#1 bestselling author Patricia Cornwell returns to the chilling world of gutsy medical examiner Kay Scarpetta in this suspense classic.An unidentified nude female sits propped against a fountain in Central Park. There are no signs of struggle. When Dr. Kay Scarpetta and her colleagues Benton Wesley and Pete Marino arrive on the scene, they instantly recognize the signature of serial killer Temple Brooks Gault. Scarpetta, on assignment with the FBI, visits the New York City morgue on Christmas morning, where she must use her forensic expertise to give a name to the nameless—a difficult task. But as she sorts through conflicting forensic clues, Gault claims his next victim. He has infiltrated the FBI’s top secret artificial-intelligence system developed by Scarpetta’s niece, and sends taunting messages as his butchery continues, moving terrifyingly closer to Scarpetta herself.
Download and start listening now!
"This book was given to me as a gift, it wasn't the sort of thing I would normally read, I loved it, I loved her style of writing, it had me on the edge of my seat, it caused me to jump at any noise in the middle of the night. This book made me a Patricia Cornwell fan." — Jenni (5 out of 5 stars)
"This book was given to me as a gift, it wasn't the sort of thing I would normally read, I loved it, I loved her style of writing, it had me on the edge of my seat, it caused me to jump at any noise in the middle of the night. This book made me a Patricia Cornwell fan."
“Cornwell’s galloping plot lines, technical expertise, and strong sense of atmosphere keep matters zinging along.”
“Perhaps the best entry in the Scarpetta series yet.”
“Cornwell spins a relentless and complex tale of the hunter and hunted...Vividly compulsive, this warrants a new award; winner of the golden scalpel.”
“Once again, Cornwell proves herself one of today’s most talented crime fiction writers, an author who keeps her readers on the edges of their seats with magnificent plotting, masterful writing, and marvelous suspense. This is certain to be one of the most popular thrillers of the year.”
" I had to sleep with the lights on when I read this one. "
" Not my favorite Cornwell novel. The book didn't seem to take off until about halfway through. There was too much "techy" stuff in this book for my liking. Lucy played a much larger role in this book (hence the "techy" stuff) & I just don't really enjoy Lucy's character. Once the book finally picked up around pg. 150-200 I was able to finish the book in a day. I wouldn't recommend this to a new reader of Cornwell novels as this doesn't show off her best work. "
" I think I've burned out on Cornwell. "
" Not as satisfying or compelling as her previous books. A killer from her past resurfaces after a murder in the park and is resolved at the conclusion. Scarpetta is still involved with one of the main characters and her niece, Lucy is also nicely played here. I envision the young woman who plays Richard Castle's daughter on the television show Castle whenever I think of Lucy. There's some funny dialogue between Marino and Scarpetta about the age old image of two women together which I thought sounded dated. Cornwell continues to write elegantly about her woman characters; maybe it's time for a gorgeous lesbian character. "
" great book by a great writer "
" I pretty much read anything P. Cornwell writes. :) "
" Very page turning! Kept my interest! "
" My first read of one of this author's books for several years. Fine, an easy, undemanding read but I'll have to go back now and start in sequence. I see that some authors question the author's grasp of her speciality but it all worked well. "
" THIS BOOK ROX "
" After a while it all got to be too much, Scarpetta came across as more disturbing than one might like. "
" "Let conversation cease, let laughter flee. This is the place where death delights in helping the living." "
" Another good book by Patricia Cornwell. I really like the Scarpetta series and this one was a goodie! "
" I said Agatha Chrisite was always amongst my top 5 mystery/crime authors... Patricia Cornwell is also among the list. This book was one of the first I had read and I was hooked. "
" It wasn't my favorite Patricia Cornwell, but I enjoyed it. "
" The Scarpetta series is the best.... "
" I love this series. Read them in order for optimal entertainment. "
" #6 ChristmasTemple Gault has struck again, leaving a naked, apparently homeless girl shot in Central Park "
" I picked this 1st book up that ever read by this author for $3 on a whim while I was on vacation. I was unexpectedly hooked from that point on! Scarpetta is a wonderful character that I'd love to know if she were real! "
" another great read! need to find the rest of the series "
" I read this at least once a year. It is my favorite of the whole series!!! "
" Kay Scarpetta series -- in this one, sociopath/serial murderer Temple Gault is finally located and killed (after he kills his twin sister and several other people). "
" Number Six in the series. I think this might be where the series jumps the shark. "High tech climax" never goes well, I'm afraid. More red wine, more Lucy, more loser boyfriend. "
" Very good. Sudden ending but maybe part will be continued. I think I read this years ago. "
" My favorite Scarpetta book. "
" Good entertaining thriller to read on a plane, I liked most of Patricia Cornwells novels but couldnt class them as great literature "
" It's hard to believe there were another six books after this one. I was tired of Temple Gault by this time - sort of like the end of "Terminator" where the robot just keeps on coming back. But I enjoyed the interplay of the main protagonists and the changes in their relationships across the books. "
" Not sure if it would interest anyone not familiar with Scarpetta&co. Easy read, some character development and a bit anticlimatic ending. "
" Excellent read, love this author! :-) "
" Suspenseful book filled with twist and turns! Couldn't put it down and stayed up well past my bed time to read just one more chapter, which in turn made me finish out the book. Highly recommend it! "
" Very good read, mystery that keeps going. I enjoyed this one. "
" Yet another great book with Kay Scarpetta and her friends at work on another mystery. "
" Absolutely riveting - all throughout and especially at the end. I love this series and can't wait to read the next book. "
" I enjoy the Scarpetta novels-this follows suit. "
" I don't like the Temple Gault books, I thought this one was a cheap one - a good beach read, and kind of suspenseful at the end but don't expect much. "
Patricia Cornwell is recognized as one of the world’s top bestselling crime authors with many New York Times bestselling novels. She wrote her debut, Postmortem, while working at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia, and it went on to win the Edgar, Creasey, Anthony, and Macavity awards, as well as the French Prix du Roman d’Aventures—the first book ever to claim all these distinctions in a single year. Beyond the Kay Scarpetta series, she has written a definitive book about Jack the Ripper, a biography, and three more fiction series, among others.
Blair Brown is an award-winning narrator and a Tony Award–winning actor. Besides earning several AudioFile Earphones Award, she received the prestigious Audie Award for Best Fiction Narration in 2020. She has appeared on Broadway, in film, and on television in numerous miniseries and TV movies and received five Emmy Award nominations for her starring role in The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd.
Audiobooks Were Restored to Your Cart
[ShoppingCartItemsAddedOnMerge] audiobook(s) were left in your cart from a previous visit, and saved to your account for your convenience. You may view or remove these audiobooks on the shopping cart page.