits the chaos, spreading false theories while plotting to destroy her niece Lucy's FBI career. Lucy equips Scarpetta with virtual reality technology, allowing her to navigate digital recreations of murder scenes through DataGlove and VPL Eyephone equipment. As Scarpetta works alongside partner Pete Marino to decode the true conspiracy, she must navigate professional betrayal and personal attacks. The investigation reveals how paranoia and ambition corrupt those meant to serve justice, while a bioterror plot threatens mass casualties.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, rival-characters
Setting: Ireland, Virginia
Period: 21st-century
370 pages · Paperback · Time Warner
Content warnings: graphic-violence, violence