This is one of the best of Cornwells series on Kay Scarpetta. It moves fast and has twists and turns in the personality conflicts as well as in the mystery of the whodunit. She has achieved in fleshing out the romance between Kay and her lover and still making it clear that this is a difficult relationship to maintain due both to their jobs and due to their personality. She allows Kay to be a strong individual who has some difficulty in letting people into her life.