Family

Dr. Kay Scarpetta is a full-blooded Italian woman with strong family ties. Kay was traumatized at a young age by her father's bout with leukemia and untimely death. As a result, Kay has formed a strong bond with Lucy, her-ten year-old niece and the only grandchild of her parents. Kay's mother constantly laments the fact that there is only one grandchild but that it's probably a blessing that Kay doesn't have children because she works too much and would be a terrible mother.

Regardless of her mother's opinions, Kay works hard to carry on certain family traditions. The preeminent tradition to Kay is cooking with tried and true recipes to create exquisite Italian meals. There are other types of cuisine in Kay's cooking arsenal, but Italian cooking and wines are the doctor's forte.

Although Kay's relationship with her mother is rocky, the relationship with her sister, Dorothy, is...