Forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta has just inherited one of the most notorious cases of her career. Almost 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 fiance, 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 gruelling cross-examination by the prosecutor, Scarpetta leaves the court - only to discover that the sister of the judge on her case has been found dead. Now she finds herself facing a powerful, invisible enemy, who's planning the unthinkable...