When convicted killer Ronnie Joe Waddell is executed in Virginia’s electric chair, he becomes what should be a routine postmortem case for the Chief Medical Examiner, Dr Kay Scarpetta.

But after Waddell’s execution, the murders continue, as everyone connected to him begins to die – including one of Scarpetta’s staff. When crucial records disappear from her files, Scarpetta comes under fire for incompetence.

Caught in a web of political intrigue, betrayed by those she trusted, Scarpetta must fight to free herself from murderous insinuations – and threats to her own life.