Prologue and Chapter 1 Summary

Cruel and Unusual is the fourth in the Kay Scarpetta series of novels by Patricia Cornwell. In this novel, Scarpetta is waiting for a death row inmate to be brought to her morgue for autopsy. Scarpetta performs a normal autopsy, finding no surprises, only to discover a short time later that someone who appears to be her dead convict is committing crimes throughout Richmond. Not only this, but Scarpetta's trusted morgue supervisor is found dead, and evidence seems to point in Scarpetta's direction. Cruel and Unusual is a dear friend in peril, making it Patricia Cornwell at her best.

Kay Scarpetta waits at home for word that Ronnie Joe Waddell has been executed so she can return to the morgue and perform his autopsy. As she waits, Scarpetta gets a call from a detective asking for her help on...