As a student of the brilliant Vincent Rushkin, Isabelle discovered she could paint images so real they brought her dreams to life. But when the forces she unleashed brought tragedy to those she loved, she turned her back on it all. Now, 20 years later, Isabelle must come to terms with the memories and unlock the power of her brush.
The "book of the dead" is the morgue log, the ledger in which all cases are entered by hand. For Kay Scarpetta, however, it is about to have a new meaning.