Blow Fly

In Blow Fly, Kay Scarpetta has just experienced the start of a new chapter in her life, after the abrupt conclusion of her tenure as Virginia's Chief Medical Examiner. She realized at the end of The Last Precinct that if she wanted any quiet, she would have to leave Richmond. She thought the governor was going to terminate her. Even more concerning, she was harassed by the media and the legal system over alleged charges that she was complicit in the deputy police chief's death. Scarpetta, therefore, gathered her possessions and headed for the comfort and warmth of the Florida sun.

She is adjusting to her new life as a private forensic consultant and is working on a case that has deeply unsettled her Louisianan colleagues. A lady, ready for a night out and holding keys, is discovered dead in a filthy motel. Her violent outbursts during their spell and her history of blackouts raise more concerns than they do answers about the reason for her death. Then Scarpetta gets news that makes her very uncomfortable: The ferocious and unrepentant Wolfman, Jean-Baptiste Chandonne, who followed her all the way to her house, requests to see her. He summons the legendary Dr. Scarpetta to an audience from his death row cell. He will only divulge the information to her that he knows the authorities are looking for—the proof that will enable a rapid conclusion to an international probe. After all the carnage and damage, Scarpetta, her niece Lucy, and her coworker Detective Pete Marino are left to wonder: What kind of conclusion might this vicious maniac have in mind? Is there any connection between this request and the Louisiana case?

With her friends and family on her side, Scarpetta has to face the shock of her life—a blow that will make her doubt the loyalty and faith of everyone and everything she values—while also unraveling a complex plot with a worldwide scope.