Forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta has just inherited one of the most notorious cases of her career. Two years ago, a former beauty queen's body washed up on the shore of Wallops Island, Virginia. She was last seen on a boat with her fianč, who has since been held in jail while awaiting trial. Scarpetta must act as the expert witness for the case, an investigation previously botched by another forensic pathologist. After a grueling cross-examination...

All that remains: A murderer is killing young couples, leaving only a single playing card as a clue. Dr. Kay Scarpetta must solve the mystery of the abandoned cars, corpses in the forest, and another missing couple. Cruel & unusual: Dr. Kay Scarpetta examines a convicted killer, executed in Virginia's electric chair, in what should have been a routine procedure. But the murders of everyone connected to him continue after his death. Kate comes under...