In this 26th book in the 'Kay Scarpetta' series, the medical examiner helps investigate a high-tech murder. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.
*****
Dr. Kay Scarpetta is once again the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia, but it's not all smooth sailing.
The previous Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Elvin Reddy - who's now the Health Commissioner - has a grudge against Kay, and tries to interfere with her work.
In addition, Reddy's former secretary - who Kay inherited - is difficult, obstructive, and spies on Kay for her former boss.
Scarpetta has another problem as well. Her testimony in the trial of Gilbert Hooke, who's accused of killing his girlfriend April Tupelo, contradicts that of a previous medical examiner. The former medical examiner, who had a mental breakdown and committed suicide. said April was murdered. However, Kay believes April drowned after a boat mishap, and she has the evidence to prove it.
Kay's testimony infuriates both the prosecutor and the public, who want Hooke locked up for the rest of his life.
All this leads to demonstrations and threats against Kay, and she's actually kicked, tripped, and injured.
In the midst of all this tumult, a CIA press secretary named Rachael Stanwyck - who's the sister of Kay's friend, Judge Annie Chilton - is found murdered in Chilton's home.
When Scarpetta is called to the scene of the crime, she and her forensics officer Pete Marino.....
......determine that Rachel was killed with a microwave gun. It seems someone stood outside and blasted radiation into the house, which fried Rachael's brain and killed her.
As things play out, Rachael's homicide seems to have a connection with an attempt on the life of the POTUS, as well as the murder of a Virginia merchant. Thus the FBI and the Secret Service, as well as the Virginia police, are all involved in the investigations. This means Kay's FBI profiler husband Benton Wesley......
.....and Kay's genius niece Lucy, a secret service agent who's a tech expert, are embroiled in the inquiries.
The use of microwave guns is an alarming escalation in weaponry, and is of GREAT concern to the authorities, because instructions for building these guns can be found online.
Clever detective work uncovers the perpetrator(s) AND exposes corrupt and malicious behavior in Virginia political circles.
As always in this series, there are gory descriptions of dead bodies and autopsies, so not for the faint of heart.
For me, the Scarpetta series was good for a long time and then went downhill. This novel seems like a slight resurgence, but there's still a ways to go.
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