Cruel and Unusual

When convicted killer Ronnie Joe Waddell is executed in Virginia’s electric chair, he becomes what should be a routine postmortem case for Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta. But after Waddell’s execution the murders continue, as everyone connected to him begins to die – including members of Scarpetta’s staff.

Then, when crucial records disappear from her files, Scarpetta comes under fire for incompetence. Caught in a web of political intrigue and betrayed by those she trusted, Scarpetta must fight to free herself from murderous insinuations and threats to her own life.

To save her career, Scarpetta soon finds herself retracing Waddell’s bloody footprints, following a trail that might lead to long-hidden secrets deep within the state government. Either the truth will set her free…or unleash upon her a punishment both cruel and unusual.