Kay Scarpetta's work as Virginia's Chief Medical Examiner has come to an end. Fearing that she is about to be fired by the govenor, and hounded by the media for what some claimed was her involvement in the murder of a deputy police chief, Scarpetta packs up her belongings and sets out for the warmth and solace of the Florida sun. However, settling into a new life as a private forensic consultant, Scarpetta is soon deep into a case that has left colleagues in Louisiana profoundly disturbed...