Ihr eigen Fleisch und Blut

On her birthday, Kay Scarpettas finds a cryptic message on her mailbox from a certain "Copperhead", and shortly afterwards she discovers seven brightly polished coins on her garden wall. A silly joke? Before she can think about it, the phone rings and Detective Pete Marino tells her that a man has been shot close to her. The number 3 is engraved on the shiny bullet, which is later discovered. It is already the third murder committed according to this pattern - and the victims were all from Scarpetta's circle. Seven coins, three murders, leaving four...