Cruel and Unusual (novel)

Last updated

Cruel and Unusual
Patricia Cornwell - Cruel and Unusual.jpg
First edition
Author Patricia Cornwell
LanguageEnglish
Series Kay Scarpetta
Genre Crime
Publisher Scribner
Publication date
1993
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages384
ISBN 0-684-19530-5
OCLC 62171122
LC Class CPB Box no. 2390 vol. 1
Preceded by All That Remains  
Followed by The Body Farm  

Cruel and Unusual is a crime fiction novel by Patricia Cornwell. It is the fourth book in the Dr. Kay Scarpetta series.

Contents

Plot summary

Virginia Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta is called in to autopsy the body of convicted murderer Ronnie Waddell after his execution. Several days after the execution, a young boy is discovered murdered in the fashion of Waddell's earlier killings, with Waddell's prints near the body. Scarpetta, along with FBI Agent Benton Wesley and Detective Pete Marino, try to discover how a dead inmate could have possibly committed another murder after his death. As the story progresses she seeks the assistance of her 17-year-old niece, Lucy, after she discovers a strange folder on her computer.

Characters

Victims

Other deaths

Major themes

Awards and nominations

References

  1. Cruel and Unusual, p.359.
  2. The CWA Dagger Award Overview Archived July 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine