Life for Kay Scarpetta is no less complicated than before. In addition to her work her relationship with her FBI lover and her FBI niece are still a challenge to her. But to Kay her first and foremost love is her work. She has a passion for forensics that probably drives those around her insane and yet seems to inspire them to achieve new heights. When she is caught up in a case, nothing else seems to matter. Of course, Cornwell shows that things are not that simple, but there is no doubt in my mind that work is Scarpetta's first love. How wonderful it would be to be in love with your own job.

This time the story begins in Dublin. Kay is on a lecture stint in Ireland and is investigating the possible connection between bizarre murders in Richmond and Ireland. Dismembered and beheaded bodies turn up in dumps and it has not been possible to identify the victims. The MO between the murders in both places seem identical.

Then something strange happens. A new body turns up in Richmond. It, too, has been dismembered and beheaded, but in all other aspects it differs from the other bodies - older victim and different dismembering tools. Bad goes to worse as the discovery of postules on the victims body raises questions. Then another body turns out (with all of its limbs in place). This time the postules are the same, but the victim is completely disfigured by them. It turns out that this is a smallpox related illness and a high alert goes out all over the country.

This has become a race against time. This killer is obviously out to get the world.

On the one hand it is another good solid addition to the Scarpetta series of thrillers. It has all the usual ingredients, gory discoverings, Scarpetta's scientific examinations, a ruthless killer and the usual accompanying characters.

One the other hand it is another good solid addition to the Scarpetta series of thrillers that offers nothing new to what has gone before. Indeed some of the regular characters are becoming so changed from their original conception you really wonder if you want to carry on with the series. There's not enough of Pete Marino in this book for a start, niece Lucy is still an enormous pain in the neck and Benton Wesley seems to be becoming a needy wimp with his constant whinging to Scarpetta. Scarpetta herself is so driven at times she must be an absolute nightmare to work for.

What the series really needs is an insertion of some new blood, or at the very least the re-introduction of some the excellent minor characters we saw in previous offerings. Why can't sister Dorothy, who has only made one actual appearance in "The Body Farm", or even lawyer Nicholas Grueman who appeared in "Cruel and Unusual" reappear in some form or another to give the series a much needed injection of life.