What is a theme in All That Remains?

Grief is a theme of this novel because it is grief that motivates two of the characters. The first is Mrs. Harvey, whose obvious grief stems from the murder of her daughter. Mrs. Harvey is consumed by grief not only because of her love for her daughter, but because they had a fight the day Deborah disappeared. Mrs. Harvey uses her political power to keep involved in the investigation. However, when the bodies are found, the FBI does everything they can to keep Mrs. Harvey out of the investigation, including telling Scarpetta not to release the autopsy report to her. Mrs. Harvey sees this as a cover up and decides to go public with her opinion. When Mrs. Harvey throws a press conference, accusing the FBI, the CIA, and the coroner's office in being involved in a cover-up, suggesting they know who killed her daughter, the press reacts as though these accusations are the statements of a grieving mother and are not serious. Pat Harvey is ridiculed and her promising political career is ruined.

Abby Turnbull once had a sister who was brutally murdered in the home they shared. Abby became good friends with Scarpetta during that investigation and has remained good friends with her. When the couple murders begin, Abby, a reporter, grabs onto them because they touch a nerve that is related to her sister's death. During her investigations into the cases, Abby learns a great number of details that even Scarpetta is not privy to. Abby begins to speak with Mrs. Harvey about these things, feeling empathy for her because of their shared grief. However, this empathy proves to be Abby's undoing because it is the information Abby shares with Mrs. Harvey that leads her to kill Steven Sperrier, causing Abby's death in the process.