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 fianc�e, 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...

"In this exhilarating medical mystery-thriller by Robin Cook, fan favorites Jack and Laurie are lured into the dark underbelly of hospital dangers when an internist is murdered"-- Colleagues-turned-spouses Doctor Laurie Montgomery and Doctor Jack Stapleton already have their plates full with crazy work schedules and family pressures. The last thing they need is a murder. When Laurie's longtime friend, by all accounts healthy Dr. Sue Passero dies...

On a serene summer Sunday, a routine admission for a run-of-the-mill surgery at Atlanta's Emory Hospital goes tragically wrong, setting off a catastrophic wave of destruction that sends the facility and the surrounding area into lockdown. One of the city's largest and most prestigious institutions, Emory is situated near the Centers for Disease Control, the FBI counter-terrorism headquarters, and a large children's hospital. Anything that happens...