Beryl Madison is in fear for her life after months of terrifying phone calls, vandalism and stalking. She escapes to Key West for a few months of freedom, but the night she returns to Richmond, she is murdered. Dr Kay Scarpetta can't help but wonder why Beryl would let her attacker into her home when she has been so scared. Did Beryl know her attacker?

I'm surprised I didn't review this one the first time I read it but here goes. This is a great follow-up to the first book in the series. We get to hear about more of Scarpetta's history when her old boyfriend, Mark James, suddenly appears. Can she trust him or is he out to use her again? The case itself is well-thought out and additionally talks about how gay men were treated at the height of the AIDS crisis. As ever with a book of this age, both technology and attitudes have moved on and that world seems rather alien nowadays.