The sixth adventure in the Kay Scarpetta series, from the top bestselling author Patricia Cornwell.

"The scariest crime writer in America" - The Times

Christmas has never been a particularly pleasant time for Dr. Kay Scarpetta. While it is a celebration for most, it always seems to intensify the alienation felt by society's violent outcasts, which usually means more work for Scarpetta, Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia. The body was naked, female, and found propped against a fountain in a bleak section of Central Park, New York. The apparent manner of her death suggests a method eerily familiar: the gunshot wound to the head, the strips of skin that had been removed from the body, the exposed corpse—all point towards Temple Brooks Gault, Scarpetta’s worst enemy, being back in action. Mustering all her courage and skill, as well as the help of her colleagues Marino and Wesley, Scarpetta must track this most dangerous killer in a bid for survival and justice—leading to an electrifying climax within the dark, menacing labyrinth of New York's Metro tunnels.

Praise for the great series: "One of the best crime writers today" - Guardian.

"Devilishly clever" - Sunday Times.

"The top of the genre" - Daily Telegraph.

"Forget the pretenders. Cornwell reigns" - Mirror.

"The Agatha Christie of the DNA age" - Express.

Pages: 400, Year of Publication: 1201, Dimensions: 12.9x12.9cm.