All That Remains Cornwell, Patricia

A serial killer is targeting young couples in Virginia, leaving their bodies months apart in the woods. Medical examiner Kay Scarpetta gets pulled into the case when a new set of remains turns up — but this time, the victim is the daughter of one of the most powerful women in America. The forensic details are meticulous, the political pressure is suffocating, and Scarpetta's own life starts unraveling as someone begins stalking her. Cornwell writes procedural crime fiction that actually feels procedural — you're in the morgue, at the crime scene, watching evidence get processed in real time. This is the third in the Scarpetta series, and it's where Cornwell hits her stride: tighter plotting, higher stakes, and a protagonist who's brilliant but increasingly vulnerable. For fans of forensic thrillers who want the science as much as the suspense.